Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Taps Joanna Peña-Bickley for Opening Keynote

March 19, 2017

The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association has unveiled the keynote speaker for the opening session of HCEAConnect, the association’s annual educational and networking event, scheduled Aug.13-16 in Chicago.

Joanna Peña-Bickley will read into her magic ball to discuss “The Future of Healthcare Marketing in a Connected Age.” 

Peña-Bickley’s award-winning artist's hand has helped the world’s most recognized companies and brands, such as Land Rover, Nokia, Sephora, NASA, American Express, MTV, Pepsi and Jay Z imagine and make innovative breakthroughs, with a philosophy of radical collaboration and remarkable digital craft.

Whether creating one of the first streaming video players, that changed the delivery of live news events for ABC, designing the first banking app for the Apple Watch, which made banking personal again for Citi, or reinventing the connected car for General Motors as a cognitive mobility platform & assistant, Peña-Bickley’s tenacious creativity disrupts industry and makes new markets.

As the global chief creative officer for IBM, she launched the global iX brand and powered it with the world’s most talented experience design leaders through the openings of a global network of design studios.

She created a collaborative operating model by uniting design subject matter expertise to IBM’s industry consulting verticals. Joanna has worked with CEOs, CMOs and CIOs of General Motors, Ford, John Deere, Citibank, Asia Miles, Atlanta Falcons and Boeing to craft their customer-centric innovation agendas and accelerate their digital transformation with inventive experience design and business modeling to scale and sustain their companies in a fast changing business environment.

She’s going to bring all this insight and knowledge to medical meetings according to HCEA officials.

The HCEAConnect agenda will offer a compelling lineup of education, networking, and other activities.

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MGM Resorts is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse culture, not just among employees and guests but also within its supply chain. The company prioritizes procuring goods and services from businesses owned by minorities, women, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals and those facing economic disadvantages. This commitment is integral to MGM Resorts' global procurement strategy.    Through its voluntary supplier diversity program, MGM Resorts actively identifies and connects certified diverse-owned suppliers to opportunities within its supply chain. The company is on track to spend at least 15% of its biddable procurement with diverse-owned businesses by 2025, demonstrating that supplier diversity is not only a social responsibility but also a strategic business imperative.    Supplier diversity isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s good for business. A diverse supply chain allows access to a broader range of perspectives and experience, helping to drive innovation, entrepreneurship and resilience, while strengthening communities. At MGM Resorts, engaging diverse suppliers ensures best-in-class experiences for guests and clients. Supplier diversity ensures a more resilient supply chain while supporting economic development in the communities in which it operates.   The impact of MGM Resorts' supplier diversity initiatives is significant. In 2023, these efforts supported over 3,500 jobs across more than 30 states, contributed over $214 million in income for diverse-owned businesses and generated more than $62 million in tax revenue. The story extends beyond the numbers – it reflects the tangible benefits brought to small and diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic empowerment in their communities.    MGM Resorts also supports the development and business skills of diverse-owned businesses through investment, mentorship and education. Through the MGM Resorts Supplier Diversity Mentorship Program, the company identifies, mentors and develops diverse-owned businesses to fill its future pipeline, while providing businesses with tools and resources to empower and uplift. Since 2017, the program has successfully graduated 105 diverse-owned businesses and is on track to achieve its goal of 150 graduates by 2025.     MGM Resorts’ commitment to supplier diversity not only enhances its business operations but also plays a crucial role in uplifting communities and fostering economic development. This approach reinforces the idea that diversity is a powerful driver of innovation and resilience, benefiting both the company and the wider community.