About the Presenters
Ariel Leonard
CHRO, Rug Doctor, LLC
Ariel Leonard leads the Human Resources function for Rug Doctor, LLC, with responsibility for business in the US, Canada, and the UK. Before Rug Doctor, Ariel was the Senior Director of HR, directly supporting the executive leader over operations at Rent-A-Center in Plano, TX. Prior to RAC, she was with JCPenney, starting out as a corporate trainer. During that time, Ariel was part of the SEPHORA inside JCPenney initiative, opening their first 250 stores-within-store concept while growing into a senior leader over the total enterprise. Ariel has spent just as much time being an operator in addition to being an HR professional, beginning with Zale Corporation, learning the P&L’s behind running a store, to corporate executive, learning how to run a company. Ariel graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Psychology, and is a certified PMP and SHRM-SCP. She lives in Frisco, TX with her husband and four children.
Sid Srivastava
SVP & CHRO, Cinemark
As the SVP & CHRO for Cinemark, Sid is part of the Executive Leadership team directing all aspects of the HR function. He feels privileged to be leading a very talented HR team which passionately supports Cinemark’s mission of delivering an extraordinary memorable experience to its guests. A big portion of Cinemark’s workforce is comprised of Millennials and Gen Z's which necessitate a highly contemporary and forward-looking Human Resources function. Sid partners closely with the CEO, members of the Executive team and the Board of Directors and is a strong employee advocate championing diversity, equity and inclusion at Cinemark. Sid joined Cinemark in 2016 as VP- Organizational Capability & Effectiveness and was promoted as the SVP & CHRO in 2018. Sid is currently based out of Plano, TX which is the global headquarters for Cinemark. Sid is a mentor to several HR and Non-HR professionals across the globe and is passionate about making a positive difference in people’s lives. At a personal level, Sid enjoys the outdoors and loves spending time with his family.
Wendy Hatchell
VP of HR, McCarthy Building Companies’
Wendy has been with the company for over eight years and has helped oversee talent and organizational development for over 1,000 employees. Wendy is also an active leader in McCarthy’s Partnership for Women program, an internal organization that supports female engineers across the company and focuses on the recruitment, development, and retention of women in the construction industry. Wendy is a graduate of Penn State University, with a degree in Human Development and Family studies. Outside of work, she is active in the Dallas community. Most notably, she is the founder and past president of Pre Geneva, a group that fundraises for and connects parents of young children with each other and local elementary school, Geneva Heights, in East Dallas.