Techniques for Optimal Performance Under Pressure
Wednesday, October 22nd | 7:30AM – 8:30AM
The modern workforce today faces unprecedented uncertainty while being asked to do more with less. The result is chronic stress, diminished performance, and rising risk of burnout, exactly when clarity, resilience, and peak performance are most critical.
This energizing session blends performance psychology with positive psychology to reveal how anyone can thrive under pressure. Through engaging stories, interactive demonstrations, and practical tools, participants will learn how to stay in their Optimum Performance Zone and build lasting resilience for themselves and their teams.
Attendees will leave with simple, research-backed techniques they can apply immediately to regulate stress, sharpen decision-making, and transform stressful situations into opportunities for focus, connection, and breakthrough performance.
Session Speaker
Dr. Suzanne Johnson
Vice President of Research & Development, McCormick's Americas Region
Dr. Suzanne Johnson is Vice President of Research & Development for McCormick's Americas Region, where she provides strategic and operational leadership for both Consumer and Flavor Solutions R&D organizations. She also represents R&D on McCormick's Americas Leadership Team and Global Consumer Strategy Council.
Dr. Johnson has over 30 years of experience in the flavor industry, including roles at The Quaker Oats Company, Quest International, and FONA. She served as Chair of the FEMA Science Committee before joining the Board of Governors in 2014 and was elected President of FEMA in 2022.
She earned her Ph.D. in Physical Analytical Chemistry from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Bradley University, along with a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of Illinois. Most recently, she completed her Master's in Applied Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied the science of well-being, resilience, and human performance.
Dr. Johnson brings a unique perspective that combines scientific expertise with personal experience. Having drawn on principles of positive and performance psychology to transform her own life, she is passionate about sharing evidence-based tools to help leaders and teams regulate stress, build resilience, and thrive under pressure.