The Unmissable Event: How to Build Experiences That Matter for a Workforce Under Pressure

The financial and insurance industry is in motion. Mergers are reshaping teams. Roles are being rewritten. Layoffs and restructures have left workforces asking what comes next, and the professionals responsible for bringing those people together are being asked to do something extraordinarily difficult: create events that feel energizing, meaningful and worth showing up for at exactly the moment when the people in the room are most uncertain about their futures. This is not an organizational issue; it’s a human issue, and human values are the answer.

In this keynote, human values research pioneer David Allison draws on a million surveys conducted across 180 countries, including a dedicated study of the financial services and insurance workforce, to reveal what actually drives the behavior of the people filling seats at your events right now and what they care about most. What they need to feel in order to say yes, stay engaged and walk away believing their time was well spent. This is not recycled event design advice. It is a data-driven portrait of a specific workforce in a specific moment and a practical framework for using that understanding to build events that cut through the noise of disruption.

Attendees will walk away with:

• A values-based way to understand people that is both more accurate and more actionable than ever before
• A repeatable framework for designing events that resonate with people going through disruption, applicable across the full range of financial and insurance contexts, from annual conferences and sales kickoffs to incentive programs and internal team meetings
• A clear understanding of the human values that drive the financial services and insurance workforce, including the specific motivators that, when activated, transform an event into something people know they can’t afford to miss

David Allison is redefining how organizations solve problems and seize opportunities by proving a fundamental truth: everything we do is driven by our values. Known as “The Values Guy,” Allison is the world’s leading authority on human values and the founder of the groundbreaking Valuegraphics Project, the first global inventory of core human values. Through nearly one million surveys conducted in 152 languages, he has transformed human values into actionable insights — unlocking the potential for profound human connection and influence.

Over a 25-year career as a marketing strategist and branding expert, Allison worked with some of the world’s most recognized organizations, including General Motors, Toyota, Westin Hotels and Sotheby’s International Real Estate. Frustrated by the limitations of demographics and psychographics, he pioneered the Valuegraphics Project to create measurable, human-centered strategies based on shared values. His methodology ensures that every decision resonates deeply with the values that drive what we all do, think and feel, delivering results that are eight times more effective than traditional methods.

As a dynamic keynote speaker and two-time bestselling author of "The Death of Demographics," Allison combines the precision of data-driven insights with the inspiration of a world-class storyteller. Critics and audiences alike describe his work as “convincing, insightful and ... revolutionary,” and his groundbreaking methodology has been featured in textbooks and celebrated as the future of human-centered decision-making.

Organizations like Google, PayPal, lululemon and the United Nations Foundation have used Allison’s insights to align with what people care about most — fostering loyalty, building trust and delivering impact on an unprecedented scale. By putting values at the center of leadership, culture, customer experience and even the future of work, Allison empowers organizations to thrive in an era defined by connection and purpose.

Allison’s message is simple yet transformative: to solve any problem or achieve any goal, we must make business human. By honoring the values that matter most, organizations can build lasting loyalty, inspire trust and achieve extraordinary results. Values are the answer; David Allison shows us how to put them to work.

Reconnection: The Foundation of Authentic Relationships

In today’s fast-paced, high-pressure workplaces, disconnection has become one of the greatest challenges facing teams. Miscommunication, burnout and constant change can quietly erode trust and collaboration — yet the strength of any organization ultimately rests on the quality of its relationships. In this energizing and deeply human keynote, Dr. Jody Carrington explores the transformative power of reconnection. As a renowned psychologist and one of North America’s most sought-after speakers, Dr. Jody brings humor, candor and powerful insight into how authentic relationships are built, strengthened and repaired.

The truth is: we are not born knowing how to repair ruptures in relationships — we must learn it. When leaders and teams understand how to reconnect after moments of stress, conflict or change, they create cultures rooted in trust, resilience and belonging. Through engaging stories, research-based insight and practical takeaways, Dr. Jody will challenge attendees to rethink the way they show up for one another — within their teams, their organizations and the communities they serve.

Participants will leave with:

• A deeper understanding of why reconnection is essential to strong teams and cultures
• Practical tools for repairing disconnection and strengthening trust
• Strategies for fostering environments where people feel seen, valued and supported
• Renewed clarity on the role authentic relationships play in organizational success

Insightful, relatable and often hilarious, Dr. Jody will remind us that when we learn how to reconnect — with ourselves and with each other — we build the kind of cultures where people and organizations truly thrive.

Dr. Jody Carrington is a renowned psychologist and a charismatic keynote speaker celebrated for her profound expertise in human connections. As a leading authority in addressing complex, human-centered challenges, Dr. Carrington excels in guiding individuals and organizations through the intricacies of re-establishing relationships in today's increasingly disconnected society. She boldly believes that all humans have the capacity for good; however, so many of us these days, because of isolation and burnout, have lost access to that good.

Through her insightful analysis, Dr. Carrington explores how societal detachment occurs and outlines practical, meaningful solutions for reconnection. Her approach combines a deeper understanding of how necessary acknowledgment has become, and she underscores that this need is much bigger than recognition. Her dynamic and heartfelt presentations, infused with humor and honesty, captivate and energize audiences worldwide.

She is the Founder and Principal Psychologist at Carrington & Company, she has served as a civilian member of Canada's national police force, the RCMP and practiced with the most complex cases on a psychiatric inpatient unit. Dr. Jody's balance as a devoted practitioner and brilliant communicator result in an ability to authentically connect through impactful presentations that has set a new bar in talking about the shifting landscape of mental health.

Dr. Jody has authored three best-selling books, including "Feeling Seen" and hosts the widely celebrated podcast, "Unlonely." From major theatres and convention halls of 5,000 attendees, to boardrooms of 20 senior leaders, she revels in connecting and delighting an audience of any size, championing the profound need for genuine human connection in an era often dominated by digital communication. Her work is trusted by many of the world's Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, education and healthcare leaders, all working to solve similar core challenges in creating a new set of rules to support and motivate their teams.