
Australia CHRO Community
Executive Summit
8 June 2023 | Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney
8 June 2023
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with Australia's top CHROs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CHROs today:
Shifting Business Focus From Critical Roles to Critical Skills
Revolutionizing the Employee Experience to Aid Retention
New Ways of Leading for a New Era of Work
Australia CHRO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CHROs, For CHROs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs

Julie Carroll
Serco Asia Pacific
Chief Human Resources Officer

Rebekah Donaldson
Qantas Airways Limited
Executive Manager, People Group

Helen Fraser
Laing O'Rourke
Director, People

Benjamin Morris
Mirvac
Group General Manager, Human Resources Culture & Capability

Michelle Phipps
VetPartners
Chief People Ofiicer

Louise Spittle
The Arnott’s Group
Chief People Officer

Duncan Thomas
Bravura Solutions
Chief People Officer
What to Expect
Agenda
7 June 2023
8 June 2023
08:00 - 08:45 Registration & Breakfast
08:45 - 09:45 Keynote
Pulling Together — How Great Organisations Succeed in a Fragmenting World

Aaron McEwan
VP, Research & Advisory
Gartner

Jane Adams
Executive General Manager Human Resources (Technology and Operations)
Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Trudie Harriman
People Director - Retail Ecosystem
Woolworths Group

Kathy Baker
Executive Director, People Experience
Transport for NSW
In a world primed to pull people apart, organisations must find new ways to both pull together and push ahead. In this opening Gartner keynote, Aaron McEwan, Vice President, Advisory explores how HR will lead the way in achieving a new, more human model of greatness, sharpening the organisation’s competitive edge, and harnessing the full potential of a changing workforce.
Aaron will share more about Gartner's findings, including:
- Proactive rest reduces burnout – just 2% of employees at organisations with available, accessible and effective rest are burnt out versus 22% of employees at organisations without.
- When organisations provide opportunities for intentional interaction, their employees are 5 times as likely to be on a high-performing team.
- Employees who feel their organisations support their broad development at work are 9 times as likely to feel loyal to their employer and twice as likely to stay at the organisation.
In the second half of this session, you'll hear from some of Australia's leading CHROs on achieving high performance amidst continuous disruption and fragmentation. Expect thought-provoking answers to questions on how to anticipate and prepare for future disruptions, what high-performance looks like in a post-pandemic world and building a human-centric organisation.
09:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
Resetting Your Approach to Gender Diversity in a Male-dominated Industry

Melissa Irwin
General Manager People, Culture and Transformation
Endeavour Energy
Despite numerous gender diversity efforts, are you still struggling to attract, recruit and retain women in male-dominated industries? By resetting mindsets and implementing innovative strategies, Endeavour Energy has achieved a significant milestone with 60% of the apprentices’ intake being women this year, which was a massive shift in an industry where it's very difficult to attract women.
Join this session to hear from Melissa Irwin, General Manager People, Culture and Transformation at Endeavour Energy, as she unfolds:
- Building the organisation's commitment to gender diversity to make long-term change
- Changing recruitment and assessment processes to eliminate unconscious bias
- Seeking employee feedback for sustained progress while providing solutions that create a culture of inclusion
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Skills and Mobility: The Key to Growth and Agility in the Workforce
Hosted by SAP SuccessFactors

Vanessa Morley
Director People and Culture
Nine Entertainment Co.

Gary Hegarty
General Manager Organisational Development
Graincorp Limited

Steve Borg
Head of Customer Success ANZ
SAP SuccessFactors
For employers who want to continue being at the top of their league, it's crucial to have a modern workforce that is not only flexible and agile, but also capable of developing critical skills and competencies quickly. To achieve this, CHROs need to embrace talent mobility strategies and encourage employees to develop diversified skillsets.
Join us as we embark on a journey to discover:
- Foster an enterprise mindset to cultivate critical skills and competencies for your organisation
- Maximise the potential of your workforce with internal mobility and encourage your employees to build up a portfolio of skills and experiences
- Leverage workforce data and analytics to enhance employee development and drive retention
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Shaping Organisation Design in the New World of Work

Michelle Williams
Chief People Officer
The Lottery Corporation

Sylwia Rutkowska
Chief People Officer, Digital Business and Group Functions
Lendlease
Whether it’s geopolitical upheaval, economic turbulence, or social disruption, businesses must be prepared to adapt quickly to stay competitive. HR leaders around the globe are redefining organisation design strategies and shaping the future workforce to improve efficiency and effectiveness. So how can you implement a fresh approach to organisation design at both strategic and operational levels?
Join this session to explore:
- Building transparent and concise communication channels with the workforce
- Partner with other departments to analyse and optimise organisational size
- Operate amidst ambiguity, uncertainty, and integration while ensuring commercial sensibility
10:55 - 11:15 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meeting 1
11:20 - 11:40 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meeting 2
7 June 2023
8 June 2023
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the Australia CHRO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel SydneyAccess is through the hotel lobby or directly via the conference floor entrance on 66 Pitt Street. Wynyard, Circular Quay, and Martin Place stations are a 5 minute walk from the venue as well.
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.