Keynote Speakers | Women Lead Symposium

Blessing Adesiyan, Founder and CEO, Mother Honestly WorkLife

Blessing Adesiyan is the Founder & CEO of MH WorkLife where she is building care infrastructure to drive and improve policy, people, and business results. MH's technology and social platforms reach millions of employees and employers globally. She spent 15+ years in Fortune 100 companies such as Microsoft, HP, Cargill, PepsiCo, DuPont, and BASF where she built operational and business excellence frameworks across the United States, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia.

Kim Cullotta, Executive Vice President, Group Head, People, Culture, and Communications, FHLBank Chicago

Kim Cullotta joined the Bank’s Executive Team in November 2017, and became Senior Vice President and Group Head, Human Resources (now People, Culture, and Communications) in January 2018 and Executive Vice President in January 2021. She started with the Bank in 2011, and has served as Senior Vice President, Member Product Support and Senior Vice President, Information Technology. Ms. Cullotta has over 20 years of management experience in diverse financial services institutions.

Randall Hultgren, President and CEO, Illinois Bankers Association

Randy Hultgren became president and CEO of the Illinois Bankers Association in July of 2020. An Illinois native, Randy served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011-2019 for the 14th Congressional District of Illinois. In Congress, he served on both the House Financial Services Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. Prior, he served in the Illinois Senate—on the financial institutions’ committees in both chambers.

Joyce Marter, Psychotherapist and Author

Joyce Marter has been a licensed psychotherapist for over twenty years and is the Founder of Urban Balance, an outpatient mental health company with seventeen locations in six states. Marter is routinely consulted as a mental health expert in the media, featured in such outlets as The Wall Street Journal, CNN and MTV. She is the author of The Financial Mindset Fix: A Mental Fitness Program for an Abundant Life.

Hope McAllister, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, First Busey Corporation

After entering the banking industry in 1995, Hope joined Busey in 2015 as Vice President of Corporate Administration leveraging her background in Risk Management and Human Resources to assist with Busey's merger activity. With a 25+ year career in the banking industry, she provides her unique experience to balance the business side of banking with the organization's human resources needs.

Eartha Morris, COO, Forbright Bank

Eartha Morris is a career banker with 30 plus years of senior leadership experience in the financial services industry with expertise in operations, strategic planning, technology management, risk management, enterprise Project Management, contingency planning, process improvement and policy. In addition to banking, Morris is passionate about educating our future leaders in financial literacy and has served several organizations in this capacity.

Michael Moser,­ Senior Vice President, Benefits Director, Comerica Bank

Michael Moser oversees all benefit programs for Comerica Bank including health and welfare, retirement, paid time off, leave of absence, and other programs supporting employees’ overall well-being. Michael joined Comerica in 2022 as the benefits director. Before joining Comerica, Michael was a retirement actuary and senior consultant at Willis Towers Watson, an HR benefits consulting firm.

Rob Nichols, President and CEO, American Bankers Association

Rob Nichols is the president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, which represents banks of all sizes and charters and is the voice for the nation’s $23.7 trillion banking industry. Rob joined ABA in August 2015 following ten years at the helm of the Financial Services Forum, a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization. Before joining the Forum, Rob served in the George W. Bush administration as the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Treasury Department, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate.

Nan Poppen, PHR, SHRM-CP, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, First Bank & Trust

Nan Poppen, who has been with First Bank & Trust since 2001, is the Chief Human Resources Officer working with employee relations, benefit design, compensation, and strategic planning. Poppen is the President of the Kid’s World Board of Directors. Kid’s World provides childcare and preschool options for employees of First Bank & Trust.