Ethena

🚨 Double post alert! 🚨 When a week in SF is packed with customer office visits, cozy coffee meetups, and catching up with our favorite HR, Legal, and Compliance leaders, one post just isn’t enough. ☕️✨ From deep-dive convos to quick hellos over matcha, we loved every minute of connecting in person. We're grateful for the chance to see so many of you IRL! P.S. We may or may not be sharing even more of our fun week in SF, soon! 👀

Lunch, but make it ✨employment law✨ Yesterday, we gathered an incredible group of employment counsel, legal leaders, and customers in SF for a lunch full of big conversations (and even bigger takeaways). From navigating evolving workplace regulations to sharing best practices on compliance training, the discussion was packed with insights from some of the best in the field. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us—we love creating spaces for leaders to connect, swap strategies, and nerd out over the nuances of employment law. Until next time! 

This week we brought Compliance leaders together for two roundtables with our CEO Roxanne Bras Petraeus and special guest Compliance powerhouse, Jeannine Lemker. Jeannine packed each session with insights on how compliance leaders can drive real impact. One key theme? Compliance isn’t just about training—it’s about positioning compliance as a business enabler, not a box to check. 📌 Top takeaways: ✔️ Reframing compliance as non-financial risk management makes it resonate with leadership. ✔️ Role & risk-based training reduces training time while keeping it relevant. ✔️ From data to insights—moving beyond reports to business intelligence that actually influences decisions. ✔️ Engaging employees in training starts with branding, storytelling & internal champions (Ethena’s specialty 😉). A huge thanks to everyone who joined! If you’re looking to rethink your compliance approach, Ethena is here to help. #Compliance #Ethics #RiskManagement #Leadership

Join us on Wednesday, February 19th at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT for a dynamic discussion featuring Melanie Naranjo (Chief People Officer at Ethena) and Leanne Loveday-Smith, SPHR, M.S. (Chief People Officer at Earnest) as we explore why tough economic times are actually the HRBP’s greatest opportunity to shine. RSVP: https://hubs.ly/Q033Cqbg0 What you’ll learn: ✅ Drive talent density to maximize impact during tough times ✅ Ensure every employee contributes high-value work ✅ Support stakeholders and your organization while staying true to employee advocacy You should attend if you’re: 📌 Seeking actionable strategies to elevate your HRBP impact 📌 Navigating tough economic conditions and competing priorities 📌 Ready to support your organization and employees through uncertain times Don’t miss this chance to turn challenges into opportunities and make a lasting impact as an HRBP. Whether you’re facing budget cuts, increased workloads, or simply looking to elevate your role, this session is for you. Let’s transform challenges into wins—together.

Transform just announced their 2025 award finalists, and drumroll please 🥁… 🏆 Our powerhouse Chief People Officer, Melanie Naranjo, is a finalist for The Transform 10: Most Inspirational Leaders of the Year 🔑 Ethena (specifically the dynamic of Melanie & our CEO, Roxanne Bras Petraeus) is a finalist for Power Pair: Executive Partnership of the Year A huge shoutout to our team for showing up and telling our story. And to all the amazing leaders in the People space—this work matters, and we’re honored to be part of it. Winners will be announced live at Transform in March—Who else will we see in Vegas? 👀 #TransformAwards #HRLeadership #PowerPair #ComplianceAndCulture

Many of you, especially HR folks, are navigating the Trump Administration's Executive Orders on DEI. Here are 6 principles to keep in mind as you guide your teams: First, for a quick grounding: It remains illegal under federal anti-discrimination laws to discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics like race and sex. That has not changed. (Link to a good law firm bulletin below.) 1. Take a deep breath. And drink a little water too. Good decisions come from rational analysis, stressful times need steady hands, and you can't do any of that if you're panicking. 2. Make changes in daylight. When you're changing something controversial, it's tempting to make that update at 2AM on a Sunday. Don't. Instead, share your logic with your team/company. This sharpens your thinking and builds trust. 3. Figure out your stakeholders and consider all of them. Yes, the President just issued a number of sweeping executive orders impacting DEI programs, but did your employee base suddenly change their perspectives and motivations? Do you have employees outside of the U.S.? How about your customers or shareholders? Did their expectations change? Make sure you're looking holistically at your constituents. 4. Find the upside. I know it may seem flippant to say that, but here's my cold hard CEO take: Companies keep initiatives that make them successful. If you haven't already tied inclusion initiatives to a business case, use this as an opportunity to do that. If you're looking for inspiration (or protein powder at a great price), look to Costco: "Among other things, a diverse group of employees helps bring originality and creativity to our merchandise offerings, promoting the 'treasure hunt' that our customers value." Beautiful way to explain why DEI initiatives move the business forward. 5. Rebrands are not a silver bullet. Yes, it's tempting to do a massive "find and replace," for DEI and call it...literally anything else. Don't do that. You miss an opportunity to have a productive conversation around why you're doing whatever it is that you're doing, and you're insulting your employees' intelligence. 6. Find your north star. There is no risk-free decision. If you rip out inclusive practices, you introduce risk. If you make no changes to existing DEI policies, you have some risk. So don't make risk-based decisions, make values-based decisions that are informed, but not dictated, by risk. I hope you find these *non-legal advice* principles helpful. And if you're looking for tactical guidance, we'll be announcing Ethena webinars on these topics, in partnership with great employment counsels, very soon. Please let me know in the comments if there are any questions/topics you'd like us to address in these webinars.

In the wake of the recent US Executive Orders, many HR, Compliance, and Legal professionals have been left with a whole lot of questions. What does this mean for existing DEI initiatives, including: recruiting practices and ERGs? How will this impact competing state laws, especially as they pertain to gender in the workplace? What action should you be taking? Join us Thursday, February 6th at 12pm ET / 9am PT for an essential and timely webinar with Melanie Naranjo (Chief People Officer, Ethena), Chantelle Cappa Egan (Partner, Head of Advice & Counsel Practice Group, Medina McKelvey LLP), and Brandis Anderson (General Counsel, Ethena) as they cut through the noise and give you the clarity and tools you need to navigate these changes confidently. 🗓️ RSVP: https://hubs.la/Q034kTcH0 What you’ll learn: 📊 The impact of the U.S. Executive Orders on DEI and compliance programs 🛠️ Actionable steps to build a strategic plan for your organization 🗣️ Tips for communicating effectively with employees and leadership as you navigate this process You should attend if you’re: 👩💼 An HR, Compliance, or Legal professional navigating new regulations 🔎 A leader responsible for DEI programs and seeking clarity on recent changes 🚀 Looking to stay ahead and build strategic, compliant action plans ✉️ Interested in practical advice on navigating internal communications throughout this process

🌟 Last night, we had an incredible evening of connection, strategy, and inspiration with LifeLabs Learning and Leapsome! 🌟 We brought together a group of NYC HR leaders to tackle some of the most pressing challenges in the People space—from navigating tight budgets to shifting the perception of HR as a strategic driver. A few key takeaways from our conversations: 💡 Performance management is about consulting, not enforcing—approach it with data, curiosity, and collaboration. 💡 Employee morale thrives on clear, honest communication, especially during tough times. 💡 Budget constraints don’t mean connection and celebration should stop—small, thoughtful perks or moments of recognition go a long way. ✨ Special thanks to our speakers, Christina Donnelly, Priscila Bala, Luck Dookchitra, and Ethena's own Melanie Naranjo, for sharing actionable insights and thoughtful advice with the room. To those who joined us—thank you for your energy and curiosity. See you at the next one!

NYC, we'll see you tonight! If you haven't yet, RSVP to join us IRL: https://hubs.li/Q02_D7kg0

Original research just dropped! 👊🖐🎤 Last year, Ethena and LifeLabs Learning partnered up to survey nearly 500 HR pros on how their organization structures the following benefits: 👩⚕️ Health insurance 🤑 Compensation (including retirement & bonuses) 🌴 Vacation/PTO 💻 Flex work 🐣 Parental leave We pulled this data into a benchmark report that provides a look at emerging trends in these areas, so you can make the best, most-informed decisions for both your employees and your bottom line. Whether you’re looking to refine your recruitment processes, enhance employee benefits, or optimize budget allocation, the insights from this report will help guide your most important strategic HR decisions in 2025. Get your free copy below 👇 link in comments #humanresources #hr #compensation #benefits