Vanessa Akhtar Ed.D.

As the leader of Kotter’s Consulting practice, Dr. Vanessa Akhtar brings a rare blend of research rigor and real-world application to complex organizational change. She works closely with Dr. John Kotter and a select team to pioneer new thinking in leadership and transformation through Kotter’s Research + Development initiatives. Vanessa is a sought-after speaker on change leadership and has contributed insights to Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, Forbes, HuffPost, and Chief Executive Magazine. She is also the co-author of Change: How Organizations Create Hard-to-Imagine Results Despite Uncertain and Volatile Times (Wiley), where she explores how organizations can thrive amid disruption.

Katie Beach

As Vice President of People Operations, Katie is focused on understanding Nebraska Medicine’s strategic priorities and aligning people strategies to ensure the attraction, retention, and development of the talent needed for long-term success.Today, Katie leads a dynamic team of 60+ professionals, all dedicated to delivering strategic workforce solutions. Her team drives key initiatives across Total Rewards, Wellbeing, Talent Acquisition & Sourcing, Employee Experience, Career Navigation, and Advisory Services. Prior to her time at Nebraska Medicine, Katie began her career in recruitment and leadership consulting before transitioning into human resources leadership in the manufacturing industry, where she spent nine years.

Katie holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications, with a concentration in Public Relations and Advertising, from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She’s certified through the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Executive Education Chief Human Capital Office Program, Society of Human Resources Management as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and Strategic Workforce Planning Certification from the Human Capital Institute. 

Alastair Bell MD, MBA

Dr. Alastair Bell oversees the comprehensive system strategy and operations of BMCHS' entities, including BMC, Boston Accountable Care Organization, Clearway Health, and the WellSense Health Plan.

Prior to joining in 2012, Dr. Bell was a leader in the North American payor and provider practice at McKinsey and Company, advising a range of national and international healthcare organizations and leading large-scale transformation programs. He received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oxford, his Master of Arts in physiology from the University of Cambridge, and his Master of Business Administration with distinction from Harvard Business School. Dr. Bell currently serves as co-chair of the board for the Boston Children’s Chorus.

Heather Brace

Heather Brace is the Chief People Officer for Intermountain Health. She is responsible for Intermountain’s engagement culture for more than 65,000 employees spanning across seven states. Heather has strategic oversight for talent management and development, recruitment, Human Resources service delivery, total rewards, culture enhancement, learning and development, and integrating diversity and inclusion in the employee culture.

Heather joined Intermountain in 2000 and has had a successful leadership journey. She is a first-generation graduate and is a working mom of two teenage boys. Heather took advantage of programs like tuition reimbursement, daycare, mentoring, and leadership development to support her own career growth, and knows first-hand the importance of how an organization can shape and support an employee’s ambitions and goals. She leads with this perspective in a way to give back to so many who have supported her journey. Since assuming the role of Chief People Officer in August 2018, Heather has overseen large-scale reorganizations of departments and service lines, benefit additions and transformations, and enhancing the employee experience.

Heather is a champion for employees and places great emphasis on the employee experience. She has created a more transparent culture of listening and action among employees. Under her leadership, Intermountain has expanded employee education opportunities, developed a remote work strategy, created programs like the Intermountain Food Box program, PTO donation, and the Caregiver Assistance Fund to help employees in need, expanded benefits like parental leave and infertility coverage, strengthened partnerships with local Utah businesses, and increased the minimum wage—and much more. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Heather played a critical role in keeping employees working, safe, and well. She created benefits like COVID Pay to help caregivers impacted by COVID-19 illness or school or daycare closures and spearheading cross-country partnerships with healthcare systems in New York surging with COVID-19 patients. Heather is passionate about empowering leaders and employees at every level to meet their full potential on behalf of Intermountain’s mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible.

Heather received both her Master’s Degree in Health Services Administration and Health Promotion and Education and her Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Utah.

Tim Darling MBA

Tim Darling is a co-founder and President, Laudio Insights. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare technology, Tim has a real passion for using data and analytics to serve the challenges facing healthcare organizations. Prior to Laudio, Tim was on the leadership team of a healthcare education analytics company and he spent seven years as a consultant at McKinsey & Company. He has an MBA from Carnegie Mellon and BS degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Payal Agrawal Divakaran MBA

Payal Agrawal Divakaran is a Partner at .406 Ventures, where she co-leads the healthcare investing practice. .406 Ventures is a Boston-based venture capital firm with over $1.4B under management. Since its founding in 2005, .406 Ventures has never wavered from its strategy of investing in early-stage enterprise-focused startups in healthcare, data + AI, and cybersecurity. Every member of the firm has deep operating or investing experience in these segments.
 
.406’s world-class founders and digital health companies are transforming healthcare technology and care delivery. Payal leads .406’s investments in AristaMD, Diana Health, Equip, FamilyWell, Heartbeat Health, Humata Health, Nema Health, Nomad Health, OncoveryCare, and Wellist. She also supports Better Life Partners, Laudio, Redox, Wayspring, and WelbeHealth.

Before joining .406 in 2015, Payal co-founded a company called SpotRocket while at Harvard Business School (HBS). Prior to that, she worked at Eventbrite, Spectrum Equity, and JP Morgan. Payal received her MBA, with distinction, from Harvard Business School, and her BS in Electrical Engineering and minor in Management from MIT. Payal is a Boston native and Boston sports fan. She and her husband and two kids live in Brookline.

Michael Dowling

Michael Dowling is one of health care’s most influential voices. He is an award-winning health care leader, author and national keynote speaker who takes a stand on societal issues such as gun violence, corporate social responsibility and immigration—issues many health system CEOs shy away from. As president and CEO of Northwell Health, he leads a clinical, academic and research enterprise with a workforce of more than 89,000 and annual revenue of $19.57 billion. Northwell is the largest health care provider and private employer in New York state, caring for more than 2 million people annually through a vast network of 21 hospitals, more than 945 outpatient facilities—including 250-plus primary care practices and 75 urgent care centers—along with home care, rehabilitation and end-of-life programs. Mr. Dowling grew up in Limerick, Ireland.

Joseph Fisne MS, CPHIMS, CHCIO

Joe is a key leader in healthcare information technology (IT), driving initiatives that support Geisinger’s mission of “making better health easy.” Under the direction of the Chief Information Officer, he oversees critical programs, including the Keystone Health Information Exchange (KeyHIE), which integrates over 260 healthcare organizations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He also manages aspects of the IT Technology Business Partner program, and oversees projects such as supporting the Northeast Behavioral Health Center in Moosic, PA and a new healthcare facility under construction in Danville, PA.

For the past eight years, Joe has led Geisinger’s participation in the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) Digital Health Most Wired Survey. Because of his expertise, Geisinger has achieved CHIME’s highest designation, “Most Wired Level 10 for Acute and Ambulatory Care,” for the past five consecutive years—a recognition earned by only 16 healthcare organizations globally.

Joe has held numerous leadership positions, including Chief Information Officer, Vice President of Imaging and Diagnostic Services, and Chief Operating Officer. For the past 13 years, he has also served on Pennsylvania’s P3N Advisory Board, supporting statewide integration and interoperability of electronic medical records. He is also highly credentialed, holding certifications as a Certified Healthcare CIO, Certified Healthcare Data Executive, Certified Healthcare Privacy Officer, and Certified Professional in Healthcare Information Management. As a member of CHIME, he has contributed to federal policy committees and regularly shares his passion for health IT through public speaking engagements.

In addition to his professional achievements, Joe has been an adjunct professor in the University of Scranton’s Health Administration Graduate Program for 14 years. He earned both his Bachelor of Science (1982) and Master of Science (1994) degrees from the University of Scranton. His commitment to leadership and 50+ years of work with the Northeastern Council of the Scouts of America, recently earned him the distinguished honor of Eminent Eagle.

CJ Floros

CJ Floros is Chief Operating Officer and a Board member at Laudio. He has spent more than a decade focused on operationalizing the delivery of solutions that result in long-term, sustainable outcomes in healthcare. Prior to Laudio, he was Chief Development Officer at APS, a platform used by more than 30% of healthcare executives to identify potential clinical risk. CJ has over 20 years in leadership roles covering business/corporate development and finance.

He is a recognized thought leader speaking frequently at industry conferences and associations, as well as webinars. He has successfully provided leadership to early stage and middle market companies, resulting in top and bottom-line growth from inception to exit. He started his career as an Audit and Assurance Accountant at Deloitte. CJ has a BS in Accounting and Finance from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College.

Brian Floyd RN, MBA

Beginning his career as a Registered Nurse in cardiothoracic surgery, with more than 30 years progressive experience in healthcare leadership and operations. He has served in administrative roles across the continuum of healthcare including physician practice management at Brody School of Medicine, service line leadership, hospital operations, and ultimately served as CEO of ECU Health Medical Center. Today, he serves as the Chief Operating Officer of ECU Health System with responsibilities for all aspects of the clinical enterprise including hospitals, clinics, and corporate functions.

Brian has a lifelong passion for rural healthcare. He has a deep understanding of the issues that are unique to rural and underserved communities and seeks to advance the positive impacts stemming from care delivery, economic stimulus activity, education and training programs, and various partnerships that improve the social determinants of health.

In pursuit of these goals, he serves on a variety of boards and committees at the state and national level to include American Hospital Association, NC Institute of Medicine, and was appointed by the governor to the State Health Coordinating Council and the Council on Workforce and Apprenticeships. He is a trustee of Pitt Community College and is the incoming Board Chair of the North Carolina Healthcare Association. Brian is married with three children and is proud to make Eastern NC his home. 

Loraine Frank-Lightfoot DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Dr. Frank-Lightfoot Is the Vice President for Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. She also serves as the Triad Region Chief Nursing for the five Winston-Salem hospitals. Loraine joined the Novant team in 2020. Prior to this, she was the System Chief Nursing Officer for Munson Medical Center and Munson Healthcare, a nine-hospital system in Michigan.  

Loraine’s prior executive roles include serving as the CNO for Parkview Regional Medical Center and Affiliates in Fort Wayne, Indiana and as the CNO for Wooster Community Hospital in Wooster, Ohio. In addition to her nursing leadership roles, Loraine has actively shared her knowledge and expertise with undergraduate and graduate students via formal teaching positions and as a doctoral advisor. Her academic experience includes positions as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Practice with the Ohio State University, Adjunct Faculty positions for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Purdue University and the University of Akron.

In 2012 Dr. Frank-Lightfoot was awarded a Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellowship. She was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna by the University of Akron in 2015. Loraine holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from The Ohio State University, a Master’s degree in Business from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from the University of Akron. She has published numerous articles and spoken at national conferences related to nursing leadership topics. 

Nancy Gaden DNP, RN, FAAN

Nancy Gaden, DNP, RN, FAAN, is Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety net hospital and busiest trauma center in New England. Since joining in 2014, she has led major initiatives including the clinical merger of two campuses, improvements in quality and engagement, and led the department to the hospital’s first Magnet Designation in 2021. Previously, she served as CNO at Hallmark Health System, where under her leadership they received Magnet Designation.

Nancy has also held CNO roles at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, South Shore Hospital, and Milton Hospital.Nancy is a nationally recognized nursing leader, honored with awards such as the Living Legend by the American Nurses Association of MA (2024), DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award (2020), and inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing (2023). She is past President of the New England Organization of Nurse Leaders and a frequent national speaker.

Nancy earned her BS in Nursing from the University of Rochester, her MS from Boston College, and her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Regis College, and has an appointment as an Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences and Education, Boston University Chobanian and Avedesian School of Medicine.

Mridul Ganesh MBA

Mridul Ganesh is the Head of Product and Engineering at Laudio, responsible for designing and building the Laudio platform. Mridul has over a decade of experience creating digital healthcare products in different contexts, helping health systems make better strategic decisions, enabling businesses to provide high-quality healthcare benefits to their employees, improving healthcare quality through better education, and now at Laudio, empowering healthcare leaders to drive organizational outcomes. He thrives on the creative process of finding simple solutions to complex problems. Mridul started his career as a consultant at McKinsey and Company. He has an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Gaurav Gupta

Gaurav Gupta serves as Managing Director and Head of Research + Development at Kotter, where he guides the firm’s intellectual engine and future-focused thought leadership. With a sharp focus on adaptability and innovation, Gaurav helps organizations reimagine what’s possible in rapidly shifting environments. A compelling speaker and respected thought leader, his work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, and Forbes. He is the co-author of Change: How Organizations Create Hard-to-Imagine Results Despite Uncertain and Volatile Times (Wiley), with Dr. Kotter and Dr. Vanessa Akhtar.

Dan Gross DNSC, MSN, RN

Daniel L. Gross (Dan) served as a progressive healthcare leader with four decades of healthcare experience. His career predominately was at Sharp HealthCare (Sharp) in San Diego, California. For the past 14 years Dan served as the Health System Executive Vice President. Dan's key responsibilities included oversight of Sharp’s four acute care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, Clinical Effectiveness, Global Patient Services, Government Relations, Strategic Campus/Facility Development, and Physician Services.Dan began his career at Sharp in 1979 as a clinical nurse at Sharp Memorial Hospital. Over the years, he served as Clinical Nurse IV, Director of Patient Care Services, Regional Director of Critical Care, Regional Director of Patient Care Services, and System Vice President of Clinical Services. Prior to his role as Executive Vice President, Dan was Chief Executive Officer of the Sharp Metropolitan Medical Campus for 11 years where he had oversight of three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, home care services, and two senior centers.

Dan is a past member of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Board of Trustees, California Hospital Association (CHA) Board of Directors, Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties (HASD&IC) Board of Directors, California Health Care Foundation Board of Directors, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Board of Directors, Trauma Care Association of America, San Diego Senior Community Board of Directors, and San Diego Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Dan serves as adjunct faculty for San Diego State University (SDSU), University of San Diego (USD), and University of California at San Diego. Dan has served as an advisor to San Diego Connect, Crisi Medical Systems, Orbis Education, Launch Factory, Laudio, and other businesses.

Dan has and continues to serve on numerous boards, is a seasoned speaker and lecturer, and is engaged in numerous local and national mentoring relationships. Dan received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Wichita State University, his Master of Science in Nursing Administration from San Diego State University, and his Doctor of Nursing Science from University of San Diego.

Susan Hernandez DNP, MBA, RN

Susan Hernandez, DNP, MBA, RN currently serves as the Health System Chief Nurse Executive for UT Southwestern Medical Center, where she is responsible for over 5,000 clinical care team members including the nursing practice for approximately 3,500 nurses throughout two University Hospitals and over 60 ambulatory clinics.

Ms. Hernandez joined UT Southwestern in June 2014 as Chief Nursing Officer for University Hospitals, before assuming her current role as Health System Chief Nurse Executive in 2016. During her tenure at UT Southwestern, she has led the transition of nursing from St. Paul University Hospital to William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital and has expanded the nursing education program to enhance the quality of care across all disciplines. She also led an important external review of nursing practice by a panel of acclaimed national experts tasked with developing a plan to create a culture of nursing excellence at all sites of patient care at UT Southwestern.

Under Ms. Hernandez’s leadership, UT Southwestern achieved Magnet status in 2016. She is passionate about the wellbeing of not only our patients, but also our staff, and advocates for the voice of the nurse through all levels of the organization. Her commitment to developing future leaders and leading them to the next step in a long career of authentic leadership is evident within the organization and the community, as she serves as President-elect for the North Texas Organization for Nursing Leadership (NTONL). She is known and admired for her intellect, energy, and thoughtfulness in working with her peers and colleagues.  

Tonya Jackman Hampton Ed.D, PCC

Dr. Tonya Jackman Hampton, Ed.D, is an award-winning executive, speaker, and author with over 30 years of leadership experience spanning Fortune 500 companies and non-profit organizations. Most recently, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer at UC San Diego Health and Chief People and Culture Officer at Hennepin Healthcare.

Dr. Jackman Hampton is the Founder and CEO of Sequel Consulting Group, LLC, and a bestselling author of The Myth of the Fearless Leader. She is also a nationally recognized speaker, consultant and certified executive coach.Dr. Jackman Hampton holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Pre-Law from Clark Atlanta University, an MBA with a concentration in Human Resource Management, and a Doctor of Education in Organization Development from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.

A breast cancer survivor, avid runner, and proud mother, Dr. Jackman Hampton is a native of Minnesota and now resides in San Diego.

Vicki Kahaner JD

Vicki R. Kahaner is a seasoned human resources executive with over 25 years of experience leading transformative HR strategies in both public and private sectors. As the Vice President, Enterprise HR Officer for People Leader Services at Northwell Health, Vicki plays a critical role in enabling leadership effectiveness across the organization by overseeing key teams including People Leader Advisors, Experience Strategy, Leader Operations, and Career Services.

Throughout her tenure at Northwell Health, she has led enterprise-wide initiatives that drive engagement, culture, and operational excellence. Previously, Vicki served as Vice President of Employee Relations, where she established the Advice & Counsel Center and introduced innovative training and compliance strategies that shaped a positive workplace culture. She also served as the organization’s lead strategist and negotiator for labor relations, managing 19 collective bargaining agreements and launching the Northwell Health Labor Academy.

Before joining Northwell, Vicki held pivotal roles in labor and employment law with the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation and the Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations. Her legal foundation, combined with her strategic HR leadership, uniquely position her to navigate complex workforce dynamics while advancing organizational goals.

Vicki holds a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Quinnipiac University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science in Communications and English from the University of Miami. She is
admitted to the bar in both New York and Connecticut and has also served as an adjunct professor at Hofstra University, where she developed and taught graduate-level coursework in Human Resources Management for healthcare professionals.

Christopher Kerns MBA

Prior to founding Union and serving as its CEO, Christopher Kerns was Vice President for Executive Insights at Advisory Board, where he led all research aimed at senior executives across the entire health sector—which included overseeing and hosting Stay Up to Date (Advisory Board’s weekly webcast) and Radio Advisory (its podcast companion). He began his career as a healthcare financial analyst focusing on stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, and over the years expanded his expertise to span the entire industry.

He has led or overseen more research studies on healthcare policy and politics, health system M&A, capital allocation, investment strategy, revenue cycle, and supply chain than he’d prefer to count. You might have seen him quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Modern Healthcare, and published work by Harvard Business Review. He earned his MBA at the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, and holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Qualenta Kivett JD

Qualenta Kivett is the Executive Vice President and Chief People and Talent Officer of Tampa General Hospital, a nationally renowned nonprofit academic medical healthcare system. Ms. Kivett is responsible for leading Tampa General Hospital’s people and talent division, where she focuses on the voice of team members and an evidence-based strategy to provide support and enhance engagement. Before joining Tampa General, Ms. Kivett served as the Market Vice President, and Chief Human Resources Officer for CHI St. Vincent, a multi-hospital health system located in central Arkansas, a part of the CommonSpirit Health System. Prior to that role, she worked at Medical University South Carolina as the Associate Chief People Officer, responsible for not only Human Resources, but also HR mergers, acquisitions, growth, and integration.

Ms. Kivett currently is an active board member sitting on the Hillsborough Community College Foundation Board, University of Arkansas at Little Rock-William H. Bowen School of Law Alumni Board, and Fe League Board.

Ms. Kivett earned her Law Degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock-William H. Bowen School of Law after receiving BA degrees in Spanish and Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

When not working, she and her husband, Josh, enjoy the outdoors, eating, traveling and spending time with family and their dog, Ricky.

Matthew Kurth MBA

Matt is the Deputy Chief People Officer for Northwell Health. In this role, Matt leads the HR Enablement & Operations function and has additional responsibilities related to the design and implementation of strategic HR and people-related initiatives. This includes further advancing the overall HR operating model to help ensure the success of our ambitious people strategy, and guiding the continued development, coordination, and alignment of our HR centers of excellence.

Since joining Northwell in 2016, Matt has served in a variety of HR leadership roles, overseeing areas such as project management, change management, career, and performance development, and most recently, operations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he oversaw significant aspects of Northwell’s response to staffing and many other team member-related impacts, including coordination of our team member vaccination operation. Throughout his eight years with Northwell, he has led cross-functional teams amid challenging and evolving conditions.

Prior to joining Northwell, Matt spent seven years as a Human Capital Services Consultant for Baker Tilly, providing consulting expertise to Northwell and other organizations in healthcare and across a variety of industries. Matt holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Strategic HR Management from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and he is a recent graduate of Northwell's High Potential development program.

Brent Lamm

Brent Lamm serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for the UNC Health System. In this role, he has responsibility for all Information Technology and Clinical Engineering solutions and services for the health system.

Prior to joining UNC in 2009, Brent served for 10+ years in various technical leadership, IT architecture, and software development roles in the Global Services and Software Group divisions of IBM. During this period, he worked extensively with clients in various industries, including financial services, health care, manufacturing, and telecommunications.

Brent holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Business Administration from UNC Kenan Flagler.  

Cynthia Latney RN, DHA(c), MSN, NE-BC

Cynthia Latney, RN, DHA(c), MSN, NE-BC, serves as the Chief Nurse Executive at OhioHealth. In her role, she is responsible for managing nursing practice across the entire OhioHealth enterprise. With three OhioHealth hospitals recognized as Magnet® and two designated as Pathway to Excellence, Cynthia strives to establish a culture of nursing excellence throughout the organization. Passionate about her work, she collaborates closely with nursing leaders and clinical partners to ensure consistent and exceptional care for patients and families.

Cynthia's extensive experience as a healthcare executive enables her to lead through periods of change and transformation while building diverse and highly effective teams. Her forward-thinking approach and innovative vision contribute to improved patient safety, quality, experience, and the overall nursing work environment.

Prior to joining OhioHealth, Cynthia held the position of Senior Vice President of Nursing Business Operations at Jefferson Health. She also held various leadership roles at Centura Health, including Chief Nursing Officer at local and regional levels, System Chief Nursing Executive, and Chief Transformation Officer. In addition, she gained experience in nursing and operational positions at the Hospital Corporation of America in Colorado and Texas, as well as Houston Methodist in Texas.

Cynthia obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the State University of New York at Buffalo and holds a Master of Science in Nursing Healthcare Administration from the University of Phoenix. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Health Administration at the University of Phoenix.

As a published author, Cynthia contributes to the field of evidence-based nursing practice and high-reliability organizations in the nursing field. Cynthia is a board member of The Ohio Federation for Health Equity and Social Justice, where she advocates for healthcare access and social support. Additionally, she dedicates her time to working with young individuals, providing them access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, and educating the community on the impact of opioid addiction.

Nakesha Lopez

Nakesha Lopez is Executive Vice President, Chief People & Culture Officer, for Advocate Health—the country’s third largest nonprofit health system with 155,000 teammates across six states. She joined the organization in March 2024 to lead the strategic management and delivery of all people programs, policies, processes and practices for Advocate Health. She aligns the HR function with the organization’s strategy, driving teammate engagement, delivering the employee value proposition to ensure Advocate Health as a best place to work in health care, and enabling the organization to build human capability, among others.

Nakesha is a strategic and transformational leader who brings more than 20 years of experience building and transforming the human resources function across healthcare and other industries. Most recently she served as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Diversity Officer for Baylor, Scott, & White. In this roles she provided strategic oversight of human capital planning, talent management, total rewards, strategic DE&I strategies and culture.

Prior to her time at Baylor, Scott, & White, Nakesha served as Vice President of Human Resources for Barclays Capital. She joined the organization as an Assistant Vice President of Human Resources from Lehman Brothers during their acquisition.

Nakesha received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Hunter College and a Master in Business Administration in Human Resource Management from the University of Phoenix.

Lou Nazir

Lou is an HR executive who is passionate about solving complex HR problems through simple technology solutions. She has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources management, systems implementation, and project delivery. Lou is currently the Director of HR Operations at UC Health in Cincinnati, OH.

Joel Ray COL, USAF, NC, MSN, RN, NEA-BC

Joel Ray is Chief Clinical Advisor at Laudio, where he brings a CNO perspective to a wide range of cross-functional initiatives and is a key contributor to Laudio Insights. With 42 years in healthcare and over 23 years in executive leadership roles, including Chief Nursing Officer and Chief Operating Officer, Joel brings a wealth of operational leadership experience to Laudio. He understands the needs of executives and frontline leaders. He is passionate and pragmatic about empowering frontline leaders to focus on what matters most: building meaningful connections with their teams to enhance engagement and secure the delivery of high quality, safe care and an excellent patient experience. Previously the Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at UNC Rex Healthcare under his guidance, the hospital obtained its 4th Magnet designation, CMS 5 Star, and Leapfrog A ratings. He served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He earned a BSN from Arkansas State University and MSN from Arizona State University.

Cheryl Reinking DNP, RN, NEA-BC, DipACLM

Cheryl Reinking has been with El Camino Health for 35 years. Cheryl has served in numerous positions in her career including Clinical Nurse, Case Manager, Clinical Manager, Nursing Director and Vice Chief of Clinical Operations before becoming the Enterprise Chief Nursing Officer in 2013.

In her role of CNO, Cheryl oversees the nursing division with over 2,000 nurses and support staff. Cheryl is the Chair of the Pathways Home Health and Hospice Board of Directors. She also serves on the board for the Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation and on the advisory board for the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Cheryl is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the Association of California Nurse Leaders.

Under Cheryl’s leadership, El Camino Health earned its fourth consecutive Magnet designation, and is only one of two hospitals in the region to achieve this honor. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Cheryl led El Camino Health's incident command center.

Cheryl received the Silicon Valley Women of Influence Award in 2013, TWIN award in 2011, and The Distinguished Alumni Award from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2017. Cheryl completed a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) in December 2020 at University of San Francisco.

Lorie Rhine MSN, RN, NE-BC

Lorie Rhine, MSN, RN, NE-BC, is the Chief Nurse Executive of UNC Health. Lorie joined the team of UNC Health Rex Hospital and Holly Springs Hospital in November 2022 and recently accepted the position of Chief Nurse Executive at the UNC Health System level in September 2024. She previously served as Vice President/CNO of Summa Health System Akron from 2014 to 2022. She has an extensive background in quality and performance improvement from when she served as the System Director of Quality and Performance Improvement at The Ohio State University. She has served on several boards to serve and support the community; one she is passionate about is Habitat for Humanity. Lorie is a board-certified nurse executive.

She is a strong operational and strategic leader who led her nursing team during the pandemic. She is an authentic transformational leader committed to mentoring and lifelong learning. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Kent State University and a Master’s of Science in Nursing at The Ohio State University.

Russ Richmond MD

Russ Richmond, MD is CEO and Co-Founder of Laudio, where he is also Chairman of the Board. He is a physician entrepreneur with experience building digital health companies such as Laudio, Advanced Practice Strategies, Objective Health, Verisk Health, and D2Hawkeye, as well as counseling large payers and health systems while with McKinsey & Company. In addition to his role as CEO at Laudio, Russ also serves on the Mass General Brigham AI Fund investment committee. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, and earned his MD from the University of Cincinnati and a BS in Biology from the University of Michigan. He lives in Newton, MA with his wife and three children.

Bill Santulli FACHE

Bill serves as an Operating Partner at Water Street Healthcare Partners. Water Street invests and partners (100%) with growing healthcare companies that provide services to the delivery sector, pharma/life science, and medical devices.

Previously Bill served as President of Advocate Midwest and his accountabilities included a $15.2B delivery system serving the eastern third of Wisconsin and Chicagoland - comprised of 27 hospitals, over 400 clinics/ambulatory sites, and the region’s leading post acute service. He helped to lead the integration of Advocate Aurora when the organization was formed in April 2018. He served Advocate Health for 23 years and has over 35 years of health care leadership experience. Previously, Bill served as COO of Advocate for 19 years and during his first two years with Advocate as President of Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

Prior to coming to Chicago, he held executive roles at New England Medical Center in Boston, Iowa Health System in Des Moines, UniHealthAmerica in Los Angeles and Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington.

In 2018 he served as a Chair of the Illinois Hospital Association and in 2024 served as Chair of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). Currently he serves on the boards of Movn Health, Renovo Solutions, and Medspeed.

He has a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota, a Master’s Degree in Sociology/Health Services Research from the University of Florida, Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame and is an ACHE Fellow. He and his wife Liz reside in Hinsdale, Illinois. They have five children and seven grandchildren.

Shaun Smith JD

Shaun E. Smith, JD is the Group Senior Vice President & Chief People and Culture Officer for NewYork-Presbyterian. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s people strategy and leadership of human resources operations, including talent acquisition, training and organizational development, total rewards, employee and labor relations, workforce health and safety, and diversity & inclusion. Mr. Smith joined NewYork-Presbyterian in 2012 as Vice President of Human Resources, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. As NewYork-Presbyterian evolved, he took on the responsibility of providing strategic direction and oversight of human resources across NewYork-Presbyterian for NYP’s 47,000 employees who provide care at 10 hospital campuses and more than 200 primary and specialty care clinics in New York City and the surrounding communities.

Mr. Smith has over 25 years of human resources, legal, and health care management experience, including leadership roles at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, New York, where he served as the Chief Human Resource Officer. Mr. Smith received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and his law degree from Pace University. He was an adjunct professor of Human Resources Management at the State University of New York in Plattsburgh and currently serves as the Associate Dean for the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences. Mr. Smith is a member of the Executive Leadership Council. He is the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at Pace University and serves on the boards of The Center for Community Alternatives, Upwardly Global, The Rogosin Institute, and START Treatment and Recovery Centers in New York City. Mr. Smith has also served on a number of other health care industry boards throughout his career.

Mr. Smith’s approach to HR leadership is grounded in the firm belief that people are at the core of what makes an organization great. A truly great organization is created by highly engaged people who actively participate in a culture focused on respect and caring for one another and their community.

Mark Solazzo MBA

As President, Strategic Initiatives and Chief Operating Officer, Mark Solazzo provides leadership and oversight to all operations for Northwell Health, including its 28 hospitals, and almost 1,050 ambulatory sites, internationally recognized medical research institute, new venture enterprise, and various additional healthcare-related businesses. In this role, he oversees the largest private workforce in New York State, with more than 104,000 employees. Mr. Solazzo is responsible for integrating the strategic plan of the organization through its operations and maintaining an organizational culture that recognizes the importance of strategic change leadership, excellence in execution, accountability and the ongoing commitment to long-term growth and innovation. In addition, he is responsible for ensuring the delivery of coordinated services to meet the needs of patients and the community.

Prior to his appointment to Chief Operating Officer in 2005, Mr. Solazzo served as Chief of Staff and Chief Administrative Officer to Northwell’s President and Chief Executive Officer Michael J. Dowling. In that position, he worked with senior leadership to successfully implement Northwell’s strategic objectives, providing management oversight for the development of first-class, cost-effective and integrated programs to ensure the operational and strategic success of the organization. He was also accountable for government relations, and managed Northwell’s emergency preparedness efforts and special projects for the Center for Emergency Medical Services and other core divisions.

Before joining Northwell in 1995, Mr. Solazzo held a number of senior-level positions within the New York State Department of Social Services, where he oversaw health and social services issues for 15 years. During his tenure there, he was responsible for the state’s Child Assistance Program which earned him Harvard University’s prestigious Innovations in Government Award. Mr. Solazzo culminated his work at the department as director of the Bureau of Management and Administrative Support.

Mr. Solazzo sits on numerous boards as either an officer or member, some of which include the American College of Healthcare Executives, The Health Management Academy, CLNY Alliance Board of Directors, the Laudio Strategic Advisory Group, the AHA Health Systems EVP/COO Strategic Leadership Group, and is a Knight of the Sacred Military s Order of St. George. Mr. Solazzo earned an undergraduate degree from Fordham University, studied at Albany Medical College and received an MBA with a specialization in health system management from Union College, Schenectady, NY.

Dominica Tallarico FACHE

Dominica Tallarico is responsible for leading operations across the care continuum, driving the delivery of the safest, best health outcomes for our communities. She has strategic oversight for effective integration and efficient operations for Acute Care, Ambulatory Services, Post-Acute Services, Clinical Service Lines, Ancillary Clinical Services, Information Technology, and System Facilities.

Tallarico’s strategic leadership around safety and quality, consumer-driven and growth-minded innovation, and her passion for advancing health equity and access are integral in accelerating our innovative care models.

Before joining Allina Health in 2023, Tallarico served as the Executive Vice President of the Illinois market for Advocate Health. She was responsible for operations, acute and ambulatory strategy and has extensive experience establishing population health capabilities. Tallarico began her career as a registered Dental Hygienist and after obtaining her master’s degree, she spent twelve years at Loyola Medicine rising to the AVP of Managed Care, Business Development, and Physician Services.

Tallarico holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Loyola University Chicago and a Master of Science degree in Health Systems Management from Rush University. She is a member and fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the boards for Second Harvest Heartland, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Allina Integrated Medical Network, and Minnesota Hospital Association. She also serves on the St. Francis Regional Medical Center Membership Committee.

Kelly Vaughn MSN, RN

Kelly Vaughn, MSN, RN, serves as the Chief Nursing Officer for Nebraska Medicine. As part of this role, Vaughn is a member of the Nebraska Medicine Board of Directors. She began her career as a certified Nursing Assistant in 1998; moving on to staff nurse positions at Nebraska Medical Center. In 2009, Vaughn moved into leadership as an Associate Nurse Manager for the Adult Progressive Care Unit. She went on to manage the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, and later Endoscopy Services before assuming the role of Surgical Services Director in 2015. She most recently served as Vice President of Operations, leading Bellevue Medical Center. Vaughn earned both her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from UNMC. 

Janice Walker DHA, MBA-HCM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC

Dr. Janice Walker is an experienced Chief Nursing Executive. She holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration focused on Executive Female Healthcare Leadership from University of Phoenix, an MBA in Healthcare Management, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

Dr. Walker most recently served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer - Southeast Region of Advocate Health and was responsible for providing strategic leadership for all nursing and other designated patient care functions and services for Atrium Health. Prior to Advocate Health, Dr. Walker held roles as System Chief Nursing & Chief Operating Officer at Baylor Scott & White Health (BSW) and Texas Health Presbyterian in Texas, Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, Slidell Memorial Hospital in Louisiana, and National Park Medical Center (Tenet) in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  

Dr. Walker’s work has been published on driving to zero patient harm; tactics for strong candidate-centric nursing recruitment and retention; workplace violence; interdisciplinary team dialogue; and driving service scores through programs as open visitation, hard-wiring service, and patient advocacy service councils.