AHRI TAS Conference 2026
Program
19 November 2026
| Crowne Plaza Hobart, Tasmania |
#AHRI26TAS
Human-centred HR: People, culture and capability in the age of AI
Program at a glance
As AI reshapes work, discover how HR can lead people, culture and organisational change with confidence.
8:15 AM
8:15AM – 8:45AM (30min)
Arrival tea and coffee
8:45 AM
8:45AM – 9:05AM (20min)
Opening comments
Freya Beech CPHR
TAS State President
Australian HR Institute
AHRI Update
Sarah McCann-Bartlett MAHRI
Chief Executive Officer
Australian HR Institute
9:05 AM
9:05AM – 9:50AM (45min)
Opening keynote - Leadership under pressure: Building trust and capability through change
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AI, workforce disruption and ongoing change are placing increasing pressure on HR to help organisations navigate complex decisions. Yet the greatest challenge is often not the change itself, but its impact on leadership. Under pressure, judgement can narrow, communication can break down and trust can be harder to maintain.
In this practical and thought-provoking keynote, Anshu Sisodia draws on her experience in high-stakes broadcasting, executive leadership coaching and her Leadership Operating System™ to explore the human capabilities needed to lead through uncertainty. You’ll discover why successful transformation requires more than technology, training or process change, and how HR can influence the leadership conditions that build clarity, trust and confidence.
Through practical insights and guided reflection, you’ll leave with actionable strategies to strengthen leadership capability and support your organisation through change.
9:50 AM
9:50AM – 10:20AM (30min)
Morning tea, expo and networking
10:20 AM
10:20AM – 11:05AM (45min)
Session 2 - Employment law in 2026: What mattered, what didn't, and what's coming next
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There has been no shortage of activity in employment and industrial relations during 2026.
This session provides a round-up of the developments most likely to be relevant to HR practitioners, including key decisions, legislative changes and emerging workplace issues.
Emily will also share some observations from her work advising employers across Tasmania, including themes, risks and recurring issues that have emerged throughout the year, together with a few predictions about what may be waiting for us in 2027.
Emily Creak
Principal Lawyer
Page Seager Lawyers
11:05 AM
11:05AM – 11:15AM (10min)
Facilitated networking
11:15 AM
11:15AM – 12:00PM (45min)
Session 3 - Compliance training: The sleeping giant that does your most important culture, brand and safety work
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Compliance training is one of the few opportunities organisations have to consistently reach every employee, yet many programs focus on completion rather than behavioural change. This session explores how compliance training can be used to strengthen workplace culture, build trust and encourage speak-up behaviours, while meeting legal and organisational obligations.
Georgia Edge will share the Notice, Choose, Speak Up framework and discuss how organisations can transform compliance training from a mandatory requirement into a meaningful driver of culture. Derek Humphery-Smith from Lander & Rogers will examine the reputational and organisational risks of silence, providing practical insights to help leaders assess the messages their training programs communicate and the behaviours they encourage.
12:00 PM
12:00PM – 12:50PM (50min)
Lunch, expo and networking
12:50 PM
12:50PM – 1:35PM (45min)
Session 4 - Panel- Designing our future workforce
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The future of work is already here. As AI and digital change reshape roles, skills and workplaces, Tasmania has an opportunity to design what comes next in a way that works for our people and our place. This panel explores why Tasmania is ready to adapt, how HR and P&C can lead equitable, human-centred workforce change, and practical ways to build capability now. Drawing on research, peer-led learning and co-design, the discussion will give HR leaders practical approaches to workforce planning, AI upskilling and meaningful employee engagement, including tools such as MySFIA.
1:35 PM
1:35PM – 2:15PM (40min)
Session 5 - How to think like a detective: Making sense of organisational challenges with the CLEAR Framework™
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It’s not just the pace of change challenging organisations today, it’s the complexity.
HR professionals are increasingly expected to solve organisational challenges that rarely have a single cause. What appears to be a leadership issue may actually be a systems issue. What looks like a capability gap may stem from unclear roles, processes or structures.
Like a skilled investigator, effective practitioners resist jumping to conclusions. They gather evidence, challenge assumptions and explore multiple perspectives before determining where to intervene.
In this interactive session, you’ll explore The CLEAR Framework™, a practical approach to organisational discernment that brings together insights from organisation development, organisational behaviour and systems thinking. Through five interconnected lenses, you’ll learn how to better understand complex organisational challenges and identify the factors influencing performance, culture and capability.
You’ll leave with a practical framework, stronger diagnostic skills and greater confidence in partnering with leaders to identify where meaningful change can have the greatest impact.
Veronica Merry MAHRI
Director and Founder
Leadership Voice
2:15 PM
2:15PM – 2:25PM (10min)
Facilitated networking
2:25 PM
2:25PM – 3:10PM (45min)
Session 6 - Panel - Human by design: Same DEI conversations? Different world
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DEI leadership has never been more demanding. Amid AI, social change, polarization, compliance demands and shifting priorities, leaders must navigate these complexities and not lose sight of what it means to be human.
We will unpack the 5 I’s of Human-Centred HR, explore how bias can become embedded in technology and systems – why lived experience matters when data tells only part of the story.
You’ll leave with practical ways to navigate change and complexity, lead and drive sustainable, system-wide transformation. Inclusion isn’t simply about whether a system works. It’s about who it works for, with people at the centre.
Angie Everingham CPHR (Facilitator)
Manager, People & Culture
City of Hobart
Roman Ružbacký MAHRI
Principal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
Roman Ruzbacky & Associates
Carolina Bouten MAHRI
Principal – Organisational Development
City of Hobart
Veema Mooniapah
Consultant – Strategy and Policy/Published Writer
3:10 PM
3:10PM – 3:35PM (25min)
Afternoon tea, expo and networking
3:35 PM
3:35PM – 4:20PM (45min)
Closing keynote - All the feels: Leading with emotional intelligence in the age of AI
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As HR navigates psychosocial risk, AI disruption, and burnout, this energising keynote reframes emotional intelligence for the pressures leaders are actually facing today. Drawing on original doctoral research, Dr Nathan Jones introduces EQ6: six colours, six emotional states, and six crucial human skills we need more than ever in the age of AI. You’ll take part in a live mood check-in and interactive experience that turns your personal colours into a shared conversation across the room. Get ready for a brighter, more human way of seeing yourself, others, and the future of work.
Dr Nathan Jones
Director
EQ6 Global
4:20 PM
4:20PM – 4:30PM (10min)
Closing comments
4:30 PM
4:30PM – 5:30PM (60min)
Networking Function
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Meet the speakers
Freya Beech CPHR
TAS State President
Australian HR Institute
Read bio
Freya is a forward-thinking and experienced People Leader, she is known for creating high-performing, inclusive workplaces where people and culture thrive. With a strategic, innovative mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement, she leads initiatives that drive engagement, performance, and growth.
A trusted contributor and advisor to executive teams, Freya brings insight, empathy, and influence to leadership and culture conversations, leading impactful people and culture initiatives that align with strategy and business goals. Her passion for giving back sees her contribute as a non-executive director across not-for-profit organisations and championing equity, inclusion and well-being in the community. Grounded by a deep commitment to family, Freya values balance and purpose. These work-life integration principles and her values guide her leadership and her approach to building meaningful workplaces.
Freya joined the AHRI Tasmania State Council in 2017 and became TAS State President in 2021.
Sarah McCann-Bartlett MAHRI
Chief Executive Officer
Australian HR Institute
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Sarah McCann-Bartlett commenced at AHRI as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in 2020. She has global experience in membership and trade bodies and has held senior roles across a variety of sectors in Australia, the UK and the USA.
Previously, Sarah held the roles of Director General of the British Constructional Steelwork Association, Deputy Commissioner of the Victorian Building and Plumbing Commissions, and President and Group Manager, Americas at the Woolmark Company.
Sarah holds Commerce and Arts degrees from the University of Melbourne, an MBA from Monash University, and postgraduate qualifications in marketing. She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Anshu Sisodia
Founder and CEO
A&K Enterprises (QLD)
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Anshu is an award-winning leadership strategist, TEDx and keynote speaker, executive coach, and creator of the Leadership Operating System™. She has 27 years of experience across India and Australia, including over 16 years as a Breakfast TV anchor, she helps leaders thrive under pressure. Anshu has worked with leaders globally and was the recipient of the 2024 Female Executive Leaders Award and QUT MBA Scholarship.
Emily Creak
Principal Lawyer
Page Seager Lawyers
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Emily Creak is a Principal Lawyer at Page Seager, specialising in employment and industrial relations law.
She works alongside HR practitioners and organisational leaders on workplace issues that are complex, sensitive or high stakes. These are often situations where there is no obvious answer and a range of competing considerations.
Emily helps clients find a path through difficult issues by balancing legal risk, organisational objectives and the practical realities of managing people.
Georgia Edge
Founder and CEO
Habits of Mind
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Georgia Edge is the founder of Habits of Mind, a compliance training company focused on building safer, more accountable workplace cultures. Working with organisations including REA Group, Cochlear and Stockland, she helps People and Culture, Legal, Safety and Risk leaders move beyond compliance completion rates to create meaningful behavioural change. In partnership with Lander & Rogers, Georgia develops compliance training that strengthens speak-up cultures and supports safer workplaces.
Derek Humphery-Smith
Partner and Head of International
Lander & Rogers
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Derek Humphery-Smith leads Lander & Rogers’ international practice and serves as Relationship Partner for the Victorian Government. He has been recognised in Best Lawyers in Australia for expertise in Labour and Employment Law and Occupational Health and Safety Law since 2008. Derek is Chair of TerraLex, one of the world’s largest independent law firm networks, and Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce in Victoria.
Lisel Allen CPHR
Director
Cultivate People and Culture
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With over 20 years’ experience in people leadership, Lisel is a values-driven, people-centred leader passionate about helping individuals and teams grow. Her down-to-earth approach, curiosity and humour enable her to build strong relationships and trust, empowering people at all levels to create meaningful and sustainable change.
Laura Papiccio MAHRI
Business Projects and Benefits Realisation Manager
Federal Group
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Laura Papiccio MBA, MACS, MAHRI, is a change and transformation leader with a background in People & Culture. In her current work with Federal Group, Laura turns strategy into practical business transformation, leading complex change across people, processes and technology. Her focus includes digital transformation, AI implementation and building the organisational capability needed to realise lasting business value.
Laura is Vice Chair of the Tasmanian Branch Executive Committee of the Australian Computer Society, where she helps shape the branch’s strategic direction and advocates for Tasmania’s technology community.
Sara Pateraki
Service Design Practitioner
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Sara has 15 years’ experience across the private and public sectors, working across diverse service needs and contexts. Her work spans research, service design, strategy and project management, with a focus on understanding people’s needs and bringing human perspectives into the design and improvement of services.
She is particularly interested in how organisations approach change and how people can be meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.
Sara currently works in the Australian Government and is a co-founder of .Centred Tasmania, a community of human-centred design practitioners focused on connecting people, sharing knowledge, and strengthening design practice across the state.
Dr William Vuk Despotovic
Senior Lecturer
Griffith Business School, Griffith University
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Dr William Despotovic is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management at Griffith Business School. His research and teaching spans human resource management, workforce development and the future of work, with a particular focus on employability and how universities can prepare graduates for changing workplaces through adaptability, capability development, peer learning and emerging technologies such as generative AI.
Veronica Merry MAHRI
Director and founder
Leadership Voice
Read bio
Veronica Merry is the Founder of Leadership Voice, and an Organisation Development consultant, facilitator and executive coach with more than 25 years’ experience helping leaders and organisations navigate complexity and change. She specialises in leadership, culture, strategy and organisation development, combining evidence-informed practice with practical insights to help leaders strengthen capability, navigate challenges and drive meaningful organisational outcome.
Angie Everingham CPHR
Manager People & Culture
City of Hobart
Read bio
Angie Everingham is the Manager of People & Culture at the City of Hobart. She is an experienced people and culture leader with more than 20 years‘ engagement across diverse sectors. An AHRI mentor and Vice President of the AHRI Tasmania State Council, Angie is passionate about practical, people-centred HR, workplace wellbeing and building great organisational cultures.
Veema Mooniapah
Consultant – Strategy and Policy/Published Writer
Read bio
Veema is a published writer, inclusive leader and advocate for equity, belonging, and human-centred workplaces, with more than 20 years’ international and Australian experience across government, non-government and community sectors. Born and raised in Mauritius, a vibrant melting pot of cultures, Veema brings an intersectional perspective shaped by migration, resilience, cultural diversity and a deep commitment to social justice.
Roman Ružbacký MAHRI
Principal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant
Roman Ruzbacky & Associates
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Roman is an experienced diversity, equity, inclusion leader, practitioner and Principal DEI Consultant at Roman Ruzbacky & Associates. He worked in the research, university and the public sector in a number of DEI roles. He specialises in diversity data literacy, gender equity and DEI practice. In 2024, he co-authored the Fearless DEI Practitioner.
Carolina Bouten MAHRI
Principal – Organisational Development
City of Hobart
Read bio
Dr Carolina Bouten leads organisational development at the City of Hobart, specialising in management capability and team dynamics. Her experience spans facilitation, learning design, coaching, and consulting across public, private and community sectors. She combines international experience and academic insight to help managers and teams build respectful, inclusive working relationships.
Dr Nathan Jones
Director
EQ6 Global
Read bio
Dr Nathan Jones is a keynote speaker and experimental psychologist shaping the future of emotional intelligence. His work offers practical wisdom on how leaders navigate emotion, make decisions under pressure, and build psychologically safe cultures at work and beyond. Holding a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Adelaide University, his doctoral research – The Colour of Emotion – proposed a data-driven approach to emotional intelligence designed for the digital age.
Over the past decade, Nathan’s work has been featured in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, ABC Radio, and SiriusXM across the USA. He has spoken at global events including SXSW, TEDx, and the World Congress on Positive Psychology.