AI is changing how work gets done. Business priorities are shifting faster than annual goals can keep up. Organizations want collaboration, agility and innovation, but employees may still be measured and rewarded using systems designed for a different reality.
So, what happens when the work changes, but the way we define, measure and reward performance does not?
This interactive session puts real workplace dilemmas in front of a panel of HR, Total Rewards and business experts and asks them to make the call. Should performance expectations change when AI increases productivity? What happens when business priorities shift halfway through the year? Do you reward a high performer who delivers exceptional results but damages the team along the way?
Through live scenarios, audience polling and extensive Q&A, the panel will move beyond theory to explore what they would actually do, who should own the decision and what organizations should avoid. Attendees will leave with practical questions and actions they can use to examine whether what their organization says it values, what it measures and what it ultimately rewards are still aligned.
Karen Whaley is a seasoned Total Rewards leader with more than 30 years of experience leading compensation, benefits, and total rewards strategies across complex, highly regulated, and missiondriven organizations in both the public and private sectors. She brings deep expertise in advising and supporting enterprisewide change initiatives that enable organizations to attract, retain, and motivate talent while maintaining fiscal discipline and risk alignment.
Currently, Karen serves as Executive Director, Total Rewards at a leading defense technology organization, where she oversees enterprise compensation, employee benefits, retirement programs for approximately 10,000 employees. She is a trusted advisor to the Chief Human Resources Officer and the senior leadership team, regularly informing decisions related to compensation practices, salary budgets, incentive design, and employee benefits strategy.
Throughout her career, Karen has partnered with executive teams and boards on broad-based and executive compensation, incentive pay programs, and benefits plan design. She has held progressive leadership roles at organizations including Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Abt Associates, Surescripts LLC, BAE Systems, Network Solutions, Argon ST, Fannie Mae, and McKinsey & Company, leading compensation planning, M&A due diligence, and board-level decision support for companies of varying sizes. Her governance experience includes serving on nonprofit HR committees, retirement plan investment committees and as a corporate plan administrator. Karen is known for collaborative leadership, sound business judgment, and the ability to translate complex pay and benefits strategies into clear, actionable guidance for executives and boards. As a WorldatWork faculty member, she teaches compensation and benefits courses to HR professionals pursuing certification, further reinforcing her reputation as a thought leader. She holds a B.B.A. in Human Resources Management from Marymount University and maintains Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) credentials.
Christopher Hart is a highly motivated Total Rewards Executive with over a decade of dynamic leadership experience in global benefits administration, plan design & analysis, and compliance. Based in Atlanta, GA, Christopher excels in driving operational efficacy, stakeholder management, and critical partnerships to enhance employee sentiment and organizational performance.
As a seasoned professional, Christopher is dedicated to optimizing total rewards strategies, fostering a positive employee experience, and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. With a passion for driving organizational excellence, Christopher is poised to make a significant impact in any role. Christopher's expertise extends to program & project management, change management, and effective communication.
Outside of the professional realm, Christopher finds joy in dancing, participating in numerous sports leagues, and exploring new countries through travel. Despite his busy schedule, he prioritizes spending quality time with his family, cherishing moments of togetherness and creating lasting memories.
Tammy Martin brings over 30 years of Human Resources experience, having held pivotal roles at leading retail brands including Timberland, Longaberger, HSN, and SERVPRO. As Director of Total Rewards, HRIS & People Analytics for The Gorilla Glue Company, Tammy is responsible for developing long-term Total Rewards strategies to attract and retain highly engaged employees. Her expertise encompasses HR infrastructure development, compensation and career pathing programs, benefits administration, and analytics/metrics development. Tammy has also contributed to healthcare organizations, focusing on acquisition initiatives and total rewards programs. She holds a B.S. in Business Management from Daniel Webster College, has served on the University of Tennessee Advisory Board’s Women’s Leadership Program, and will join the Southwest Ohio Best Buddies International Advisory Board in 2026.
Kristen Wisdorf is a sales and go-to-market leader with more than 15 years of experience building and scaling high-performing revenue organizations. She currently serves as Senior Director of Business Development & Inside Sales at CaptivateIQ, where she leads the company’s sales development strategy and organization, with a focus on pipeline generation, talent development, and building scalable, AI-enabled prospecting motions.
Prior to CaptivateIQ, Kristen spent nearly a decade at memoryBlue, where she held senior leadership roles overseeing a global organization of more than 500 sales development professionals. Throughout her career, she has focused on building the systems, operating rhythms, and cultures that enable teams to perform consistently while developing the next generation of sales leaders.
As a sales leader, Kristen has firsthand experience translating business strategy into the goals, metrics, and incentives that shape how teams actually work. She is particularly interested in how organizations can evolve performance measurement and compensation as AI changes the nature of selling, ensuring teams reward the work and outcomes that truly drive the business forward.
