Registration & Networking Breakfast

Welcome & Opening Remarks

• Debbie Hart, President & CEO, BioNJ
• Lynne Anderson, Partner, Faegre Drinker
• Martin Rexroad, General Manager of U.S. Site, GenScript

Business Realities: Updates from McKinsey & Co. on Navigating Uncertainty & Elevated Risk Environments

Discussion points will include:

• Companies facing numerous variables simultaneously
• Risk of “paralysis” in decision-making
• The need for leaders to act despite ambiguity
• Heightened costs, brand/reputation risks and unclear playbooks for responding to current business conditions
• The growing difficulty of making large headcounts or capital decisions in an uncertain environment



Presented by Umar Husain, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company

Panel: Architect or Administrator: HR's Role in Redesigning Work in the Age of AI

AI is set to reshape up to 55% of jobs over the next few years —making work redesign one of the most urgent leadership priorities facing life sciences organizations today. Yet most companies are still applying AI to work that was never designed for it.

This is a turning point. Either HR steps forward to architect how humans and AI work together — or this agenda will be defined elsewhere.

This session will explore how work is fundamentally changing, and what it takes to redesign it for a new reality of humans, co-working tools and intelligent agents. We’ll outline practical steps organizations can take now — whether you’re a global biopharma company investing heavily in AI or a pre-commercial biotech operating with tighter constraints — to begin building a workforce fit for the future.

Discussion Leads:

• Daniel Kaye, Principal, HR & Workforce Transformation, Mercer
• Scott Turner, Partner, Career Practice, Mercer

Networking Break

Fireside Chat: New Jersey AI Success Stories - AI in Practice: From Intention to Achievement

Panelist:

• Catherine Williams, Global Data Protection Officer, Genmab

Set up for Luncheon Table Discussions

Networking Lunch with Table Discussions

Report Outs from Table Discussions

Employment Law Update

Join us as Lynne Anderson explores the latest legal developments shaping today’s regulatory landscape and the evolving compliance challenges facing HR professionals in a rapidly changing business environment. This will include an update of developments on the Trump Administration’s enforcement activities with regards to DEI and how that impacts culture, use of data, ERGs and risk to government contracts. Lynne will review the practical impact of Supreme Court decisions on exposure for reverse discrimination claims and requests for religious accommodations. 

In addition, the session will provide timely updates on pay equity, including the impact of the EU Pay Transparency Directive. Lynne will also address key considerations surrounding the rapid deployment of AI across workforce management while providing a round‑up of any late‑breaking federal and New Jersey employment law developments.

Presented by Lynne Anderson, J.D., Partner, Faegre Drinker

Market Insights & AI Talent & Compensation

Aon will explore overall market insights and trends, as well as how AI talent is driving new compensation practices. The session will highlight emerging pay trends, competitive pressures, and strategic actions organizations can take to attract, retain and reward critical AI skills.

Enjoy an interactive session led by Aon, featuring:

• Ram Kumar, Partner, Human Capital Solutions
• Tanaz Moazami, Partner, Human Capital Solutions
• Ed Speidel, Partner, Human Capital Solutions

Closing Remarks