Future of Work APAC 2026 brings together the ideas, insights, and conversations shaping the future workplace.
The event will open Day One with a keynote on our Main Stage, bringing all attendees together for an inspiring start.

From there, you’ll have the opportunity to tailor your experience across three dedicated conference tracks:

Change & Transformation: Building adaptive, resilient enterprises
People & Experience: Designing human-centred workplaces
Learning & Leadership: Building future-ready skills and leaders in the age of AI
 

With access to every track, all attendees can design their own agenda and explore the sessions most relevant to their goals.

2026 Programme

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09:00
  1. Opening Welcome Address
    Keynote Stage
    10 mins
09:10
  1. Keynote: The Future Fluid Organization: How Leaders Create Inspired Momentum in Times of Disruption
    Keynote Stage
    60 mins
    The ground is shifting beneath organizations faster than leaders can name what has changed. Familiar signposts are disappearing. Old assumptions are losing their hold. So what makes people lean into c …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Tanvi Gautam
    Tanvi Gautam, Global Keynote Speaker, AI-Era Leadership & Culture Change Expert, Senior Leadership Team Coach, HR & Leadership Influencer
10:10
  1. CEO Panel: Leading for Growth and Performance
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
    How are CEOs defining growth, performance, and productivity right now? What pressures are shaping decision-making the most? How are organisations evolving workforce strategy to stay competitive across …
10:40
  1. Coffee & Networking Break
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
11:10
  1. Chair's Welcome
    Change & Transformation
    15 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Michele Sagan
    Michele Sagan, Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO - Optimal Insight
  2. Chair's Welcome
    Learning & Leadership
    15 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Brian Liu
    Brian Liu, Chief Learning Guy & Founder - Be The Good
  3. Chair's Welcome
    People & Experience
    15 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for See Ting Lee
    See Ting Lee, Founder & CEO - The Emboldr
11:25
  1. Panel Discussion: The HR operating model of 2030
    Change & Transformation
    40 mins
    Moving HR from support function to strategic partner. Rethinking HR's role in shaping enterprise-wide strategy and organisational design What capabilities and mindsets HR leaders need to influence the …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Michele Sagan
    Michele Sagan, Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO - Optimal Insight
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Cici Shi
    Cici Shi, VP People & Culture - Shark Ninja APAC
    Speaker image for Lin Yanhong
    Lin Yanhong, Chief People Officer APAC - Edelman
    Speaker image for Monica Chia
    Monica Chia, Vice President, Human Resources, East Asia Japan - Schneider Electric
  2. Panel Discussion: Future of leadership & learning - building skills and leaders for 2030
    Learning & Leadership
    40 mins
    How leadership models adapt to AI, disruption, and changing employee expectations. The skills and mindsets leaders need now to stay relevant for 2030.  Keeping learning human, inclusive, and adaptable …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Brian Liu
    Brian Liu, Chief Learning Guy & Founder - Be The Good
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jane Tan
    Jane Tan, APAC Head of Talent & Learning and DEI Lead - Ferrero
    Speaker image for Jayesh Menon
    Jayesh Menon, Global HR Vice-President - Microelectronics & Pall APAC - Danaher Corporation
  3. Panel Discussion: The future of work design - building organisations where people thrive
    People & Experience
    40 mins
    How can organisations rethink work design around human needs, not just efficiency? What does efficiency mean today? Is it about output, time saved, or something more human? What role do belonging, wel …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for See Ting Lee
    See Ting Lee, Founder & CEO - The Emboldr
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Patrick Jordan
    Patrick Jordan, Vice President People, Culture & Communications, Asia Pacific - Suntory Global Spirits
    Speaker image for Ai Lin Tay
    Ai Lin Tay, Vice President of Global Human Resources - Ocean Network Express
12:05
  1. Presentation: The adaptive enterprise - building agility for uncertain times
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    Building agility for an uncertain future How HR can lead in designing organisations that thrive through disruption Embedding resilience and flexibility into business models and culture Lessons from tr …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Senior Representative
    Senior Representative - WDHB
  2. Presentation: Building critical new culture capabilities, from executives to leaders to employee champions
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
    Building the core culture capabilities of agility, inclusivity, learning, trust, and resilience. Turning values into visible, everyday behaviours that reinforce strategic goals. Empowering leaders and …
  3. Presentation: The employee experience of 2040
    People & Experience
    30 mins
    Looking back to look forward. What can we learn from past industrial shifts about the future of EX? What past patterns repeat regardless of era? What's next for workplaces & workforces? How macro tren …
12:35
  1. Networking Bingo
    Change & Transformation
    15 mins
  2. Networking Bingo
    Learning & Leadership
    15 mins
  3. Networking Bingo
    People & Experience
    15 mins
12:50
  1. Lunch & Networking Break
    Change & Transformation
    60 mins
  2. Lunch & Networking Break
    Learning & Leadership
    60 mins
  3. Lunch & Networking Break
    People & Experience
    60 mins
13:50
  1. Presentation: Workforce Transformation at Scale - Simplifying Organisations for Growth
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    What macro forces such as AI, climate, demographics, and geopolitics will shape organisations of the future? How will workforce ecosystems evolve across humans, machines, and new work models? What shi …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Daniel Blackburn
    Daniel Blackburn, MD, Global Head of HR - Transformation - Standard Chartered
  2. Presentation from L'Oréal
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
    Making high-quality leadership coaching accessible to leaders at every level  How AI can act as a co-pilot, complementing human coaches rather than replacing them Using data and insights to personalis …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Maryline Borri
    Maryline Borri, People Development & Learning Director SAPMENA - L'Oréal
  3. Presentation: Culture as a strategy
    People & Experience
    30 mins
    Why culture is now central to retention, engagement, and performance. How leaders can align culture with business strategy to deliver results. The role of community in building connection and belongin …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Dawn Wong
    Dawn Wong, Senior Vice President, Head of People & Experience, APAC - VaynerMedia APAC Pte Ltd
14:20
  1. Presentation: The workforce ecosystem of the future
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    Managing a blended workforce: full-time, freelance, partner, and AI-enabled Designing governance and culture for workforce ecosystems T he impact on HR, legal, and business leaders
  2. Presentation: The Top 3 Leadership Skills for 2027 & how to Build Them Through Experiential Learning
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
    There are 3 skills that leaders will need above all others as organisations continue to shift in response to AI. When our new reality is 'AI does the analysis, humans do the judgement,' leaders need t …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Bjorn Billhardt
    Bjorn Billhardt, CEO - Abilitie
  3. Presentation: High Performance Without Burnout: Building Healthy Performance Culture Where People Thrive
    People & Experience
    30 mins
    The pressure to win business is pushing organizations to build high-performing cultures, but performance should not come at the expense of employee wellbeing.Join Russell Flint and Gina Lee as they ex …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Russell Flint
    Russell Flint, Vice President, Asia Pacific - O. C. Tanner
    Speaker image for Gina Lee
    Gina Lee, Lead Advisor, Workplace Culture and Employee Experience, Asia - O.C. Tanner
14:50
  1. Presentation: The people side of Mergers & Acquisitions. From surviving to thriving
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    The human reality of M&A, managing uncertainty, fatigue, and culture clashes that leave employees in limbo. Why culture is the hidden risk and how it can derail even the most strategic deals. How HR s …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Nailya Yong
    Nailya Yong, Vice President of HR APAC - Tate & Lyle
  2. Presentation: Future-fit leadership pipelines
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
    How organisations can build leadership pipelines that are resilient, agile, and future-fit? Why traditional succession models no longer meet the needs of fast-changing workplaces. The critical skills …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Debica Sigamani
    Debica Sigamani, Chief Talent Officer - Omnicom Media
  3. Presentation: Soulful Organizations in the Age of AI
    People & Experience
    30 mins
    When AI does the work, who owns the outcome?
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Dr. Maria Pressentin
    Dr. Maria Pressentin, Regional Director HR Learning & Organizational Development - Rohde & Schwarz RhQ Singapore
15:20
  1. Coffee & Networking Break
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
  2. Coffee & Networking Break
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
  3. Coffee & Networking Break
    People & Experience
    30 mins
15:50
  1. The AI-Enabled Workforce: Redesigning Leadership, Talent, and Organisations for the Next Era of Performance
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    How can digital change be linked to culture and workforce agility? What does it take to roll out new HR tech and get leaders and employees on board? How do you balance efficiency gains with wellbeing …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Eng-Sing Soon
    Eng-Sing Soon, VP, Group Talent - SingTel
  2. Presentation: The Future of Work Has No Desk: Rethinking Learning, Leadership & Growth
    Learning & Leadership
    30 mins
    AI is automating many of the tasks that used to make up entry level roles. If the first rung disappears, organisations risk damaging future talent and leadership pipelines. Where are entry roles shrin …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Maximilian Siessegger
    Maximilian Siessegger, Head of Global Organizational Development - Schindler
  3. Presentation: The productivity paradox. Designing work for sustainable performance
    People & Experience
    30 mins
    Has technology actually reduced workloads or just increased expectations? How can organisations improve productivity without simply asking people to do more? What impact are meetings, digital overload …
16:20
  1. Panel Discussion: Talent & Technology - AI transforming workforce Strategy in the age of AI
    Change & Transformation
    45 mins
    How are CHROs and talent leaders using AI and emerging tech to drive workforce transformation while keeping a people-first approach? Where is AI creating the biggest decision advantage today across ta …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Arthoven Ng
    Arthoven Ng, Founder & Chair - Talent Developers Singapore
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Yinn Ewe
    Yinn Ewe, CHRO - Hitachi Asia
  2. Panel Discussion: Accelerating skills development to drive growth
    Learning & Leadership
    45 mins
    Why speed matters, the business case for accelerating reskilling and upskilling How to identify the most critical skills for growth in an AI-enabled world Leveraging technology, data, and AI to scale …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Anser Aly
    Anser Aly, Co-Founder & Managing Partner - The Growth Labs
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Jeslin Lim
    Jeslin Lim, Director of People and Culture - Cycle & Carriage
    Speaker image for Charlie Ang
    Charlie Ang, Corporate Futurist | AI Strategist | Future of Work Expert | Keynote Speaker - The Intelligence Symphony
    Speaker image for Shaun Renwick
    Shaun Renwick, Senior Director, Talent & Culture, AMEA - Mars Snacking
  3. Panel Discussion: Rethinking Total Rewards for Engagement, Retention and Wellbeing
    People & Experience
    45 mins
    How are Total Rewards strategies changing to improve engagement and retention? What are employees really looking for from rewards and benefits today? How can compensation, incentives and benefits bett …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Sarah Yoko McKensey
    Sarah Yoko McKensey, Global Head of People & Culture - Saison International Pte.Ltd.
17:05
  1. Chair's Closing Remarks
    Change & Transformation
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Michele Sagan
    Michele Sagan, Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO - Optimal Insight
  2. Chair's Closing Remarks
    Learning & Leadership
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Brian Liu
    Brian Liu, Chief Learning Guy & Founder - Be The Good
  3. Chair's Closing Remarks
    People & Experience
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for See Ting Lee
    See Ting Lee, Founder & CEO - The Emboldr
17:15
  1. Networking Drinks
    Keynote Stage
    60 mins
09:00
  1. Welcome Address
    Keynote Stage
    15 mins
09:15
  1. Keynote: Human centric organizing in the Age of AI
    Keynote Stage
    60 mins
    Too many organisations still approach AI primarily as a way to cut costs by replacing people. This session will argue that this view is both short-sighted and ultimately counterproductive. It will exp …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Phanish Puranam
    Phanish Puranam, Roland Berger Chair Professor of Strategy & Organization Design - INSEAD.
10:15
  1. Coffee & Networking Break
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
10:45
  1. Chair's Welcome
    Change & Transformation
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Michele Sagan
    Michele Sagan, Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO - Optimal Insight
  2. Chair's Welcome
    Learning & Leadership
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Brian Liu
    Brian Liu, Chief Learning Guy & Founder - Be The Good
  3. Chair's Welcome
    People & Experience
    10 mins
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for See Ting Lee
    See Ting Lee, Founder & CEO - The Emboldr
10:55
  1. Presentation: Skills & Workforce Development Agency
    Change & Transformation
    15 mins
    Details coming shortly...
  2. Presentation: Solving for Demand: The Forces Shaping Today’s Workforce
    Learning & Leadership
    15 mins
    The forces reshaping employer demand across ASEAN. Where job growth is emerging and the skills employers increasingly need. How regional and global talent mobility is changing where employers find ski …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Ratnesh Kumar Jha
    Ratnesh Kumar Jha, General Manager, Institutional Products - ETS
  3. Presentation: Thriving across generations
    People & Experience
    15 mins
    Meeting the needs of Gen Z through to late-career employees. Designing inclusive experiences without falling into generational stereotypes. Using tech and flexibility to bridge divides across age grou …
11:10
  1. Panel Discussion: Culture at the core of transformation
    Change & Transformation
    45 mins
    Why culture change is often the greatest barrier to transformation success. Can culture really be transformed, or only evolved over time? How leaders can role-model new behaviours and values to inspir …
    Chairperson
    Speaker image for Michele Sagan
    Michele Sagan, Future of Work & HR Strategist, Founder & CEO - Optimal Insight
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Kevin Zhang
    Kevin Zhang, Chief HR Officer, SEA & North Asia (Japan & South Korea) - Havas
    Speaker image for Kingley Lim
    Kingley Lim, APAC Head of People Experience & Culture - Henkel
    Speaker image for Rumana Rahman
    Rumana Rahman, VP, Human Resources APAC | HR APAC - FedEx
  2. Panel Discussion: Modernising the learning tech stack
    Learning & Leadership
    45 mins
    How the learning tech stack is evolving to support AI-enabled, skills-based organisations. The role of AI in delivering personalised, in-the-flow learning at scale. Designing learning ecosystems that …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Judy Liu
    Judy Liu, The Playful Coach - The Outlier Mind
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Suman Sharma
    Suman Sharma, Global Head of People Capability, Head of AI Learning and Head of PC ASEAN - Standard Chartered Bank
    Speaker image for Chitralekha Singh
    Chitralekha Singh, Senior Director and Head of Gloal Talent Development - Seagate Technology
  3. Panel: Purpose-driven workplaces that align people, culture & performance
    People & Experience
    45 mins
    How do organisations define and communicate a purpose that feels authentic? What role does purpose play in attracting, retaining, and inspiring talent? How can leaders align culture and strategy so pu …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for See Ting Lee
    See Ting Lee, Founder & CEO - The Emboldr
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Toyin Ope
    Toyin Ope, Head of Inclusion, Asia Pacific - Visa
11:55
  1. Presentation: Building a Reinvention Culture
    Change & Transformation
    30 mins
    Building a Reinvention Culture – helping people build their next chapter so organisations become more adaptive, engaged and ready for change. More details coming soon... .
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Anser Aly
    Anser Aly, Co-Founder & Managing Partner - The Growth Labs
  2. Interactive Session: Learning & Leadership
    Learning & Leadership
    45 mins
    More details coming soon...
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Gautam Duggal
    Gautam Duggal, Global SVP HR, Global Head of Talent & Enterprise HR & Workforce Transformation - Financial Services
  3. Interactive Session: The Challenge Clinic
    People & Experience
    45 mins
    This highly interactive format gives participants the chance to tackle the real issues that matter most in their organisations. On Day 1, attendees are invited to submit a current challenge they are f …
12:40
  1. Lunch & Networking Break
    Change & Transformation
    60 mins
  2. Lunch & Networking Break
    Learning & Leadership
    60 mins
  3. Lunch & Networking Break
    People & Experience
    60 mins
13:40
  1. Chair's Welcome
    Keynote Stage
    10 mins
13:50
  1. Presentation: Employee experience beyond the desk
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
    How do you create a great employee experience for frontline and deskless workers? How can organisations make sure frontline employees feel as connected and valued as office-based employees? What do fl …
14:20
  1. Presentation: Future skills forecast. Preparing for emerging roles and technologies
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
    Preparing people with the skills they need to work alongside AI and new tech. Which emerging skills will be most critical in an AI-driven and tech-enabled future? How can organisations anticipate and …
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Tilo Sequeira
    Tilo Sequeira, Director of Learning, OD, Talent Managemnt & Engagement, APAC - Warner Bros. Discovery
14:50
  1. Coffee & Networking Break
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
15:20
  1. Presentation: Has AI broken the candidate experience?
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
    How is AI changing the recruitment experience for candidates and employers? What happens when candidates use AI to apply and employers use AI to screen? The impact of AI-generated CVs and automated ap …
15:50
  1. Presentation: The AI Capability Gap: Why Adoption Isn’t Enough
    Keynote Stage
    30 mins
    Building the human capabilities, leadership behaviours and organisational conditions needed to turn AI investment into business impact. More details coming soon...
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Saurav Atri
    Saurav Atri, Group Head of Leadership Development, L&D - All Group Functions | Head of AI for People & Culture - DFI Retail Group
16:20
  1. Panel Discussion: The Future Starts Now: Leading People, Organisations and Change
    Keynote Stage
    45 mins
    The future of work is being shaped now, by the choices organisations make about technology, people, leadership, work and culture.    As we close FOW APAC, this final conversation brings those themes t …
    Panel Moderator
    Speaker image for Judy Liu
    Judy Liu, The Playful Coach - The Outlier Mind
    Speakers
    Speaker image for Vivian Cao
    Vivian Cao, Senior Vice President HR, Head of People - Kenvue
17:05
  1. Conference Close
    Keynote Stage
    10 mins
    Closing of the conference, stick around to the end for the announcement of the Scavenger Hunt winners!