Brandy Olson serves as Director of Benefits and Wellbeing at Walmart. Based in Bentonville, Arkansas, she leads the strategy and oversight of quality and Centers of Excellence initiatives, advancing innovative benefit programs that improve access to quality and appropriate care, enhance participant experience, and drive better health outcomes for associates and their families. Through partnerships with nationally recognized health systems and healthcare innovators, Brandy helps further Walmart’s commitment to quality and wellbeing. She is passionate about transforming how participants navigate and experience healthcare.
Danielle Lee, editor-in-chief of Employee Benefit News, was most recently managing editor of Accounting Today, and previously served as technology editor of Accounting Today and editor-in-chief of AccountingTechnology.com. Prior to that, she held the role of senior editor.
Before joining Arizent, she covered the emerging corporate responsibility movement for CRO (Corporate Responsibility Officer, now CR) magazine as executive editor and worked for a range of entertainment and lifestyle publications in Los Angeles, including industry trade magazine TelevisionWeek. She holds a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and a minor in cinema/television from the University of Southern California.
Shawn Behrens’ human resources career spans 35 years. With 30 years concentrated on employee benefits and compensation. He is the Director of Benefits and Compensation for American Seafoods Group which has a fleet of 7 trawler vessel and one of the largest at-sea processor in the USA. He is responsible for designing, maintaining, and administering benefits for a non-traditional workforce. In his spare time, he enjoys the live theatre, Hockey (Release the Kraken), Baseball (Go M’s) and not only reading cookbooks but attempting new recipes. He has a master’s degree in counseling psychology.
Matthew Hall (Koch) is the Benefits Strategy Manager for Koch HR Solutions, which manages Total Rewards for Koch, Inc. and its affiliated companies. Matt has been in this role since 2018 and previously worked in other roles within the HR/Benefits support at Georgia-Pacific and Koch. Matthew has worked at Koch companies for 20 years. He’s been part of the team at Koch which has driven significant changes in their Total Rewards offerings, including the successful launch and operation of a well-being program, harmonization and simplification of offerings across our companies, additional support programs and navigation to improve the member experience, all while continuing to offer stable plan designs and choice for our employees over the past decade.
Matthew Owenby is an experienced people leader who, during his 14-year tenure at Aflac, has played a significant role in shaping the Fortune 250 company’s culture of dignity, compassion and respect. Matthew joined Aflac in 2012 as Vice President of HR Business Partners and previously held the roles of Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. In his current role of Chief Administrative Officer, Matthew oversees Aflac’s human resources function, as well as other core and strategic initiatives. Prior to Aflac, Matthew held senior HR positions at Bank of America and GE.
Matthew has received several awards that recognize his leadership, including a Gold Stevie Award for HR Executive of the Year, SHRM Impact Award, HRO Today’s Lifetime Achievement award and CHRO of the Year, HR.com’s Top Corporate Leader, and Best in Biz Award.
Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgia State University and a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University. He is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Melissa Dal Vecchio is a Senior Manager of U.S. Health & Welfare Benefits at BMO, specializing in optimizing health and welfare programs to enhance efficiency, cost effectiveness, and the employee experience. She excels at transforming complex programs through innovation and strategic insights, creating experiences guided by purpose that elevate employee engagement, while supporting business goals and driving measurable value.
Ashley Sowa is Senior Vice President and Head of Human Resources for Hanmi Bank, where she leads the bank’s human resources strategy and operations. With nearly two decades of experience in human resources within the banking industry, she serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on workforce planning, talent management, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and risk management.
Hanmi Bank serves multi-ethnic communities through a network of 32 branches and 5 loan production offices across 9 states, coast-to-coast. Ashley oversees all aspects of the human resources function for over 600 employees, including employee relations, compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, organizational development, performance management, and employment compliance. She has played a key role in developing and enhancing the Bank’s employee benefits and total rewards programs, focusing on delivering competitive, employee-centered offerings that support workforce well-being, engagement, and retention. She has extensive experience leading complex employee relations matters, developing compensation and talent strategies, navigating regulatory requirements, and supporting organizational change initiatives in a highly regulated environment.
Known for her collaborative leadership style and practical approach to problem-solving, Ashley is committed to fostering a high-performing workplace culture that supports employee growth, business objectives, and long-term organizational success. She believes that thoughtfully designed benefits and total rewards programs are a critical component of organizational success, helping attract, retain, and support a diverse and engaged workforce.