
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 30th May 2023 at the Hilton Hotel, Sydney, this years theme will be focused around “The evolving future of HR”.
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 24th March, 2022 at the Sheraton Grand Sydney, Hyde Park. 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.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 24th March, 2022 at the Sheraton Grand Sydney, Hyde Park. This years theme will be focused around “ The evolving future of HR”
Over the last couple of years, businesses have seen a major shift in the way they need to engage, communicate and mentor employees, while at the upcoming forum in 2022 we have constructed a program that covers off the 6 major areas of importance for the HR leader of today. These include Employee Experience, Talent Management, Diversity and Inclusion, Leadership, Future of Work and Mental Health & Wellbeing.
Attendees will have the opportunity to personalise their own agenda and maximise their time out of the office by selecting the sessions that are most relevant to them and their business.
Our networking drinks function will provide the chance to interact face to face with peers in a very relaxed setting, while the HR Marketplace will allow attendees to explore a range of products and services on offer across the industry that can assist their business in evolving.
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
Caren Schadel
Dharma Chandran
Cassie Soady
Michael Kim
Deena Amorelli
Laura Rankin
Jo Cullen
Hugo Contente
Melissa Irwin
Dr. Deanna Paulin
Paola Molino
Dr Natalie Ferres
Dr Lisa Gulick
Anthony Mitchell
Tyron McGurgan
Andrew Milroy
why
join us
POWERFUL AUDIENCE
Engage and interact with an audience of 150 + 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
OPENING REMARKS
KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - The leadership whirlpool: Why leadership is only getting more complex – and what that means for you
Anthony Mitchell, Chairman and Chief Potential Officer, Bendelta
- Navigating increasingly heavy, multi-faceted and ambiguous responsibilities
- Balancing the tensions of meeting both business and people needs
- Harnessing best practices in organisations where leadership is adjusting to the new demands
NETWORKING BREAK
PANEL DISCUSSION - The importance of humanity in human resources – the critical business case for being a purpose driven organisation
Panellists:
Laura Rankin, HR Director - Talent & People Experience ANZ, Essilorluxottica
Jo Cullen, General Manager Organisational Culture, NRMA
Melissa Irwin, General Manager People Culture and Transformation, Endeavour Energy
Dr. Deanna Paulin, Executive Director, People and Culture, NSW Pathology
SPEAKING PRESENTATION
NETWORKING LUNCH
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 1 - Employee Experience - Creating a satisfying office environment and day to day experience of work
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 2 - Leadership - Equippung leaders for the new challenges: pioneering best practices
Dr Natalie Ferres, Chief Connection Officer, Bendelta
Dr Lisa Gulick, Principle, Bendelta
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 3 - Health and Wellbeing - The role of healthy and cohesive interpersonal relationships and teams in mental health and wellbeing
Natalie Micarone, Co-Founder and Director, Bendelta
Leaders in 2022 have a huge amount to take on. They have to:
- engage diffused, deflated and/or distracted workforces, by generating cultural renewal and crafting narratives of purpose, optimism and direction
- deal with the hybrid organisation as the new normal by both embracing and shaping further changes to ways of working
- move towards the permissionless, networked organisation by empowering and connecting networks of teams, and lubricate the flows between them
- manage incredible talent volatility by shaping and delivering a compelling employee proposition
- take on greater societal responsibility by hard-wiring better community and environmental actions into core business processes
At this roundtable we will learn how best to equip leaders to flourish in this complex context.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 4 - Future of Work - Developing a clear future of work strategy and managing effective business transformation
Vicky Bartolacci, APAC Managing Director, Kineo
At this roundtable we will be unpacking, learning and providing ways to look at the role of HR within value creation and business performance.
The needs and expectations of HR Leaders have changed - and are more complex than ever before. How have organisations and individuals adapted?
Today HR can include addressing skills gap, digital transformation, D&I, flexible working, employee experience. HR also incorporates many other areas.
- Are organisations adapting HR functions to be in a position to thrive?
- What can we learn from organisations that have tried something different?
What is the ever changing role of HR in organisational performance, how is value created?
To many, HR is the way to ‘fix everything’ In this roundtable, we look at HR’s role in strategy, the ways business performance is measured today- and ways we can create value.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 5 - Talent Management - Integrating talent management across your business processes and activities
Tegan Davies, General Manager, Oranges Toolkit
In a rapidly changing, fast-paced economy, everyone needs effective self-management strategies to ensure they can be well at work and home. 'Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility' is listed as one of the Top 10 Skills of 2025 in the Future of Work report by the World Economic Forum. So, what should current HR leaders be doing right now to prepare their employees for the future?
Join Tegan Davies, General Manager of The Oranges Toolkit, to explore proactive, science-based workplace wellbeing strategies that build emotional agility. We will discuss:
- How can organisations use the latest neuroscience research to teach self-management, resilience and emotional intelligence?
- How do leaders and organisations best manage rising burnout and fatigue levels in a constantly changing, challenging environment?
- How can leaders amplify positive emotions and wellbeing practices through effective systems and processes?
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 6 - Diversity and Inclusion - Leveraging the innovation and business improvement benefits of a diverse workforce
Linda McEntee, Global Cloud HXM Go-To-Market Services Lead, SAP
In today’s ever changing environment, keeping your people engaged, productive and satisfied with their work has become more and more critical. With a growing expectation to work wherever, whenever, and however they want, it is essential for businesses to create connected experiences that drive outcomes. Join our roundtable to discuss:
- How to connect data and create connected employee experiences for your organisation
- How to better understand employees’ needs to serve business needs
- Discover ways to maximise and deploy your existing talent in an ever-changing environment, to ultimately drive organisation growth
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 7 - Employee Experience - Giving employees opportunities to have their say in decision making – the importance of agency in productivity and performance
Jen Jackson, Chief Visionary Officer, Everyday Massive
Join Jen Jackson for a deep dive into how to design learning experiences for hybrid workforces.
As strategic and creative partners for organisations such as Amazon, Everyday Massive has been redefining what is possible when it comes to capability building, communication and connection in evolving work environments.
At this roundtable we’ll be exploring:
- Individualised end-to-end learning strategies — that can be scaled
- Skill-building throughout the whole employee experience
- Why ‘Wordle’ went viral and brought teams all around the world closer together
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 8 - Leadership - Ensuring strong leadership and operational excellence across your entire supply chain
Yu Dan Shi, Principal Behavioural Scientist, CoachHub
In 2020 and 2021 businesses were faced with new challenges on how to manage a remote workforce.
In 2022 the challenge is how to retain staff in the face of The Great Resignation. Experts predict Australia will see this issue start to have a major impact from March 2022 with 40% of the workforce considering leaving their current role.
In this session, we will discuss how HR Leaders can act now to help their organisations turn the Great Resignation to the Great Re-Engagement.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 9 - Health and Wellbeing - Creating a healthy workplace supporting mental health and wellbeing
Natalie Micarone, Co-Founder and Director, Bendelta
Leaders in 2022 have a huge amount to take on. They have to:
- engage diffused, deflated and/or distracted workforces, by generating cultural renewal and crafting narratives of purpose, optimism and direction
- deal with the hybrid organisation as the new normal by both embracing and shaping further changes to ways of working
- move towards the permissionless, networked organisation by empowering and connecting networks of teams, and lubricate the flows between them
- manage incredible talent volatility by shaping and delivering a compelling employee proposition
- take on greater societal responsibility by hard-wiring better community and environmental actions into core business processes
At this roundtable we will learn how best to equip leaders to flourish in this complex context.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 10 - Future of Work - COVID-19 and the new normal of remote and flexible work
Vicky Bartolacci, APAC Managing Director, Kineo
At this roundtable we will be unpacking, learning and providing ways to look at the role of HR within value creation and business performance.
The needs and expectations of HR Leaders have changed - and are more complex than ever before. How have organisations and individuals adapted?
Today HR can include addressing skills gap, digital transformation, D&I, flexible working, employee experience. HR also incorporates many other areas.
- Are organisations adapting HR functions to be in a position to thrive?
- What can we learn from organisations that have tried something different?
What is the ever changing role of HR in organisational performance, how is value created?
To many, HR is the way to ‘fix everything’ In this roundtable, we look at HR’s role in strategy, the ways business performance is measured today- and ways we can create value.
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 11 - Talent Management - Understanding and meeting emerging talent needs and expectations
Tegan Davies, General Manager, Oranges Toolkit
In a rapidly changing, fast-paced economy, everyone needs effective self-management strategies to ensure they can be well at work and home. 'Resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility' is listed as one of the Top 10 Skills of 2025 in the Future of Work report by the World Economic Forum. So, what should current HR leaders be doing right now to prepare their employees for the future?
Join Tegan Davies, General Manager of The Oranges Toolkit, to explore proactive, science-based workplace wellbeing strategies that build emotional agility. We will discuss:
- How can organisations use the latest neuroscience research to teach self-management, resilience and emotional intelligence?
- How do leaders and organisations best manage rising burnout and fatigue levels in a constantly changing, challenging environment?
- How can leaders amplify positive emotions and wellbeing practices through effective systems and processes?
ROUNDTABLE SESSION - 12 - Diversity and Inclusion - Overcoming invisible bias around diversity and inclusion across your HR management
Linda McEntee, Global Cloud HXM Go-To-Market Services Lead, SAP
In today’s ever changing environment, keeping your people engaged, productive and satisfied with their work has become more and more critical. With a growing expectation to work wherever, whenever, and however they want, it is essential for businesses to create connected experiences that drive outcomes. Join our roundtable to discuss:
- How to connect data and create connected employee experiences for your organisation
- How to better understand employees’ needs to serve business needs
- Discover ways to maximise and deploy your existing talent in an ever-changing environment, to ultimately drive organisation growth
NETWORKING BREAK
SPEAKING PRESENTATION - Adapting new technology that will streamline your employee relations
Anchal Saxena, Vice President, Transformation, CBRE
PANEL DISCUSSION - Taking a proactive approach to wellbeing through positive mental health interventions and employee assistance programs
Panellists:
Hugo Contente, Vice President People and Talent, ANZ, Torrens University Australia
Paola Molino, GM People and Culture, TAL
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION - Fostering deep cultural change promoting diversity and inclusion mindedness
Rob Cassidy, Director of Sales - ANZ, CoachHub
- 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
KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION - The critical role of leadership in creating a healthy and nurturing workplace culture
Panellists:
Tracey Taylor, Chief People officer & A/deputy Secretary Corporate Services, Transport NSW

CLOSING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR AND END OF THE FORUM
Sam McCool, CEO & Founder, www.sammccool.com.au
NETWORKING DRINKS
POST EVENT REPORT

Download the post event report from our previous event.
pricing
plans
1 TICKET
-
Access to onsite mobile APP
-
Meals and refreshments
-
Access to all sessions
-
Presentation slides and photos
-
Access to HR Marketplace
GROUP TICKET (2 - 4)
-
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
White papers
By CoachHub
Digital Coaching’s Robust HR Analytics Uncovers Deeper Insights for Strategic Planning.
Click here
By the Oranges Toolkit
Embracing change at work. How to influence and increase emotional agility.
Click here
By Reejig
Click here

"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
Hilton Hotel Sydney
488 George Street,
Sydney NSW 2000