Defining the CHRO’s Strategic Value Proposition with Danielle Harmer, CPO, Aviva
As organisations navigate disruption, hybrid working, and the rise of AI, the CHRO’s influence has never been more critical, yet many HR leaders still find themselves on the periphery of key strategic decisions. This session explores how HR can move beyond “pay and rations” to become true drivers of business performance and cultural transformation.
CHAIR
Tim Pointer, Operating Partner & Portfolio Chief People Officer, Three Hills
As AI moves from concept to reality, many organisations are struggling less with the technology itself and more with its impact on people and culture. This session focuses on the practical and human challenges of AI adoption: anxiety about job security, confusion over future skills, and a growing divide between “AI insiders” and the wider workforce. We will consider how poorly managed implementation can erode trust, disengage employees, and undermine organisational values and what we can do to avoid that eventuality.
CHAIR
Jeff Uden, Global Head of Performance & Attraction, Aventum Group
SPEAKERS
Jamie Nevshehir, VP, HR Operations and People Analytics, NBCUniversal | James Gilding, Chief Strategy Officer, Kings Secure Technologies
Modern Succession Planning involves collaborating with other departments in identifying and developing potential leadership successors, ensuring a seamless transition of power and resilience in adapting to a faster-changing workforce.
SPEAKERS
Sue Whalley, Chief People & Performance Officer, Associated British Foods | Peter Jackson, Former CEO, Hill Dickinson LLP
Human, Skills & Agentic AI – The Rolls-Royce Story
In 2023, Rolls-Royce faced a critical crossroads: every division in the company was heading toward a major skills shortage. To solve it, the organization didn’t just recruit; they fundamentally redesigned how work happens.
SPEAKERS
Stuart Evans, Director – Future of Work & Digital Employee Experience, Rolls-Royce
“The Skills Gap”: Bridging the Divide Between Education and Industry
The UK faces a growing misalignment between the skills graduates leave university with and the capabilities businesses urgently need. With automation, AI, and demographic shifts reshaping entry-level roles, organisations are struggling to source talent equipped with both technical expertise and the human skills of resilience, empathy, and curiosity.
CHAIR
Alastair Procter, SVP, Strategic Human Resource Operations, The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG)
SPEAKERS
Phil Beach CBE, Chairman, Energy & Utility Skills | Ruchika Karakoti, Founder and Principal Consultant, Karakoti Consulting Limited | Steve Saville, VP, People, BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
As AI agents and humanoid robotics move from science fiction to the boardroom, the traditional silos of HR and IT are beginning to crumble. Moving beyond the “what” and into the “how,” Stuart will detail the practicalities of the Rolls-Royce transformation, a journey that saw the organization shift from empowered, separate business units to a centralized, enterprise-wide operating model that treats people, AI agents, and robotics as complementary value-generating assets.
SPEAKERS
Stuart Evans, Director – Future of Work & Digital Employee Experience, Rolls-Royce
