Main Event & Exhibition: 14 - 15 October | Hall 6, DWTC
Future Workplace Awards: 14 October | Conrad Hotel
HR Summit and Expo Day One - 14 October 2026 - GT (Gulf Time, GMT+04:00)
- Charlie Swan - Conference Chair, HRSE Conference Chair
The CHRO role is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades and is no longer sufficient to be just "people experts". This session reveals how pioneering CHROs are earning board seats and CEO trust by proving HR's financial contribution and driving business outcomes. Learn how to transform from support function to profit center, build board-level credibility, and position HR as indispensable strategic growth driver by:
Positioning HR as the primary catalyst for business transformation and growth
Developing frameworks for aligning people initiatives with enterprise-wide business objectives
Building executive influence by demonstrating HR's measurable impact on bottomline and market position
Designing sustainable change management approaches that balance business agility with employee wellbeing
- Jacob Jacob - Group CHRO, Aster DM Healthcare
- Rahul Vikram Singh - Vice President - Human Resources, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited
- Seema Hallon - Chief Human Resources Officer, Deriv
- Sophie Massant - Chief Human Resources Officer, SSH Design
- Milan Makwana - CHRO, LetterOne
- Dalton Perras - Director Corporate Outreach & Engagement, MIT Sloan Executive Education
Join Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and bestselling author, for a transformative exploration of how HR leaders can navigate and shape the rapidly evolving future of work. In this compelling session, Mo will share insights from his unique perspective at the intersection of technology, innovation, and human potential, drawing on his experience engineering moonshot projects and understanding exponential change. Discover how HR can move beyond reactive disruption management to become proactive architects of organisational transformation in an era defined by AI, automation, and unprecedented technological advancement. Learn practical strategies for reimagining talent development, fostering adaptability, and creating human-centric workplaces that thrive amid constant change. This session will challenge conventional thinking and equip you with a visionary framework to lead your organisation confidently into 2030 and beyond.
- Mo Gawdat - The Sunday Times and Amazon Bestselling Author, Former Chief Business Officer, Google X
- Mo Gawdat - The Sunday Times and Amazon Bestselling Author, Former Chief Business Officer, Google X
- Charlie Swan - Conference Chair, HRSE Conference Chair
As Gen Alpha begins to join the workforce, senior leaders face the challenge of uniting generations under a shared vision. This session explores advanced strategies to harness generational diversity as a competitive advantage, fostering collaboration, driving performance, and reducing friction in AI-augmented workplace environments.
Key Learning Takeaways:
Develop sophisticated communication frameworks tailored to generational preferences, enhancing collaboration and streamlining decision-making at the executive level
Design flexible career development strategies that align with the unique motivational drivers of each generation, ensuring sustained engagement and retention
Adopt leadership methodologies that capitalise on generational strengths to build high-performing, future-ready teams
Navigate generational perspectives on AI adoption and human-machine collaboration
- Melitsa Mizrahi - Chief People Officer, PJP Investments Group LLC
- Betul Yalcin Emlek - Chief People Officer, Yum! Brands
- Anja Petrovski - Chief People Officer, Al Nabooda Automobiles
Discover how cutting-edge technologies and personalized strategies are transforming workplace learning. This session explores how advanced visualization and gamification create immersive experiences that boost engagement and retention, while data-driven analytics enable personalized learning pathways and optimized outcomes. Learn how to shift from generic, human-centric models to truly person-centric approaches that honor individual purpose and potential, unlocking talent and building a more agile, future-ready workforce.
Key Highlights:
- Engage Deeply with Advanced Visualization & Gamification: Harness immersive tech to boost retention and shift learning from passive to active.
- Make Smarter Decisions with a Data-Driven Approach: Leverage analytics to personalize pathways, optimize outcomes, and scale impact.
- Shifting from Humna-Centric to Person-Centric Approach: Move beyond generic content to tailored experiences that resonate with individual purpose and potential
- Dr. Ebrahim Al Khajeh - Division Director of Human Capital & Member of the Strategic Transformation Committee, Abu Dhabi Customs
Even the best organisations can quietly lose their way. In this session, we'll explore how uncertainty, when left unmanaged, erodes decision making, weakens leadership confidence, and causes high performing teams to drift off course. Discover the warning signs and practical strategies to keep your organisation on track.
Key Learning Takeaways
- Recognise the early warning signs by identifying the subtle indicators that uncertainty is beginning to erode organisational performance before it becomes critical.
- Understand the derailment process by learning how uncertainty progressively weakens decision making, alignment, and execution in high performing teams.
- Break the paralysis cycle by discovering practical techniques to maintain momentum and confidence when facing ambiguity and change.
- Strengthen leadership resilience by building capabilities to lead effectively through uncertainty without compromising strategic clarity or team performance.
- Implement prevention strategies by applying actionable frameworks to keep your organisation on track and prevent the slow slide into mediocrity.
- Nik Kinley - Managing Director, Talent Solutions Ltd.
AI transformation succeeds when HR and IT function as strategic partners. This conversation explores how CHROs and CTOs can collaborate effectively, featuring real-world examples of successful partnerships and actionable frameworks to overcome integration challenges.
Key Learning Takeaways:
Align AI transformation initiatives with business objectives
Conduct joint tech stack audits to eliminate redundancies
Build cross-functional governance for responsible AI deployment
Create shared accountability frameworks for AI ROI
- Saeed Al Mehairi - EVP People & Culture and General Services, TAQA Water Solutions
- Kevin Wippermann - EVP - IT & Digitalization, TAQA Water Solutions
- Ildiko Haraszi - VP Culture and Employee Engagement, TAQA Water Solutions
As skills become obsolete faster than ever, organisations need systematic approaches to workforce transformation. This session examines how companies are implementing upskilling and reskilling programs that address capability gaps, reduce hiring costs, and build internal talent pipelines.
Key Learning Takeaways:
Use AI-powered assessments to identify critical skills gaps and prioritise reskilling investments by business impact
Design accelerated learning through micro-learning, simulations, and mentorship that delivers measurable skill development
Create internal mobility frameworks that reduce recruitment costs while boosting retention through career advancement
- Paul Young - Associate Vice President – Learning and Development, NMC Healthcare
Every organisation says it manages talent by potential. Very few can agree on what the word means. The moment you ask hundreds of managers to assess it, you are not collecting data, you are collecting hundreds of private definitions of the same word and calling it a dataset. This session draws on a group-wide talent review of more than 2,500 senior employees, assessed by over 700 managers launched in eight weeks, to show what it actually takes to make potential a judgment you can trust: defining it as observable behaviour, designing the tool so managers cannot override the answer they dislike, and defending every rating in calibration. In an era rushing to automate talent decisions, it asks the harder question first: if you cannot trust the human judgment, why would you trust the algorithm you train on it?
Key Learning Outcomes:
- Separate performance from potential, and understand why the highest performer is so often not the highest potential
- Turn a vague, bias-prone potential rating into observable behaviour that hundreds of assessors can apply consistently
- Design assessment and calibration so individual bias is caught and corrected before it reaches a decision
- Prepare talent data to be trustworthy before it feeds AI-driven and automated talent systems
- Charlotte Harris - Group Head of Executive Talent, Al-Futtaim
This session takes a different approach to retention. Rather than revisiting traditional retention strategies, incentives, or stay initiatives, it explores a critical question grounded in behavioural science research: can organisations identify the intention to leave before an employee actually resigns, and can we use employee perceptions and behavioural indicators to intervene earlier and more intelligently?
Drawing on research into turnover intention and employee behaviour, this session challenges HR leaders to move beyond lagging indicators like turnover rates and exit interviews and instead focus on the perceptions and signals that precede the decision to resign.
Key Learning Takeaways:
- Understand the perceptions and behavioural signals that may precede an employee's decision to resign, moving beyond traditional lagging indicators towards earlier indicators of retention risk.
- Explore why employees experiencing the same employment offering may perceive its value very differently, and why those perceptions can influence turnover intention and retention outcomes.
- Consider how organisations can move from generic retention programmes to more targeted, evidence-based interventions that address the actual drivers of an employee's intention to leave before resignation occurs.
- Dina Roshdy - Group Head of HR, Gulf Cryo L.L.C
Achieving substantial productivity improvements requires moving beyond experimentation to strategic execution. This session equips leaders with proven methodologies for designing AI-human partnerships that generate documented performance gains through targeted opportunity analysis, intelligent tool deployment, and accelerated scaling.
Key Learning Takeaways:
Identify high-impact zones for 30-50% efficiency gains through AI integration
Design AI-human models that amplify expertise while preserving judgment
Build ROI-focused cases demonstrating quantifiable returns and competitive advantage
Deploy rapid strategies that produce measurable results within 90-180 days
Build governance frameworks that align stakeholders around business outcomes and maintain executive support
- Hanan Ibrahim - Chief People and Culture Officer, Al Ahly For Real Estate Development
- Hilal Al Jadidi - Chief People and Change Officer, Omran Group (OM)
- Mumtaz Hussain - Group Head - People Learning and Development, e&
- Mercedes Oakley - Head of People, Deliveroo
- Sultan Al Dhaheri - Director - Human Resources, Abu Dhabi Media Company
- Charlie Swan - Conference Chair, HRSE Conference Chair
In today’s dynamic workplace, HR faces the challenge of managing and developing multi-generational teams, each bringing unique values, expectations, and work styles. This session will empower attendees with innovative strategies to adapt their approaches to meet the needs of a diverse workforce. Explore how to leverage the strengths of each generation, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, while fostering collaboration and mutual respect. Learn how to address generational differences in communication, motivation, and career aspirations to create a cohesive and high-performing team.
- Vincent Bouw - Director Learning & Talent Development, HR Expert
- Mohammed Alahmed - Head of People & Culture, The OPEC Fund for International Development
- Avinesh Vinod - Head of Culture, Talent and HR Business Partnering, Coca-Cola Al Ahlia Beverages
This session offers an in-depth exploration of proven techniques to strengthen trust and transparency within teams and organisations. Participants will learn how to foster open communication, demonstrate consistent integrity, and prioritise the well-being of team members. By cultivating strong relationships and creating a collaborative environment, leaders can inspire confidence, enhance team cohesion, and drive sustainable, long-term success.
- Mari Parian - Head of People & Culture, EuroGulf Mobility Group
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, we witness a shift from the traditional VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) framework to FLUX, a state of continuous flow, change, and transformation. This session highlights how companies in the Middle East can reimagine their HR operating models to thrive in this fluid environment while aligning with local cultural norms to foster growth. Industry professionals must embrace adaptability, empathy, and innovative thinking to navigate the constant state of flux, engage teams effectively, and address evolving workforce expectations, generational diversity, and cultural nuances in this new paradigm of perpetual change.
- Arshkiran Sandhu - HR Director, Platinumlist Tickets
This fast-paced, structured networking session allows attendees to meet and interact with as many professionals as possible within a short time frame. The concept mirrors speed dating, where participants engage in brief one-on-one conversations before rotating to the next person, ensuring diverse connections in a short amount of time.
Key Benefits of Speed Networking:
Participants can connect with a large number of industry peers in a short amount of time, optimising networking opportunities
All conversations are structured to ensure participants stay on topic and make the most out of each discussion
Meet HR professionals from different industries, backgrounds and roles, expanding your networking beyond your immediate circle or industry
A fast-paced environment helps break the ice and encourages informal conversations in a lively setting
Emotional intelligence is a vital component of effective leadership for both middle managers and senior leadership, enhancing team dynamics, and fostering stronger connections. This session focuses on techniques HR can use to help leaders develop self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills. Participants will learn how to navigate team interactions, manage conflicts, and inspire trust, creating a collaborative and inclusive environment. By strengthening these skills, HR teams can help leaders drive engagement and build a culture of respect and teamwork.
- Uzma Chishti - Director - Human Resources, Al Kabeer
Beyond small talk. Into real connection.
Connects is a meaningful icebreaker and energiser designed to break down barriers and create genuine connections between participants. Moving beyond traditional small talk, the activity encourages people to discover shared interests, experiences and perspectives, helping them see their colleagues in a new light.
Through a series of engaging interactions, participants uncover stories and common ground that might not naturally emerge in the workplace. These connections create a stronger sense of understanding and appreciation, while helping teams recognise the different perspectives and experiences within the room.
- Mariia Lytvyn - Director of Performance & Rewards, ADQ
Effective leadership development is essential for ensuring organisational continuity and long-term success. This session will provide leaders with the tools and strategies to prepare successors for future leadership roles while fostering engagement and reducing turnover. Participants will explore techniques to identify high-potential talent, craft tailored development plans, and cultivate a culture that supports growth, retention, and leadership readiness.
- Nauman Janjua - Director of People Growth & Development, Vinted
Retaining skilled talent in competitive markets is essential for sustaining organisational growth and maintaining a competitive edge. This session focuses on strategies to reduce turnover and enhance employee engagement, including transforming benefits to be more flexible, personalising engagement programs based on workforce preferences, and fostering a culture of trust and transparency. By implementing tailored retention initiatives, and aligning employee experience with organisational goals, companies can improve retention rates, boost morale, and create a loyal, motivated workforce that drives long-term success.
- Ahmed Saied - Talent Management Expert, HRSE Chair
- Mohamed Wagdy - HR Director, SKY Investments Holding
- Rinki Dutta - Associate Director of People, Hala
- Sammy Njenga - Cluster Director HR, Strategic HR Leader
L&D and HR teams are under growing pressure to demonstrate business impact, yet many still rely on completion rates and satisfaction scores that fail to resonate with senior leaders. The challenge isn't a lack of learning activity – it's connecting learning to measurable business outcomes.
Drawing on insights from global research and practical case studies, this session introduces a structured framework for aligning learning initiatives with organisational priorities, selecting meaningful metrics, and communicating impact in a way that earns stakeholder confidence.
In This Session, You Will:
- Discover proven approaches through real-world examples of leading organisations across industries that are successfully measuring and communicating learning impact.
- Identify the metrics that matter most to business leaders and learn how to build measurement strategies that support organisational goals.
- Walk away with a ready-to-use ROI framework that you can adapt and apply in your own organisation immediately after the conference.
- Marwan Mostafa - Senior Account Manager and E-Learning Expert, iSpring
Ensuring talent strategies align with organisational goals is critical for driving business success. This session highlights approaches to integrate talent initiatives with broader business objectives, including aligning workforce planning with strategic priorities, leveraging data-driven insights for decision-making, and fostering collaboration between HR and leadership. By creating cohesive talent strategies, organisations can enhance employee engagement, optimise performance, and achieve sustainable growth.
- Aliaa Alhaj Yahya - Assistant Director - Talent Development, Dubai Integrated Economic Zones (DIEZ)
- Mahmoud Tayser El Dalaw - Head of Learning, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB)
- Gargi Banerjee - Regional Head of Human Resources, Kaplan Professional MENA
This session explores strategies for identifying top talent from large pools to build high-performing teams, especially in the Middle East where skilled talent is hard to find. It highlights the use of AI-powered tools to detect resume inconsistencies, competency-based assessments to validate skills, and structured multi-stage recruitment processes for thorough evaluation. By integrating advanced verification techniques and effective screening practices, organisations can enhance hiring accuracy, reduce risks, and secure talent that drives sustainable growth.
- Mohamed Zaher - Head of HC Strategy and Talent Management, Parkin
Retaining high-potential employees requires innovative approaches beyond traditional methods, particularly in the UAE and other countries in the region where turnover is at an all-time high. This session explores strategies like personalised growth plans integrating skill-building, leadership opportunities, and cross-functional exposure. It highlights using analytics to identify motivators, fostering a culture of innovation, and implementing recognition systems to ensure top talent remains engaged and aligned with organisational goals.
- Oliver Bardoe - Enterprise Talent Senior Manager MENAT, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited
In today’s competitive talent landscape, high-performing organisations are outpacing their peers by retaining their best people through innovative, personalised strategies. This session provides senior leaders with actionable insights into addressing the root causes of employee turnover, moving beyond traditional incentives to create meaningful retention frameworks that drive long-term success.
Key Learning Takeaways:
Leverage behavioural indicators and engagement metrics to identify early warning signs of potential turnover, enabling proactive intervention.
Develop tailored retention frameworks that align with individual motivations, moving away from generic, one-size-fits-all approaches.
Implement systematic stay strategies that provide high performers with compelling, value-driven reasons to remain and thrive within the organisation.
- Trisha Gulati - Global Vice President - People & Culture, Ajmal Perfumes
Celebrating employee achievements and boosting morale are essential for fostering a positive and engaged workforce. This session explores effective methods for recognition, including implementing peer-nominated awards to reduce bias, offering spot bonuses for exceptional contributions, and creating personalised reward programs tailored to employee preferences. By integrating recognition into daily practices and promoting a culture of appreciation, organisations can enhance employee satisfaction, strengthen team dynamics, and drive overall performance.
- Vidya Mudaliar - Head of HR and L&D, Jordana Restaurant LLC – PizzaExpress UAE
Discover how to balance technological efficiency with human connection in HR processes. This session provides strategies to ensure HR remains people-centric while embracing automation and AI. Learn to foster trust and engagement, streamline administrative tasks, and create personalised employee experiences that prioritise empathy and care. By aligning human-centric practices with business goals, HR leaders can boost employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity, ensuring a harmonious and impactful approach to workforce management.
- Afnan Alnajim - HR Lead, Saudi Aramco
- David Kelly - Group Head of Talent Acquisition, Al Rostamani Group
- Namrata Prasad - Manager – Organisational Development | Eastern Hemisphere, NOV
- Dr. Walaa Hindi - Human Resources Director, Sama Educational Company
- Karim Helbawi - Enterprise Account Executive, Remote
Resistance to AI adoption often stems from fear of change, misconceptions, and concerns about job security. This session focuses on strategies to address these challenges by shifting mindsets, fostering trust, and encouraging technology acceptance. Participants will learn how to involve stakeholders early in the process, clearly communicate AI's benefits, and align its integration with organisational goals.
- Sharif ElShater - Human Capital Manager, Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment and Development (AAAID)
AI only creates value when it reaches every employee, and only when it's built on content they can trust. In this session, Kevin Hähnlein of Staffbase shows what it takes to close that last mile: reaching every worker, giving them one trusted source of truth, and building on content AI can be trusted to read. Through a handful of real examples, including Bentley Motors, who reached 90%+ active usage across their whole workforce, you will leave with a clear first move worth making regardless of which AI platform you use.
- Kevin Hähnlein - Head of Strategic Advisory, Staffbase
As AI transforms the workplace, leadership is key to driving successful adoption and empowering teams to thrive alongside intelligent systems. This session explores how leaders can build a culture of trust and autonomy while weaving in the strategic foundations, including data integrity, that enable AI to deliver real impact. Participants will gain insights into navigating transformation, equipping teams with the right mindset, and balancing innovation with accountability to achieve meaningful business outcomes.
- Rawdhah Saleh - HR Expert, Confidential Finance Company
Enhancing talent acquisition through AI requires leveraging advanced tools to streamline processes and improve efficiency. This session explores strategies for automating recruitment, reducing bias, and enhancing candidate matching. By integrating AI into talent acquisition workflows, educating teams on its benefits, and aligning recruitment strategies with organisational needs, companies can attract top talent effectively while fostering a more inclusive and efficient hiring process.
- Renu Dalani - Head of Talent Acquisition - Middle East & North Africa, Nestle
Equipping HR professionals with the skills needed for AI-driven processes is crucial for successful adoption. This session focuses on effective training programs designed to enhance technical expertise, foster adaptability, and build confidence in utilising AI tools. Participants will learn how to prepare their teams for the evolving workplace, ensuring they have the knowledge and resources to seamlessly integrate AI technologies.
- Shuja Rabbani - Head of Human Resources Business Partner, Confidential Aviation