North American HR Executive Summit - Spring Edition

Kate is the executive vice president of human resources and labor relations at United Airlines, where she is responsible for the transformation of the company’s culture by leading a global team of over 800 professionals. Kate oversees talent acquisition, development, retention, fostering high-performing teams that prioritize customer satisfaction in all of United’s operations and collaboration with labor partners, with a focus on enhancing the employee experience.

Previously, Kate served as United’s senior vice president of customer service delivery and chief customer officer, where she played a pivotal role in unifying the customer journey from booking to arrival. Joining the airline in 1998, Kate has a history of leadership in various capacities, including serving as vice president for the office of the CEO, where she worked alongside former CEO Oscar Munoz to align and advance strategic initiatives across the company. Kate has also held roles leading the corporate real estate organization and in procurement.

In addition to her corporate responsibilities, Kate serves as a board member for State Farm Insurance, is an advisory board member of P33 Chicago and serves as a Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham Fellow. Her academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in finance from DePaul University in Chicago and a master’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business.

Wade Davis was named Global Vice President of Inclusion Strategy in October 2023. Prior to joining Netflix in 2019, he played in the NFL and served as the NFL’s inaugural LGBT inclusion consultant. Wade established his consulting company, collaborating with Google, P&G, 21st Century Fox, the NHL, and others. He’s a UN Women Global Impact Champion, a Ms. Foundation for Women and MeToo International board member, and a former adjunct professor at Rutgers University and NYU. In 2012, Wade served as a surrogate for President Obama. He graduated from Weber State University with a B.S. in business administration and received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University.

Pat Wadors grew up as the youngest of 8 siblings. Diagnosed with dyslexia while in college but has leaned on her neurodiversity as a strength. She is a mother to 3 millennials, grandmother x2, and wife of 30 years. Introvert by nature, Pat is an advocate for results over talk and works feverishly to embrace the quieter voices. A driver for writing this book is her personal purpose, “I need to leave the world better than I found it, to be kind, to give more than I get, to make a difference.”

Known for transformational and strategic HR leadership, Pat believes that organizations thrive when they have a blend of people with differing backgrounds and ways of thinking, and who feel they belong as a contributor to the company’s success. As a LinkedIn Learning instructor, Pat is known for her course on “Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging” which was recognized in 2021 as a top 10 Global course on LinkedIn.

Pat recently joined Intuitive as their chief human resource officer in October 2024. She has held various HR leadership and chief human resource officer positions in the technology sector, including roles at UKG, Procore Technologies, ServiceNow, LinkedIn; Plantronics, Inc.; and Yahoo! She has served on the boards of several prominent technology companies, such as Accolade, Inc., UKG, Second Harvest Food Bank, and El Camino Hospital. Currently, she holds a board position at Moloco.

A multiple-time recipient of the National Diversity Council’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology award, Pat is renowned for her transformative and strategic HR leadership. She is a sought-after speaker on diversity and inclusion topics. Pat earned a BS in business management and human resource management from Ramapo College of New Jersey.