Villanova HRD Annual Conference

LEVEL UP HR 2025 CONFERENCE

May 1-2, 2025 | Virtual & Hybrid Experience

Join HR professionals, emerging HR leaders, and students on May 1-2, 2025 for Level Up HR 2025! We will challenge you to LEVEL UP your HR Passion, your HR Network, and your HR Career.

This conference is hosted by the Villanova University Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development and the Villanova SHRM Student Chapter.

This event has two registration options - virtual & hybrid. The first day of the conference will be fully virtual. The second day of the conference will be fully in-person with a live stream option for our virtual attendees.

The conference is approved for 6 SHRM & 6 HRCI (general) credits for attending the entire conference.

2025 SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Fully Virtual

10:30am-11:30am: "Prioritize Making Friends at Work" Speaker: Beth Livingston, Researcher & Author

1:00pm-2:00pm: "People-Centered Culture to Drive Values" Speakers: The Quick Quack Car Wash Executive Leadership Team: Jason Johnson, CEO, Kenny Williams, CHRO, & Tracy Delgado, Chief of Staff

3:30pm-4:30pm: "The Whole-Person Workplace" Speaker: Scott Behson, Researcher & Author

Friday, May 2, 2025

In-Person (Livestream option for virtual audience)

Location: The Inn at Villanova

8:30am-9:00am: Networking Breakfast

9:00am-10:30am: "Igniting HR & Your Leadership" Speaker: Chris Winton, Former CHRO FedEx & Tesla

10:30am-11:00am: Networking Break

11:00am-12:00pm: "Keeping HR on the Right Track" CHRO Panel Discussion with Robert Grasty, CHRO Amtrak & Stephanie Deiger, CHRO SEPTA

12:00pm-1:00pm: Closing Networking Lunch

2025 SPEAKERS

CHRIS WINTON

Author & Former Chief People Officer for FedEx & Tesla

Chris Winton is a dynamic executive, speaker, author and coach with over 25 years’ experience shattering expectations in corporate America.

Chris began his career at FedEx as an IT Intern and progressed to Director of IT Operations before transitioning to Human Resources where he would later rise to Global Chief People Officer reporting to founder, Fred Smith. He would later become Chief People Officer for Tesla reporting to Elon Musk.

His energetic approach has brought Chris to the forefront of media attention. He has worked with two White House administrations on creating employment pathways for underserved communities and appeared on C-SPAN to discuss scaling such programs. Chris was recognized as a “Top 40 Leaders Under 40” and honored in HRO Today with the Cream of the Crop award for his work leveraging AI and machine-learning to connect job seekers with employers.

Chris is a published author of the book C-4 Leadership: Ignite Your Career, Shatter Expectations and Take Charge of Life!

STEPHANIE DEIGER

Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer

Stephanie Deiger is the Chief Human Resources Officer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). SEPTA is the 5th largest transit system in the United States and provides transportation services to the people of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. In 2021, Ms. Deiger was selected to lead the 200 plus employees who make up SEPTA’s Human Resources Division. In this role, she is responsible for labor relations, EEO, employee relations, compensation, medical, benefits, and recruitment for SEPTA 9300 employees. Under her leadership, the HR team has implemented a new human resources information system, modernized its testing center and expanded its apprenticeship and training programs. Ms. Deiger began with SEPTA as its Chief Labor Relations Officer in 2011. Prior to her work at SEPTA, Ms. Deiger practiced labor and employment law at the Philadelphia office of Ballard Spahr. She started her career as a field examiner for the National Labor Relations Board. She has her undergraduate degree in Labor Relations from Penn State University and her law degree from Temple University

ROBERT GRASTY

Executive Vice President &

Chief Human Resource Officer

Villanova HRD Alum

Robert Grasty is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) for Amtrak, serving in this role since June 2023. He directly oversees the Amtrak Human Resources Centers of Expertise and HR strategic planning to advance the company’s expansion initiatives. Groups reporting to him include Talent Acquisition, Talent & Organizational Capabilities, HR Integration, Total Rewards, Labor Relations, Inclusion and Culture and Strategy & Solutions Delivery.

Joining Amtrak in June 2022 as Senior Vice President, HR Strategy & Solutions Delivery, Robert focused on advancing the company’s People Strategy to invest in talent, strengthen culture and advance technology. This included implementation of enterprise-wide change management programs and HR transformation projects.

Robert also led HR initiatives in support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which has provided Amtrak with a transformative level of funding to improve existing service and advance vital infrastructure projects and fleet acquisitions. This investment dovetails with a company vision to expand passenger rail services to more Americans and has accelerated a need for employees across a variety of disciplines.

Robert has over 25 years of business experience in designing and executing HR strategies in both domestic and international organizations spanning the transportation, health care, energy and financial services sectors.

He has a record of leading organizations through major change to achieve business results. Robert spent several years prior to joining Amtrak serving in CHRO and operations and executive leadership roles for Fortune 100 and 500 companies.

Over his career, Robert has cultivated HR competencies in strategy and branding, culture transformation, HR/business operations, full life cycle talent management, talent acquisition, performance management, organizational design and development, executive coaching, change management, total rewards, and diversity and inclusion.

Robert has served on the Board of Directors of the Broward County (Florida) Chapter of the American Red Cross since September 2021.

Robert earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Kutztown University and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Development from Villanova University.

BETH LIVINGSTON

Researcher & Author

Dr. Beth A. Livingston is the Ralph L. Sheets Associate Professor of Industrial Relations at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business, an internal advisor with the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest, a NIOSH Center of Excellence, and the faculty director of the Dore-Tippie Women's Leadership program. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, and her MBA from the University of Kentucky, and spent 8 years at Cornell University before moving to the Midwest. Her research has been highlighted in the New York Times, NPR, and the Harvard Business Review, and she has been published in multiple top academic journals. Dr. Livingston has also done executive education, speaking engagements, and consulting for companies and non-profits such as Accenture, John Deere, Yves Saint Laurent Beauty, HNI/Allsteel, and Hollaback! (now Right to Be) and is the co-author of the book Shared Sisterhood (with Dr. Tina Opie), published by Harvard Business Review Press.

In her presentation, Building connections at work, Dr. Beth Livingston will discuss the costs of loneliness and how connecting with other people at work plays a critical role in employee wellbeing. She will discuss the importance of building trust with others, particularly across differences.

Villanova University Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development