Event Details
In today's rapidly evolving workplace, employees seek much more than just a paycheck—they want purpose, belonging, and impact. But how do organizations move beyond mission statements to truly embed values into their culture and daily operations and create loyalty and purpose with their employees? Today's most effective leaders balance power with empathy, and influence with intention—creating workplaces where people and purpose thrive.
Join this distinguished panel for an engaging, action-oriented session on building a workplace where values and culture drive performance. The discussion includes Andres Tapia, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry, and Lucia Annunzio, President & CEO at Center for High Performance & Professor at Chicago Booth, and will be moderated by Nicole Yelsey, Co-Founder & COO of KindWorks.AI and Chicago Booth 天美传媒 Club of Chicago leader.
We'll Discuss:
- How to grow influence and build a culture of Kindness to lead with authenticity and impact
- How to embed values into team behaviors and decision-making processes
- Tactics to scale a culture of purpose across your organization
- Strategies to cultivate inclusive leadership and foster innovation
Organizations that prioritize purpose and character don't just attract top talent—they create environments where people thrive, teams collaborate effectively, and businesses achieve sustainable success. This session will provide the insights and tools you need to turn values into real impact.
Walk away with the knowledge and strategies to build a high-performing, purpose-driven workplace. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and take action!
Event price includes drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
5:30-6:15 Registration with food and drinks available
6:15-7:15 Discussion with Andres Tapia and Lucia Annunzio
7:15-8:30 Networking with food and drinks available
Speaker Profiles
Lucia Annunzio (Speaker)
President and CEO, Professor of Exec Ed, Center for High Performance, University of Chicago
/"target="_blank">/
Acclaimed Leadership Coach, Author, and President and CEO of the Center for High Performance, Lucia Annunzio is known by her clients as the "CEO Whisperer." She has spent more than 25 years observing, analyzing, and influencing C-Suite and board dynamics, experience that she applies in coaching CEOs and C-suite executives. She is the mastermind of "Elite High-Performance Coaching" – CfHP's proprietary approach to propel leaders to greatness. She works exclusively with CEO's, senior executives and rising stars.
Lucia's work is based on CfHP's proprietary global research on the factors that accelerate or inhibit profitable growth. It achieved critical acclaim and was presented at such prestigious venues as the World Economic Forum, The International Conference on Knowledge, Culture and Change at the University of Greenwich, and Avature's "Talent Economy" launch event in Belgium.
Lucia is the author of Contagious Success (Portfolio, 2004), a dynamic, award-winning management book that revealed the global standard for high performance. Contagious Success was voted Fast Company's Readers' Choice. Lucia also authored two additional prominent business books: Communicoding (Fine, 1990; Penguin USA, 1991) and Evolutionary Leadership (Simon & Schuster, 2001; Fireside, 2002). She is frequently quoted in the business press such as the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and CNBC. She is currently a Wall Street Journal Contributor. Recently, she published, "How Bosses Can Stop the 'Meeting After the Meeting'."
Lucia is an Adjunct Associate Professor, Executive Education, at the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business, where she teaches the most popular program, High Performance Leadership. She has been a guest lecturer at INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and Instituto De Empresa in Madrid. She also taught at General Electric's Crotonville Corporate Training Center.
Lucia is a long-standing member of the Economic Club of Chicago as well as the Chicago Club. She has sat on various not-for-profit boards including the Joffrey Ballet and the Museum of Contemporary Art. She also sits on the Advisory Board of KindWorks AI and is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Lucia is currently focusing her philanthropy on the National MS Society.
Andres Tapia (Speaker)
Senior Client Partner, Global Diversity and Inclusion Strategist, Korn Ferry
"target="_blank">
Andres has been one of the leading voices in shaping a contemporary, next-generation approach to diversity and inclusion. The approach is global, deeply integrated into talent systems, and focused on enabling marketplace success. He has over 25 years of experience as a C-suite management consultant, diversity executive, organizational development and training professional, and journalist.
Throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and his native Latin America, Mr. Tapia has served clients in shaping their enterprise-wide diversity and inclusion business cases and strategies across industries—including financial, technology, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, government, not-for-profits, and education—with dozens of Global 500 organizations as well as non-US multinationals in Brazil, South Korea, and India.
Mr. Tapia, the author of a groundbreaking book, The Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity, as well as the co-author of Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Success, The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Leadership: Unleashing the Power of All of Us and of The 5 Disciplines of Inclusive Organizations: How Diverse and Equitable Enterprises Will Transform the World. He is a frequently sought-after speaker globally on the topic of diversity and inclusion. He has been published in major dailies throughout the US and Latin America, primarily through his writing for the New America Media wire service as well as on the Huffington Post.
He is the recipient of numerous leadership and diversity awards and is currently serving on the boards of Leadership Greater Chicago, Jobs For The Future, and Ravinia Festival. He previously served as a Commissioner on the Highland Park (IL) Housing Commission overseeing that city's Inclusionary Housing code. He now serves in an elected position as Highland Park City Councilmember. He began his four-year term on May 10, 2021.
Mr. Tapia received a bachelor's degree in modern history from Northwestern University in the Chicago area with an emphasis in journalism and political science. He grew up in a bilingual/bicultural home in Lima, Perú.
Nicole Yelsey (Moderator) '12
Co-Founder & COO, KindWorks.AI
/"target="_blank">/
Nicole is a dynamic leader whose career is a testament to the power of empathy and innovation in the business world. Nicole holds an MBA from Booth School of Business and is the Co-Founder and COO of KindWorks.AI, where she is redefining how we approach leadership and team dynamics through a lens of kindness and empathy. As the host of the popular podcast On Kindness, she brings a refreshing perspective to conversations around work culture, demonstrating that compassion can drive extraordinary results in both small and large organizations.
Nicole's impressive background spans marketing and brand building across a diverse range of industries. She has made significant contributions to brands such as Anheuser-Busch, Sephora, and Oracle, and has influenced the growth of numerous other businesses. Her expertise in leading teams and scaling brands—from tech giants to consumer packaged goods and beauty—showcases her ability to drive success while fostering inclusive and supportive work environments. Nicole's insights into leadership and team building are not just theoretical but are grounded in a deep commitment to integrating kindness into every aspect of organizational culture.