Gildan CHRO Brooke Ferguson and Vitalant Chief People Officer Manny Ocasio Join the Mainstage Lineup for McLean & Company Signature 2026 in Las Vegas

Brooke Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Gildan, and Manny Ocasio, Chief People Officer at Vitalant, have been announced as mainstage speakers for McLean & Company's flagship annual HR conference, Signature 2026, taking place October 4-6, 2026, at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Under the event's 2026 theme, "Human-Centric, Future-Ready," HR leaders in attendance can expect practical insights on leading people through a company-defining transformation, creating greater focus amid competing priorities, and strengthening HR's visibility and impact across the organization.

TORONTO, July 27, 2026 /CNW/ -- Global HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has added Brooke Ferguson and Manny Ocasio to the mainstage lineup for Signature 2026, scheduled for October 4-6, 2026, at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Their sessions will examine how HR leaders can maintain focus, align stakeholders, and demonstrate value while their organizations navigate transformation, integration, and increasing operational complexity.

Brooke Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Gildan, and Manny Ocasio, Chief People Officer at Vitalant, have been announced as mainstage speakers for McLean & Company’s flagship annual HR conference, Signature 2026, taking place October 4-6, 2026, at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

The conference will convene more than 700 HR leaders for three days of mainstage keynotes, interactive sessions, peer exchanges, CHRO panels, and direct access to McLean & Company analysts and advisors.

At Signature 2026, Manny Ocasio, Chief People Officer at Vitalant, will deliver his keynote, "From Intent to Impact: Powering HR Transformation." Drawing on his team's experience adopting objectives and key results, or OKRs, Ocasio will explore how a disciplined approach helped Vitalant's HR function sharpen its priorities, improve organizational visibility, and demonstrate measurable impact during a complex ERP implementation.

Rather than presenting OKRs as a standalone solution, Ocasio will share how the team refined its approach through complementary tools and practices that accelerated execution. His session will address how HR leaders can translate strategic intent into clear priorities, connect work to outcomes, and communicate progress in ways that build alignment, momentum, and credibility across the organization.

Brooke Ferguson, Chief Human Resources Officer at Gildan, will present "Leading People Through a Company-Defining Transformation." Her keynote will offer an inside look at the people and leadership considerations involved as Gildan works through its acquisition of HanesBrands, which doubled Gildan's size and brought together two cultures and tens of thousands of employees around the world.

Ferguson will discuss how HR can prioritize critical workstreams when every issue feels urgent, align leaders while decisions and integration activities continue to evolve, and preserve business momentum during sustained uncertainty. She will also examine the balance between operational integration and intentional culture-building, sharing candid lessons about where HR is having the greatest influence, what has worked, and what has required adjustment along the way.

"HR leaders are increasingly at the center of the most consequential changes their organizations are undertaking, but influence depends on their ability to turn intent into coordinated action," says Jennifer Rozon, President of McLean & Company. "Manny Ocasio and Brooke Ferguson bring compelling, real-world perspectives on what that requires. Their sessions will give HR leaders attending Signature 2026 a deeper understanding of how to create focus when priorities compete, maintain alignment as transformation unfolds, and make HR's contribution to enterprise outcomes more visible."

Signature 2026 is centered on the theme "Human-Centric, Future-Ready," which reflects how HR teams are helping their organizations navigate rapid technological, structural, and workforce change while keeping people at the center of transformation.

Through mainstage presentations, fireside discussions, panels, debates, networking events, peer exchanges, and lightning talks, Signature 2026 will provide HR executives, HR directors, people leaders, and HR team members with practical strategies, research-backed insights, and peer-tested approaches they can apply within their organizations.

Additional details about the Signature 2026 agenda, keynote speakers, and networking experiences will be released in the coming months. For more information or to register, visit the official McLean Signature event page.

Who Attends Signature?

McLean Signature attracts HR executives and HR leaders from a wide range of industries, including technology services, higher education, healthcare, manufacturing, government, and financial services. In recent years, more than 60% of attendees have held senior leadership roles, making Signature a high-impact environment for strategic learning and peer networking.

Media interested in connecting with McLean & Company analysts for exclusive, research-backed insights and commentary can contact [email protected].

About Virgin Hotels Las Vegas

McLean Signature 2026 will take place at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Designed with connection and comfort in mind, the venue offers modern event spaces, vibrant social settings, world-class dining, and Virgin's signature approach to hospitality, providing an ideal backdrop for learning, collaboration, and connection.

About McLean & Company

McLean & Company pairs evidence-based research and immediately applicable tools with deep HR expertise to position organizations to meet today's needs and prepare for the future. The global HR research and advisory firm's member organizations enjoy comprehensive resources, full-service diagnostics, workshops, action plans, and advisory services for all levels of HR professionals, from executive leadership to HR leaders to HR team members, that help shape workplaces where everyone thrives.

McLean & Company is a division of Info-Tech Research Group.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm's Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE McLean & Company

Media Contact: Sufyan Al-Hassan, PR Director, Info-Tech Research Group, [email protected] | [phone] x2418