Connie Washington

Connie Washington

(8.013188653E9)

VP People, Progressive Leasing

Draper, Utah

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Speaker levelProfessional Speaker

Primary sectorsEducation (K-12 / higher ed) · Financial services & banking · Manufacturing & supply chain

Utah focusYes

About

Connie Washington is a seasoned HR leader with 25+ years of experience guiding talent strategy, organizational culture, and diversity, equity & inclusion efforts. Since February 2022, she has served as Vice President, People Partners & DEI at Progressive Leasing. Prior to joining Progressive Leasing, Connie held senior human resources roles at multiple organizations.

Connie holds an MBA (2018), MA in Management & Leadership from Western Governors University. She is certified as a Senior Professional in HR (SPHR), SHRM‑SCP, and completed a certificate in Leading with Equity, Diversity & Inclusion from the University of Utah.

Speaking formats

Experience level

Professional Speaker

Frequent / professional speaker (10+ speaking engagements in the last 2–3 years)

Topics & expertise

Civic & Community

  • Community organizing & coalition building

Communication & Storytelling

  • Communicating with frontline employees
  • Communicating with senior leaders / boards
  • Cross-cultural communication
  • Difficult conversations & feedback
  • Executive presence (online & in-room)
  • Personal brand & visibility
  • Public speaking & presentation skills

Culture/HR & Talent

  • Coaching & mentoring programs
  • Employee engagement & retention
  • Handling burnout, morale dips & “quiet quitting”
  • Hybrid work, flexibility & future of work
  • Onboarding & offboarding done well
  • Organizational change & transformation
  • Psychological safety & belonging at work
  • Restructures, layoffs & humane transitions
  • Workplace culture design

Functional Expertise

  • Customer success & account management
  • Human resources / people operations

Gender & Equity

  • Inclusive leadership practices
  • Intersectionality (race, gender, class, etc.)
  • Motherhood, caregiving & careers
  • Return-to-work / re-entry after career breaks
  • Sexual harassment prevention & culture repair
  • Sponsorship, mentorship & allyship
  • Women in leadership / closing the leadership gap

Industry Expertise

  • Education (K-12 / higher ed)
  • Financial services & banking
  • Manufacturing & supply chain
  • Sports, entertainment & major events

Leadership & Management

  • Building high-performing teams
  • Conflict resolution & mediation
  • Decision-making & accountability
  • Difficult conversations
  • Giving & receiving feedback
  • Leading remote & hybrid teams
  • Leading through change
  • People management & coaching
  • Psychological safety & trust

Strategy/Innovation & Change

  • Customer experience & journey mapping

Technology & Innovation

  • Artificial intelligence & responsible AI

Utah & Regional Issues

  • Faith, culture & work in Utah
  • Women’s leadership in Utah

Wellbeing & Personal Growth

  • Burnout prevention & recovery
  • Confidence, impostor syndrome & self-advocacy
  • Mental health at work
  • Resilience & navigating change
  • Values-based career design
  • Work–life integration

Signature talks

  • Disrupt HR 2022 - So Much DEI, Not Enough of This
  • Disrupt HR 2025 - How We Say Goodbye Matters

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