HR Leaders Forum Agenda

09:00 – 09:10
Opening remarks from the Chairperson
09:10 – 09:15
Opening remarks from the Event Partner
09:15 – 09:55
Fireside Chat: Risky Business – Navigating Governance and Liability in the C-Suite

As regulatory expectations around psychosocial safety sharpen and dual-listed firms navigate conflicting international mandates, effective boardroom governance has never been more critical. In this off-the-record fireside chat, enterprise HRDs share how to proactively audit executive risk, present defensible metrics to the Board, and master multi-jurisdiction compliance without compromising organisational culture.

9:55 – 10:35
Panel: AI Governance at the Top – Moving from Tool Fatigue to Commercial ROI

While junior employees adopt everyday AI, enterprise CPOs must lead top-down strategy alongside the CEO to eliminate "AI slop" and manage accuracy risks. This executive briefing provides a framework for embedding human oversight, navigating workforce pushback, and demonstrating clear financial returns on tech investments to the Board.

10:35 – 11:05
Morning tea and refreshments break
11:05 – 11:30
[Fireside Chat] Strategic Workforce Planning During Periods of Structural Shift
11:30 – 12:15
Legal Update
12:15 – 13:25
Networking lunch
13:25 – 14:10
Discussion tables
14:10 – 14:45
Fireside Chat: Boardroom Ready – The Unspoken Rules of Executive Influence

Climbing to the top HR seat requires far more than mastering people strategy—it demands an entirely different operational mindset when stepping into the boardroom. From crafting executive reports to navigating high-stakes interactions with Board members and Chairs, hear about the unspoken rules of Boardroom readiness.

14:45 – 15:15
Afternoon tea and refreshments break
15:15 – 15:50
Panel
15:50 – 16:20
[Closing Remarks] Day 1 Wrap-up
10:00 – 10:05
Opening remarks from the chairperson
10:10 – 10:50
Panel: Elevating Talent Retention into a Strategic Advantage

Brand prestige and compensation bumps are no longer sufficient to safeguard top talent or drive organisational agility. Join HR leaders from Australia's award-winning companies to analyse what high-performing enterprises do differently: leveraging internal talent mobility, building genuine capability pipelines, and embedding trust to lower turnover costs and protect market share in a hyper-flexible talent landscape.

10:50 – 11:20
Morning tea and refreshments break
11:20 – 12:00
Panel: The Duty of Care Dilemma – Managing Executive Risk
12:00 – 12:30
The Execution Gap: Why Strategy Isn’t Delivering and How to Fix It
Only 1 in 10 organisations is truly future ready, despite significant investment in transformation. At the same time, 60% of workers are already pivoting careers, creating a workforce that is evolving faster than many organisations can adapt. As leadership alignment falters and managers become stretched between delivery and leadership, execution suffers. This session explores what is driving the strategy-to-execution gap and how HR leaders can strengthen leadership, unlock internal mobility, and build a workforce ready to perform through continuous change. 
12:30 – 13:40
Networking lunch
13:40 – 14:25
Discussion Tables
14:25 – 15:00
Candid Conversation: When Things Go Wrong – Lessons from the Executive Frontline

When a major crisis hits, standard playbooks rarely survive first contact. In this off-the-record closing session, senior HR leaders pull back the curtain on the high-stakes decisions and unexpected turns from their own frontline experiences. Expect candid lessons on handling board-level heat, protecting team composure, and emerging as a stronger, more resilient executive team.

15:00 – 15:15
[Closing Remarks] Stage Wrap-Up
2:15pm
Closing remarks from the chairperson
2:25 pm
AI-Powered Productivity for HR: Mastering AI to 10x Your Impact
We’ve been sold the dream: AI will save us time, boost productivity, maybe even think for us. In reality, most of us are still flailing, typing vague prompts and crossing our fingers for genius. For HR leaders, the stakes are higher. You’re juggling requests, emotional labour, compliance, and constant “quick favour” messages. AI shouldn’t be another thing on your plate – it should give you time, focus, and energy back, helping you work wisely and protect yourself and your teams from burnout. Dr Amantha Imber (organisational psychologist, founder of Inventium.ai, and 2025 AI Consultant of the Year) isn’t here to talk at you about technology. She’s here to talk about you: how your brain works, where you’re stuck, and how to partner with AI to design better workflows, reduce overload, and free you up for the deep, human HR work that matters.
Dr Amantha Imber
Organisational Psychologist and Founder, Inventium
3:15 pm
Prize draw announcements
(located at the Workshops stage in the Expo hall)

Expo Passport Grand Prize
Collect all exhibitors’ stamps on the Expo Passport for the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize!

Workshops All Star Grand Prize
Attend all workshops for the chance to win a $5,000 cash prize!

Sponsor Prize Draws
Visit the exhibitors to join prize giveaways! 

3:25 pm
Event concludes