Workday Rising: The Importance of Community and Connection

Workday Rising, taking place September 12-15, will bring together customers from all around the globe to learn how to remain highly adaptive in a changing world. Learn more from our Chief Customer Officer Sheri Rhodes.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over these past few years, it’s that we can rely on our Workday community. Together we’ve pushed forward, pivoted, innovated, and come out stronger than we ever expected, all while navigating the constant hum of change. As the world continues to change, we know that our community of customers will be ready for whatever comes their way. 

That’s why I’m looking forward to being together again at our flagship customer conference Workday Rising. Whether our customers join us in-person or virtually, we’ll connect and learn from one another—not just about the technology we use to face change but how to better our lives, teams, businesses, and communities. 

As I meet with customers, I hear excitement about Workday Rising around connecting with their peers and discussing the latest Workday innovations. There’s nothing quite like the energy that comes from these conferences. This is my first Workday Rising as chief customer officer, and I’m particularly excited to:

  • Hear from our customers to understand ways to better serve them with best-in-class services and support that fuel their business and strategy.
  • Foster conversations with, and between, our customers to help them extract the most value from their Workday applications. 
  • Celebrate and appreciate the success of our customers.

We’ve built a business focused on customers. They inspire us, and as their chief advocate, I’m thrilled to take this opportunity to meet with many of those attending in-person and deepen our trusted partnerships.

Furthermore, our customers have become masters of adaptation and will be taking the stage this year to share how they’re remaining flexible and agile and enabling innovation. Here are just a few of the customer conversations I’m looking forward to at this year’s event. 

Embrace the Change

Changemakers are those who have embraced opportunities to drive impact and make a difference for their employees, businesses, and communities. Hear from Workday customers who have helped lead their organizations through pivotal moments while preserving company culture and achieving business results. Attendees will leave this keynote ready to rise as a changemaker for their business. Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune Media, will host a changemaker conversation with Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture, followed by a customer panel featuring Lisa Chang, global chief people officer at The Coca-Cola Company, and Bobbie Byrne, CIO at Advocate Aurora Health.

Prepare for the Future of Work

To stay competitive in the new world of work, organizations must be able to innovate more, grow faster, and better engage employees. Customers such as Nicole Carillo, executive vice president and chief accounting officer at loanDepot; Cat Lamb, first deputy finance director for the city of Philadelphia; and Jeff Risinger, senior vice president, talent, culture, and human resources at The Ohio State University, will discuss how their organizations are taking on new work models while increasing productivity and retaining top talent. Attendees will hear the latest research and insights from their peers on how to solve the biggest challenges CHROs, CFOs, and CIOs are facing today.

Adapt, Innovate, and Thrive

The challenges and opportunities specific to an industry are best explored with people who know them well, and that’s why we’re bringing in leading professionals across a number of industries to share their experiences. Customers such as Quinton Herbert, director and chief human capital officer for the city of Baltimore; Ryan Koos, chief supply chain officer at Sharp Healthcare; and Amy Smith, chief financial officer at Drury Hotels, will share how they’re successfully navigating the effects of a changing world, which is made even more complex by their own industry-specific nuances. Get practical tips to solve unique industry-level challenges to adapt and accelerate your business.

I can’t wait to see our customers, partners, and fellow Workmates at Workday Rising this year! And if you’re not able to be there in person, please join us at Workday Rising via our digital experience.

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