Presented by Piercing Strategies
H.U.M.A.N. First™ Executive Forum 

Closing the
AI Leadership Readiness Gap.

A half-day, forum for the executives who own AI adoption.
September 9, 2026 · 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM 
1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW 
· Washington, DC
Venue:
American Bankers Association 

Register to Attend
$75 per seat
Earn 4 SHRM professional development credits
Why now
01
The biggest risk to your AI investment isn't the AI.
It's the leadership required after implementation.

Organizations have invested heavily in AI platforms, copilots, and automation. But technology alone doesn't create transformation. The return on that investment depends on whether leaders can help people adopt new ways of working.

02
AI adoption is a leadership challenge disguised as a technology initiative.

Managers are expected to answer difficult questions, build confidence, navigate resistance, and sustain momentum through change. Yet many have never been equipped to lead that transition. At the same time, HR, IT, learning, and transformation teams are often pursuing the same outcome from different directions.

03
Leadership readiness is the competitive advantage.

The organizations creating the greatest return on their AI investments aren't simply deploying better technology. They're preparing leaders to accelerate adoption, align teams, and build confidence through change.

This forum brings together CHROs, CIOs, CLOs, Chief Transformation Officers, and senior executives because the future of AI adoption depends on shared leadership—not siloed execution.

Because organizations don't transform when technology changes. They transform when leaders change how people work.

Same AI. Two very different outcomes.

Organizations stuck in the gap

  • AI initiatives without clear executive ownership
  • HR and IT working toward different definitions of success
  • Managers expected to lead change without the tools or confidence to do it well
  • Inconsistent adoption that slows ROI and creates change fatigue

Organizations closing the gap

  • One executive owner accountable for AI adoption
  • A shared strategy across HR, IT, Learning, and Transformation
  • Managers equipped to lead people through change—not just implement technology
  • Leadership behaviors that accelerate adoption, build confidence, and deliver measurable business results

The half-day

Sept 9, 2026 · 9:00 AM– 1:00 PM
9:00 AM
Check-In, Arrival & Networking
9:30 AM
Opening Keynote: The Leadership Readiness Gap
9:50 AM
Executive Panel: AI Adoption Is a Leadership Challenge
10:25 AM
Networking Break
10:40 AM
Practitioner Panel: What Successful AI Adoption Looks Like in Practice
11:25 AM
Executive Roundtable: Where Is Your Organization Stuck?
11:45 AM
Closing Conversation: What Leading Organizations Are Doing Differently
12:10 PM
Executive Networking Lunch

Panel speakers

Executive Panel — AI Adoption Is a Leadership Challenge
Kirstin Austin
Moderator
Kirstin Austin
Chief Learning Officer, Meadow Consulting

Former Chief Learning Officer, IRS
Alethia Baggett
Panelist
Alethia Baggett
Chief Human Resources Officer 
American Bankers Association 
Monica Pemberton
Panelist
Monica Pemberton
VP & Chief Information Officer
American Council on Education
?
Panelist
Panelist Name
Title, Organization — TBD
Practitioner Panel — What Successful AI Adoption Looks Like in Practice
Arika Pierce Williams
Moderator
Arika Pierce Williams
CEO + Founder
Piercing Strategies
Evan Piekara
Panelist
Evan Piekara
AI Transformation Lead - People, Purpose & Brand
Liberty Mutual
Sharla Bailey
Panelist
Sharla Bailey
AI Implementation Lead | VP, Learning & Development
American Bankers Association
?
Panelist
Panelist Name
Title, Organization — TBD
Who's in the room

CHROs, CIOs, CLOs, Chief Transformation Officers from Fortune 500 and DC-metro enterprises.

Convened at the American Bankers Association
1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW · Washington, DC

Technology may accelerate transformation, but leadership determines whether it succeeds. This forum brings together HR and technology executives because closing the AI readiness gap requires both. The future belongs to organizations that invest as intentionally in their leaders as they do in their technology.

Arika Pierce Williams
Arika Pierce Williams
CEO + Founder, Piercing Strategies

Is this for you?

For you

You own or co-own AI adoption, talent strategy, or transformation at an enterprise — and you're accountable for whether the organization is ready.

Not for you

Vendors, sales teams, or those seeking a product demo. This is a peer table, not a pitch stage.

Register to Attend
Venue: American Bankers Association · 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW · Washington, DC
Seats are limited. And this is the kind of discussion you don't want to miss.

Reserve your place
in the room.

$75 per ticket
Continue to Payment — $75
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September 9, 2026 
American Bankers Association · 1333 New Hampshire Ave, NW · Washington, DC
9:00 AM–1:00 PM · $75 per seat