Session Description

At the executive level, success is no longer defined by how much you do - it's defined by how strategically you think, influence, and drive enterprise outcomes. Yet even the most seasoned HR leaders can find themselves trapped in the urgent instead of leading the important. The result? Great tactical execution without the strategic visibility that earns true influence at the top.

In this powerful and practical session, executive strategist Val Grubb reveals what it takes to make the leap from functional leader to enterprise architect. You'll learn how to reframe your priorities, build systems-level awareness, and connect your initiatives directly to business performance. The focus isn't on working harder - it's on leading smarter, with clarity, intention, and measurable impact.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

• Think Strategically: Understand what distinguishes tactical excellence from enterprise-level strategic leadership - and how to operate as a business leader first, HR leader second.
• Prioritize for Impact: Apply decision-making models that focus energy and resources on initiatives that drive organizational value and long-term success
• Lead with Influence: Strengthen your executive presence and strategic storytelling to shape decisions, secure buy-in, and deliver measurable business outcomes.

About the Speaker

Val Grubb helped launch Oxygen for Oprah and IAC for Barry Diller. Now she partners with companies and associations to transform leadership potential into measurable performance that impacts the bottom line.

With senior leadership experience at NBC Universal and Rolls-Royce, Val knows what it takes to drive accountability and results under pressure. She keynotes on the topics organizations need most right now: how leaders shift from doing the work to actually leading it, how to build influence and drive results without relying on positional authority, and how to outlead disruption instead of constantly reacting to it.

Practical, direct, and grounded in real executive experience, Val delivers sessions that move people to action. Her book, Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality (Wiley), equips leaders to harness the strengths of multigenerational teams.