Meet the panel.

With more than 20 years of experience across corporate and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Hunter is known for advancing inclusive cultures, strengthening talent pipelines, and driving organizational impact. Prior to Caleres, she served as Senior Global Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Leader at Boeing.

Dr. Hunter is a nationally recognized speaker, author, and TEDx presenter whose work has influenced conversations on equity, leadership, and social impact. She is widely known for launching “The Talk,” a national dialogue sparked by the events in Ferguson, Missouri, and continues to serve her community through board leadership, advocacy, and coaching.

Vanessa Parker-Lewis has over 23 years of experience in human resources, with a career spanning large-scale enterprise roles, community development, and operational leadership. As Chief Human Resources Officer, she serves as a strategic leader to establish and communicate the company's approach and philosophy around “People.” She oversees platform-wide programs, initiatives, systems, policies, and procedures that promote a shared culture reflective of the McCormack Baron mission, vision, and values.

Vanessa holds a Ph.D. in General Psychology from Grand Canyon University, a dual master's degree in Human Resources Management & Human Resources Development from Webster University, and a B.A. in Communications from Lincoln University of Missouri. She holds certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources® (SPHR®), SHRM-SCP, and in Diversity and Inclusion (Cornell University).

Kathleen Welter runs the people function across Caleres's portfolio of national brands, from Famous Footwear to Sam Edelman, Allen Edmonds, Naturalizer, and Vionic.

Welter brings nearly three decades of human resources experience to Caleres, with expertise in aligning talent with strategic vision and organizational objectives. Most recently she was the principal lead for the HR team at Woodard & Curran as vice president of human resources, where she oversaw senior executive recruitment and succession planning, restructured performance, development and compensation strategies, and led HR integration of acquisitions. Previously, Welter was a senior consultant at Talent Equation, where she grew the company's consulting practice by partnering with a diverse base of clients to support organizational design and team development.

She is returning to Caleres, where she worked for a decade, first as director of talent management and then as vice president of talent strategy and leadership continuity. Welter has her MBA and bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri.

Fabio Letieri is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Nestlé Purina PetCare, bringing 30 years of experience in Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. He began his career at Dow Chemical before joining Nestlé, where he was transferred to the Global Headquarters in Switzerland. Fabio has held various leadership roles, including Head of HR & Corporate Affairs for Nestlé's confectionery business in Brazil and Public Affairs & Social Responsibility Head for Nestlé Brazil.

In 2016, he moved to Saint Louis as VP of Human Resources at Nestlé Purina and was appointed CHRO in 2023, overseeing HR strategies that align with Purina's purpose of enriching the lives of pets and the people who love them, while supporting the company's overall business objectives.

Fabio is multilingual and holds degrees in Business and HR Specialization, along with an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He has completed leadership programs at IMD Business School and London Business School and serves on the Board of the McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University.