
UK & Ireland CHRO Community
Executive Summit
13 June 2024 | Royal Lancaster London
13 June 2024
Royal Lancaster London
Collaborate with your peers
Get together with UK & Ireland's top CHROs to tackle shared business challenges and critical priorities facing your role today. Participate in this one-day, local program with peer-driven topics and interactive discussions with your true C-level peers.
Join your peers to discuss the most critical issues impacting CHROs today:
Developing Next-generation Leaders by Evolving Role Expectations Instead of New Skills
Reshaping a Corporate Culture that Thrives in a Hybrid Environment
Investing in the Right HR Technology to Drive Growth and Meet Business Expectations
UK & Ireland CHRO Governing Body
The Governing Body Co-Chairs shape the summit agenda, ensuring that all content is driven By CHROs, For CHROs®.
Governing Body Co-Chairs
What to Expect
Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:45 Keynote
From Chaos to Calm — Embracing the Storm, Empowering Success

Prerana Issar
Chief People Officer
Sainsbury's
The Chief HR Officer is an intense, and at times, lonely role. Now more than ever, CHROs are expected to absorb the emotions and stress of their people, whilst being the calm in the eye of a storm of unprecedented change. This conundrum begs the question: how do you find balance between effectively leading change and looking after yourself?
Join Prerana Issar, CPO at Sainsbury's, as she openly shares advice and experience on:
- Inspiring authenticity, resilience, and human connection
- Managing and maneuvering the emotional toll of change
- Embracing evolution and opportunities for self, workforce and organisational growth
09:45 - 10:00 Break
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
Navigating the Evolving Role of the CHRO
Hosted by ServiceNow

Daniel Wilks
VP Employee Experience
ServiceNow

Katie Whitehouse
Senior People Director, EMEA
ServiceNow

Kath Ennis
Chief People Officer, Specialist Communications & PR
WPP

Deborah McKenzie
Chief People Officer
NHS Blood and Transplant
From managing organisational culture while increasing efficiency, to cutting costs while driving growth, the scope of the CHRO role has never been more complex and diverse. However, these multifaceted challenges also present opportunities to innovate, collaborate and embrace the future.
Join this session to explore:
- Keeping dispersed teams engaged, effective and connected to purpose
- Leveraging AI and automation to reduce costs while increasing efficiency
- Establishing a strategic synergy between the CIO and CHRO roles
10:00 - 10:45 Breakout Session
Beyond the Comfort Zone — Avon's Journey to Psychological Safety

Michelle Parczuk
Chief People Officer
Avon
In today's dynamic workplace, creating an environment where individuals feel safe and can bring their whole selves to work is paramount not only to their well-being and engagement but also for organisational culture and overall business performance and innovation. Michelle Parczuk, Chief People Officer at Avon knows first-hand the importance of partnership between leaders and employees to achieve this.
Join Michelle as she shares her insights and experiences on:
- Leveraging data-driven discussions to drive commitment to change
- Understanding and communicating different levels of psychological safety within teams
- Focusing on inclusive leadership with measurement and performance consequences
10:00 - 10:45 Executive Boardroom
Empowerment Through Change — Crafting Employee-Centric Strategies
Hosted by O.C. Tanner

Stuart Cheesman
Strategist
O.C. Tanner

Kevin Brady
HR Director
Openreach

Tina Lewis
Director of People
National Trust
In today's ever-changing HR landscape, multi-generational workforces, evolving leadership attributes and constant technological advancements are leaving HR strategies lagging. Unlike business cycles and markets, the significance of the employee experience remains constant. A positive experience directly enhances culture, influences effective future-focused employee value propositions and impacts an organization's capacity to attract and retain talent in a competitive environment.
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- Establishing a people-centric approach to change management rooted in understanding and backed by action
- Equipping leaders with practical empathy skills to address workforce needs and mitigate fatigue and burnout
- Embedding a robust culture that begins with onboarding and perseveres throughout the employee lifecycle
10:45 - 11:50 Networking Break
10:55 - 11:40 Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Peer-to-Peer Meetings
Connect with like-minded peers in a one-on-one setting through Evanta’s Peer-to-Peer Meetings. You will be matched with peers in your community based on your shared interests and priorities.
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
Advance and Adapt in the Face of Automation and Emerging Tech
Hosted by Indeed

Matt Burney
Senior Strategic Advisor
Indeed
In our highly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, coupled with a rapidly evolving technology landscape, not only are risks and uncertainties exploding, but opportunities and freedoms are almost limitless. To navigate this complexity effectively, CHROs must strike a balance between fostering adaptability within individuals and the business and cultivating an engaged and empowered workforce.
Join this session to hear insights on:
- Managing large-scale technology change and assessing organisational readiness
- Harnessing and supporting the diverse experience and backgrounds within a multi-generational workforce
- Dissecting common AI and automation misconceptions within the skills landscape
11:50 - 12:35 Breakout Session
Unlocking the Power of Corporate Culture

Bertie Tonks
Chief People Officer
Collinson Group
Cultures naturally emerge with or without intervention. As most organizations undergo some form of change or transformation, this presents an opportunity to cultivate something special that fosters a healthier, higher-performing, and enriching culture. The extensive research on this subject has already outlined what CHROs need to know, yet the delivery against change ambitions remains elusive. Bertie Tonks, Chief People Officer at Collinson Group, pushes forward a suggestion of core ingredients that will enhance your organisations ability to truly deliver.
Join Bertie as he discusses:
- The current state of leadership and how CHRO’s can maximise their impact
- The power of subcultures, systems thinking and agile approach to change
- The transformation snakes and ladders, and how to beat the game
11:50 - 12:35 Executive Boardroom
Demystifying the HR Operating Model for Successful Business Transformation
Hosted by LACE Partners

Aaron Alburey
Managing Director and Co-Founder
LACE Partners

Valerie Dale
Group Chief People Officer
OCS Group

Rob Willis
EVP & CHRO
Perrigo
In the realm of ongoing business transformation, HR has to develop its operating model to enable workforce transformation, while also making life easier for employees and line managers and delivering amazing employee experiences. HR leaders are faced with the challenge of how to build the necessary functional capabilities and ways of working with the agility to respond to changing employee and business requirements.
Join this boardroom to discuss:
- HR’s critical role in workforce transformation
- HR operating model options and archetypes - how to shape the right model for your business
- Capabilities and mindset required to achieve the change and make it stick
Apply to Participate
Apply to participate in the UK & Ireland CHRO Community Executive Summit.
Gartner facilitates exclusive, C-level communities by personally qualifying and understanding the priorities, challenges and interests of each member.
Our selective approach maintains the high quality of the network and ensures top-level discussions with peers from the world’s leading organizations.
Each application will be reviewed, and once your participation is confirmed, you will have access to year-round community programs.
Location
Venue & Accommodation
Royal Lancaster LondonParking and Public Transport
London Underground:
Lancaster Gate: Lancaster Gate (Central Line) tube station is adjacent to the hotel. The line connects with Oxford Circus, Holborn (British Museum) and Liverpool Street among other iconic London locations in less than 15 minutes.
Paddington: Paddington tube and railway stations are a mere 6 minute walk from the hotel. The tube station has access to 4 different lines and the railway station connects London with Heathrow via Heathrow Express as well as with other regional and national lines going to British cities such as Bath, Oxford, Reading, Windsor or Cardiff.
London Buses:
There are many bus routes (94 and 148) passing the hotel that are connect us with some of the most remarkable London places such as Victoria, Soho, Piccadilly or Oxford Street.
Parking: Available onsite for attendee rate - £55 for 24 hours. Limited availability.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Royal Lancaster London at a reduced conference rate. Reservations should be made online or by calling 020 7551 6000. Please mention UK CHRO Executive Summit to ensure the appropriate room rate.
Deadline to book using the discounted room rate of £432 GBP (plus tax) is 17 May 2024.
Community Programme Manager
For inquiries related to this community, please reach out to your dedicated contact.