Meeting/Event Information

ALIGNing an Organization: How We Dumped Year-End Performance Reviews and Replaced it With a Conversation
Presented by: 
Sara Foster, Executive Vice President, Talent & Corporate Administration, Commerce Bank
Ryan McCrea, Vice President, Manager of Talent Development, Commerce Bank
Emily Wall, Senior Talent Development Consultant

We have all heard the hype that performance management is dead. Year-end reviews are despised by employees at all levels. There are tons of articles begrudging this process but few with practical answers. It’s easy to say you want to get rid of year-end reviews but what do you replace them with?

During the last three years, Commerce Bank has dumped year-end reviews and kicked-off a much more flexible process focused on conversations between leaders and team members called ALIGN. This session is a description of that journey, including the triumphs and challenges, for those interested in embarking on a similar dynamic organizational change.

About Our Speakers: 

Ryan McCrea has focused his career on making an impact on organizations by helping them maximize and develop their talent. His areas of expertise include strategic talent management, talent and leadership development, mentoring, connecting others, consulting and coaching leaders at all levels, and telling a compelling story with data.

Ryan currently is the VP, Manager of Talent Development at Commerce Bank. At Commerce, he leads the efforts around people growth including designing corporate-wide professional development resources and initiatives through a program called Commerce for U. Ryan also has responsibility for building leadership in the organization through three Leadership Development programs for high-potential team members. The newest program is focused on developing and growing people of color and includes an 18-month mentorship with the top 13 executives in the company.

Ryan has certifications in Situational Leadership, MBTI, DiSC and as a Social an Emotional Intelligence Coach. Prior to Commerce, Ryan worked in roles in Talent Management, Organizational Development and HR Analytics at Monsanto, Brown Shoe and the Humane Society of Missouri. Ryan received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Southern Indiana and a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Ryan lives in St. Louis with his wife, Susan, and two adorable cats named Zooey and Coco. He loves music, movies, fashion and art. Ask him about any of these topics and you may never get away.

Emily Wall is a Senior Talent Development Consultant who works with Commerce Bank to help individuals and teams thrive at work. Emily believes that professional success can be achieved by all, and that if we spend so much time and effort at our jobs, we might as well enjoy what we’re doing, too.

Emily started her work in leadership development at the Harvard Business School, where she held a variety of positions in both Executive Education and the MBA Program. She managed a team responsible for the largest and most innovative executive residential programs at the school, and helped establish the required first year MBA course, “FIELD” (Field Immersive Experiences in Leadership Development). Her clients ranged from Fortune 100 corporations to local non-profits, and she’s helped organizations from around the world develop their top talent for future success. In her role at Commerce, she continues this work by overseeing the Leadership Development Program for high-potential team members, designing corporate-wide professional development resources and initiatives, and partnering closely business line leaders to strengthen performance and culture.

Emily is certified in Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, Situational Leadership II, KornFerry Leadership Architect and KF360, and the Institute for Social + Emotional Intelligence Profile. She holds a Master of Arts in Organizational & Corporate Communication from Emerson College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Outside of work, Emily spends most of her time with her nose in a book, but does occasionally take a break to say hello to her husband and three young children.

Sara Foster is Executive Vice President of Talent and Corporate Administration for Commerce Bancshares, Inc. She began her career at Commerce in 1986 and has grown over the years in her roles and responsibilities. Currently, Sara oversees several administrative support areas that provide services to team members across the company. Those include Talent Management, Talent Development, Inclusion & Diversity, Internal Communications, Risk Management, Audit, Legal, and Flight Operations. She also serves as Chairperson of the company’s Ethics Committee and a member of the Executive Management Committee for the company.

Sara is a lifelong resident of St. Louis. Sara earned her B.A. from the University of Missouri – St. Louis and her Executive M.B.A. from Washington University. She also received an honorary doctorate of humanities from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

She has been actively involved in the community for many years and currently serves on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, is a member of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Chancellor’s Council and is President of the board of the Normandy Schools Collaborative. She has previously served on the boards of the YWCA of Metro St. Louis and The Gateway Region YMCA.

Previous recognitions include being named a Leader of Distinction by the YWCA Academy of Leaders, a Most Influential Business Woman by the St. Louis Business Journal, recipient of the Business Journal’s C-Suite Award and a Distinguished Alumna from the University of Missouri.

Schedule
8:00 am - 9:00 am Presentation
9:00 am - 9:15 am Q&A

Fees
SHRM St. Louis Chapter Members - Included in Dues
Non-Chapter Members - $25