
Australia CHRO Community
Executive Summit
4 June 2024 | Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
4 June 2024
Sofitel Sydney Wentworth
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:
Developing Next-generation Leaders by Evolving Role Expectations Instead of New Skills
Reshaping a Corporate Culture that Thrives in a Hybrid Environment
Investing in the Right HR Technology to Drive Growth and Meet Business Expectations
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

Helen Fraser
Laing O'Rourke
Director, People

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

Louise Spittle
The Arnott’s Group
Chief People Officer

Duncan Thomas
Bravura Solutions
Chief People Officer
What to Expect
Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Keynote
Embrace, Evolve, Excel — Creating Exceptional Teams as Technology Sets the Pace

Sian Lewis
Group Executive Human Resources
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Digitalisation, coupled with technological breakthroughs and evolving customer demands is transforming the world of work. Amidst this transformative era, there is an opportunity for leaders to create exceptional teams by embracing the shifts in skills and moving fast to harness the future of work.
Over the last few years, CBA has embarked on a journey to evolve its purpose, brand, values and strategy. The goal is to create an environment where employees can develop new, relevant skills and empower leaders to effectively adapt to the evolving demands of skill readiness.
Join this keynote session with Sian Lewis, Group Executive Human Resources, CBA as she shares her vision and learnings on:
- Cultivating a culture of continuous learning where employees are empowered and encouraged to expand their skills and future proof themselves
- Fostering new leadership mindsets that embrace diverse leadership paths, supports mentorship and values skills over titles
- Maximising workforce potential through re-skilling and upskilling, strategic hiring and collaboration with key partners to drive community initiatives
09:45 - 10:15 Break
10:15 - 11:00 Breakout Session
Linking Performance Management with Business Outcomes

Nicole Reid
Chief People Officer
Xero Limited

Jamie Preston
Associate Vice President HR ANZ & NAPAC
Eli Lilly and Company
As the world of work is evolving, performance management is undergoing changes as companies reassess how the workforce is contributing to the overall success of the business. How can CHROs elevate performance management to a strategic approach that balances employee growth with broader business objectives?
Join this session to discuss:
- Develop a holistic strategies to enable high-performing teams
- Empower leaders and employees to translate business objectives to performance goals
- Addressing employee development and recognition
10:15 - 11:00 Breakout Session
Keeping Ahead of the Culture Curve
Hosted by Culture Amp

Damon Klotz
Work Culture Evangelist & Host of the Culture First Podcast
Culture Amp

Sarah Elliott
Chief People Officer
John Holland
Employees want to be connected to their organisation's purpose and culture more than ever before. From operations to employee experience and beyond, it affects all aspects of a business. So, how can CHROs transform their organisation into a 'culture first' company amidst the growing significance of culture?
Join this session to learn about the increasing importance of culture and discuss:
- What company culture means today and why it matters more than ever?
- How you can put company culture first in your organisation?
- Stories from top-performing companies
10:15 - 11:00 Executive Boardroom
Leading Through Rapid Change and Transformation
Hosted by ServiceNow

Cian Zoller
Senior Director and HR Business Partner
ServiceNow

Steve Hill
Group Executive, People and Workplace
Aware Super

Colin Pritchard
Head of People - Australia and New Zealand
Ericsson Australia
In a rapidly evolving business landscape, organisations today are striving to remain competitive amidst disruptive forces such as AI innovation. At the forefront of organisational transformation, HR leaders are uniquely positioned to build capabilities for sustainable change adoption, navigate the complexities of the modern workforce, and shape the future of organisational design.
Join this session to discuss:
- Nurture the alignment between business objectives, strategy and organisational design
- Navigate AI applications and their impact on employees and work
- Build cross-functional collaboration among stakeholders
11:00 - 11:30 Networking Break
11:05 - 11:25 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:30 - 12:15 Workshop
Refreshing Organisational DNA – Blueprinting a Culture of Respect and Inclusion

Amanda Hughes
Group Chief People Officer
QBE Insurance
In today’s diverse and interconnected world, organisations are recognising the importance of cultural transformation in establishing a respectful and inclusive environment. Diversity and inclusion are not just buzzwords or nice to have on a company’s website; they are critical elements for creating a thriving, successful and productive organisation.QBE has embarked on a remarkable journey of an organisation-wide culture transformation with redefined values to foster accountability, respect and inclusivity. The organisation has implemented initiatives to leverage the power of inclusion and psychological safety and build a respectful and inclusive workforce to pave the way for a stronger future.
Join this session to hear from Amanda Hughes, Group Chief People Officer, as she unfolds:
- Undertaking innovative approaches to develop the culture accelerator
- Engaging employees and key stakeholders to develop and embed a clear set of behavior expectations
- Unlocking the ‘inclusion of diversity’ to create an environment where everyone feels valued and included
11:30 - 12:15 Breakout Session
The Talent Revolution: Embracing AI, Skill-Based Hiring, and Inclusivity for Success
Hosted by LiveHire

Christy Forest
CEO and Executive Director
Livehire

Ferdie Kruger
CHRO
Peabody Energy

David Wall
Group Manager, Talent and HR Services
Jemena

Andi Breslin
Head of Global People Operations
Atlassian
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, talent acquisition has become a critical factor for organisational success. Traditional recruitment methods are no longer sufficient to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving workforce. This calls for HR leaders to manage investments in people and technology, respond to specialist hiring needs, transform HR to be more automated and digital, all while new employee expectations are impacting retention and attraction.
So how can organisations shift towards a more holistic view of the talent ecosystem and harness all of the available talent to optimise productivity, speed and agility?
Join this session to:
- Learn how AI can be used to create a humanised recruitment process to enhance efficiency, quality of hire and cost savings
- Discover the game-changing potential of skill-based hiring in building dynamic talent pools and ensuring a pipeline of qualified candidates ready for deployment
- Uncover the positive impact of indigenous employment initiatives in creating a more inclusive an equitable workforce
11:30 - 12:15 Executive Boardroom
Building Resilience – Combating Change Fatigue and Burnout

Catherine Flynn
Executive General Manager Human Resources
CSR Limited

Natasha Cuthbert
Chief People Officer
Viva Energy
Organisations today are undergoing constant change to adapt to dynamic market conditions, leading to change fatigues and burnout that are increasingly affecting employees at all levels. CHROs are playing a critical role in building organisational resilience and enhancing employee well-being. Yet, amid these efforts, are you taking care of yourselves? What practical solutions can maintain your personal wellbeing while foster a healthier work environment in the face of constant change?
Join this session to discuss:
- Balancing the demands of building organisational resilience with prioritising your own well-being
- Empowering and engaging employees to manage continuous change
- What strategies can HR leaders implement to enhance wellbeing initiatives for a mentally healthy workplace?
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
Sofitel Sydney WentworthParking Offer:
The hotel car park is owned and operated by Wilson Car Parking located beneath the hotel with entrance at 2 Bligh Street (rear of hotel). Car park spaces are subject to availability and complimentary parking vouchers can be collected from the Evanta Registration Desk in the Networking Lounge.
Hotel Delegate Offer:
-The hotel is delighted to offer a 10% discount on best available flexible rate advertised on hotel website for delegates wishing to book at the hotel.
- Discount available for stay on 2nd June - 4th June 2024.
- To redeem this discount, please quote EVT020624 by contacting the in-house reservations team at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth via phone on 02 9228 9188 during business hours or e-mail on H3665@sofitel.com (This discount code is not redeemable online)
Terms and conditions:
- Rooms are to be booked on a "first come, first serve" basis
- Rooms will be subject to availability at the time of enquiry
- A credit card is required to guarantee reservations
- If you need to cancel your reservation, please let us know 24 hours prior to your arrival date to avoid a cancellation fee of the first night’s stay, or in the event of a “no-show”
Community Program Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.