The New Workforce Equation: Generations + GenAI + Governance

Why “The New Workforce Equation” Matters Now…

GenAI is moving fast—and workforce expectations are changing just as quickly. At the same time, organizations are navigating the opportunities (and friction) of a truly multi-generational workforce. For directors, these shifts raise practical governance questions about talent strategy, culture, productivity, risk oversight, and readiness.

This highly interactive morning program brings those forces together—Generations + GenAI + Governance—inside a setting designed to make the conversation tangible: the Steelcase WorkLife Design Center, where the workplace itself becomes part of the learning.

The Steelcase WorkLife Center experience

We’ll begin with coffee and a few light breakfast bites as attendees gather in the WorkLife Center’s common space to get acquainted and compare notes to allow easy convenient arrival, time to visit, and comfortable seating.

From there, the program moves into plenary session, and then into a guided transition through a fully furnished workplace environment, using the space to reinforce how place + design choices can shape culture and performance as everyone shifts into breakouts in a variety of distinctive meeting settings.

Register

Program highlights

8:45 AM Doors Open for Coffee | Program 9:30  – 12:30 PM  | Tapas lunch at BOQUERIA follows immediately

Welcome Remarks with Cheryl Francis

Cheryl Francis, Director at HNI Corporation — the recent acquirer of Steelcase and parent company of our host venue — joins Steelcase executive leader Tim Smith to welcome the group to the Steelcase WorkLife Design Center.

Cheryl also serves on the boards of Aon and Morningstar and co-chairs the Corporate Leadership Center, bringing a uniquely broad governance perspective to the conversation.  Together, Cheryl and Tim will frame the morning: why workplace design is not aesthetic — it is strategic — and how physical space directly shapes culture, engagement, and performance.

2 Electric Spark Talks

Two high-impact spark talks anchor the program’s discussion:

Holly Baumgart — “GenAI and the Workforce: Readiness, Roles, and Real-World Oversight”
What’s changing right now in how work gets done—and what boards should be asking about adoption, capability-building, governance, and risk. Holly is VP of New Platform Development at Sargento and a seasoned executive and board member with deep experience leading digital transformation, enterprise innovation, and large-scale growth initiatives across global organizations.

Tom Carroll — “The Multi-Generational Workforce: Expectations, Motivation, and Culture at Scale”
A practical look at the shifts across generations—and what it means for engagement, retention, productivity, and change management in the GenAI era. Tom is a long-time professor and workforce expert who has worked with leaders across industries on talent and organizational dynamics.

Immediately following the spark talks, NACD Chicago board members Linda Myers (Retired Partner and Global Management Committee Member, Kirkland & Ellis; Independent Director at Chelsea Lighting, Marex Group, LCI Industries) and Frank Jaehnert (former CEO, Brady Corporation; Director at Nordson, Itron, NM Holding, Inc) join Holly and Tom for an on-stage discussion to connect the dots and tee up the breakout conversation.

Next? Peer-to-Peer Breakouts: Discussion with your NACD Chicago Colleagues

This is a working session—not a passive program.

Attendees will move into an interactive breakout format designed for candid, practical director-to-director exchange. You’ll work with fellow members on a focused topic tied to the morning’s themes (topic details announced closer to the event). Each table will have a discussion host “Catalyst” to keep the conversation moving and capture insights to report key takeaways. We will collapse these points into a post-event brief so everyone benefits from the collective perspective in the room.

Closing the Show: “From Insights to Action”  

Linda Myers in conversation with John Bremen.   John is a senior workforce strategist at WTW and a frequent Forbes author on the future of work, advising global organizations and boards on talent, risk, and enterprise readiness. This closing interview designed to translate the morning into practical takeaways—how boards and leadership teams can align people, culture, and technology as the workforce equation changes.

Special Lunch Convo at BOQUERIA: Time to Compare Notes! 

When we break for lunch, we don’t “head out” — we step next door into BOQUERIA, where an incredible Tapas experience gets  underway as soon as we enter!  The full restaurant is ours — completely private — transforming into a high-energy boardroom gathering over shared plates and bold flavors.

Grab a spot at a community table. Slide into a booth. Introduce yourself to someone new. Tapas arrives continuously, keeping the conversation moving and the ideas flowing.  West Loop atmosphere. Spanish-inspired cuisine. Chicago directors in full exchange.

This is "networking" done NACD Chicago style!  Plan to Join us! 

Register