LOCATION UPDATE: With the storm impacting travel across NYC, tomorrow's panel will be fully VIRTUAL. A Zoom link will be emailed to all attendees. 

As organizations head further into 2026, leaders are facing a convergence of fast-moving business trends that are reshaping how strategy is set, decisions are made, and work gets done. From shifting market dynamics and emerging technologies to evolving customer and workforce expectations, this session focuses on the forces that will most directly impact organizations in the year ahead—and what leaders need to do now to respond with clarity and intent. 

Through this interactive panel, participants will explore how these trends are showing up across different parts of the business and what they mean for execution on the ground. Drawing on perspectives from senior leaders across the C-suite, the discussion will highlight where organizations are placing bets, where friction is emerging, and how leaders are adapting their approaches to remain focused, agile, and future-ready. Attendees will leave with a clearer point of view on the trends that matter most—and how to translate insight into action in 2026. 

Program Timing Details 

• 5:45pm: Zoom opens
• 6:00pm: Program begins

The Panelists

• Joanna Seddon, CEO, Presciant
  
• Simon Babraff, CHRO & Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas)
• Dominick Bencivenga, Managing Director, The A Team Consulting
• Arthur Reil, IT Executive
• Laura Paglia, Panel Moderator 

More About Our Speakers 

Joanna Seddon, CEO Presciant 

Joanna Seddon is a globally recognized expert in brand valuation and strategy and the Managing Partner at Presciant. She has advised Fortune 500 companies worldwide, leading brand transformations for Google, Johnson & Johnson, Mondelez, and DowDuPont’s IPOs. Previously, she founded Kantar’s global brand consulting practice and created the BrandZ Top 100 ranking of the world’s most valuable brands. Joanna is also the author of Brand in the Boardroom (winner of WPP’s Atticus Prize) and a frequent speaker on how brand drives measurable business impact.

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Simon Babraff, CHRO & SVP Human Resources, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas) 

Simon Babraff is the CHRO and Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), where he leads HR strategy across eight business groups and more than 50 subsidiaries. His global career spans Tokyo, Johannesburg, and New York, giving him firsthand insight into how workforce dynamics and business priorities shift across regions and economic environments. Simon has guided organizations through portfolio reshaping, business expansion in critical infrastructure sectors, and HR/business strategy alignment—experience that directly informs the operational realities HR leaders will face in 2026. He has also been central to Mitsubishi’s regional strategy work, including strengthening innovation hubs and navigating complex organizational structures. Simon brings a grounded, global view of workforce evolution, leadership challenges, and the practical moves companies must make to stay aligned amid rapid change.

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Dominick Bencivenga, Managing Director, A Team Consulting

Dominick Bencivenga is Managing Director at The A Team Consulting, bringing nearly three decades of experience as a fractional and interim CFO for organizations ranging from early‑stage companies to $250M+ enterprises. Known for his ability to balance big‑picture strategy with meticulous financial discipline, he has led finance functions through periods of fast growth, crisis stabilization, M&A, private equity ownership, and complex restructuring. Dominick has served as a long‑term strategic advisor to CEOs, owners, and boards, overseeing initiatives such as multi‑bank refinancing, financial modeling, operational turnaround, and large‑scale systems transitions. His work spans industries including e‑commerce, childcare, professional services, apparel, and membership organizations—giving him a cross‑sector view of where business models are evolving and where they are breaking down. As companies face the financial uncertainties of 2026, Dominick offers a candid and deeply experienced perspective on making tradeoffs, preserving liquidity, and executing amid volatility.

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Arthur Riel, IT Executive

Arthur Riel is a veteran technology executive with 40 years of experience across software engineering, enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and IT strategy. He has held senior leadership roles in high‑pressure environments including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, the World Bank, and MassMutual, where he launched and scaled the company’s first Global Capability Centers in India and Romania to more than 2,600 staff. Arthur combines entrepreneurial instincts with large‑scale execution, having founded and scaled two technology companies earlier in his career. His expertise spans AI, cloud strategy, global operations, and organization efficiency—areas that sit at the center of the 2026 transformation agenda for most enterprises. Arthur has led teams of more than 3,500 and managed budgets up to $700M, giving him a pragmatic understanding of how to prioritize technology investments under real‑world constraints. He brings a sharp, operationally grounded view of how emerging technologies and operating models will shape competitive advantage in the coming year.

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Laura Paglia, Global HR Leader, Panel Moderator

Laura Paglia is a global human capital and talent management executive with a strong record of partnering with senior leaders to align people strategy with business performance in complex, matrixed organizations. She has led global and regional HR initiatives across financial services, technology, and hospitality, advising leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, compensation, and leadership development. Laura is known as a trusted advisor who brings pragmatic, commercially grounded solutions that support growth, transformation, and effective risk management.
She has held senior HR leadership roles at Allianz Global Investors, BlackRock, Starwood Hotels, and HSBC supporting businesses across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Throughout her career, she has guided large-scale organizational transformations, succession planning efforts, and leadership development programs that strengthen capability and performance.
Laura holds a Master’s degree from The George Washington University and a Bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.

Thank you to our Sponsor, Beacon Hill Solutions Group