Why Speaking at Industry Events Elevates Your Leadership

Most senior leaders are inundated with speaking requests. It’s easy to think, “I’m too busy,” or “What’s in it for me?” But here’s the reality: Speaking to a group—whether at a conference, a fireside chat, or a mastermind—offers far more value to you than just sharing your expertise.

1. Expand Your Influence Beyond Your Organization

When you speak, you’re not just talking—you’re shaping the conversation around your field. Your insights position you as a thought leader, influencing how peers, industry leaders, and even future talent perceive your work.

2. Strengthen Your Personal Brand

Executives who actively share their experiences gain visibility far beyond their current roles. Whether you aspire to board seats, advisory roles, or future executive opportunities, speaking engagements create credibility and name recognition.

3. Build Meaningful, High-Value Connections

Nothing accelerates networking like being the person at the front of the room. A well-delivered talk sparks follow-up conversations, new partnerships, and connections with decision-makers who would otherwise be hard to reach.

4. Gain New Perspectives That Elevate Your Leadership

Speaking isn’t just about sharing—it’s about learning from the audience. The best speakers walk away with fresh insights, peer validation, and even new ideas to take back to their own teams.

5. Leave a Lasting Impact by Paying It Forward

Every leader had someone who helped them along the way. Sharing your journey—what worked, what didn’t, and how you overcame challenges—can inspire and accelerate another leader’s success.

Ready to Share Your Insights?

If you’re a sitting CHRO at a company with 1,000+ employees and have led a major HR transformation, we’d love to invite you to speak at one of our next CHRO Mastermind Fireside Chats.

You’ll gain:

? High-caliber networking with top HR leaders

? Professional branding content (social media clips for you to share)

? A VIP ticket to a CHRO Partners event (Dallas or South Florida)

?? Interested? ?? Apply here, and we’ll reach out if your story resonates with our CHRO community.

We’re looking for CHROs who have successfully:

? Transitioned HR from tactical to strategic—and can share the change management techniques that made it happen.

? Built people strategies that drive top-line growth.

? Implemented AI in HR or across the org and have valuable lessons learned.

Join a Roster of Elite Industry Leaders When you speak at a CHRO Mastermind event, you join an impressive lineup of past speakers who are some of the most respected executives in their fields. A sample of past speakers include:

• Amy Bass Messersmith – Chief People Officer at Builders FirstSource (Former)?
• Amy Yates – Managing Vice President, Head of Human Resources, Capital One Commercial Banking
• Baratunde Thurston – Host of America Outdoors on PBS; bestselling author of How to Be Black
• Dan Sessa – Chief Human Resources Officer at Lennox International
• Debbie Dennis – Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Chief Customer Officer at Oncor Electric Delivery
• Eric Hutto – President and Chief Executive Officer of Diversified
• Greg Creed – Founder at Creed UnCo; retired Chief Executive Officer of Yum! Brands, Inc.
• Karen J. May – Board Member of Ace Hardware and Alcon; retired Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Mondelez International
• LeAnn Smith – Chief Human Resources Officer at McKesson
• Lisa Lutoff-Perlo – Board Member and former President and Chief Executive Officer of Celebrity Cruises
• Lynne Oldham –Chief People Officer at Dataiku and Former Chief People Officer at Zoom
• Marion Terrell - CPO, Mint dentistry
• Margot Carter – Lead Corporate Director, Business Builder, Chair of NACD North Texas, and former Global Chief Legal Officer
• Patrick McLaughlin? - CHRO PepsiCo NA
• Sarah Spiering – Managing Partner of the Americas for the Industrial Practice; Partner, Global Board of Directors & CEO Practice at Heidrick & Struggles
• Scott Smith – Chief Human Resources Officer at DIRECTV; Senior HR executive focused on strategic human capital management
• Tracey Doi – Retired Group Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Toyota Motor North America
• Tracy Keogh – Chief People Officer and Growth Partner at Great Hill Partners; former Chief Human Resources Officer at HP

When you speak with us, you’re in great company. Could you be our next speaker?

?? Interested? Apply here, and we’ll reach out if your story resonates with our CHRO community.

Be well,

Cindy Lu