The Age of AI:  Inspiring Human-Centered Leadership

Join us for an exclusive fireside chat during Cornell Reunion to explore the critical balance between technological advancement and human-centered leadership in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. Featuring: 

 

 Lisa Nishii, Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Education; Professor, Human Resource Studies, The ILR School; Director, ILR WIDE (Workplace Inclusion and Diversity Education)

Lisa Nishii is a Professor in the Human Resource Studies department in the ILR School. She joined the faculty at Cornell after earning her Ph.D. and M.A. in Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland at College Park and B.A in economics from Wellesley College. Lisa was inspired to pursue a research career when, as an undergraduate student, she discovered research articles that helped her make sense of the often clashing individualistic (American) and collectivistic (Japanese) values underlying her mixed identity and childhood experiences growing up in Tokyo, Japan. Much of her earlier research was on dimensions of cultural difference and their cognitive and behavioral manifestation in applied organizational settings. She is most well known for her pioneering research on climate for inclusion – what it is, how it is shaped by leaders, and the consequences for both group processes and individual outcomes. Lisa has been serving as the university’s Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education since 2018, overseeing a range of university-wide academic initiatives related to student access and success, undergraduate curricula and academic policies, advising, experiential learning, and dialogue across difference. In 2022, she became the inaugural director of ILR WIDE, a center focused on Workplace Inclusion and Diversity Education at the ILR School. Since May of 2023, Lisa has also been serving as the university’s Vice Provost for Enrollment, overseeing strategic recruitment and admissions, financial aid, registrar functions, and enrollment compliance. 

 

Eva Sage-Gavin ‘80, Board Director and former Senior Managing Director, Talent & Organization, Accenture

Eva Sage-Gavin is a seasoned board director, advisor, and former Senior Managing Director of Talent & Organization at Accenture. In her role at Accenture, she helped clients harness digital technologies, evolve their workforces, and unlock human potential to drive transformation.
With a distinguished career as a Chief HR Officer, Eva has held top HR and C-suite leadership roles at some of the world’s most recognized Fortune 500 technology and consumer companies, including PepsiCo, The Walt Disney Company, Gap Inc., Sun Microsystems, and Xerox Corporation. She currently serves on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the Stanford Center on Longevity, the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Santa Clara University’s Corporate Board Ready Program, and the Innovation Resource Center for HR (IRC4HR). Additionally, she is Executive in Residence at her alma mater, Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
As the first woman to serve on multiple public technology company boards, Eva is a Chair of Women Corporate Directors’ Bay Area chapter. Prior to Accenture, she served as a senior advisor to the Boston Consulting Group and the G100 Network, providing CEOs and C-suite leaders with insights and strategies on leadership, talent, and innovation.
Eva has received numerous accolades, including the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 2020 Directorship 100 Award, recognizing excellence in corporate governance. She has been named one of Silicon Republic’s Top 16 Future-of-Work Influencers and a Top 100 HR Tech Influencer by HR Executive. She is also a William B. Groat Award recipient from Cornell University for lifetime achievement in Human Resources. Eva is passionate about workforce transformation, lifelong learning, HR strategies, technology, leadership development, and C-suite succession planning.

As AI continues to reshape how we work, organizations face the challenge of maintaining authenticity, fostering inclusion, and nurturing human connection. Drawing from Eva’s extensive experience in digital transformation and talent strategy, alongside Lisa’s groundbreaking research on inclusive leadership and organizational culture, this conversation will unpack how leaders can effectively blend technological innovation with empathetic, people-first approaches.

Our speakers will discuss:

• Strategies for maintaining human connection in an AI-enabled workplace
• Building inclusive leadership practices that complement technological advancement
• Practical approaches to developing and scaling human-centered leadership
• The future of workplace culture at the intersection of AI and human potential

This timely discussion will offer valuable insights for leaders navigating the delicate balance between technological progress and human-centered organizational practices in today’s dynamic business environment  

DATE: Friday, June 6, 2025

TIME: In-person: 2:00pm – 3:00pm EDT/ Online: 2:00pm – 3:00pm EDT

PROGRAM: 

LOCATION: 

• In-person: Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall, 2:00-3:00pm EDT 
• Online: Zoom link provided with registration, 2:00-3:30pm EDT.