Health and Wellbeing Experts, Thought Leaders, Innovators and Disruptors including Sir Richard Branson, Clayton Christensen, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, Esther Dyson, Josh Bersin, Dr. David Katz and Alison Levine to Take Center Stage at 7th Annual Thrive Summit

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virgin Pulse, the largest global health and wellbeing technology and services company, today announced an all-star lineup of keynote speakers for the company’s annual Thrive Summit —the industry’s premier conference on employee health, wellbeing and engagement. Registration is now open for the event, taking place May 21–23, 2019, at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. 

Themed “Total Health Engagement,” this year’s Thrive Summit will bring hundreds of health and wellness leaders, HR experts, researchers and thought leaders together for educational sessions, workshops, networking and activities designed to help attendees navigate the highly fragmented employee health and wellbeing market. This one-of-a-kind conference will offer attendees new insights into marketplace trends impacting their organizations as well as best practices and tips for driving and measuring success.

“This year’s Thrive Summit will be bigger and better than ever,” said David Osborne, chief executive officer at Virgin Pulse. “We are thrilled to once again provide our clients, partners and business leaders this opportunity to hear from industry experts and learn from one another.”

“It’s an exciting time in our industry,” continued Osborne. “The definition of wellbeing is no longer about just physical wellbeing in the workplace; it encompasses emotional, social and financial wellbeing. Our ability to engage employees has also expanded, combining high-tech with high-touch solutions. We’re excited to share our vision for total health engagement, helping employees achieve their goals across the entire spectrum of health and wellbeing. And, we’re excited to give our clients an opportunity to celebrate their commitment and success to changing lives for good across their organizations.”

Thrive Summit features an impressive lineup of speakers who will inspire and challenge attendees to think differently about how they are inspiring and taking care of their employees, including:

  • Sir Richard Branson As the leader of one of the world's most recognized and respected brands, Sir Richard Branson continues to support positive change in the world. His oft quoted guidance for business leaders: “Take care of your employees and they will take care of business,” has become the mantra for today’s most successful businesses.
  • David Osborne, Virgin Pulse CEO, and Ron Hildebrandt, Chief Product Officer, will unveil the company’s latest innovations and provide a sneak peek into the company’s product roadmap.
  • Clayton Christensen , the Kim B. Clark Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and one of the world’s top experts on innovation and growth, will present valuable insights from The Innovator’s Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care, including guidance for improving health and healthcare for all.  
  • Dr. Deepak Chopra , world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation and author of over 85 books, including numerous New York Times best sellers; and  Dr. Rudy Tanzi , renowned for his ground-breaking work in Alzheimer’s research and author of over 500 research papers, will discuss how the choices we make today, such as diet, stress relief, and sleep, are crucial to lifelong health and the prevention of chronic conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s, as well as other findings from their recent book:  The Healing Self: A Revolutionary New Plan to Supercharge Your Immunity and Stay Well for Life .
  • Esther Dyson , former Forbes  journalist, author and prolific angel investor, will discuss Way to Wellville , her 10-year project in partnership with five U.S. communities working to create a healthier environment, healthier citizens and a reduced need for “health care.”  
  • Josh Bersin , HR Expert and industry analyst, will explore the critical role health and wellbeing play in driving HR’s overall mission and why it matters more than ever for organizations to create workplace cultures that foster employee health and wellbeing.
  • Alison Levine is a polar explorer and mountaineer who, in addition to leading the First American Women's Everest Expedition, has ascended the highest peaks on every continent and also skied to both the North and South Poles. She will share her inspiring story and leadership lessons from these experiences and challenges.  
  • Virgin Pulse Science Advisory Board members, including lifestyle medicine expert, Dr. David Katz; behavior scientist and author, Dr. BJ Fogg; and Director of the Institute for Health and Productivity Studies (IHPS) at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Ron Goetzel , will share their latest research and highlight how attendees can apply it to their own initiatives.

In addition to the expert keynote lineup, the event will feature pre-conference sessions, learning tracks and hands-on workshops offering attendees relevant information for them and their businesses. Virgin Pulse clients will present real-world case studies showing how their employee wellbeing programs are increasing health engagement and positive outcomes across individuals and their organizations.

Thrive participants will also have access to meet-and-greet networking with peers, industry thought leaders, Virgin Pulse executives and  Science Advisory Board members , and partners in The Hub Partner Pavilion, which will showcase a broad range of partner solutions that can extend the Virgin Pulse platform and user experience.

Thrive Summit 2019 early bird pricing is available through February 14: thrivesummit.com/registration .  View last year’s highlights: Thrive Summit 2018

About Virgin Pulse Virgin Pulse is the world’s largest, most comprehensive digital health, wellbeing and engagement company. Founded as part of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, the company is focused on engaging users every day in building and sustaining healthy behaviors and driving measurable outcomes for employees, employers and health plans. Virgin Pulse fuses high-tech with high-touch to deliver the industry’s only integrated digital platform with benefits navigation and live coaching to support clients and members across the entire health, wellbeing and benefits lifecycle—from screening and assessment to activation, behavior change and the adoption of sustainable, healthy habits to condition management support. Today, members in more than 190 countries, spanning over 3,300 organizations—many of the Fortune 500 and Best Places to Work—rely on Virgin Pulse’s digital and live solutions to change their lives—and businesses—for good. To learn more, visit  VirginPulse.com  and follow us on  Twitter  or  LinkedIn .

Media Contact: Wendy Werve  Virgin Pulse 703-622-3605 wendy.werve@virginpulse.com