2026 Healthcare Symposium Agenda

Time	Session	Speaker	Session Title and Description
10:30 AM	Registration and Career Networking Fair (Refreshments will be available)		Join us for a Career Networking Fair that will bring together a diverse group of leading companies in the healthcare industry. This event provides a unique opportunity for Pepperdine students and alumni to engage with company representatives, explore various career pathways, and discover potential job opportunities in the rapidly growing and dynamic healthcare sector. Network, learn, and take the next step towards a fulfilling career in healthcare.
12:00 PM	Welcome	Jim Gash, JD '93 President and Chief Executive Officer, Pepperdine University
12:05 PM	Opening Remarks	Deborah Crown Dean, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
12:15 PM	Special Remarks	John Figueroa, MBA '97 Senior Advisor to the Secretary, US Department of Veterans Affairs Former Acting under Secretary for Health, US Department of Veterans Affairs
12:20 PM	Keynote Address (Live Virtual Session)	Shelly Palmer CEO, The Palmer Group	Agents, Agency, and Your Agentic 2026 Shelly Palmer cuts through the hype to deliver what leaders actually need: a new vocabulary for AI (Model, Harness, System, Agent), a proven framework for deployment (Context & Evals), and the five shifts that will define winners in 2026—from "Share of Prompt" to why business leaders must "Default to Distrust." This live virtual address will be beamed exclusively into Smothers Theater.
1:30 PM	Panel Discussion	Peter Eskander Director of Supply Chain End-to-End Digital Transformation, Amgen Shawn Lin Medical Director, UCLA Health- Calabasas Stein Eye Center Associate Program Director, UCLA Health- Ophthalmology Residency Division of Cataract & Refractive Surgery Billie Jo Nutter Operating Partner, HCAP Partners Advisory Board Member, Neurosteer MODERATOR: Amy Towner, MBA '18, PKE 139 CEO, Health Care Foundation for Ventura County	Exploring the Intersection of How AI is Shaping Healthcare Following Shelly Palmer’s high-level outlook, this session drills down into the critical intersections where technology optimizes the business of care. Our panel of cross-sector experts will discuss how AI is reshaping the healthcare landscape—from clinical precision and population health to the complexities of the global supply chain. Discover how these intersecting forces are redefining operational excellence and creating a new standard for all facets of healthcare.
2:45 PM	Closing Remarks
3:00 PM	Program Concludes

*Agenda is subject to change without notice.