
centre, Melbourne
centre, Melbourne
centre, Melbourne
WHAT
GOES ON





About
the event

The HR Evolve Forum will explore the emerging future focused developments in human resources at a high strategic level, where we will bring together a group of over 150+ senior HR leaders from across the country, represented via a diverse range of industries.
Taking place on the 10th August, 2022 at the Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne. This years theme will be focused around “The evolving future of HR”.
Whilst we are all adjusting to the ‘new norm’ and adapting to the challenges and opportunities that COVID-19 brought for us all, we are committed to deliver a great event in a well-managed and safe environment.
We have introduced new event protocols to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all our sponsors, attendees and staff whilst continuing to deliver strong opportunities and engagements.
You can download our Safe Event Guidelines here.
meet
our speakers
Helen Anderson
Deanne Stewart
Suzanne Shepherd
Sam Pupillo
Rita Newman
Jane Murray GAICD
Kiria McNamara
Gus Worland
Corinne West
Rachel McIver
Shanyn Payne
Jacqui Bainbridge
Robert Tanti
Ross McDonald
Richard Wilson
Margaret Pettitt
why
join us
POWERFUL AUDIENCE
Engage and interact with an audience of 200 + HR leaders
PERSONALISED PROGRAM
Select sessions that are pertinent for you and your business to attend
NETWORKING
Form new relationships with like-minded individuals on site
SPEAKERS
Over 30+ International and local HR leaders presenting on stage
FORM NEW PARTNERSHIPS
Connect with leading HR vendors directly via the HR Marketplace
STRENGTHEN YOUR SKILLS
Learn, grow and evolve your skills through engaging sessions
schedule
details
The conference schedule is a draft and is subject to change.
REGISTRATION AND MORNING REFRESHMENTS
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - The people & culture imperatives for FY23
Richard Wilson, Director, Bendelta
The events of the last two years have massively accelerated some trends and flipped others on their heads. The evolution of organisational form, culture, conduct and ways of working is now happening faster than at any point in our lifetimes.
What must all organisations do to survive and thrive and how must leaders change their mindsets and behaviours, as well as their peoples to ensure success?
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION – Building Mental Health
Gus Worland, Founder/ Director, Gotcha4life
- Mental Fitness - with the focus on building emotional muscle, and social connection and making a significant impact in raising the mental state of men, women, their families and communities.
- Meaningful Mateship / Talk and Communicate. Build a deeper level of chat with your friends, family and others in your community. Don’t worry alone.
- Speak up, reach out - encouraging everyone to speak up, reach out and develop the skills and connections needed for mental wellbeing.
KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION - The leading edge of leader development
Panellists:
Helen Anderson, Product Owner, Next Generation Leadership and Capability Transformation, Communications and People, Telstra
Deb Howcroft, VP Organisation Capability - People & Organisation Performance, BlueScope
Moderator:
Richard Wilson, Director, Bendelta
As leadership changes, so does what is required to develop leaders. The last two years have driven major changes to matters as fundamental as:
- Who are the leaders?
- What mindsets and capabilities are most critical?
- What development approaches get the most engagement and impact?
- In a time-poor, hybrid-working world, what is the most effective blend of modalities and cadences?
Hear the insights from leaders who are undertaking the most pioneering work in this space.
Networking break
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - The importance of humanity in human resources – the critical business case for being a purpose driven organization
Shanyn Payne, Chief People Officer, Finder
How do business leaders transform their organizations to put purpose at the very center?
Given the emphasis today’s younger workers place on values, purpose and a meaningful mission, what will this mean for companies in the future?
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Taking a psychosocial safety climate approach to creating mentally healthy workplaces and high performing teams
Kiria McNamara, P&C Director, Swisse Wellness
- Driving high performance through innovation
- Leadership and wellness strategies for a high performing team
- Managing a team through trust and how this aligns with the future of work
- Bravery and innovation
- Reinventing the future of work in a large organization to connect to employee and business outcomes
PANEL DISCUSSION - Crafting a compelling and competitive employee value proposition for a changing labour market
- How are HR leaders creating an EVP which is suitable for 2022 and beyond?
- Building the EVP into the hybrid workplace from recruiting to onboarding to actual work experience
- Culture-add: fad or fact in boosting innovation and productivity in work teams?
PANEL DISCUSSION - Striking a healthy balance between remote and office-based work in a post-COVID-19 world
- What challenges are organisations facing with hybrid work, and where have they been finding opportunities to perform better as a workforce?
- Managing the people challenges hybrid work has triggered to ensure business outcomes and employee wellbeing
- Strategies for re-entry and establishing the new normal after COVID– how are leading organisations managing the friction points, hesitations and discomforts?</li.
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - title coming soon
-
Speaker and synopsys coming soon.
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Adapting to new technology that will streamline your employee relations
- Leveraging multiple digital channels to relay information, protocols and drive engagement.
- How are digital technologies improving the employee experience and new working models?
- Managing change and measuring adoption rates among employees
Networking Lunch
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 1 - Creating a satisfying office environment and day to day experience of work
Speaker coming soon
HR Executives are working tirelessly to shift their operating model to a hybrid work future, revaluating the employee experience that spans across people, places and processes and connecting with their workers ensuring they are engaged and valued.
At this roundtable we will discuss how to:
- Build a unified culture that’s not just about employee satisfaction
- Approach engagement as a business strategy that yields better results, particularly those physically furthest from upper management
- Evolve our places of work that fulfil the needs and objectives of organisations and foster employee belonging
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 2 - Developing a clear future of work strategy and managing effective business transformation
Speaker coming soon
Digitalisation and globalisation have sparked radical shifts in how we live and work. COVID-19 crisis has accelerated these, raising essential questions about the future workforce, the skills needed and the support organisations are giving their employees.
- What you can do to prepare your workforce, especially vulnerable workers, for the digital transition
- The benefits of multi-stakeholder collaboration in triggering systemic change
- How companies and employees can work together to build back better
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 4 - How to increase employee engagement through competency-based talent management
Speaker coming soon
Many organisations understand that there can be huge benefits to implementing a competency-based approach to acquiring and managing talent, but often don’t know how or where to start.
At this roundtable we will discuss:
- The benefits of competencies and why they are important to organisational success and employee engagement
- Best practices in competency-based management
- How competencies are used to support talent management
- How to implement or enhance an integrated CBM approach in your organisation
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 5 - Individual solutions for the wider workforce
Ross McDonald, Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Perkbox
As workforces become more dispersed, meeting people's varied wants and needs has become a HR headache.
At the same time, benefits of fast overtaking wages as the deciding factor for employees.
In this session, Perkbox will provide insight on how you can create a benefit and rewards strategy that is truly global, and provides something for everyone.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 6 - Creating a satisfying office environment and day to day experience of work
Speaker coming soon
HR Executives are working tirelessly to shift their operating model to a hybrid work future, revaluating the employee experience that spans across people, places and processes and connecting with their workers ensuring they are engaged and valued.
At this roundtable we will discuss how to:
- Build a unified culture that’s not just about employee satisfaction
- Approach engagement as a business strategy that yields better results, particularly those physically furthest from upper management
- Evolve our places of work that fulfil the needs and objectives of organisations and foster employee belonging
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 7 - Developing a clear future of work strategy and managing effective business transformation
Speaker coming soon
Digitalisation and globalisation have sparked radical shifts in how we live and work. COVID-19 crisis has accelerated these, raising essential questions about the future workforce, the skills needed and the support organisations are giving their employees.
- What you can do to prepare your workforce, especially vulnerable workers, for the digital transition
- The benefits of multi-stakeholder collaboration in triggering systemic change
- How companies and employees can work together to build back better
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 8 - Practical insights on this year’s biggest culture and leadership challenges
Margaret Pettitt, Principal, Bendelta
Synopsis coming soon
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 9 - How to increase employee engagement through competency-based talent management
Speaker coming soon
Many organisations understand that there can be huge benefits to implementing a competency-based approach to acquiring and managing talent, but often don’t know how or where to start.
At this roundtable we will discuss:
- The benefits of competencies and why they are important to organisational success and employee engagement
- Best practices in competency-based management
- How competencies are used to support talent management
- How to implement or enhance an integrated CBM approach in your organisation
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 10 - Individual solutions for the wider workforce
Ross McDonald, Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Perkbox
As workforces become more dispersed, meeting people's varied wants and needs has become a HR headache.
At the same time, benefits of fast overtaking wages as the deciding factor for employees.
In this session, Perkbox will provide insight on how you can create a benefit and rewards strategy that is truly global, and provides something for everyone.
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Fostering workforce resilience and adaptability in a disruptive global and local market
- Building workforce capacity amid workforce shocks
- Effective strategies to take employee development to the next level
- The important role of data insights when looking to transform and motivate your workforce
- Understanding what employees value in times of disruption
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Skilling your workforce for the jobs of tomorrow, today
Suzanne Shepherd, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), McMillan Shakespeare Group
- How leading organisations are cultivating their workforce for the future in order to stay ahead of evolving market dynamics
- What this means for skill development
- How to build a successful reskilling program?
PANEL DISCUSSION - The critical role of leadership in creating a healthy and nurturing workplace culture
Panellists:
Robert Tanti, Chief People Officer, SPC Global
Sam Pupillo, Chief People Officer, Gerflor
Moderator:
TBC
- With the workplace evolving globally with practices such as remote work, the four-day week, and flexible hours, how are these practices affecting workplace culture?
- How to redesign work environments where employees feel safe, engaged, inspired and productive?
- Collaboration - driving employee actions that support a culture of belonging
PANEL DISCUSSION - Taking a proactive approach to wellbeing through positive mental health interventions and employee assistance programs
Panellists:
Rita Newman, Chief People Officer, ANZ
Rachel McIver, Chief People Officer, Nandos ANZ
Moderator:
TBC
- Measuring employee stress and its impact on performance
- Identifying positive and negative working styles and how to navigate them
- Developing and implementing better coping and problem solving skills to manage workplace stress
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Strengthening talent management fundamentals - recruiting, skilling and retaining a capable workforce
Speaker coming soon
- Harnessing AI and Predictive Analytics in talent acquisition for fair and efficient recruitment
- Building learning programs to augment business growth
- Maintaining an attractive employer brand to retain high performers
SPEAKING PRESENTATION
Speaker and synopsis coming soon
Networking break
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Setting the stage for deep cultural change promoting diversity and inclusion
Speaker coming soon
- Key pillars of change to consider when building an inclusive culture that embraces differences
- What actionable steps can be taken to start the process?
- How can you effectively measure the impact of implementing a business integrated D&I strategy?
KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION - Developing a holistic D&I strategy and beyond – the process, the challenges, the successes and the impact
Panellists:
Jacqui Bainbridge, General Manager, Indigenous Affairs, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Sodexo
Corinne West, Executive Director Stakeholder Engagement, Intergovernmental Strategy & Inclusion, Department of Justice and Community Safety
Jane Murray, Chief People Officer, MLC Life Insurance
Moderator:
TBC
- The imperative for HR leaders to respond to racism and move the needle on diversity in their organisations
- How can organizational leaders manage how bias influences decision making, hiring, promotions and retention?
- Best practice models on education and training programs to move workers into management
CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR AND END OF THE FORUM
NETWORKING DRINKS
POST EVENT REPORT

Download the post event report from our previous event.
Please enter your details in the form below, you will receive an email with the download link:
pricing
plans
1 TICKET
-
Access to onsite mobile APP
-
Meals and refreshments
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Access to all sessions
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Presentation slides and photos
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Access to HR Marketplace
GROUP TICKET (2 - 4)
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Access to onsite mobile APP
-
Meals and refreshments
-
Access to all sessions
-
Presentation slides and photos
-
Access to HR Marketplace
GROUP TICKETS (5+)
-
Access to onsite mobile APP
-
Meals and refreshments
-
Access to all sessions
-
Presentation slides and photos
-
Access to HR Marketplace
official
sponsors

"The speakers were all good and there was a great diverse mix of panel and industry specialists. The event flowed well and the content was on point."
ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA

"There was energy in the rooms and it was a great opportunity to network. Everyone associated with the event was professional and did a very good job. The organisers facilitated conversations and introductions between attendees and vendors."
METCASH

"The forum was so well run and I really enjoyed the conversation at the roundtable sessions. Everybody from the Focus Network team was excellent to communicate with. Can't flaw the event!"
UNILEVER
event
in numbers

the
venue
Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne
Reception info
Telephone: +61-3-9292-6222
Contact: click here