Every year, Staffing World is a chance to step back, zoom out, and get inspired. The best sessions don’t just inform but also spark new ideas that you’re excited to bring back and put into practice. After reviewing this year’s agenda, a few themes stand out: bold leadership, strategic adoption of technology, and rethinking the very foundations of how we run our organizations–including the back office.
We kick things off with one of the greatest athletes of our time: Katie Ledecky. Her keynote isn’t just about swimming; it’s about setting goals that feel impossible, then building the discipline and confidence to achieve them. For staffing, this resonates deeply. Growth targets and margin pressure can feel just as daunting as shaving seconds off a world record. But, I’m looking forward to hearing more about Ledecky’s lessons that remind us that with the right mindset and the courage to pivot, the “impossible” becomes achievable.
And closing the conference, Carla Harris will bring her trademark energy and Wall Street-tested wisdom. Her message, expect to win, is exactly what we need as leaders: to walk into every negotiation, client conversation, and boardroom with confidence, clarity, and authenticity.
AI will be everywhere at Staffing World, but the session I’m most looking forward to is the unvarnished one: Real Talk: How Do We Really Use Artificial Intelligence to Make a Difference? with Jaime Donnelly, Jason Heilman, Mike Jacoutot, and Kristen Schweizer. At this point, AI is everywhere, and we need to move beyond the sensationalism and into practical guidance, real stories, and examples of how AI can actually drive efficiency.
Another session taking a long view is Back to the Future: What Light Industrial Staffing Can Learn From the Past. Kyle Decker, Scott Holsman, Jason Leverant, and Sara Luchsinger will explore how technology and candidate expectations are reshaping staffing models. It’s a chance to connect the dots between where we’ve been and where we’re going and to think critically about how back-office transformation fits into staying competitive.
I am drawn to sessions that push us to think beyond old rhythms of quarterly or annual planning. Beyond Annual Planning: Embedding Strategic Agility Into Operations with Jeff Harris, Ericka Hyson, Dave Meyercord, Sheena Raunikar, and Rhona Driggs tackles exactly this. Strategy isn’t something you revisit once a year–it’s a discipline you weave into daily operations.
That resonates with the work we’re doing at Cartwheel: building systems that don’t just automate processes but make it easier to scale, adapt, and pivot. When the back office runs strategically, it frees leaders to focus on growth, not just survival.
Staffing isn’t static, and nowhere is that more obvious than in healthcare. The panel on MSPs in Health Care Staffing—Partner or Competitor? with Jeff Niles, Shannon Roodt, Bill Lecher, and Stephanie Burton will get into the realities of working with (or against) MSPs. For firms under price pressure, clarity about partnerships, risks, and differentiation is critical.
On a broader scale, Ron Hetrick’s State of Staffing session will dive into labor market volatility. Worker shortages, wage spirals, and turnover aren’t blips; they’re structural shifts. Understanding these dynamics is key to making smart operational decisions.
And then there’s the conversation about leadership itself: Leading the Future of Staffing: Balancing Innovation, Growth, and Legacy with Juan Araújo, Kendra Cato, Naysa Lynch, and Anthony Martell. Innovation and legacy don’t have to be in conflict; in fact, they can (and must) coexist. I’m excited to hear more from the speakers about the real opportunity–creating space for fresh ideas without losing the wisdom of proven growth strategies.
Final Thoughts
When I look at this agenda, I see more than just interesting speakers; I see an industry on the precipice of change. Leadership that inspires bold moves. Technology that drives real efficiency. Strategies that keep us agile. And a sharper focus on the back office as a source of differentiation, not just administration.
That’s what I’m excited to bring back from Staffing World: ideas that challenge us to think bigger, move smarter, and expect to win.
If you’re heading to Staffing World, come say hi! Find me and my colleague, Laura Boivin, at the Cartwheel booth – Tech Stand 3, or message me on LinkedIn. I’d love to catch a session with you.
Can’t make it this year? Which session stands out to you most? Let’s grab coffee over Zoom after and discuss.