Soccer star and equal-pay activist Abby Wambach will kick off the 2021 Human Resource Executive® HR Technology Conference & Exposition® this fall.
Her session, called “How HR Leaders Can Change the Game,” will focus on strategies for building an inclusive workplace. She also will explore revolutionizing leadership development by leading from nontraditional roles and redefining what it means to succeed in the context of today’s workforce.
This year’s conference and exposition will take place live and in-person Sept. 28-Oct. 1 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
“I look forward to sharing some of my experiences both on and off the field, including thoughts around leadership, teamwork, equal opportunity and pay for both men and women and, of course, perseverance and resilience, which has been a key ingredient in my life, and is especially important in the environment we all live and work in these days,” Wambach says.
Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup Champion. She is second all-time in goals scored in international competition and was the United States’ leading scorer in the 2007 and 2011 Women’s World Cup tournaments and the 2004 and 2012 Olympics.
Since retiring from soccer in 2015, Wambach has been vocal against sex discrimination and has been among those advocating for equal pay for the U.S. women’s soccer team. Now, she crusades for equal pay across all industries.
See also: 3 ways to make pay equity central to your compensation strategy
She is the author of Forward: A Memoir and Wolfpack: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power and Change the Game, released in 2019. She is also co-founder of Wolfpack Endeavor, a training program that aims to revolutionize leadership development for women in the workplace.
HR Technology Conference Chair Steve Boese says Wambach’s experience leading and getting ahead, while still being a part of a team, will resonate with HR leaders.
“That thinking corresponds directly to what HR does, especially at this moment, with so many trying to figure out the next steps,” he says.
Wambach’s keynote will be part of an extensive event lineup for HR professionals. HR Tech will focus on driving HR success through technology and giving attendees access to top HR thought leaders and many solution providers. Attendees can expect to learn about actionable applications for how HR technology supports today’s new work reality across the hottest topics, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, diversity and inclusion, employee experience and more.
Wambach originally was scheduled to speak at the event in 2020 but her appearance was postponed due to the pandemic.
Registration for the event is open, with discounted rates and team incentive offers available. To register, and find additional information, visit hrtechconference.com/register.
