Chronic conditions—from diabetes and obesity to sleep disorders and mental health—are driving a disproportionate share of employer healthcare costs and workforce productivity challenges. This panel brings together leaders to discuss how they’re identifying high-risk populations, improving access to care, and designing integrated strategies that go beyond point solutions to deliver measurable outcomes.

What happens when fertility benefits are designed to meet employees where they are? Four years into its Fertility Center of Excellence program, Walmart will share key insights on improving access, supporting associates with wide-ranging health needs, and evolving benefits to meet the needs of a geographically diverse workforce. Leaders from Kindbody and Walmart will discuss how combining virtual and in-person care can help expand access across communities and social determinants of health (SDOH) nationwide. The session will also explore broader lessons learned around employee engagement, care navigation, and the role comprehensive family-building benefits can play in supporting workforce wellbeing.

In a world powered by AI, traditional leadership skills aren’t enough. Today’s leaders must go beyond IQ and technical expertise—they must integrate cognitive smarts with emotional intelligence to build  organizations that are adaptable, resilient, and relentlessly innovative. These leaders don’t just analyze data, they understand people. They create cultures where creativity thrives, psychological safety is nonnegotiable, and teams feel genuinely understood and appreciated. They are both strategic and human. In this transformative talk, you’ll discover how to elevate your leadership by blending EQ and IQ to unlock deeper engagement, stronger performance, and lasting success for you, your people, and your customers in our AI-fueled world.

Recharge and connect during our morning break session. This brief intermission provides the perfect opportunity to grab a cup of coffee, network with peers and prepare for the day’s engaging sessions.

As cancer rates rise and care becomes more complex and costly, employers are rethinking how they support employees across the full journey—from early detection to treatment and recovery. This session explores how more integrated, high-touch benefits strategies can close gaps in traditional coverage, improve outcomes, and deliver a better experience for employees while helping organizations manage one of their most significant drivers of healthcare spend.

This year, Employee Benefit News will honor standout benefits and HR leaders who are redefining what’s possible in the workplace. These individuals are implementing innovative, cost-effective programs and leveraging new technologies to support their employees—and move the industry forward.

Benefits complexity is accelerating. Employee expectations are rising. And AI is reshaping how work gets done. For CHROs, the challenge isn’t just adopting new technology, it’s making sense of a growing web of benefits programs, point solutions and fragmented experiences while delivering clarity, consistency and care at scale. In this session, we’ll explore how leading organizations are rethinking the employee experience by combining advanced technology with human expertise to simplify complexity and support people when it matters most. From navigating benefits decisions to orchestrating services across providers, discover how a smarter, more connected approach can create confidence for employees and measurable value for employers. 

With up to five generations in the workforce, employers are under pressure to meet a wider range of expectations than ever before—from financial security and caregiving support to flexibility and career growth. This session explores how leading organizations are designing benefits strategies that resonate across age groups while remaining cohesive, cost-effective, and aligned to long-term talent goals.