With over 16 years of experience in the tech industry, Somen is a seasoned leader, innovator, and entrepreneur passionate about building and scaling AI-powered solutions that enhance talent management and decision-making. As General Manager at Dayforce, Somen is responsible for driving the vision, strategy, and global sales execution of the company's talent product offerings.

Prior to joining Dayforce, Somen co-founded and led two successful startups that were both acquired by NYSE-listed companies. Somen was the CEO and Co-Founder of Ideal, an AI-powered talent screening and matching system that helped enterprise teams make more accurate, fair, and efficient talent decisions. Ideal was acquired by Ceridian in 2021 after achieving significant growth and recognition in the market. Somen was also the Co-Founder and CEO of Field ID, a software-as-a-service enterprise security solution provider that was acquired by Fortune Brands in 2012. Somen's entrepreneurial achievements earned him the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2012, as well as spots on the Profit Hot 50 and Deloitte Fast 50 lists.Throughout his career, Kitajima has been recognized for his contributions to Hawaii's innovation ecosystem. He co-founded three venture startups, championed Design Thinking and computer science movements in public education, and has been honored with awards such as the Corporate Intrapreneur of the Year and the Social Impact Enterprise award from the Hawaii Venture Capital Association.

Known for his ability to connect people and projects with latent customer needs, Kitajima continues to play a crucial role in shaping Hawaii's technological future while giving back to the community through various advisory and board positions.

Why is Workforce Planning Important? Workforce planning helps organizations to achieve their strategic objectives and gain a competitive advantage in the market. It involves forecasting the current and future demand and supply of talent, identifying the gaps and risks, and developing action plans to address them. In addition, associated current budgeting and estimating future financial costs is also just as critical for workforce planning as a key component of any organization’s business growth and strategy.

Workforce planning is crucial for any organization aiming to thrive in Hawai‘i’s business environment. It involves identifying current and future workforce needs to ensure the right talent is in place to meet organizational goals and touches every aspect of a business. I’m looking forward to this pre-conference session where we will delve into the key principles and practices of workforce planning and share practical examples of what local companies are doing to achieve long-term success.