Programme

Welcome to Country

Opening keynote

Steve Worrall, Chief Executive Officer, Telstra InfraCo

Reserved for headline sponsor

Opening remarks from the chair

Brigitte Fairbank, Executive Director People and Workplace (Chief People Officer), CatholicCare

Keynote: How AI, inclusion and engagement are shaping high-performing organisations like Google

• Explore how Google has created an inclusive, high-performing culture where employees feel connected and empowered to thrive
• Understand how AI is transforming the future of work and its impact on employee engagement, collaboration and workplace culture
• Learn practical strategies to foster psychological safety, strengthen employee engagement and drive both wellbeing and business performance

Jo Keiko Terasawa, Global Head, Googler Engagement, Google

Expert insights

The AI-native workforce: What employees need from employers now

• Understanding how employee expectations are changing as AI becomes embedded into everyday work
• Examining the new balance between autonomy, productivity and support in AI-enabled workplaces
• Identifying the organisational practices that help employees adapt, engage and perform through rapid change

Ingrid Massey, Director of People, Pacific, CBRE

AI is changing work. How are we designing roles for human-AI partnerships?

• As AI reshapes roles, responsibilities and career pathways, how can organisations manage change while maintaining trust, engagement and wellbeing?
• This session explores how forward-thinking organisations are moving past standard change management to actively redesign jobs and manage mental overload through periods of profound tech transformation.

Sharon Parker, John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Curtin University

Expert insights

Panel: What we've learned about productivity and employee wellbeing from implementing AI at scale

• As organisations move from AI pilots to enterprise-wide adoption, what impacts are emerging for employee wellbeing, engagement and performance?
• Explore the lessons learned, unexpected challenges and practical strategies from organisations implementing AI across large workforces.

Moderator

Mason Gismondi, Head of Psychosocial Safety, Bupa

Panellists

Darren Fewster, Executive Director, People, Culture and Capability, Telstra

Nick Farhan, Director – People, Culture & Talent, Infrastructure Australia

Margo Lyndon, Executive Director and Co-Lead, Mentally Healthy Workplaces Australia & Independent Chair, Mentally Healthy Workplaces Alliance

Fireside chat: Creating a high-performance team while effectively implementing digital transformation

• Hear how Amazon has effectively integrated advanced technology and AI across its workforce to drive efficiency without creating digital burnout
• Discover the operational frameworks used to manage workforce wellbeing, optimise job design, and maintain psychosocial safety during peak demand surges.
• Hear how one of the world's most recognised brands and largest employers navigates massive scale to build a highly supportive culture and become one of the world's best places to work.

Moderator

Kevin Tan, Director National Data & AI, ALDI Stores Australia

Michelle Theopilou, Head of People Experience & Technology, Amazon

Session reserved for One Model

AI-powered skills intelligence: Connecting talent, capability and business outcomes

• Exploring how AI-driven skills taxonomies are helping organisations better understand workforce capability and skills gaps
• Examining the role of skills intelligence in matching talent to projects, opportunities and organisational priorities
• Learn how AI can support more agile workforce planning and improve business outcomes as organisational needs evolve

Panel: Designing people-centric AI experiences across the employee lifecycle

• Mapping where AI adds value and where human connection remains essential across key HR touchpoints
• Ensuring AI-enabled processes uphold organisational values, cultural expectations and employee trust
• Creating consistent, scalable and ethical AI practices that enhance the employee experience from hire to exit

Moderator

Kate Booth, Head of Learning and Development, MinterEllison

Panellists

Chelsea Shaw, Global Strategic Workforce Planning & Skills Manager, QBE Insurance

Michelle Fichmann, General Manager - Organisational Development and Learning, Ramsay Health

Jan Roden, Head of Organisational Development and Learning, Endeavour Energy

Fireside chat: Beyond productivity: Building workplaces where people and AI thrive

• How AI is reshaping employee expectations, workplace culture and the way work gets done
• Balancing innovation, efficiency and human connection in an AI-enabled workplace
• What HR and business leaders must do today to create a future-ready workforce

Moderator

Jim Kelly, Head of Healthy Work, icare NSW

Kyla Banks, Group Head of Corporate Affairs, Employee Experience & Wellbeing | People & Culture, nib Health Funds

Closing remarks from the chair and end of day 1

Brigitte Fairbank, Executive Director People and Workplace (Chief People Officer), CatholicCare