"Rebuilding Culture from the Ground Up: How to Earn Trust, Influence Leaders, and Lead Lasting Change"

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Rebuilding a People and Culture function from the ground up is one of the most complex and consequential challenges a leader can take on. It requires influence without authority, trust before transformation, and the ability to align culture with business outcomes while navigating competing leadership priorities.

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In this session, the speaker shares a practical, real-world approach to rebuilding a People and Culture function inside an established organization. Drawing from lived executive experience, they walk through the critical steps required to gain leadership and organizational trust, establish credibility quickly, and lead meaningful culture change that actually lasts.

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The session explores three core dimensions of influence: leadership that builds trust and engagement; change leadership that brings clarity during uncertainty; and securing executive buy-in by linking people strategy directly to business goals. Participants will learn how to move beyond HR as support to become true strategic partners, even in environments where skepticism or resistance exists.

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Rather than theory, this presentation focuses on concrete actions such as what to do in the first 90 days, how to prioritize when everything feels urgent, how to influence senior leaders with competing agendas, and how to create visible momentum without overwhelming the organization.

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Designed for senior HR and People leaders, culture practitioners, and executives navigating transformation, this session equips attendees to rebuild trust, drive alignment, and lead sustainable culture change.

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Participants will leave ready to:​​

1. Build credibility and trust quickly using a structured 90-day influence framework.

2. Secure executive buy-in by positioning culture initiatives in business terms.

3. Lead culture transformation with practical tools for prioritization, communication, and early wins.

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Speaker Bio:

Whitney Russ is an Executive Vice President of People & Culture at the ATP Tour, where she partners with the CEO, Chairman, and Board as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. With more than 15 years of experience leading organizational change and workforce strategy in complex, global environments, she aligns people strategy with long-term business objectives and embeds culture as a driver of performance.

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Whitney leads the global People & Culture function across four international offices, supporting more than 350 employees and contractors. Her work spans values integration, leadership pipeline development, engagement and assessment strategy, succession planning, performance management, and compensation frameworks that link performance to outcomes.

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Previously, she spent nearly a decade in HR leadership at Venus Fashion, guiding people strategy for a 550+ employee organization across corporate, creative, distribution, and call center teams. A former educator, Whitney brings a people-first lens to transformation, combining operational rigor with emotional intelligence. She holds a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and certifications in EQ-i, DiSC, Situational Leadership, and organizational systems coaching.