NEXT Program Overview
Plan your own schedule to learn from a wide selection of experts in HR and business as we look past the now and focus on NEXT.
Tuesday 8 August
NEXT Check in
From 7.45am
DELEGATE REGISTRATION AND EXHIBITION OPENS - CONNECT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES FOR MORNING TEA OR COFFEE
NEXT Keynote
8.30am – 10.10am
1: A New Social Contract for Teams
Keith Ferrazzi, Entrepreneur and global thought leader in the relational and collaborative sciences
NEXT Recharge
10.10am – 11.00am
Join us for morning tea in the exhibition hall to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Insight
11.00 am – 11.50 am
1A: Shorter working weeks: The future or impossible fantasy
Shruti Ganeriwala, Head of HR, Unilever ANZ
Greg Keith, CEO Grant Thornton
Emma Lowes, General Manager People and Performance, Standards Australia
Donna McGeorge, Global authority on productivity and bestselling author
1b: The influence of generative AI on employment and wellbeing
Dr Sean Gallagher, Director of the Centre for the New Workforce at Swinburne University
NEXT Deep-Dive
11.00am – 12.45pm
1C The impact of hybrid on our brains (and the implications for leadership)
Peter Burow, Founding Partner and Chairman, NeuroPower Group
NEXT Insight
11.55am – 12.45pm 
2a: Balancing business requirements and changing employee expectations
Ruby Anandajayasekeram, Global Diversity Equity & Inclusion Excellence Advisor, Shell
Mofoluwaso Ilevbare CPHR, Chief People Officer, Allied Pinnacle
Sarah Schmalz, Human Resources Director – ANZ, Kimberly-Clark
Clare Murphy FCPHR, Executive Director – Organisational Enablement, EACH
2b: Achieving optimal performance
Aaron McEwan FAHRI, VP, Research & Advisory, Gartner
NEXT Recharge
12.45pm – 1.45pm
Join us for lunch in the exhibition hall to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Insight
1.45pm – 2.35pm
3a: DRIVING THE DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION AGENDA, AND MEANINGFUL CHANGEÂ
Elizabeth Griffin FCPHR, Principal, Complexity ConsultingÂ
Fiona Krautil, D&I Lead, Uniting NSW ACT
Mathew Paine FCPHR, Executive General Manager – People and Culture, Australian Financial Complaints Authority
Dr Michelle Phipps FCPHR, AHRI Director and DEI Advisory Committee Chair, and Chief People Officer, VetPartnersÂ
3B: HOW TO MINIMIZE PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS AND SUPERCHARGE WELLBEING
Dr Michelle McQuaid, Author and Founder of The Wellbeing LabÂ
NEXT Deep-Dive
1.45pm – 3.35pm
3C: Build adaptive capacity for your people, your organisation, and yourself
Donna McGeorge, Global authority on productivity and bestselling author
NEXT Insight
2.40pm – 3.35pm
4A: COMPLIANCE IN THE NEW WORLD OF WORKPLACE RELATIONS: SAFEGUARDING YOURSELF, YOUR ORGANISATION AND YOUR EMPLOYEES
Sarah Queenan FCPHR, Founder and Managing Director, Humanify HR
Nick Ruskin CAHRI, Partner, K&L Gates
Susan Sadler CPHR, State Director SA, AHRI | CEO, Red Wagon Workplace Solutions
Jonathon Woolfrey FCPHR, Director and State Director WA, AHRI |Managing Partner, Talenting
Donna Young MAHRI, Group Employee Relations Director, Accenture Australia and New Zealand
4B: CULTURE: LIFTING HR’S ROLE FROM FRENETIC FIRST RESPONDER TO SUCCESS ARCHITECT
Rhonda Brighton-Hall FCPHR, Founder and CEO, mwah – Making Work Absolutely Human
James Hancock MAHRI, Co-Founder and Managing Director, mwah – Making Work Absolutely Human
NEXT Recharge
3.35pm – 4.05pm
Join us for afternoon tea in the exhibition hall to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Keynote
4.05pm – 4.50pm
2: Rebellious curiosity
Yemi Penn, Thought leader for transformation, productivity, diversity and inclusion 
NEXT Social
6.30pm – 11.30pm
Celebrate with friends and colleagues as we mark this milestone occasion with cocktails, party food and dancing!
Wednesday 9 August
NEXT Check in
From 8.30am
CONNECT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES FOR MORNING TEA OR COFFEE
NEXT Keynote
8.45am – 10.10am
3: Disrupting HR for a disrupted world
Lucy Adams, CEO, Disruptive HR 
NEXT Recharge
10.10am – 11.00am
Join us for morning tea in the exhibition hall to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Insight
11.00am – 11.50am
5A: UNIONS, REGULATORS AND EMPLOYERS: KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
Sarah Queenan FCPHR, Founder and Managing Director, Humanify HR
Nick Ruskin CAHRI, Partner, K&L Gates
Susan Sadler CPHR, SA State President, AHRI | CEO, Red Wagon Workplace Solutions
Donna Young MAHRI, Group Employee Relations Director, Accenture Australia and New ZealandÂ
5B: PEOPLE ANALYTICS – THE SECRET TO SUCCESS
Richard Rosenow, VP People Analytics Strategy, One Model
NEXT Deep-Dive
11.00am – 12.45pm
5C: Head and heart: The art of modern leadership
Dr Kirstin Ferguson AM, Author, Columnist and Company Director
NEXT Insight
11.55am – 12.45pm
6a: Talent acquisition and reskilling in a slowing economy
Michael Bradfield, Director Talent Acquisition – Global Tech, Digital and DNA, adidas
Dr Ben Hamer CPHR, Director, AHRI | Chief Futurist, CreativeCubes.Co
Brenda Hawke, Senior Director, Talent and Organisational Development, Queensland Health
Hayley Lock MAHRI, Partner, KPMG
Mark Vickers, Talent Acquisition Director – Asia Pacific, Stanley Black & Decker
6b: Psychosocial safety: The critical role of HR in improving peoples experience of work
David Burroughs, Workplace Psychologist, Australian Psychological Services
NEXT Recharge
12.45pm – 1.45pm
Join us for lunch in the exhibition hall to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Keynote
1.45pm – 2.40pm
4: I, Human: AI, automation, and the quest to reclaim what makes us unique
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Chief Innovation Officer at Manpower Group, Co-founder of Deeper Signals and Metaprofiling, and Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University 
Speaker appearing via live stream
NEXT Keynote
2.45pm – 3.40pm
5: Aligning social purpose and business values: The vocal CEO
Craig Foster AM, Australian retired soccer player and human rights activist 
NEXT Networking Drinks
3.45pm – 5.00pm
Join us in the exhibition hall to connect and reflect on the last two days
Thursday 10 August
NEXT Masterclass
10.00am – 3.00pm
1: Competing in the new world of work
Keith Ferrazzi, Entrepreneur and global thought leader in the relational and collaborative sciences
This Masterclass is proudly sponsored by:
NEXT Masterclass
10.00am – 3.00pm
2: Disrupting HR to create impact through strategic thinking and agility
Lucy Adams, CEO, Disruptive HR
This Masterclass is proudly sponsored by:
NEXT Public Sector
Proudly sponsored by Mentem by UNSW
NEXT Keynote
9.15am – 10.15am
1: The Ethical Leader
James Comey, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation (2013–2017)
Speaker appearing via live stream
NEXT Recharge
10.15am – 10.45am
Join us for morning tea to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Insight
10.45am – 11.30am
2: The Ethics of Robodebt: Lessons in Leadership
Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM, Australian Public Service Commissioner
Rick Morton, Journalist and Author
NEXT Insight
11.35am – 12.20pm
3A: Australia's Economic Outlook and the Impact on the Public Sector
David Rumbens, Partner, Deloitte Access Economics
3B: Fostering a digital first mindset
David Guazzarotto, Pacific Leader, Digital HR & Technology Advisory Mercer Workforce Solutions
NEXT Recharge
12.20pm – 1.05pm
Join us for lunch to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Deep-Dive
1.05pm – 2.35pm
4A: Managing psychosocial risk in the public sector
Kathryn Dent CAHRI, Partner, HWL Ebsworth Lawyers
Dr Michelle McQuaid, Author and Founder of The Wellbeing Lab
Greg Vines, CEO, Comcare
4B: Recruiting and retaining a Public Sector workforce in a market economy: Defining the public sector value proposition
Mark Puncher, CEO, Employer Branding Australia
NEXT Recharge
2.35pm – 3.10pm
Join us for afternoon tea to connect with colleagues and refuel
NEXT Keynote
3.10pm – 3.55pm
5: Leading public sector workplace change
Ella McPherson, Deputy Commissioner/ Chief Operating Officer, Victorian Public Sector Commission
Chris Lamb FCPHR, Deputy Commissioner, NSW Public Service Commission
David Mackie, Commissioner, Queensland Public Sector Commission
Design your NEXT experience
Join other passionate HR leaders at AHRI’s National Convention and Exhibition 2023 and be part of what NEXT looks like.
Meet our NEXT supporters
AHRI acknowledges the support of our National Convention & Exhibition 2023 sponsors.
Principal Sponsor​
Associate Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
Meet all our 2023 sponsors.
Speak with our commercial team to discuss opportunities still available for 2023.
Level 2, 31 Queen Street
Melbourne
Victoria, 3000
Phone: 1300 811 880
Email: [email protected]
