The Future-Ready CHRO: How HR Determines Competitive Speed

Steve Pemberton is a visionary senior human resources executive, human capital strategist, best-selling author, and passionate human rights advocate. A dynamic communicator and sought-after speaker, he inspires organizations and individuals to lead with purpose, humanity, and impact.

He currently serves as Managing Director of the Human Resources Executive Board at Seramount, where he partners with HR leaders to advance innovative, people-centered workplace strategies.

Throughout his career—from leadership roles at Monster.com and Walgreens to serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at Workhuman®️—Steve has championed cultures that prioritize engagement, belonging, and high performance. He is also Founder and CEO of The Lighthouse Academy, a leadership and HR consultancy dedicated to developing purpose-driven leaders and award-winning workplace cultures.

Steve is the author of two acclaimed books. A Chance in the World recounts his remarkable journey from the foster care system to corporate leadership; it was adapted into a film and inspired a national social-emotional learning curriculum. His second book, The Lighthouse Effect, encourages individuals to transform adversity into service and impact.

A former U.S. Senate candidate and recipient of numerous honors, Steve serves on multiple nonprofit boards and remains committed to expanding opportunity so all may have “a chance in this world.”

Karen Armand is Managing Director, Partner Development at Seramount, where she leads the commercial launch of the Seramount Human Resources Executive Board—an executive program serving senior HR leaders. She brings a consultative approach to growth, partnering closely with stakeholders to translate member needs into clear go-to-market strategies and scalable delivery.
Karen is a results-driven operations and growth leader with deep experience in change management and human capital development. She is known for building practical systems that help organizations adopt new ways of working and sustain impact.
Prior to Seramount, Karen served as Vice President of Business Operations at pureIntegration, where she oversaw operational excellence, organizational design, human capital management, and sales and marketing enablement. She implemented talent and engagement initiatives that drove cost savings while strengthening performance and culture.
Earlier in her career, Karen spent several years at The Advisory Board Company (acquired by Optum), partnering with health system executives to deliver customized talent development and workforce solutions and driving significant revenue growth through strategic, relationship-based selling. At Accenture, she led large teams in designing and implementing performance-based training programs for corporate clients and helped launch Accenture Learning, a business process outsourcing model focused on learning solutions.
Karen holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from James Madison University. She is active in her community, serving as Fundraising Chair for the Gladney Center for Adoption (National Capital Area), on the board of the National Charity League, and in service to her church.

Sally Amoruso serves as Chief Partner Officer and as the voice of EAB’s partners on the executive committee. Internally, she is the senior-most executive ultimately responsible for EAB partners’ experience. Externally, Sally serves as a strategic thought-partner and trusted advisor to hundreds of university presidents, provosts, leadership teams and boards, providing guidance on institutional strategy, transformational leadership and change management.

Since 2018, Sally has hosted EAB’s Presidential Experience Labs, a signature event that immerses presidents in out-of-sector companies driving dramatic change (e.g. LinkedIn, Slack, Google and Open AI). In 2020, she founded EAB’s New Presidents Intensive which has supported 200+ presidents as they have transitioned into office. She also oversees EAB Consulting which provides intensive, hands-on support in areas such as strategic planning, strategic enrollment management, student communications and more. She is a frequent host of EAB’s Office Hours podcast and leads EAB’s Industry Insights Speaker Series, bringing thought leaders to EAB for open discussion, debate and idea-sharing. She is also a nationally sought-after speaker and facilitator.

Since 2023, Sally has served as a proud trustee on the board of American University, a private R1 research institution located in the nation’s capital. Prior to EAB, Sally spent 20+ years as a client-focused C-suite executive at The Advisory Board Company, the Corporate Executive Board and several health care start-ups. She received her AB in East Asian Studies from Harvard University, her MA in international studies from the University of Pennsylvania, and her MBA from the Wharton Graduate School of Business.

Sally is a first-generation Asian American and proud parent of two creative musician-actors launching their careers in Los Angeles. In her spare time, she can be found practicing yoga, hiking in the Hollywood Hills, and travelling the globe.

Joe Infantino is Senior Director of Research at Seramount, part of EAB. In this role, he supports Chief Human Resource Officers with their most pressing issues through stakeholder education, as well as decision and implementation support. Before joining Seramount, Joe oversaw EAB’s research on enrollment growth strategy for higher education. Over 10+ years, he led research initiatives on various topics, including strategic planning, athletics, and maturity modeling.

Joe has a degree from Syracuse University. He is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Cory Schneider (he/him) is Director of Partner Success at Seramount, bringing extensive experience to leaders, and organizations to build more human-centered, equitable, and high-performing cultures. With over 15 years of experience spanning talent, culture, inclusion and leadership advisory and strategy, Cory is known for translating complex behavioral science and organizational dynamics into practical, scalable strategies for change.
Cory has partnered with Fortune 500s, high-growth startups, global nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations across industries including healthcare, finance, consumer goods, technology, and education. His work spans systemic and personal levels, from redesigning equitable talent strategies and embedding inclusion into performance systems, to coaching executives through complex transitions. He has led DEI strategy, architected leadership development frameworks, and facilitated culture change grounded in behavioral science, emotional intelligence, and adult learning theory.
Cory holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in LGBTQ+ Studies from Antioch University Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s in Corporate Communication from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Certified Senior Professional in HR (SPHR) and Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), and a sought-after speaker on topics including inclusive leadership, belonging, and the intersection of mental health and organizational effectiveness.
Cory resides in Los Angeles with his husband, Randy, and their dog, Luna. Outside of work, you can find him hiking, gardening, facilitating LGBTQ+ workshops for youth, or exploring California’s coast and wine country.