Over the past several years, organizations have faced profound technological, global, sociodemographic, and economic disruptions that are redefining the future of work. These forces have reshaped the psychological contract between employees and employers, reorganized work around human–technology collaboration, and altered organizational design. HR leaders are now on the front lines, guiding transformation initiatives and redefining operating models and capabilities to meet these evolving demands.

One critical area under pressure is leadership succession. The traditional “black box” approach, where decisions about promotions and leadership advancement are made without transparency, has become a liability, fueling frustration, disengagement, and talent flight. As calls for accountability and fairness grow louder, organizations must replace opacity with clear, equitable systems that demystify the path to leadership at every level.

Join Cornell faculty expert Dr. Bradford Bell and global talent strategist Penelope Sur as they explore cutting‑edge frameworks for effective, transparent succession planning. They will draw on new research and real‑world examples to show how competency assessments, high‑potential identification, and strategic talent mapping can transform leadership pipelines into visible career pathways that inspire and retain top talent, while positioning HR as a key driver of organizational resilience in the future of work.

What You'll Learn:

• How work is changing, with insights from the CAHRS Future of Work report on AI, skills-based job design, and shifting employee-employer relationships
• Why traditional “black box” succession planning leads to disengagement and turnover, and how transparency can turn that around
• Tools for spotting future leaders through competency assessments, high-potential identification, and talent mapping
• How to design clear, fair advancement pathways that keep employees motivated and engaged
• The role HR can play in leading transformation as organizations adapt to rapid technological and demographic shifts
   

Speakers:

Bradford Bell
William J. Conaty Professor of Strategic Human Resources
Director, Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS)

Penelope Sur
Vice President, Global Talent, Eastman