Employee Engagement Summit | Engage Employee

#1 CONFERENCE AND EXPO DEDICATED TO EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Get ready for the most electrifying Employee Engagement Summit yet, now celebrating its 12th year with a move to the state-of-the-art Evolution venue in Battersea Park!

This purpose-built facility allows the entire event to unfold on a single floor, ensuring a consistent flow of attendees throughout the day, and an exhibition floor with up to 100 exhibitors buzzing with energy. The agenda is packed with case studies from the world’s largest brands and insights from top experts in employee engagement.

This isn’t just another conference - it’s a premier opportunity to forge new business relationships with 2,000 attendees, engage in face-to-face meetings, and close deals that will transform your business.

Key facts

7 Stages

Roundtables

100 Exhibitors

2000 Attendees

Hosted Buyer Meetings

250+ Speakers

WHAT TO EXPECT

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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Establish pre-eminence amongst your peers,
present on one of the 7 stages
ROUNDTABLE HOSTING

Lead a roundtable of industry professionals in
this powerful, interactive format
Hosted Buyer Meetings

High-impact meetings between pre-qualified
buyers and sellers, creating meaningful connections
SHOWCASE SOLUTIONS

The exhibition floor is the place to showcase
and build new business connections

Employee Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion

Join the employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion stage to discover strategies for cultivating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Through insightful presentations and expert-led discussions, you'll learn how to foster an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered. Explore best practices, innovative approaches, and real-world success stories that can help you build a workplace culture that embraces diversity and promotes wellbeing at every level.

Learning and Development

Head to the learning and development stage to explore strategies for enriching your organisation's training initiatives. Discover innovative approaches to learning delivery, employee growth paths, and leveraging technology for effective development programs. Whether you're enhancing existing learning frameworks or implementing new ones, this stage offers invaluable insights to empower your workforce and drive organisational success through continuous learning and development.

“This was one of the best events I have been to. There were so many great speakers and I have taken away so much that I can feed into our processes. I would definitely recommend the event and will certainly be going again. Thank you to everyone who made this possible”

HR Manager, CPS CPS Logo (2)

“Good opportunity to meet relevant suppliers/providers, and a lot of very interesting speakers and sessions. I wish someone else from my organisation had been able to attend as I wasn't able to cover everything I wanted to see!”

Communication Business Partner at Air France Airfrance logo

“Super line up, great venue and free. So wonderful to collaborate and meet fellow IC peeps!”

Head of Internal Communications & Engagement, Alzheimer's Society Alzheimers logo

9.00-9.10 Opening Remarks

Our Event Host Jo Moffatt opens Europe's largest employee engagement conference.

Speaker:

Jo Moffatt

Engage for Success
Strategy Director

Jo has been a volunteer with the Engage for Success movement since its launch. As Strategy Director she sits on the Core Team and co-hosts the weekly Engage for Success radio show. EFS radio draws guests from across the engagement world with interesting stories to share. The Engage for Success agenda is absolutely aligned with Jo’s vision ‘to make workplaces better places to be’. Jo’s ‘day job’ is MD and founder of Woodreed, a specialist ad agency who use the tools, techniques, creativity and insight of the advertising world to engage employees inside organisations. Jo is passionate about brands and their power to move people. She is equally passionate about employee engagement and its vital role in delivering a high performing organisation. Put the two together and she becomes almost evangelical about the power a well-positioned and consistently delivered brand has as a catalyst for employee engagement and business success.

9:10 - 9:25 Opening Keynote: The Current State of Employee Engagement

Join Sarah Pass and James Court-Smith to hear the latest insights from the 2023 Engage for Success (EFS) UK engagement survey.

Findings indicate engagement levels still lag significantly behind pre-pandemic levels, with no change in the EFS engagement index. Although the figures are concerning, the data highlights variations in engagement levels and presents key areas for action. A key observation is the need to push the people issues up the agenda. Hear about variations in organisational size and sector, and the impact of hybrid working and health and wellbeing on engagement.

During the session, we will explore:
• The current state of employee engagement in the UK
• Discuss the Engage for Success Employee Engagement Index benchmark
• Explore variations in engagement levels and what this means to practice

Speakers:

Dr Sarah Pass

Engage for Success

Sarah is a practitioner-focused academic concentrating on employee experience and engagement. Sarah is a member of the Engage for Success (EFS) Advisory Board. She also sits on the EFS steering group, chairs the East Midlands Area Network, the Line Managers TAG, the Engagement Champion TAG, and is the co-project lead for the EFS annual survey. In 2023, Sarah was ranked by HR Magazine as an Influential Thinker in HR. She is a Fellow of the RSA, an Academic Associate of the CIPD, and a member of the British Academy of Management. Sarah also sits on the Advisory Board for the EX-Space and is a member of the Involvement and Participation Association (IPA) Working Insights Group. Sarah currently works as a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Business School (NTU).

James Court-Smith

Engage for Success

James leads Stillae Ltd - helping companies make sense of the data they collect, and put it to profitable use, across multiple industries in Europe. Before founding Stillae, he was the European Head of Gallup’s Employee Engagement Practice. James contributed to the original MacLeod Review of Employee Engagement in 2009 and has been Senior Advisor to the Engage for Success task force since 2011. He chairs the Engage for Success Steering Group and is a member of the Advisory Board. James is the co-project lead for the EFS annual survey and is a visiting fellow at Nottingham Business School (NTU).

09:25 - 09:25 Unlock the Future of Intelligent Employee Experiences With Zendesk and Nando’s

Get ready to level up your employee experience with a splash of Zendesk charm! Our latest study pulls back the curtain on the top trends you need to know to unlock the power of intelligent EX. This talk is your shortcut to the future, packing trends and additional hands-on strategies from Nando's into bite-sized wisdom you can act on right away and make your employee experience stand out.

Speakers:

Josh Bean

Zendesk
Employee Experience Business Lead

Josh Bean is the Business Lead for Zendesk's Employee Experience solutions, where he oversees their strategic direction and execution. He joined Zendesk in 2018 and since then Josh was instrumental in the launch of the Conversational CRM and further enhancing employee-centric products.

Tanai Vadera

Nando's
Senior Product Manager

I describe myself as a young, confident and determined individual who has the drive and enthusiasm to work in all environments. I am always willing to learn to new things and obtain new learnings that will enhance my current skill set and benefit my employer in the best way possible.

9:45 - 10:10 Ruby Wax OBE: How to De-Frazzle in a Chaotic World

We're delighted to introduce you to our 2024 Employee Engagement Summit Headliner: Ruby Wax OBE

Actress, comedian, mental health campaigner and award-winning author Ruby Wax is one of the most highly regarded mental health speakers in the industry, removing taboo from the topic and inspiring audiences globally.

Awarded an OBE for her services to mental health, Ruby has enjoyed an influential career in the media, and now utilises her comedic talents to break down the stigma surrounding mental health.

Ruby will be sharing her incredible insights on how to deal with stress, improve wellbeing and mental health, and become the driver – not the driven – when it comes to matters of the mind.

Speaker:

Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax OBE

From the Royal Shakespeare Company to primetime TV; from a master's degree in mindfulness based cognitive therapy from Oxford University to best-selling author; from a mental health campaigner to being awarded an OBE for services to mental health. This is Ruby.

10:10 - 10:30 Employee Engagement: Connecting Your Workforce with Travel Chapter & Cocentric

Participate in a dynamic discussion led by Caleb Chisholm, Head of Digital Consulting at Cocentric, and Victoria Black, Head of Internal Communications at Travel Chapter. Explore real-life team cohesion challenges and witness the impactful role of employee engagement in tackling organizational complexities firsthand.

Speakers:

Caleb Chisholm

Cocentric
Head of Digital Consulting

Caleb is the Head of Digital Consulting at Cocentric with a background in implementing and launching specialised tools for communication and collaboration.
Using his past experiences from leading internal digital engagement at NatWest, he has worked with a wide range of UK and International brands from manufacturing, to finance, and retail to professional services.
This work has included creating award winning campaigns and content, reviewing channel effectiveness, delivering strategic consultancy and launching digital communication and collaboration platforms.

Victoria Black

The Travel Chapter
Head of Internal Communications

Victoria is a communications specialist with over 15 years of experience in customer and employee communications. Having started her career as a legal secretary specialising in employment law, she quickly transitioned into a marketing communications role and soon realised her passion for engaging audiences through communications and events. After years of specialising in email marketing, Victoria followed her passion for employee engagement and is now Head of Internal Communications at Travel Chapter, a leading holiday property company that operates multiple brands across the UK.

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

11:00 - 11:20 The Business of Motivation: Understanding What Drives Us – And How It Can Be Your Best Source of Competitive Advantage

Behavioural science tells us that motivation is the gatekeeper of engagement and behaviour. It’s the key to the engine that drives us to ‘do’. No motivation, no engagement, no desired behaviour – nor a positive impact on the overall performance of your workforce or success of your business.

In this session – featuring findings from our latest study – we’ll share a state-of-the-nation view of motivation at work, get under the skin of what really motivates a modern workforce and examine what we can do to ensure our teams are motivated to perform at their best.

We’ll dig into why our assumptions about motivation in the workplace are often misplaced, explore its complex and dynamic nature, and how achieving a motivational balance can unlock even greater human potential – and better organisational performance.

Speakers:

Hillary Brown

Forty1
Managing Director

As Forty1's UK Managing Director, Hillary leads the employee engagement consultancy, consisting of strategists, planners, behavioural scientists and employee listening experts as well as supporting our Centres of Excellence in DEI and Change.

With previous roles including the Head of Group Campaigns and Head of Internal Communications for NatWest Markets, she has a deep understanding of how to navigate complex, matrixed, global organisations to deliver strategic communications with impact. Hillary has supported the growth of the practice, working with many industry leaders in professional services, industrial, financial services and pharmaceutical. She is incredibly passionate about data-led campaigns and the power of brilliant user experiences and creative execution to inspire lasting change.

Guy Champniss, PHD

Forty1/Inizio Engage XD
Head of Behavioural Science

With over 25 years’ experience, Guy has been recognised for contributions in the creative and academic fields, and his work in applied behavioural science has led to awards for innovation and impact. Guy held a number of strategy roles within Havas before going on to head-up behavioural science for an award-winning US energy tech company. He is adjunct faculty in behavioural science and innovation with IE University (Madrid). Guy has an MBA (IE) and holds a prize-winning PhD in applied social psychology (Cranfield). He’s a Fellow of the RSA and a Chartered Member of the British Psychological Society.

11:20 - 11:40 People & Culture - Engagement Strategies for a Modern Workplace

Join our exclusive panel discussion to learn how organisations are adapting to meet the needs of both a modern workplace and workforce.

We'll be looking at:

- Technology-driven strategies to allow us to better connect employees
- Communication initiatives that can enhance employee engagement in a hybrid world
- Embedding a culture of belonging regardless of physical location
- The changing needs of a new generation of employees
- Recognition and appreciation and creating a culture of gratitude when employees are not always together
- Building a sense of camaraderie and belonging among employees
- Learning and Development initiatives
- Actionable insights that attendees can take home and implement

Speakers:

Helen Card

Homes England
Head of Internal and Digital Communications

Helen is a public sector communications leader and works as part of the Government Communication Service. Currently Helen is Head of Internal and Digital Communications at Homes England, the Governments Housing and Regeneration Agency. Previous to this Helen worked at the Cabinet Office as Head of Civil Service Communications and Cabinet Office Internal Communications. Helen is passionate about employee engagement and internal communications and how this makes a difference to organisations and people’s experience in the workplace. Helen is currently studying a MSc at the University of Huddersfield, in Strategic Communications Leadership.

Beth Perry

First Central
Head of Internal Communications and Culture

Hey, I’m Beth, Head of Internal Communications and Culture at First Central Group. With over a decade’s experience in creative and strategic positions, I’m a firm believer that comms and culture go hand-in-hand to deliver an awesome colleague experience. In a nutshell, it’s about listening, seeing people as people, and combining this with data to inform a truly authentic and kick-ass plan…that everyone wants to be part of.

Since joining First Central Group, we’ve been making a name for ourselves culturally by ranking #22 in Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work UK 2024 list, #7 for 2023’s Best Places to Work Wellbeing list and #7 in Best Places for Women (Super Large) …just to name a few.

When I’m not at work, I’m normally planning my next adventure (or living one). From Rio Carnival to the Trans-Siberian Railway, I’m never a few months away from a plane or immersing myself into something new.

Carlo Beschi

Treatwell
Lead Agile Coach

I help value flow.

An accomplished professional, with a very broad skill set and 15+ years of experience in digital product delivery, cultural change and organizational transformation.

I leverage on agile-lean practices to partner with leaders and teams, and help them improve their time to market, customer engagement, product quality and operational efficiency.
I love envisioning, strategizing, and executing - both individually and together with others.

I relentlessly cultivate a safe, vibrant, collaborative working environment, focussed on learning, engagement and innovation. A place where people grow, projects succeed, and business KPIs flourish - all at the same time.

11:40 - 12:00 Fuelling Success: The Impact of Wellbeing on Employee Performance

Join us as we delve into the crucial connection between employee wellbeing and performance. We will explore how prioritising employee wellbeing leads to enhanced productivity, reduced absenteeism, elevated job satisfaction, and high-performing teams. We will analyse our latest whitepapers and industry research to illustrate the direct impact of financial, mental, and physical wellbeing on individual and team performance. Attendees will discover valuable insights on how to cultivate a workplace culture that prioritises employee wellbeing, leading to measurable improvements in performance.

Speakers:

Burcin Ressamoglu

Pluxee
CEO

Burcin, the CEO of Pluxee UK (formerly Sodexo Benefits and Rewards), brings extensive global experience to her role, demonstrating a track record of success in business strategy, transformation, and creating high-performing teams. She excels in overcoming challenges and devising innovative business models to drive success.

Her dedication extends beyond business growth to nurturing individuals, empowering both seasoned executives and emerging talent to reach their full potential.

Burcin is devoted to promoting sustainability initiatives within Pluxee UK and is an advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She is actively involved in shaping gender equality policies as a member of the Sodexo Global Gender Equality Advisory Board – SoTogether.

Tom Nash

Pluxee
HR Business Partner

Tom has worked in HR roles for over 15 years across Retail, Technology, R&D, Marketing, and Professional Services.

He has been with Pluxee for 3 years supporting the business to continuously enhance the employee experience and drive high performance through the people plan for the commercial, marketing, and partnership business.

Tom has a strong focus on connecting people initiatives with commercial outcomes and has a deep passion for wellbeing and resilience.

12:00 - 12:20 Engagement in the Eye of the Storm: A Fireside Chat with Neil Morrison, HR Director at Severn Trent

When times are tough, the need for brilliant employee engagement is more important than ever. So how do you keep focused on that when you’re the focus of public scrutiny and in the eye of the media storm? In this discussion we’ll explore the impact of media coverage on colleague engagement, how Severn Trent have navigated these challenges and advice for leading a workforce through turbulent times which are out of your control.

Speaker:

Neil Morrison

Severn Trent
Group Human Resources Director

Experienced FTSE100 executive with broad international experience. Neil has led fast moving, high growth organisations as well as those undergoing significant transformation and change, including both mergers and acquisitions. His career has included time working in media, retail, B2B services and utilities - all in times of significant change.

Technically, he has expertise in change management (especially digital transformation), compensation and benefits (including remuneration committees), organisational development, talent management, strategic resourcing, employee relations and communications. He's partnered with a range of CEOs and board members and contribute to the broader business leadership and strategy.

He prides himself on his communication skills and broad business knowledge. Down to earth, calm and measured whilst still working at pace and focused on delivery. The range of his experience means he's learnt to adapt and flex to different industries and cultures. he's also a qualified coach.

When he's not working, he is passionate about education, skills and the world of work in general. He's a regular commentator on leadership and management and has written for publications in the UK and US and spoken at conferences across the globe.

12:20 - 12:40 How Alshaya Group is activating the world’s biggest brands

Discover how Alshaya has created a cohesive network of retail brands, each with its own unique and vibrant culture. Hear the story of how they activate 50,000 employees from across these brands by serving them best in-class communications, content, and knowledge on their employee app.

Speakers:

Laura Jamieson

Alshaya Group
Head of Internal Communications

A seasoned expert in strategic internal communications and employee engagement having worked across multiple industries and regions. With a proven track record of understanding business needs to develop and deliver bespoke communications strategies and drive employee engagement. An advocate for the power internal communications and employee experience.

Duaa Almousawi

Alshaya Group
Internal Communications Executive

Duaa brings a distinctive perspective and vision to the field of marketing and communications through her diverse experiences and forward-thinking approaches. Her ability to blend creativity with strategic thinking allows her to see opportunities where others might not, while her dedication to authentic connection-building ensures that her message resonates deeply with audiences, both in-person and online. This unique combination enables Duaa to inspire change and make a lasting, positive impact in her region and beyond.

Kaz Hassan

Unily
Employee Experience Industry Lead

Having spent the last six years immersed in the employee experience space, Unily's own Kaz Hassan has a reputation for being ahead of the latest trends and best-practices on everything from digital transformation to internal communications. Over the course of his career he has worked in varied roles, from change management at Arriva to rolling out more than 20 intranets as a consultant at Unily. Kaz joined Unily in 2018 and is now a regular speaker at industry events, including presenting regional Masterclasses and conferences around the world.

12:40 - 13:40 Lunch & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to enjoy a delicious free lunch, chat with peers and meet our sponsors.

13:35-13:40 Afternoon Remarks

Our host for the afternoon Charlotte Dahl welcomes attendees back to the Main Stage.

Speaker:

Charlotte Dahl

Woodreed
Creative Planning Director

Charlotte is a director at specialist advertising agency Woodreed. She's an accomplished speaker, writer and facilitator, with a unique view on employee engagement and internal communications, having spent equal parts of her career in consumer, then employee communications. Having worked for clients spanning every industry sector, including Marks & Spencer, The National Lottery, Volkswagen Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Guinness World Records and the NHS, she brings the rigour of consumer marketing into internal communications. She is passionate about raising the profile, standards and effectiveness of internal communication, believing employees AND customers deserve the same reverence, effort and creativity in communication. Appearing on stages at home and abroad, she's talked for senior leadership summits and in-house teams as well as for the CIPD, Institute of Internal Communications, Engage for Success and at ABTA's travel convention in Malta. She's a regular chair for Engage Business Media's events and delivers training for the IoIC.

13:40 - 14:00 AXA Case Study - Embracing Breakthrough Thinking to Drive Engagement

Louisa will bring to life AXA’s recent external brand campaign Future You and the impact it’s made and share how she and her team activated it internally in order to create passionate brand advocates of our colleagues.

Speaker:

Louisa McCabe

AXA
Head of Internal Communications

I’d spent a number of years building a successful career in financial and technology marketing when I had what I can only describe as a career epiphany. I realised that two things really make me tick, people and their stories. So, I made the jump from marketing to internal communications.

With several senior communication roles and an MA under my belt, my only regret is I didn't make the move sooner. I now spend my days doing what I love, connecting people with our leaders, sharing stories, celebrating the good stuff, and supporting people through the tough stuff.

Core skills include developing high performing teams, building and maintaining trust with senior stakeholders, strategic thinking, content development, campaign creation, writing, events, and change management.

14:00 - 14:20 Virgin Group Case Study: Crafting Awesome Employee Experiences

In an era of rapid digital transformation and uncertain AI advancements, unhealthy ‘always-on’ work practices, demographic shifts and a heating up job market we know that legacy ways of working won’t get us where we need to go. We see massive returns for organisations that truly elevate the focus on employee experiences.

Join Gate One's Caro Ruttledge and Virgin Group's Alix Ainsley and Charlotte Cherry to explore how Virgin Group have approached this and lessons for other organisations, to unlock greater connection, innovation and success.

Speakers:

Caro Ruttledge

Gate One
Partner

Caro is Gate One’s lead for people, change and culture. She supports organisations to design, activate and embed strategic change programmes, applying creative approaches to accelerate behaviour change. Caro is passionate about helping change the world of work to be more people-centred and joyful.

Alix Ainsley

Virgin Group
People Experience Director

Alix and Charlotte have worked as practitioners in HR for 25+ years, and whilst they describe themselves as commercial HR partners to the business, they also hold a great deal of experience in organisation and talent development field. They have worked together in a job share for over 11 years, and their passion for developing and coaching leaders has led them to a powerful belief in the positive impact that outstanding leaders can have on the performance of an organisation.

Alix and Charlotte bring their experience and leadership to their current role, leading the people partnering and proposition teams. The ‘north star’ for the team is alignment to Virgin’s organisational purpose, this means investing in, developing, and inspiring the teams that are Changing Business for Good.

Charlotte Cherry

Virgin Group
People Experience Director

14:20 - 14:40 Grass Roots: Harnessing Employee-Driven Engagement: A Fireside Chat with Christina Lewis, Head of Rider Experience at Deliveroo

How do volunteer-led employee resource groups help support your company culture & employee proposition goals?

In a time where resources are increasingly tight and understanding the experiences of underrepresented groups is imperative- ERG’s may be the employee engagement resource you didn’t realise you needed.

Hear from Christina Lewis, Deliveroo’s Gender Equity ERG lead and award-winning ‘WiHTL Woman To Watch 2024’ on how ERG groups can boost company culture & employee engagement, drive impact for underrepresented groups, give grassroot insight, as well as the pitfalls to avoid.

Speaker:

Christina Lewis

Bolt
Head of Global Operations and Engagement

Chrissie leads Global Operations at Bolt and has a decade of experience leading teams in fast-growth start-ups, including as an early-stage team member at Deliveroo. Passionate about Gender Equity and people-orientated leadership, Chrissie previously led the Gender Equity ERG at Deliveroo, spearheading the first woman-focused mentoring scheme, as well as introducing Accelerate, Deliveroo's programme for high-potential women. Chrissie was recently featured as a 'Women to Watch' in Tourism, Hospitality and Lesuire by WIHTL.

14:40 - 15:00 Navigating Change: Leveraging Engagement and Employee Experience for Organizational Success?

Join Jess Brannigan, Lead People Scientist at Culture Amp, as she hosts a panel with industry leaders from Avalere Health, SoundCloud, and Alfa who will be discussing how to cultivate employee engagement and elevate the employee experience to drive organizational success in ever-changing environments.

Speaker:

Jessica Brannigan

Culture Amp
Lead People Scientist

Jess Brannigan, MSc, is a Lead People Scientist for the EMEA region. She leads a team of People Scientists focussed on UK-based customers. She has a BSc Psychology from the University of Nottingham, and an MSc Occupational Psychology from the University of Leicester.

She has over a decade of experience in the people and culture space encompassing in-house HR and workforce development roles, in-depth leadership assessment and coaching, human capital consulting and talent & career development. She enjoys combining these expertise to enhance workplace culture for the organisations we serve and the employees within them.

Prior to joining Culture Amp she led a programme at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School to enhance the leadership skills, and personal and career progression of MBA’s entering into high-profile careers. Thinking about the individual, their development and their trajectory within the sphere of an organisation is therefore of particular interest to her.

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

15:30 - 15:45 Virgin Atlantic Case Study: Navigating the Social Workplace: The Rise of Video to Superpower Engagement

Workplace from Meta is now the core communication channel at Virgin Atlantic. But social media in the work space brings with it a whole host of challenges, including how communications teams cut through the noise and ensure their people are seeing and engaging with important messages.

Here, Steve will share how his communications team has evolved its approach and skillset to focus on mobile first, video storytelling and live events, how they brought the Virgin Atlantic leadership team along for the ride, and the positive impact this is having on engagement and happiness.

Speaker:

Steve Clarke

Virgin Atlantic
People Communications Lead

Steve leads a team of communications professionals responsible for people engagement and culture, content development and storytelling, and communication channels at Virgin Atlantic. Steve spearheaded Virgin Atlantic’s launch of Workplace by Meta, and has radically evolved the approach to people communications to focus on mobile first, audio-visual storytelling.

15:45 - 16:00 Transforming Workplaces in the Face of Global Growth: A Fireside Chat With Neil Bestford of Byggfakta Group

Rapid growth, dispersed employees, and leadership transitions require a cultural shift and reevaluation of the digital workplace. But what’s the best way to go about this?

In this fireside chat, Neil Bestford, Director of Brand and People Experience at Byggfakta Group, shares valuable insights into transforming engagement and culture. He joins Interact Software’s Jemma Goodman to discuss:

- Strategies for creating a cohesive culture at a fast-growing, global organisation
- The best ways to educate leadership and roll out new people and culture initiatives
- His experience combining several disjointed, decentralised platforms and channels into a single source of truth in a short timeframe
- How to build out a robust comms strategy with a lean team

Speaker:

Neil Bestford

Byggfakta Group
Group Director of Brand and People Experience

Neil is Group Director of Brand and People Experience at Byggfakta Group. With over 20-years' experience, he specialises in fostering productivity, cultivating positive workplace culture, and harnessing the power and connectivity of brand, people experience, and health and wellbeing. Neil joined global commercial construction data organisation, ByggfaktaGroup, in late 2022, having previously spent 5-years as an employer brand and workplace culture consultant. His holistic approach ensures sustainable success and thriving teams within a diverse group of market-leading businesses across five global territories. Neil's insights, honed through a career dedicated to enhancing organisational culture and employee experience, are invaluable assets that empowers Byggfakta Group and its 30+ businesses to thrive in today's competitive commercial and talent marketplaces.

16:00 - 16:30 Lipsy London Case Study: Rethinking Wellbeing: When a Fashion Group Empowered Confidence Inside-Out

What if a Fashion company genuinely empowered their employee's self-confidence through a photoshoot event? Now, what if we told you this was a Wellbeing initiative.

Body image is a huge issue in today’s society: 91% of women say they're unhappy with the way they look and Facetune (the number one editing app) has been downloaded over 200 millions times globally.

In a world where people are struggling with their self-esteem, Wellbeing shouldn’t be a corporate tick box exercise. It should genuinely give people opportunities to feel empowered, supported, and cared for. Especially in industries like Fashion and Beauty.

In this talk, Anaïs Nebel will share why the British fashion group Lipsy added self-empowerment to their Wellbeing strategy, and how they launched it with a 4-day self-portrait event that increased employee’s feeling of self-empowerment by 40%…

Speaker:

Anaïs Nebel

Lipsy London
Group Culture & Communications Manager

Anaïs is a culture leader and brand strategy expert, passionate about people empowerment. She leads culture and communications for Lipsy, a fashion and beauty group made up of 7 brands including Victoria’s Secret UK and Gap UK. Anaïs is known for creating out-of-the box engagement campaigns that create vibrant connections and bring the soul of a company to life.

She started her career in consulting before working for global retailers such as Estée Lauder Companies and The Body Shop. She has a unique understanding of internal and external brand experience - and how to make it resonate - having worked in marketing and customer experience before going into leadership development and people experience. In her current role, she looks after Wellbeing, Charity, Internal Comms, Employee Listening and Employer Branding.

16:30 - 17:00 Harnessing the Power of our People: Overcoming Challenges and Seizing Opportunities

Looking back over the last twelve months, our panellists will share the challenges they've faced as well as exciting new opportunities they've taken advantage of in the realm of employee engagement.

Looking towards the future, we'll also explore how the employee engagement landscape is changing, what plans our panelists have in place for the future and what's next for the industry.

Speakers:

Dev Mistry

Dojo
Internal Communications and Engagement Lead

For over a decade, Dev has been supporting a range of brands with his expertise in relationship management and stakeholder engagement. Currently Internal Communications Lead at Dojo, Dev has worked for the likes of Virgin Media O2, DICE, Honda and Subaru over his career – managing PR, CSR, Social Media and Internal Communications.

People-focused communications are at the heart of Dev’s approach, no matter the size of maturity of the business. This is coupled with Dev’s proactive stance on inclusivity and equity within business processes, culture and communications, both from a personal and professional point of view. Outside of work, Dev also has a keen interest in initiatives supporting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC people respectively, through volunteer projects, cabaret performances and mentoring schemes.

Sarah Hood

Bupa
Global Head of Engagement

Sarah has worked at Bupa for over 21 years, with a background in customer service and operations management in both healthcare provision and funding, before making the switch to HR in 2015. Sarah now leads Bupa’s engagement strategy and vision, and the delivery of a global listening program connecting all employees. Bupa employs 85,000 people in a mixture of healthcare provision and healthcare funding businesses around the world.

Melanie Page

Balfour Beatty
Head of Group Innovation Programmes

Melanie has over two decades of change and transformation experience and has been at Balfour Beatty, the leading international infrastructure group, for over 16 years, spanning roles in IT, Digital and Communications.

Melanie heads up 'My Contribution': Balfour Beatty's award-winning engagement programme that harnesses the enthusiasm, knowledge, and expertise of the workforce to crowd-source ideas, innovate and problem solve. My Contribution gives employees a voice and empowers them to make positive change through the creation of powerful solutions that drive strategic growth and help make Balfour Beatty a great place to work.

Parysa Hosseini-Sech

Onecom
People & Culture Director

Parysa Hosseini-Sech is the dynamic People & Culture Director at Onecom Group, known for her expertise in transformational change and a deep passion for talent development. With more than a decade at Onecom Group, she has been pivotal in growing the company to over 600 employees, skillfully navigating organic growth and acquisitions. Parysa's innovative approach places engagement at the core of people management, resulting in tangible commercial successes. She spearheaded an award-winning leadership development program, emphasising diverse talent nurturing strategies, from upskilling to mentoring. Under her leadership, Onecom embraced agile working and comprehensive health and wellbeing schemes, foundational during the pandemic and beyond.

13:35-13:40 Host Welcome

Jo welcomes attendees to the Organisational Culture Breakout Stage.

Speaker:

Jo Moffatt

Engage for Success
Strategy Director

13:40 - 14:00 OVO Case Study: The OVO Effect - Culture Creation

90,000 - this is the average number of hours a person spends at work. That’s a third of your life. Here at OVO we wanted to ensure that our people feel a sense of purpose and thoroughly enjoy those hours. We have spent the last 4 years focussed on how we achieve a leading place to work for our people. Come hear me share how. Plus some highs and lows along the way.

Speaker:

Emma Illingworth

OVO
Head of People Transformation

A people centered, award winning, HR leader, with a track record of partnering Executive Leaders to design and deliver People Strategies. Led multiple large-scale acquisition, restructuring / efficiency, EVP and culture transformation programs.

Quick, creative thinker, calm under pressure, with a considered approach. Often described as an agitator and playmaker to achieve what can often feel like impossible change programmes. I thrive in bringing people together to co-create and deliver improved people's experiences.

14:00 - 14:20 How Allianz Used Recognition to Support a Change in the Values Across Their Organisation

Join us for this fireside chat and discover how Achievers’ customer, Allianz, utilised recognition to drive cultural transformation. Learn practical insights on aligning values and boosting employee engagement and gain actionable strategies to implement high adoption recognition programs.

Speakers:

Alyssa Tantillo

Achievers
Solutions Consultant

Coming from the Bay Area, Alyssa grew up with the tech industry and her experience within various start-ups has afforded her the opportunity to gain exposure across a multitude of business disciplines over the last 9 years. In her role as Solutions Consultant, Alyssa is focused on helping our EMEA clients optimise the platform to ensure achievement of strategic business objectives and has a keen interest in employee engagement and understanding how organisations can optimise their most valuable asset, their people, through positive, supportive and empowering workplace cultures. Now based from London, Alyssa brings energy and enthusiasm to the Achievers EMEA team and is actively involved in a number of internal engagement initiatives, including our Achievers Workforce Institute Advisory Group and a Co-Chair of the Achievers Mentorship programme.

Ross Parker

Allianz
Employee Engagement Manager

An influential leader with over 10 years’ experience in the field of Employee Engagement, Wellbeing and Recognition.

Ross inspires and leads a network of Engagement Reps, Wellbeing Reps and Mental Health First Aiders to champion a culture where people matter, and voices are heard.

Following Allianz acquisition of LV= General Insurance, Ross is now using his expertise to roll out people strategies across Allianz Holdings.

Ross has led his past organisation to receive industry recognition as well leading project teams to scoop-up a number of internal awards too.

14:20 - 14:40 Royal Air Force Case Study: Developing an Employee Engagement Champions Network

In 2019, we sat in delegate seats, taking notes on speakers, to learn and implement their findings for us to start our employee engagement journey. We wanted to make a difference, but working in Government, and the financial challenges that are faced, we had to do this at low or no cost. We wanted to show that the annual People Surveys, and action plans will, and do make a difference to employee working lives. It’s been a long journey, and at times frustrating, but we seeing great improvements.

We are delighted to be invited to present to you on our journey - our challenges, successes, and who helped us along the way, from when we started out, where we are today and where we want to be.

Speakers:

Victoria Wilson

Royal Air Force (Ministry of Defence)
Employee Engagement Team Manager

Victoria is an Employee Engagement Manager within the Ministry of Defence. She has worked in various civil service roles across the MOD for 18 years. Working in the HR profession, with a background in learning and development, she is passionate about facilitating a culture which allows people to flourish in their job roles.

Michelle Sage

Royal Air Force (Ministry of Defence)
Employee Engagement Advisor

Michelle (Shell) Sage is an Employee Engagement Advisor within the Civil Service, working with the Royal Air Force since 2019. Prior to that she spent 11 years as a photographer working along side the Royal Air Force. People have always been at the heart of everything she works towards, and in her current role, with her team, in trying to make the workplace a better place for everyone.

14:40 - 15:00 Why Today’s Emotions = Tomorrow’s Performance

Matt Phelan - co-founder and CEO of The Happiness Index, uncovers the factors that drive employee engagement and happiness at work, and explores how organisations can create a thriving workplace culture that enables their people to succeed.

Speaker:

Matt Phelan

The Happiness Index
CEO & Founder

Matt Phelan is Co-Founder of The Happiness Index, Author of “Freedom To Be Happy: The Business Case for Happiness” and a TEDx Speaker. He co-founded The Happiness Index to try and positively shape the future of work. The Happiness Index offers a unique neuroscience-driven platform to help organisations measure their key employee engagement and happiness drivers - leading to thriving cultures. He’s a serial entrepreneur and advisor of scale up businesses.

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

13:35-13:40 Host Welcome

Jo welcomes attendees to the Communication & Culture Breakout Stage.

Speaker:

Jo Dodds

Engage for Success
Co-Strategy Director

As co-Strategy Director of Engage for Success, Jo is focused on spreading the word about employee engagement and shining a light on good practise, inspiring people and workplaces to thrive. She also co-hosts the long running weekly Engage for Success radio podcast talking all things employee engagement with a wide range of guests from all over the world. Her corporate background is in regional and national HR and training roles within large retail and leisure organisations. She started her own business in 2005 and has since worked with people and organisations to take advantage of the digital and social media opportunities to create engagement with customers, employees and other stakeholders.

13:40 - 14:00 Homes England Case Study: Engaging Your People in Transformation and Change, Through One Coherent Story

This session explores how to bring change programmes together under an umbrella narrative, to enable organisations to tell one coherent story about change and transformation, rather than hitting people with multiple programmes of work and making people’s heads spin.

This session will use a live example of how this is currently being delivered, what’s worked, what were the challenges and how these were overcome.

Speaker:

Helen Card

Homes England
Head of Internal and Digital Communications

14:00 - 14:20 Why Personalised Communications Is the Key to Employee Engagement at Swissport

Learn how the comms and HR unify at Swissport to deliver a highly personalised experience for their employees, which has boosted productivity and safety. Daniela Hoyos, Communications Manager at Swissport discusses how the implementation of an intelligent communication platform has transformed the business.

Speakers:

Daniela Hoyos

Swissport
Communications Manager

Global communications manager with over 10 years of experience leading communication programs in global Fortune 500 companies such as: Qatar Airways, Booking.com and Amazon. Now leading the employee experience transformation at Swissport.

Alice Boyd

Firstup
Lead Consultant - Communications Strategy

Creative communications professional with a passion for people, storytelling, brand and culture.

I'm now partnering with Firstup customers to help drive adoption and engagement throughout their digital employee experience journeys. This includes reaching 100% of their workforce to drive business initiatives, boosting morale through employee recognition, and leveraging data insights to inform business decisions.

I've worked in various sectors in both New Zealand and the UK, including technology, utilities, and healthcare. Some of my specialties include internal engagement, digital employee communications, and stakeholder management.

14:40 - 15:00 John Lewis Partnership Case Study: Putting Users at the Heart of Your Intranet

From the bustling shop floor to the serene greens of its very own farm, the UK’s largest employee-owned business – the John Lewis Partnership – is no ordinary enterprise. So how do you keep its 70,000 co-owners informed, engaged and up-to-date through a period of significant transformation?

Find out how the Partnership doubled the readership of its strategic communications and curated an ecosystem with millions of interactions each year by putting users at the heart of its design.

Whether its:

- Reaching Partners before the press – rapidly reaching thousands of employees in the palm of their hands;
- Pushing productivity – with 4.5 million searches each year, making information easy to find is good business logic;
- Creating a personalised product – tailoring interactions to each employee’s role and interests;
- Fostering hundreds of communities to inspire, engage and connect its workforce.

Get an exclusive preview of their platform, and learn more about how they’re transforming digital experiences to be so much more than a site filled with policies and top-down news.

Speakers:

Henry Elworthy

John Lewis Partnership
Partner Communications & Engagement Lead

Originally trained as a journalist, Henry has a decade of experience in corporate communications from crisis management to strategy launches. As an employee engagement expert, he’s rolled out employer brands, developed employee value propositions and created innovative routes to hear and measure employees’ opinions and feedback at scale.

At the John Lewis Partnership, he leads the team accountable for internal and external channels, events, planning, and leadership communications, as well as running a team of communicators charged with delivering fast-paced change communications. With 25 million hits to their intranet each year, over 70 sites and 550 communities to manage, there’s rarely a dull moment in his team.

Dave Nixon

LumApps
Employee Experience Practice Manager

Dave has guided organisations on their journey to creating vibrant, user-centric digital workplaces that drive productivity and enhance communication for over 20 years.

Dave is experienced in developing and executing strategies that drive adoption and maximize the potential of intranet platforms that include SharePoint, Jive, and LumApps

As a thought leader in the field, Dave has successfully guided numerous enterprises through the intricacies of intranet implementation, ensuring a user-centric approach that goes beyond mere functionality.

Recognized for a keen ability to translate complex technical concepts into user-friendly solutions, Dave is dedicated to creating intranet experiences that not only streamline workflows but also elevate employee engagement to new heights.

14:20 - 14:40 Making our communications more human to build connection and culture

UNICEF works in 191 countries and territories, aiming to make a better world for every child. But what are the challenges in working in the sector? What’s the interface between an organisation’s values and its communications? How has hybrid working affected UNICEF’s internal communications?

UNICEF UK’s new IC strategy tries to tackle the problems many of us are currently facing: potential loosening of the connection between our colleagues, building a sense of belonging when we’re all working apart and the ever increasing importance of setting the right tone in our communications.

This fireside chat gives an insight into some of the challenges UNICEF UK has faced and some of the answers they’ve managed to find to inform, connect and inspire colleagues at the charity.

Speaker:

John Townsend

Unicef UK
Head of Internal Communications

John has a host of internal communications experience leading teams in the not-for-profit sector. He has been Head of Internal Communications at UNICEF UK for the last seven years, working to keep his colleagues informed, connected and inspired. Previously he led the internal communications function at the NSPCC, The Children’s Society and the Hilton Foundation.

John believes passionately in the power of internal communications to set the tone for an organisation’s culture, leading to better places to work and ultimately better organisational results.

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

13:35-13:40 Host Welcome

Nick welcomes attendees to the Strategy & Leadership Breakout Stage.

Speaker:

Nicholas Brice

Soul Corporations
CEO

Nicholas Brice is our Guest Editor and CEO of Soul Corporations®. He is seasoned managing consultant, speaker coach and masterclass facilitator. He has helped deliver human-centred development and culture change programmes to achieve customer and employee experience KPI outcomes for major brands including British Airways, American Express, Unipart, Toyota, Wickes, Brighton and Hove Albion FC, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Progress IT, Servier Pharmaceuticals. He is a triple winner of National Training Journal Gold Awards, a winner of Engage Media Award for Best Customer and Employee Engagement Programme and four times finalist.

13:40 - 14:00 Treatwell Case Study: Mergers, Acquisitions and Employee Engagement: The Role of Company Values

How do you help employees navigate your company merger with a competitor? What can you do to retain your best talents while being honest with them about the changes? Treatwell case study explores how the collaborative creation of a fresh set of company values helped 800+ employees in 13 different markets make sense of their new reality, and how making the cultural foundations of the new company explicit helped reduce ambiguity, manage expectations, and steer career progression. The session will also offer specific insights into some of the activities implemented, to foster an inclusive and yet efficient approach, balancing top down and bottom up inputs and feedback

Speaker:

Carlo Beschi

Treatwell
Lead Agile Coach

I help value flow.

An accomplished professional, with a very broad skill set and 15+ years of experience in digital product delivery, cultural change and organizational transformation.

14:00 - 14:20 Speak to the Human: Moving From Strategy and Plans To Engagement and Impact

How do organisations like Channel 4 and Netflix create meaningful engagement for their people? Teams and organisations thrive when they unite a group of humans around shared purpose and values. We do our best work when we feel connected, engaged, and motivated. When we belong.

But it’s hard to build cohesion in a rapidly changing environment. Organisations are grappling with a range of issues that challenge connection and belonging, including remote working, the anticipated impacts of AI, portfolio careers and mercurial Gen Z-ers!

So how do you help individuals engage with business vision, strategy and plans? How do you create connections between colleagues, and motivation behind a shared purpose? And how do you foster that sense of belonging that leads the humans in your organisation to feel “this matters to me”?

This talk will cover:

- How to move from strategy and plans to engagement and impact.
- Identifying and prioritising the moments that really matter.
- Using a behavioural approach to deliver the greatest impact.
- Creating powerful communication to sustain engagement.

And we’ll be exploring ideas through practical case study examples.

Speaker:

Owen Rose

Acteon
Managing Partner

Owen Rose is a Managing Partner at Acteon and leads our work in consultancy and content development. He has been instrumental in developing Acteon’s approach to creating engaging, impactful communication and learning solutions. Working with a wide range of international clients in many sectors, Owen has led the introduction of insights from behavioural science into L&D, and guided multiple award-winning projects. Prior to joining Acteon, Owen worked in academia, researching and teaching in genetics at University College London.

14:20 - 14:40 Representing the Colleague Voice in the Modern Workplace: A Fireside Chat with Emma Hughes & Susan Reilly, Phoenix Group

Internal and external factors are driving changes in the workplace, often at pace. Engaging colleagues and representing their views is critical to the success of any organisation, particularly during times of change and decision making.

Today’s colleagues expect to have a say, at the earliest stages of decision making, when their working environment is impacted by change. So, how do we engage colleagues, and view their ideas and feedback as solutions? And why is it important for colleagues to recognise the direct link between their role and the strategic objectives of their organisation?

We believe the solution is to create effective partnerships between colleagues and the business, co-ordinated by an effective colleague representation forum.

We’ll be talking about our journey to creating and embedding an industry leading colleague representation forum, how we overcame challenges and how it benefits today’s colleagues and leaders.
Come and hear us talk about a progressive, innovate and alternative solution to colleague representation in the modern workplace.

Speakers:

Emma Hughes

Phoenix Group
Communication and Engagement of Colleague Representation Forum

Emma Hughes leads Communication and Engagement for the Phoenix Colleague Representation Forum, part of the Phoenix Group.
With over 20 years’ experience of internal communication, specialising in bringing the colleague experience to life and integrating the colleague voice into people initiatives.
Emma and the PCRF team won the engage award for best use of Innovation in employee engagement in 2023.

Susan Reilly

Phoenix Group
Head of Colleague Representation

Susan Reilly is the Head of Phoenix Colleague Representation Forum, part of the Phoenix Group.

With over 15 years’ experience and a qualification in Employment Law, she is passionate about colleague engagement, building effective partnerships and the power of the colleague voice.

Susan specialises in colleague representation and progressive partnership working and loves utilising her skills and experience to create and promote industry leading representation propositions and it’s benefits in the modern workplace.

Susan created the PCRF in 2021 and they successfully won the engage award for best use of Innovation in employee engagement in 2023.

She lives near Edinburgh and loves spending time with her friends and family, particularly the latest addition to the family, her first grandchild.

14:40 - 15:00 Using Human-Centric Work Models to Boost Employee Experience, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance

The Human Centric Work Model and Why is it Back in the Spotlight?
The New Work Culture Value Proposition: What do companies need to do to attract, retain and engage employees ?
Leveraging Human Centric Management for Talent Retention
Video Demonstration of Klaxoon
Use Case
Question & Answer

Speaker:

Harry Harvey

Klaxoon
Sales Director

Harry is a SaaS expert with over 7 years of experience in the UK technology market. His main passion? Helping teams work better, together. His mission is to empower teams to work differently, collaborate effectively, and achieve more. During his session, he will be exploring how organisations can use Human-Centric work models to boost employee experience, retain talent, and drive performance.

Harry has a track record of supporting business-wide digital innovation projects that put people at the heart of the solution. He’s delivered solutions to a range of industries including Central Government, Utilities, and AEC. He currently leads the team in the UK, Nordics, and APAC markets for Klaxoon, the all-in-one collaboration platform. Harry works with teams worldwide to provide solutions that make business easy (and accessible) for everyone, increase productivity and drive positive outcomes.

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

13:35-13:40 Host Welcome

Cathy welcomes attendees to the Reward, Wellbeing, Diversity & Inclusion Breakout Stage.

Speaker:

Cathy Brown

Handley Studios Ltd.
Co-Founder

Cathy (she/her) works with people and organisations to create inclusive, healthy and more productive workplaces that work for everyone.

A renowned leader, speaker and communicator, Cathy blends curiosity and empathy with deep cross-sector experience. She prides herself on helping people move out of stressful situations to create human-focused workplace cultures where compassion and connectedness – and people – are encouraged and valued.
Cathy has led organisations across a range of industries including Engage for Success (the UK’s movement for Employee Engagement), and has helped to transform many more through her work as Capability Brown, and most recently at Management Geek.
Cathy carries her personal experience of neurodivergence into the solutions she co-creates with her clients, through conversations, commitment and curiosity - helping them to manage themselves and their teams in ways that work for everyone.

13:40 - 14:00 Exinity Case Study: Freedom! How a Seismic Change in Our Wellbeing Offering Led to Unexpected Results

In 2021 Exinity had a vision for its people that didn’t match the reality. We wanted to appeal to independent thinkers who would appreciate being treated as individuals; make decisions for themselves and understand their own strengths. But our wellbeing offering totally contradicted this vision.

We knew we had some major work to do on this offering in order to attract and maintain the talent we needed.

With backing from the top, a brand-new wellbeing offering was rolled out over the next 24 months. Using Exinity’s mission ‘Freedom to Succeed’ as its hook, this new offering aimed to empower our people and support them across multiple aspects of the employee lifecycle.

The results? Some, such as more engaged colleagues, we had anticipated. But some, such as the financial impact the offering led to, and becoming recipients of an award for ‘Best Wellbeing Strategy’ were unexpected bonuses…..

Speaker:

Wendy Murphy

Exinity
VP Corporate Communications

Wendy Murphy is VP of Corporate Communications at Exinity, a global fintech with offices in multiple locations around the world. Passionate about engagement and creating holistic experiences for colleagues, she was part of the core team that helped roll out a new wellbeing strategy across the company.

14:00 - 14:20 Appreciation in Action: 2024 Trends That Create a Positive Culture for a Productive Workforce

Explore the pivotal role of appreciation in fostering a positive workplace culture and driving employee engagement. Through BHN's latest research insights, you will gain valuable knowledge on enhancing employee morale, productivity, and loyalty. From understanding the symbiotic relationship between culture and employee experience to designing personalised benefits and rewards programmes, you will leave equipped with practical tools and actionable ideas to transform your organisation into a vibrant, thriving workplace.

We will cover:

- The interconnectedness of culture and employee experience, and its influence on organisational success
- The impact of employee appreciation on morale, productivity, and loyalty
- Actionable strategies and resources to design tailored benefits and rewards programmes that align with employee expectations and enhance talent attraction and retention

Speaker:

Chris Ronald

Blackhawk Network
VP B2B EMEA

A mere 5 years in the industry but proud to lead the Blackhawk Network EMEA team for B2B Incentives Rewards and Benefits. Passionate about Branded Payments that turn transactions into experiences. Empowering brands to connect & build loyalty with their customers & employees using gift cards, codes and prepaid products.

Chris is accountable for accelerating and enabling growth by creating high-performance teams and functions that work to scale the business. After holding leadership roles across both public and private companies for national and global brands, Chris has a wealth of experience when it comes to general management, sales & marketing, client success & service and operations. As a result, Chris is able to achieve strategic transformation and drive profitable B2B growth strategies for Blackhawk Network and its customers.

14:20 - 14:40 Rspca Case Study: Creating an Award-Winning Wellbeing Strategy

In this presentation Jeremy Gautrey-Jones will set out how he and his team set about transforming wellbeing within the RSPCA. Staff within the RSPCA witness many traumatic events to animals as part of their job and occupations within animal welfare have the highest suicide rate. Jeremy will talk through key elements of their award wellbeing wellbeing strategy and talk about how authentic leadership around wellbeing can really move the culture forward.

Speaker:

Jeremy Gautrey-Jones

RSPCA
Assistant Director Employee Experience

An highly experienced, Chartered FCIPD strategic HR and employee/industrial Relations professional that is results focused with a proven track record in a variety of sectors including the public, transport, higher education and charity sectors and who has worked at a UK, European and International level. Highly successful in negotiating and implementing change with trade unions and staff groups on key policy issues including pay and reward systems, organisational change programmes, TUPE transfers and terms & conditions of employment. Extensive experience in developing people strategies, structures and processes, leading negotiations, employee engagement, change management programmes, organisational change and project managing at the most senior levels. Proven track record in improving ER behaviours and cultures in difficult unionised climates. A resilient, effective and persuasive communicator who can influence key stakeholders in complex political landscapes. Highly effective in building relationships. A knowledgeable employment law specialist and experience Judicial Member of the Employment Tribunal. Key Speaker and contributor at a variety of conferences, webinars, podcasts and publications on industrial relations, managing change, hybrid working and wellbeing including HR Retail Bulletin, Personnel Today, CIPD.

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee & Networking

Head to the Expo Hall to meet our sponsors, network with industry peers and enjoy a coffee with a delicious snack prepared by ex-Nobu chef Tom Gore.

14:40 - 15:00 Uber for Business: Fostering a Collective Company Culture That Still Caters to Individual Tastes

UK workers have never been more motivated by personal values than they are right now. As an increasing number of Gen Z-ers enter the workplace, they want to work for a business that understands them. This requires a better work-life balance and a greater sense of belonging that goes beyond the typical 9 to 5. This is set against a backdrop of default hybrid working arrangements which are creating more dispersed teams than ever before.

So how do businesses continue to nurture strong company cultures and team relationships while navigating a workforce that also values individuality? This talk will explore how businesses can tailor employee benefits to foster a stronger sense of community while also giving individual employees a sense of choice. This is where the food and travel perks, including ‘bleisure’ trips, come into their own by bringing teams together while offering individuals the flexibility to make their own decisions. Perks that allow employees to bring their personal values into the workplace will be key to an engaged workforce.

This talk will cover:

• Employee engagement challenges as we navigate a more hybrid workforce

• How Gen Z-ers bringing their personal values to work are shaking up workplace culture and benefit schemes

• How companies can adapt their benefit schemes to offer perks that bring people together while valuing their individuality

• The role of food and travel to bring teams together

• The importance of ‘bleisure’ travel in creating a more connected and engaged workforce

Speaker:

Jenna Brown

Uber for Business
Head of Uber for Business, UK

Jenna is the General Manager and Director of Uber for Business UK, having been a driving force at Uber for almost a decade. She leads the operations, strategy, and commercial team at Uber for Business, ensuring that strategic objectives are met through operational policies. During her time at Uber, Jenna has played a pivotal role in advancing the company’s sustainable transportation solutions in the UK. Jenna advocates for diversity and inclusion in the workplace and actively promotes these values across Uber and the wider business community.

11:00 - 12:00 Connecting Employees to Your Companies Social Impact Mission

Discuss with your peers the ways that employees can, and want to, add value to your overall social impact strategy. Explore how employee volunteering through social impact can be measured against your bottom line, help prevent high employee attrition rates and increase overall company engagement scores. Hear from Blackbaud’s expert panel to understand how social good can be your organisation's secret weapon to increased levels of happiness, and revenue.

Speaker:

Evan Rhoda

Blackbaud
Principal, Corporate Solutions

Evan joined the Blackbaud Corporate Impact team in December 2020, having previously curated partnerships for a globally renowned conference series and fintech start-up based in New York City. His passion for social impact was inspired by his wife, Christen, who co-founded a $2 million charity dedicated to expanding girls’ rights worldwide. Evan believes strongly in the power of corporate responsibility to create a more just and equitable world, and he could not be prouder to serve leaders of CSR every day. In his spare time, you’ll see Evan playing guitar or shooting a basketball around Camden market!

11:00 - 12:00 Learn How Your Employees’ Experience Stacks up Against the Highest-Performing Companies

Join Firstup's interactive workshop to discover how far along the journey to a truly engaged workforce your organisation really is and how you can push forward to an adaptive experience that in turn will deliver lower attrition and higher productivity.

Alice Boyd, Lead Consultant, Comms Strategy and Ulus Isa, Solutions Consultant will ask the searching questions about the reach, delivery, personalisation and insights of your current communications, and demonstrate how the Firstup platform offers the ability to enhance outcomes through:

- Audience segmentation, and AI-powered delivery.
- An employee interface that serves, but more importantly surpasses the needs of a simple modern intranet.
- Powerful analytics that not only illustrate engagement but also give actionable insights.

Speakers:

Alice Boyd

Firstup
Lead Consultant - Communications Strategy

Creative communications professional with a passion for people, storytelling, brand and culture.

Ulus Isa

Firstup
Solutions Consultant

Graduated with a 2:1 in BSc Honours in Digital Technology Specialising, in Computer Technology and Networking. A talented individual who is determined to be a success and will prove to be a valuable asset to any company. An articulate and hard working individual, who tackles any given task with enthusiasm. Enjoys working as part of a team with excellent communication skills, capable of using own initiative and working accurately to instructions. Strives on new challenges, and is motivated by the prospect of completing tasks to driving the business forward.

13:40 - 14:40 Practical Solutions for Combating Financial Stress and Enhancing Employee Wellness

Join Debbie and Connor to discuss the crucial connection between financial wellbeing and mental health. Discover how rising living costs, unexpected expenses, mounting debts, and financial uncertainty contribute to the ever-increasing levels of financial stress in our lives.

Gain valuable insights into practical strategies and sustainable solutions that can not only improve employee wellness but also reduce absenteeism, increase engagement, and ultimately boost employee performance.

Speakers:

Debbie Events

Pluxee
Client Service Manager

Debbie is a commercial lead within Pluxee UK. With a key derived passion for supporting wellbeing her extensive experience extends over a 10-year period that has included supporting, negotiating, and delivering employee experience projects to organisations of all sizes.

Connor Roche

Pluxee
Business Development Manager

Connor is passionate about employee benefits and wellbeing. Dedicated to enhancing workplace satisfaction and productivity through tailored solutions. A trusted advisor with a focus on holistic employee wellness.

11:00 - 12:00 How to deliver experiences that boost employee satisfaction and productivity?

2024 is the year of meeting employees where they are with AI, new ways of working, and data-driven experiences. In Zendesk’s 2024 Employee Experience Trends Report, we identified three new trends all employee service leaders should prepare for to deliver experiences that boost employee satisfaction and productivity.

Speaker:

Josh Bean

Zendesk
Employee Experience Business Lead

Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax OBE

Steve Clarke

Virgin Atlantic People Communications Lead

Christina Lewis

Bolt Head of Global Operations and Engagement

Sarah Hood

Bupa Global Head of Engagement

Emma Illingworth

OVO Head of People Transformation

Louisa McCabe

AXA Head of Internal Communications

Dev Mistry

Dojo Internal Communications and Engagement Lead

Anaïs Nebel

Lipsy London Group Culture & Communications Manager

Carlo Beschi

Treatwell Lead Agile Coach

I help value flow.

An accomplished professional, with a very broad skill set and 15+ years of experience in digital product delivery, cultural change and organizational transformation.

Beth Perry

First Central Head of Internal Communications and Culture

Wendy Murphy

Exinity VP Corporate Communications

Melanie Page

Balfour Beatty Head of Group Innovation Programmes

Jeremy Gautrey-Jones

RSPCA Assistant Director Employee Experience

Victoria Wilson

Royal Air Force (Ministry of Defence) Employee Engagement Team Manager

Michelle Sage

Royal Air Force (Ministry of Defence) Employee Engagement Advisor

Alix Ainsley

Virgin Group People Experience Director

Charlotte Cherry

Virgin Group People Experience Director

Emma Hughes

Phoenix Group Communication and Engagement of Colleague Representation Forum

Susan Reilly

Phoenix Group Head of Colleague Representation

Susan Reilly is the Head of Phoenix Colleague Representation Forum, part of the Phoenix Group.

With over 15 years’ experience and a qualification in Employment Law, she is passionate about colleague engagement, building effective partnerships and the power of the colleague voice.

Susan created the PCRF in 2021 and they successfully won the engage award for best use of Innovation in employee engagement in 2023.

She lives near Edinburgh and loves spending time with her friends and family, particularly the latest addition to the family, her first grandchild.

Neil Morrison

Severn Trent Group Human Resources Director

Tanai Vadera

Nando's Senior Product Manager

Helen Card

Homes England Head of Internal and Digital Communications

Parysa Hosseini-Sech

Onecom People & Culture Director

John Townsend

Unicef UK Head of Internal Communications

Neil Bestford

Byggfakta Group Group Director of Brand and People Experience

Henry Elworthy

John Lewis Partnership Partner Communications & Engagement Lead

Victoria Black

The Travel Chapter Head of Internal Communications

Laura Jamieson

Alshaya Group Head of Internal Communications

Duaa Almousawi

Alshaya Group Internal Communications Executive

Daniela Hoyos

Swissport Communications Manager

Ross Parker

Allianz Employee Engagement Manager

An influential leader with over 10 years’ experience in the field of Employee Engagement, Wellbeing and Recognition.

Ross inspires and leads a network of Engagement Reps, Wellbeing Reps and Mental Health First Aiders to champion a culture where people matter, and voices are heard.

Following Allianz acquisition of LV= General Insurance, Ross is now using his expertise to roll out people strategies across Allianz Holdings.

Ross has led his past organisation to receive industry recognition as well leading project teams to scoop-up a number of internal awards too.

Dr Sarah Pass

Engage for Success

James Court-Smith

Engage for Success

Connor Roche

Pluxee Business Development Manager

Debbie Events

Pluxee Client Service Manager

Chris Ronald

Blackhawk Network VP B2B EMEA

Owen Rose

Acteon Managing Partner

Jessica Brannigan

Culture Amp Lead People Scientist

Nick Holmes

Avalere Health Vice President, Employee Experience

It's very simple...on a mission to change the way the world works.

Learning leader of the Year, winner CIPD EX Initiative of the Year. Finalist HR Leader of the Year 2024. A disruptor and innovator by nature. Delivered numerous award-winning people initiatives across global organizations. Talks about everything HR and people.

As the VP of Employee Experience at Avalere Health. Me and my army of creative change-makers are working to make the lives of our people healthy and happy so they can transform the lives of patients everywhere.

Isha Smith

Soundcloud Global Head of Total Rewards

Commercially-minded reward professional with a track record of delivering transformation projects. Broad range of experience in reward, employee benefits, wellbeing, diversity & inclusion, pensions and accounting.

I enjoy problem solving and am energised by challenging work. I bring energy and resilience to teams, and the ability to achieve results while building relationships at all levels in the organisation.

Vicky Edwards

Alfa Chief People Officer

I'm an experienced business leader with a proven success in leadership roles across HR, Commercial and Operations functions. In my career, I have had the privilege of leading very talented and diverse teams, developing creative initiatives to solve business challenges, both internally and externally for clients .
Key areas of specialism : Coaching; Employee Engagement; Culture Change; Change Management; Talent Development; Performance Improvement; Business Development; Learning & Development