AGENDA
This carefully crafted program combines inspiring keynotes with informal activities and time to build real relationships.
Thursday
8:00
Breakfast & Welcome
8:40
Opening Comments
Deepti Sachdeva, Head of Enterprise Capability & Transformation, Westpac
8:50
International Keynote: What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Build a Skills-Based Organisation
Kathleen Mattie, Strategic Advisor, Global Learning Transformation, Formerly Estee Lauder and L’Oreal
As the pace of change accelerates, organisations must shift from traditional role-based models to talent intelligence frameworks, where work design, tasks, and skills work together to drive success. In this second international keynote, we’ll explore how embracing this framework can help organisations stay agile in an ever-evolving landscape. While skills-based approaches are here to stay, it’s not just about skills—it’s about how tasks are aligned with skills and how work is designed to unlock greater potential. This session will highlight how focusing on skills within a broader work design framework can foster agility, growth, and more resilient career progression.
A key takeaway will be the critical role of people leaders as growth champions, ensuring employees develop both technical and ‘power skills’—leadership, accountability, and ownership—that are essential for success. We will also discuss how talent intelligence can address broader workforce trends, like the need for flexibility and collaboration, enabling organisations to thrive in the future of work.
9:25
Partner Keynote: Identifying and Developing Your Emerging Leaders
Hosted By: Christine Khor, Co-Founder & Coach, Peeplcoach
James Chisholm, Co-Founder & Coach, Peeplcoach
Robbie Verrall, Early Careers and Leadership Development Programmes Manager, Honeywell
Courtney Gibbs, Head of People and Culture, Technium
Tanya Southey, Partner, Sheldon Harris
Attracting and keeping emerging talent isn’t about flashy perks—it’s about creating a workplace where people want to stay. But what does that really take? Join our Co-Founders Christine Khor & James Chisholm and panel guests Courtney Gibbs (Technium) and Robbie Verrall (Honeywell), as they break down the leadership strategies that help companies win the fight for top talent.
In this session you will:
• Discover leadership strategies that actually impact retention and engagement
• Learn how to build a leadership pipeline that sets your business up for long-term success
• Gain real-world insights from executives who have built high-performing teams
10:00
Presentation: The Politics of the L&D Professional – How to Gain, Maintain and Spend Political Capital for Return on Influence
Arun Pradhan, GM Learning, ANZ
L&D professionals are often passionate, empathetic, and geeky folks with the same level of technical expertise but sometimes need to wrestle with navigating the complex political landscapes within organisations and speak the language of business. So how do we turn you into a cluster of Machiavellian princes, who know which battles to pick and how to say no? Building, sustaining and strategically using political capital can amplify the impact of L&D, ensuring alignment with business objectives and securing the right support from the right stakeholders. This panel will explore how L&D leaders can transition from being technical enablers to strategic influencers, developing the agility to adapt to disruption while positioning L&D as a core driver of organisational success.
Adopting the right strategies can help you build confidence and influence. Gaining political capital starts with securing early wins and demonstrating measurable outcomes that align with business priorities. We’ll also be questioning whether the term ‘L&D’ itself supports their credibility at the top table. By focusing on the technical L&D skills that truly matter to the business you can ensure your expertise translates into lasting political capital and meaningful impact.
10:30
Coffee Break & Networking Hosted By Zensai
10:55
Partner Breakout: AI Literacy for All – Building Confidence and Competence in Your Workforce
Ian Middleton, Head of Client Solutions & Development, UTS
AI is no longer just for data scientists. This session explores how to develop foundational AI literacy across your organization—equipping employees with the awareness, language, and mindset to engage with AI tools confidently and responsibly.
The key areas we’ll be emphasising are AI literacy as a human capability, not just as a tech skill, but rather one that involves critical thinking, communication and ethical awareness.
We’ll also be highlighting how diverse teams can engage with AI meaningfully, not just data scientists or engineers, balancing psychosocial safety, change readiness and digital fluency to connect it more to workforce transformation and capability building.
Partner Breakout: Success in Succession – Where to Start?
Sharon Ardley, Practice Director, Peter Berry Consultancy
Succession planning is a critical topic for many organisations. Being able to create a data driven, evidence-based approach to identifying future leaders, along with targeted development plans that build capability, is the aim of any robust succession planning strategy. Many organisations debate where to start when designing and embedding an approach to succession planning.
In this interactive and thought-provoking session, we will explore the best practices of succession planning, what organisations might consider as a first step and the importance of aligning development to build leaders of tomorrow.
11:30
Panel Discussion: Moving to the Performance Centre – Should L&D Practitioners Be Recast as Performance Consultants?
Moderated By: Deepti Sachdeva, Head of Enterprise Capability & Transformation, Westpac
Ryan Tracey, Capability Development Manager, Optus
Ravina Bhatia, Head of Learning and Development, Merivale
Anthea Piening, Head of Learning & Leadership, Asahi Beverages
Mindy Rice, Head of Capability and Internal Communications, TPG Telecom
The transformation of Learning & Development (L&D) into a performance centre has been an emerging yet under-realised concept in the corporate learning space. Moving beyond traditional L&D functions, performance consulting prioritises diagnosing and addressing the real performance needs of the business rather than merely delivering training interventions. However, the challenge lies in ensuring that L&D professionals possess the broader skill set required to tackle performance issues that extend beyond learning deficiencies. This panel will explore the opportunities and limitations of reimagining L&D as a performance centre and discuss how L&D professionals can effectively transition into performance consultants. We’ll explore:
• What core competencies distinguish a performance consultant from a traditional L&D practitioner?
• How can organisations ensure L&D professionals have the analytical skills needed to diagnose root causes beyond learning gaps?
• Should performance consulting be a function embedded within HR, L&D, or a separate discipline entirely?
• What methodologies or frameworks can support a consistent, professional approach to performance consulting across HR, L&D, and OD?
• How can organisations avoid the pitfall of assuming that all performance issues are training-related?
12:15
Partner Breakout: Building AI Capability at Scale with Lion
Hosted By: Zach Sevelle, Sales Director, Bigtincan
Tegan Realph, Digital Capability Partner, Lion
If you’re exploring AI’s role in your organisation, or wondering how to make it stick, this session offers a grounded, practical look inside Lion’s journey.
Lion was not chasing shiny tools. They had a bigger goal – to empower their people to engage with AI meaningfully, make better decisions, and stay competitive in a rapidly changing world.
Hear first-hand how Lion partnered with Bigtincan to deliver a practical roadmap for AI enablement. This included a rollout of RolePlayAI and GenieAI, alongside prompt-engineering workshops, guided pilots, and structured enablement programs designed to embed AI literacy into daily workflows.
We will explore what worked, what didn’t, and the lessons learned in moving from pilot to scale. Expect a clear, honest conversation that goes beyond buzzwords to unpack the human, cultural, and practical dimensions of AI adoption.
Partner Breakout: The Leadership Impact Chain – How Can We Better Connect Leadership Behaviour Development to Real Business Impact
Andy Chevis, Chief Learning Officer, LIW
In this session you’ll uncover common pitfalls in leadership design, the critical focus areas that turn leadership into lasting business impact, and a practical approach to making leadership development more strategic and effective.
We all know developing leaders matters. But when it comes to defining the leadership behaviours that truly drive results, how do we move beyond the generic —and into the specific, contextual, and measurable?
Enter the Leadership Impact Chain.
In this interactive session, we’ll explore how to link leadership behaviours, directly to the outcomes your organisation cares about. In this interactive session, we’ll explore how to link leadership behaviours directly to the results your organisation cares about.
By starting with the end in mind, you’ll identify the key links in the chain— from business goals to leadership actions —and design development that’s not only aligned and relevant but genuinely results-driven.
12:45
Networking Lunch
13:45
Think Tank 1: What Tools Do You Need to Build a Skills-Based Organisation?
Kathleen Mattie, Strategic Advisor, Global Learning Transformation, Formerly Estee Lauder and L’Oreal
Here you’ll explore the strategic and tactical tools required to transition from role-based to skills-based frameworks.
Join to discuss:
What does a Skills-Based Organisation mean and what does it look like in practice?
How can organisations transition from traditional job roles to a skills-based structure while maintaining employee engagement?
What is the current vendor landscape like for can supporting the development and deployment of critical skills across the organisation?
How can learning leaders integrate performance contexts into initiatives to ensure skill application and behaviour change?
What strategies can overcome organisational resistance to skills-based approaches?
Think Tank 2: How Do You Really Upskill/Reskill for AI?
Arun Pradhan, GM Learning, ANZ
AI will leave no stone unturned for the practice of L&D and its application within organisations. You must be ready to harness it’s potential.
Join to discuss:
Of all the possibilities of AI, what excites and frightens you the most?
How do we successfully upskill our people?
What are the most critical AI skills that organisations need to develop and how do you prioritise them?
Beyond creating more content, how can AI be used for skills inferencing and knowledge management?
What strategies to L&D leaders need to be ready to brief their organisations on for responsible and ethical usage?
How is the human centred design of programmes and leveraging of technology balanced?
Think Tank 3: How Does L&D Improve Talent Lifecycle Management?
Samantha Cetin, Learning and Development Partner, Aspen Pharma
The role of L&D in organisational development is crucial for designing and delivering strategies that seamlessly integrate learning initiatives into every stage of the employee lifecycle, fostering growth, engagement, and long-term success.
Join to discuss:
What is the role of L&D in pulling together the organisational development strategy of organisations?
How can L&D collaborate to align cultural transformation efforts with talent lifecycles?
What are the most effective ways to integrate cross-functional learning opportunities into your development strategies?
Is 70-20-10 still relevant?
How can L&D support the integration of performance management initiatives within HR processes to ensure balanced outcomes and universal alignment on core competencies?
Think Tank 4: How Do You Build Trust to Ensure EX is a Performance Driver?
Dan George, Head of Learning & Development, Medibank
The role of L&D in organisational development is crucial for designing and delivering strategies that seamlessly integrate learning initiatives into every stage of the employee lifecycle, fostering growth, engagement, and long-term success.
Join to discuss:
How can trust be measured and developed as a core element of employee experience?
What role does trust play in driving buy-in for L&D programmes?
How can organisations balance financial targets with creating a human-centred, trust-driven culture?
To what extent do trust and career development influence long-term performance over traditional metrics?
What scalable strategies can organisations adopt to design learning experiences that foster trust and engagement?
Think Tank 5: How Do We Futureproof Our Own Careers as L&D Practitioners?
Amanda Ashby, Senior Learning & Leadership Manager, Aurecon
The capabilities needed by L&D practitioners continue to expand and we need to continue to grow and elevate as a profession.
Join to discuss:
How do you ensure that learning is truly valued in your organisation to make it enabler for success?
What are the core skills needed for the modern learning & development practitioner?
How is AI changing the way you work and provide learning experiences to your people?
What evidence-based approaches are you using successfully?
What will the work of an L&D practitioner look like in 5-10 years’ time?
14:40
Wine Tasting Hosted By Scheer IMC
Golf
Paint & Sip
Sit back and have fun while our talented artists guide you step-by-step to create your very own masterpiece.
Session details TBC
Workshop: Neuroscience in L&D – Pathways to Future Success?
Tim Roberts-Ferguson, Principal, Triadic Solutions
Discover how modern neuroscience reshapes our understanding of human behaviour and learning. This interactive workshop delves into the brain’s predictive capabilities, moving beyond the traditional “fight or flight” paradigm. Together, we’ll uncover how the brain anticipates and interprets information to minimise uncertainty. We will then explore how we might design training programs that align with the brain’s natural predictive functions, enhancing engagement and retention.
Get ready to challenge traditional approaches and create learning experiences that reflect this emerging science. Bring your ideas, questions, and curiosity – this is a session designed to inspire and energise!
17:30
Relax + Recharge
19:00
Pre-Dinner Drinks Reception
19:45
Gala Dinner
22:00
Close
Friday
8:00
Villa Checkout
8:00
Breakfast
8:40
Opening Comments
Deepti Sachdeva, Head of Enterprise Capability & Transformation, Westpac
8:50
Partner Keynote: Beyond Content – Rethinking Skill Development for Value, Simplicity, and Strategy
Hosted By: Lindsey Padrino, Chief Strategy Officer, Skillsoft
Arun Pradhan, GM Learning, ANZ
Today’s L&D leaders are under pressure to do more than deliver learning. They’re expected to drive business value, simplify complexity, and build ecosystems that truly enable performance. Join Arun Pradhan, GM Learning at ANZ Bank, and Lindsey Padrino, Chief Strategy Officer at Skillsoft, for a candid fireside chat exploring ANZ’s journey toward building a streamlined, impactful talent development ecosystem.
This session will delve into the evolving nature of workplace learning, examining how ANZ Bank has reimagined skill development to create real organisational value. Arun and Lindsey will unpack the shift from content-first to platform-first strategies and what that means for future-focused learning teams. They will also look ahead, exploring what’s on the horizon for skills, what’s hot on its heels, and the role Agentic AI might play in both preparing for and executing talent development strategies in the years to come.
Expect to explore how ANZ simplified and integrated its talent development strategy to align with business priorities. This involved shifting the focus from content volume to realising measurable value and reimagining the role of learning platforms in connecting core HR systems with everyday employee workflows. ANZ embraced a “less is more” approach to build a scalable and sustainable learning ecosystem. The discussion will also look to the future, examining emerging trends, evolving needs, and the growing influence of Agentic AI in shaping learning strategy and execution.
9:25
International Keynote: L&D in 2025 – A Future of Influence or Irrelevance?
Donald H Taylor, Lead Researcher, L&D Global Sentiments Survey
Against all predictions, AI hasn’t just maintained its position as the hottest trend in workplace learning—it’s strengthened its grip. In this session, Donald H Taylor reveals the surprising results of the 2025 L&D Global Sentiment Survey, showing how the unprecedented surge in AI interest represents far more than a passing fad.
Beyond the AI headline, we’ll explore a critical shift in L&D mindset: the emerging focus on demonstrating strategic value rather than tactical delivery. Discover how forward-thinking L&D professionals are moving beyond using AI merely for content creation toward solving real business problems—and why this transition requires readiness across three critical domains.
Understand why we stand at a pivotal moment: will L&D treat AI as a novelty and risk irrelevance, or do what it must and build the relationships, data competencies, and business understanding needed to harness AI’s transformative potential? The choice between influence and irrelevance has never been clearer.
9:55
Presentation: Measurement and Metrics – How Alcon Ensure Consistent, Demonstrable Impact
Marie Daniels, APAC Associate Director for Commercial Learning and Development, Alcon
One of L&D’s key current challenges includes effectively demonstrating value, as evidenced by the 2025 L&D Global Sentiment Survey where ‘showing value’ rose by 6.2% to secure a spot in the top ten priorities for learning professionals. This session will shed light on how to successfully measure and communicate the impact of L&D programmes and how you can overcome the persistent challenge of proving ROI despite limited resources and competing priorities.
Defining and tracking appropriate success metrics represents a significant hurdle, and you’ll hear about a blueprint on how the Alcon team demonstrate success with consistency. At the heart of the session will be how to implement practical strategies for demonstrating L&D value, ensuring you can communicate impact with confidence.
10:30
Coffee Break & Networking Break Hosted By Zensai
10:55
Think Tank 1: What Tools Do You Need to Build a Skills-Based Organisation?
Kathleen Mattie, Strategic Advisor, Global Learning Transformation, Formerly Estee Lauder and L’Oreal
Here you’ll explore the strategic and tactical tools required to transition from role-based to skills-based frameworks.
Join to discuss:
What does a Skills-Based Organisation mean and what does it look like in practice?
How can organisations transition from traditional job roles to a skills-based structure while maintaining employee engagement?
What is the current vendor landscape like for can supporting the development and deployment of critical skills across the organisation?
How can learning leaders integrate performance contexts into initiatives to ensure skill application and behaviour change?
What strategies can overcome organisational resistance to skills-based approaches?
Think Tank 2: How Do You Really Upskill/Reskill for AI?
Arun Pradhan, GM Learning, ANZ
AI will leave no stone unturned for the practice of L&D and its application within organisations. You must be ready to harness it’s potential.
Join to discuss:
Of all the possibilities of AI, what excites and frightens you the most?
How do we successfully upskill our people?
What are the most critical AI skills that organisations need to develop and how do you prioritise them?
Beyond creating more content, how can AI be used for skills inferencing and knowledge management?
What strategies to L&D leaders need to be ready to brief their organisations on for responsible and ethical usage?
How is the human centred design of programmes and leveraging of technology balanced?
Think Tank 3: How Does L&D Improve Talent Lifecycle Management?
Samantha Cetin, Learning and Development Partner, Aspen Pharma
The role of L&D in organisational development is crucial for designing and delivering strategies that seamlessly integrate learning initiatives into every stage of the employee lifecycle, fostering growth, engagement, and long-term success.
Join to discuss:
What is the role of L&D in pulling together the organisational development strategy of organisations?
How can L&D collaborate to align cultural transformation efforts with talent lifecycles?
What are the most effective ways to integrate cross-functional learning opportunities into your development strategies?
Is 70-20-10 still relevant?
How can L&D support the integration of performance management initiatives within HR processes to ensure balanced outcomes and universal alignment on core competencies?
Think Tank 4: How Do You Build Trust to Ensure EX is a Performance Driver?
Dan George, Head of Learning & Development, Medibank
The role of L&D in organisational development is crucial for designing and delivering strategies that seamlessly integrate learning initiatives into every stage of the employee lifecycle, fostering growth, engagement, and long-term success.
Join to discuss:
How can trust be measured and developed as a core element of employee experience?
What role does trust play in driving buy-in for L&D programmes?
How can organisations balance financial targets with creating a human-centred, trust-driven culture?
To what extent do trust and career development influence long-term performance over traditional metrics?
What scalable strategies can organisations adopt to design learning experiences that foster trust and engagement?
Think Tank 5: How Do We Futureproof Our Own Careers as L&D Practitioners?
Amanda Ashby, Senior Learning & Leadership Manager, Aurecon
The capabilities needed by L&D practitioners continue to expand and we need to continue to grow and elevate as a profession.
Join to discuss:
How do you ensure that learning is truly valued in your organisation to make it enabler for success?
What are the core skills needed for the modern learning & development practitioner?
How is AI changing the way you work and provide learning experiences to your people?
What evidence-based approaches are you using successfully?
What will the work of an L&D practitioner look like in 5-10 years’ time?
11:50
Presentation: The FutureFit Academy – How BHP Have Fostered an Inclusive Learning Culture for Women in Trades
Michelle Gibson, Head of Learning and Development, BHP
BHP’s FutureFit Academy is breaking down barriers for women in trades, creating a paid, inclusive training pathway for those without prior industry experience. Designed to address skills shortages and increase workforce diversity, the academy provides hands-on training in maintenance and operational roles, with no previous qualifications required. It’s structured, supportive environment ensures participants gain the confidence and expertise needed to thrive in trade-based careers.
This session will explore how BHP has embedded an inclusive learning culture, scaled up over five years, and integrated these efforts into rewarding career pathways. Attendees will gain insights into overcoming traditional barriers in trade-based industries, balancing financial pressures with societal expectations and inclusive growth.
12:20
Closing Comments, Luxury Prize Giveaway Sponsored by Vimeo
