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HR, People & Talent Festival Agenda

Day One  |  Tuesday, 17 October 

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Exhibition Hall

7:50-8:30

Registration & Morning Refreshments

8:30-8:50

Welcome to Country

Aunty Janet Galpin, Boon Wurrung Elder

Learning & Development

8:50-9:00

Chairperson’s Opening Address

Ellie Whitton, Head of People & Culture, NEXTDC

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

8:50-9:00

Chairperson’s Opening Address

Aisha Aboulfadil, Senior Advisor Diversity & Inclusion, Department of Transport (she/her)

Employee Experience & Engagement

8:50-9:00

Chairperson’s Opening Address

Amy Singe, General Manager People Performance, Culture & Safety, Yarra Valley Water

Employee Experience & Engagement

9:00-9:30

Q&A: Assessing the future of employee experience

● Navigating a distributed workforce and the evolving landscape of work
● Learn how to build an employee-centric culture in your organisation
● Understand the current trends and predictions for employee experience and engagement

(Moderator) Amy Singe, General Manager People Performance, Culture & Safety, Yarra Valley Water

Michael Kim, Head of HR JAPAC & SAMEA, Spotify

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

9:00-9:30

Keynote: Why the conversation on inclusion in the workplace must continue

● Where are we today? Celebrating progress and bridging gaps
● Broadening definitions of diversity and positive action initiatives
● Combating discouragement by slow progress and recognising it's an initiative without a set finish line

Lisa Annese, CEO, Diversity Council Australia


Learning & Development

9:00-9:30

Keynote: The Future of Work - Getting the Culture Right

● Discover what the current and predicted trends are in learning and development
● Understand how you can create a culture of learning in the face of a recession/ limited training budgets
● Learn how internal mobility is a cost-effective method to combat the war for talent
● Communicating the ROI on L&D initiatives within your organisation

Steve Simpson, Director, Keystone Management Services

Employee Experience & Engagement

9:30-10:00

Karlee Scott-Murphy, a Microsoft expert, will explain what Generative AI is and how it will impact HR in terms of culture, operations, and employees

Karlee Scott-Murphy, Global Black Belt – Employee Experience, Modern Work, Microsoft

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

9:30-10:20

Panel Discussion: Workplaces need employees and employees need a workplace… Is there a disconnect?

● Persisting microaggressions
● Changing workforce behaviour: recognising that today’s workplace is very different… what can organisations do?
● Intersectionality and establishing effective policy… what does that look like?

Moderator: Aisha Aboulfadil, Senior Advisor Diversity & Inclusion, Department of Transport (she/her)

Bruce Hardy, General Manager – Emerging Business, AGL

Veema Mooniapah, Program Manager, Worksafe Victoria

Edward Osano, Head of GradWISE, WISE Employment

Genevieve O'Neil, Manager Diversity & Inclusion, NSW Department of Customer Service

Learning & Development

9:40-10:30

Panel Discussion: Leveraging HR technology to develop and generate personalised, fit-for-purpose learning development solutions 

● Effectively harnessing data to produce valuable insights around skill gaps within the organisation 
● Using workforce analytics to identify skill trends across the organisation which lead to more informed decisions around L&D 
● How AI can be used to personalise learning experiences
● Adapting L&D strategies to Future of Work trends through leveraging large data and engaging in trend analysis

Moderator: Adam McKinnon, People Data and Analytics Leader, Reece Group

Liam Yao, L&D consultant, Uniting

Lynita Halaska, Capability Lead, Lion

Paul Scott, General Manager, LMS365 Australia and New Zealand

Employee Experience & Engagement

10:00-10:40

Fireside Chat: Taking a holistic approach to your employee experience strategy

● Leveraging new and emerging technologies, including AI, to deliver personalised employee experiences
● Managing wellbeing and work-life balance of employees to improve engagement levels
● Driving positive employee experiences through an inclusive culture

(Moderator) Megan Turner, Head of People and Capability, Windermere Child and Family Services

Beata Pereh, Chief People and Culture Officer, DPV Health

Sharon Gray, Head of People and Culture, OzHarvest

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

10:20-10:40

Table Discussion: Combating DE&I Fatigue and avoiding burnout

Learning & Development

10:30-11:00

Speed Networking

Employee Experience & Engagement

10:40-11:10

Speed Networking

Exhibition Hall

10:40-11:10

Morning Tea (Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit)

Exhibition Hall

11:10-11:40

Morning Tea

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

11:10-11:40

Increasing Indigenous employment participation, retention and success

● The challenges faced by First Nations People and the drive for constitutional recognition
● How will the reform address workplace inclusion and diversity for First Nations People?
● Recidivism, education and employment: responsibilities of employers

Richard Hurst, Indigenous Employment and Engagement Manager, Monash University

Learning & Development

11:30-12:00

Overcoming scrap learning by implementing strategic metrics in L&D programs

● Understand the role of strategic metrics to build highly impactful and engaging learning programs
● Utilise strategic metrics to build transparency and accountability for business outcomes with stakeholders
● Demonstrate L&D’s impact on business goals 
● Generate strategic metrics to use in your organisation

Marie Daniels, APAC Associate Director for Learning and Development, Alcon

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

11:40-12:20

Panel Discussion: The future landscape for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees

● Strategies for recruiting and sourcing talent in limited talent pools
● Ensuring culturally safe workplace environments and policies
● Addressing microaggressions and other barriers to inclusivity

Moderator: Roman Ružbacký, Principal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant (he/him)

Katie Wyatt, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Coles (she/her)

Kayla Cartledge, Aboriginal Communities – Engagement Lead, Monash University (she/her)

Melissa Harrison, Executive Director – Koori Programs and Initiatives, Court Services Victoria

Employee Experience & Engagement

11:40-12:20

Fireside Chat: Leveraging HR technology to engage hybrid and remote teams

● Hear what strategies leading organizations have implemented to engage employees virtually
● Building meaningful connections online amongst employees to drive engagement and employee satisfaction
● Advocating new technologies to assist employees with managing workloads
● Utilising technology to measure and enhance EX and engagement

Mandy Sisson, Head of Employee Experience and Learning, Estia Health (Moderator)

Taryn Evans, Head of People Experience, Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust

Chris Best, Head of People and Culture, THE ICONIC

Learning & Development

12:00-1:20

Interactive Breakout Discussions

Delegates will participate in two sessions of their choosing.

Roundtable A: Driving engagement through virtual learning platforms for the hybrid workforce

Compliance Training Really Matters – Here’s Why.

Non-compliance cost the four big banks in Australia over $1.5bn in FY19. This reflects the impact of not having advisers properly trained and certified. Every organisation needs to ensure their employees know what is expected of them regarding standards and certifications. We’ll explore compliance risks and issues and identify some takeaways to ensure your organisation can manage compliance effectively.

Employee Experience & Engagement

12:20-12:40

Presentation: Tackling the employee-company disconnect

Luke McKeever, Chief Executive Officer, Thomas International

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

12:30-12:50

Table Discussion

Employee Experience & Engagement

12:40-1:00

Case Study: Creating change leadership through business transformation

● Adopting people analytics in your employee engagement strategy to make data-driven decisions
● Managing employee engagement and performance in distributed workforces via analytics
● Building data literacy in your HR team to successfully implement data-driven engagement strategies

Lisa Taylor-Mesiti, People & Engagement, Director, Egis

Exhibition Hall

12:50-1:50

Networking Lunch (Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit)

Exhibition Hall

1:10-2:10

Networking Lunch (Employee Experience & Engagement Summit)

Exhibition Hall

1:20-2:20

Networking Lunch (Learning & Development Summit)

Employee Experience & Engagement

2:10-2:20

Trivia

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

1:50-2:00

Trivia

Learning & Development

2:20-2:30

Trivia

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

2:00-2:30

Attracting and harnessing neurodiverse talent

● Alternative recruitment process: focusing on both potential and experience
● Understanding the symbiotic nature of creating workplaces where neurodiversity can thrive
● Attracting and retaining talent

Samantha Garbutt, Chief People Officer, Australian Spatial Analytics

Employee Experience & Engagement

2:20-3:10

Interactive Breakout Discussions

Delegates will participate in two sessions of their choosing. Each session will run for 30 minutes.

Roundtable A: Personalising EX through data analytics and AI technology

Roundtable B: Enhancing employee wellbeing and mental health

Roundtable C: Transforming performance management – enhancing your employee feedback and engagement initiatives

Roundtable D: Measuring and tracking employee experience and engagement

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

2:30-3:20

Panel Discussion: Invisible and Visible Diversity

● Making workplace accessible for both people with a disability and neurodiverse
Disability and invisible diversity – what does an inclusive work environment look like?
● Effective framework to enhance the employee experience
● Intersecting identities

Moderator:Anaab Rooble, Manager, Diversity & Inclusion, Victoria Department of Families, Fairness & Housing

Sarah Kruger, Managing Director Talent, Accenture

Katie Wyatt, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Coles (she/her)

Antoinette Battista, Executive Director People & Culture, VIC Department Transport & Planning

Pamela Marcou, Diversity & Inclusion PM Partner, Coles

Rebecca Grace, General Manager, Centre for Inclusive Design

Learning & Development

2:30-3:00

Case Study: Investing in the next generation of leaders

● Implementing a leadership development approach to enable a future-ready workforce
● Accelerating and scaling the development of priority leadership skills
● Shifting the management mindset to a more leader-led coaching style

Jami-lee Apelila, Learning Business Partner, Global Operations Leadership Development, Amazon

Learning & Development

3:00-3:50

Keynote Panel: How can L&D teams adapt to the new leadership climate?

● Implementing best practices and new approaches to leadership
● Strategise how to overcome challenges including limited resources, and resistance to change
● Learn how to measure and track the effectiveness of leadership development initiatives
● The role of emerging technologies in shaping the future of leadership development

Moderator: Simone Blumberg, Chief People Officer, Vision Australia

Jane Hollman, Chief People and Culture Officer, Australian Red Cross

Natasha Teychenne, Head of People and Culture, Property Council of Australia

Exhibition Hall

3:20-3:50

Afternoon Tea (Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit)

Exhibition Hall

3:40-4:00

Afternoon Tea (Employee Experience & Engagement Summit)

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

3:50-4:00

Cultural Safety Framework

Veronica Pardo, Principal, Veronica Pardo & Associates; Chairperson, Western Edge

Exhibition Hall

3:50-4:20

Afternoon Tea

Employee Experience & Engagement

4:00-4:40

Interactive Mini Workshop: Evolving an Organisation’s Culture and Employee Experience

● Increasing employee voice by adopting design thinking in your EX strategy
● How can design thinking be used to overcome employee disengagement?
● Nurturing design thinking in your EX team

Eva Pool, Head of People Experience, Country Road Group

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4:00-4:40

Panel: Unpacking racial equity in the workplace

● Rectifying lack of pathways into senior leadership
● Avoiding role pigeon-holes for CALD employees
● Attracting skilled migrants into under-represented positions

Moderator:Veronica Pardo, Principal, Veronica Pardo & Associates; Chairperson, Western Edge

Padmi Pathinather, People and Culture Director, Lifestart Co-Operative Ltd

Cilla Robinson, Employment Partner, Clayton Utz (she/her)

Niveditha Balachandran, Inclusion and Diversity Lead, Transport Accident Commission

Bedi Othow, Head of Corporate Services, Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission; Co-Founder, DivTal

Learning & Development

4:20-5:00

Interactive Mini Workshop: The Role of AI in Modern Learning

Dr Nora Koslowski, Chief Learning Innovation Officer, Melbourne Business School

Employee Experience & Engagement

4:40-4:50

Reflection and Key Takeaways

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4:40-4:50

Reflection and Key Takeaways

Employee Experience & Engagement

4:50-5:00

Chairperson’s Closing Address

Workplace Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4:50-5:00

Chairperson’s Closing Address

Learning & Development

5:00-5:10

Chairperson’s Closing Address

Ellie Whitton, Head of People & Culture, NEXTDC

Exhibition Hall

5:10

Networking Drinks

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