DETAILLED AGENDA

CONVENIENT | TIME EFFECTIVE | ACTIONABLE

Since inception in 2012, the HR Leadership Summit has gained an outstanding reputation for presenting, year after year,  an line-up of exceptional speakers – inspiring CHROs, influential HR trailblazers, maverick forward-thinkers and visionary industry experts. Learn from those who are harnessing the power of  talent centricity and organizational effectiveness to definitely change the rules of the business, societal and human game, well beyond the traditional perimeters.

13:00 – 13:30

WELCOME – REGISTRATION

Guests are welcome to join from 12:30 onwards. Once you have got your badge, enjoy a drink and meet + connect with peers before the Summit starts.

This will also be the opportunity to review the program and select the sessions you find the most appealing to you.

13:30 – 15:00

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES (PART 1)

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Through a plenary set up, a first selection of keynote speakers will set the scenes of the Summit 2026 with a practical and enlightening tone.

Keynote speakers and panelists will share their respective views on what HR Leaders should operate to redefine their value proposition, and which HR assets should be re-invented or at last optimized to generate measurable value. They will also challenge how to build critical capabilities outside the conventional spheres. Moreover, they will envision where to go on the offensive to ignite workforce engagement and amplify employee experience.

Keynote 1 

FROM TENSIONS TO TIPPING POINTS: RE-INVENTING THE HR VALUE PROPOSITION

Control or empowerment? Stability or agility? Automation or augmentation? Today, HR organizations are no longer just trying to help balancing competing forces, they are standing at a tipping point.

What intentional choices can organizations make to adapt their HR value proposition continuously,  with speed, and by keeping a human edge?

Keynote Speakers: Annelies Verbruggen, Organization & Work Transformation Leader, Deloitte | Tom Verstraete, Human Capital AI Leader, Deloitte


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Keynote 2 

REDUCING WORKFORCE COSTS: LOOKING BEYOND HR !

What measurable value and long-term return do HR costs really deliver to an organization? Optimising employment costs means looking well beyond salaries, benefits, or headcount reduction. Instead, processes, systems and external partnerships largely reveal huge, valuable opportunities for better efficiency, productivity and cost containment.

Keynote Speakers: Dirk Heirman, Managing Partner, DHR Partners| Alexandra Lemmens, Chief Financial Officer, Manpower Group | Others to be confirmed soon.


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Keynote 3 

ORCHESTRATING THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN AI AND EMPLOYEES: THE SOLVAY CASE

Solvay is actively integrating Microsoft Copilot and generative AI technologies into its corporate workflows and digital ecosystem. The company uses AI as part of its ongoing operational excellence strategy to not only increase people productivity, but also to modernize day-to-day work environment tasks. The implementation journey is accompanied by a huge program aimed at familiarizing 8.000 employees across 4 continents with Copilot and within a fair workplace culture regarding artificial intelligence.

Keynote Speakers: Laurence Cornet, Global Head of Talent & Culture, Solvay | Marie Vandenberghe, Chief Executive Officer, Quality Training

15:00 – 16:45

CHRO MASTER CLASSES

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Every year, the program of the HR Leadership Summit includes a series of top-level Master Classes that deliver both strategic insight and critical nuance on emerging trends, new technologies, inspiring cases, etc.

Held in 3 streams of parallel sessions and in partnership with leading providers, Master classes combine vision, expertise and guidance in an easily digestible and time-convenient format.

Explore the program below and select the master classes of your choice!

Stream 1  ||  15:05 – 15:35  ||  Master Class MC1.1  ||  Organized with Deloitte

HARMONIZING OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS : FROM LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES

The landscape of pensions and employee benefits is changing fast. With people living longer and lower birth rates, the number of retirees compared to those working is expected to rise to 37% by 2040 in Belgium. This puts significant pressure not just on the public pension system, but also on employers as occupational pensions – those organized by them – are becoming increasingly important. This Matser Class will examine how HR leaders can turn the harmonization of occupational pensions for blue and white-collar workers into a fair, future-proof and value creating HR & reward strategy.

Master: Nathalie Montoisy, Global Employer Services Manager, Deloitte


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Stream 1  ||  15:05 – 15:35  ||  Master Class MC1.2  ||  Organized with Partena Professional

THE NEW HR VALUE PROPOSITION: LEADING WORK, TALENT & BUSINESS REINVENTION IN THE AGE OF AI

AI isn’t just upgrading HR — it’s redefining HR’s core value. While many organisations still focus on chatbots, automated screening or smart learning platforms, the real disruption is far bigger. AI is reshaping how work gets done, how expertise is built, how organisations operate and how business models evolve. This masterclass will cut through the noise and tackles AI’s impact through four high‑stakes lenses:

  • AI inside HR — Efficiency is mandatory, but not enough. HR must accelerate adoption to stay credible
  • AI transforms work, not jobs — AI automates tasks, not roles. The real value comes from redesigning workflows, job architectures and operating models.
  • AI flips talent management upside down — When AI takes over junior tasks, traditional talent pipelines collapse.
  • AI as a business model engine — The winners will be the ones that use AI to reinvent their value proposition, not to make work faster

Master: Bert Van Rompaey, Founder, Sphere-Work (Partena Professional)


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Stream 1  ||  15:05 – 15:35  ||  Master Class MC1.3  ||  Organized with Gaming1

CAREER LADDER TECHNOLOGY: TOWARDS A TOTAL HR TRANSFORMATION AND NEW VALUE PROPOSITION

Winning Case HR Excellence Awards 2026 – Best Employer Organizations

Gaming1 is a major actor in technology and both landbased and online entertainment. HR has been designated to drive a complete tranformation project that endorses 4 critical pillars: business impact, adaptability/agility, leadership, and business/technical knowledge. With a direct link to
compensation, it must serve as a people development tool, increase transparency of the overall skills set, and enable stronger succession planning, career growth, and targeted recruitment plans.

Master: Steven Scheers, Chief Transformation & HR Officer, Gaming1

Stream 2  ||  15:40 – 16:10  ||  Master Class MC2.1  ||  Organized with Deloitte

HARMONIZING OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS : FROM LEGAL OBLIGATIONS TO STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES

The landscape of pensions and employee benefits is changing fast. With people living longer and lower birth rates, the number of retirees compared to those working is expected to rise to 37% by 2040 in Belgium. This puts significant pressure not just on the public pension system, but also on employers as occupational pensions – those organized by them – are becoming increasingly important. This Matser Class will examine how HR leaders can turn the harmonization of occupational pensions for blue and white-collar workers into a fair, future-proof and value creating HR & reward strategy.

Master: Nathalie Montoisy, Global Employer Services Manager, Deloitte


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Stream 2  ||  15:40 – 16:10  ||  Master Class MC2.2  ||  Organized with Humind Consulting

BEFORE THE BOXES: HOW STRUCTURE DRIVES STRATEGY

Organisation design as a strategic lever for HR

If your last reorg started the day someone drew the new chart, you’re not alone. But that’s usually too late. By then, the real decisions have already been made by default, not on purpose. Too often, HR gets called in once the structure is decided, instead of shaping it from day one.

Organisation design isn’t (only) the org chart. It’s what comes before it: getting clear on what the organisation needs to do to deliver its strategy, and where structure can enable that. Done well, it’s one of the most direct levers a business has for creating value, differentiating on the market, faster decisions, less duplicated effort, capacity freed up for what actually matters. Skip that step, and you’re just redesigning symptoms, not causes.

This master class will be a chance to step back and think through what organisation design really means, how it connects to real business problems and business value, and what role HR can play.

Masters: Caroline Modave, Managing Partner, Humind Consulting | Annelies Reul, Strategy & Transformation Consultant, Humind Consulting


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Stream 2  ||  15:40 – 16:10  ||  Master Class MC2.3  ||  Organized with P&V Group

SWEET SIXTY: WHEN INCLUSION & WELLBEING DRIVE THE HR VALUE PROPOSITION TO THE NEXT LEVEL 

Winning Case HR Excellence Awards 2026 – Best Employer Organizations

18 months ago, the P&V Group engaged the Community Inclusion & Wellbeing program with the purpose to enable employees to develop their own well-being and inclusion initiatives to be aligned with their daily realities rather than being driven from the top down. Moreover, the program also aims at supporting senior employees to keep motivated, engaged, and employable right up to retirement. This master class will details the major elements of this outstanding initiative, the key lessons learned, and how inclusion and wellbeing may act as a real strategic element of the P&V’s HR value proposition.

This master class will held in Dutch and French.

Master: Marleen Van den Ameele, Wellbeing & Inclusion Expert, P&V Group

Stream 3  ||  16:15 – 16:45  ||  Master Class MC3.1  ||  Organized with Partena Professional

THE NEW HR VALUE PROPOSITION: LEADING WORK, TALENT & BUSINESS REINVENTION IN THE AGE OF AI

AI isn’t just upgrading HR — it’s redefining HR’s core value. While many organisations still focus on chatbots, automated screening or smart learning platforms, the real disruption is far bigger. AI is reshaping how work gets done, how expertise is built, how organisations operate and how business models evolve. This masterclass will cut through the noise and tackles AI’s impact through four high‑stakes lenses:

  • AI inside HR — Efficiency is mandatory, but not enough. HR must accelerate adoption to stay credible
  • AI transforms work, not jobs — AI automates tasks, not roles. The real value comes from redesigning workflows, job architectures and operating models.
  • AI flips talent management upside down — When AI takes over junior tasks, traditional talent pipelines collapse.
  • AI as a business model engine — The winners will be the ones that use AI to reinvent their value proposition, not to make work faster

Master: Bert Van Rompaey, Founder, Sphere-Work (Partena Professional)


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Stream 3  ||  16:15 – 16:45  ||  Master Class MC3.2  ||  Organized with Humind Consulting

BEFORE THE BOXES: HOW STRUCTURE DRIVES STRATEGY

Organisation design as a strategic lever for HR

If your last reorg started the day someone drew the new chart, you’re not alone. But that’s usually too late. By then, the real decisions have already been made by default, not on purpose. Too often, HR gets called in once the structure is decided, instead of shaping it from day one.

Organisation design isn’t (only) the org chart. It’s what comes before it: getting clear on what the organisation needs to do to deliver its strategy, and where structure can enable that. Done well, it’s one of the most direct levers a business has for creating value, differentiating on the market, faster decisions, less duplicated effort, capacity freed up for what actually matters. Skip that step, and you’re just redesigning symptoms, not causes.

This master class will be a chance to step back and think through what organisation design really means, how it connects to real business problems and business value, and what role HR can play.

Masters: Caroline Modave, Managing Partner, Humind Consulting | Annelies Reul, Strategy & Transformation Consultant, Humind Consulting


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Stream 3  ||  16:15 – 16:45  ||  Master Class MC3.3  ||  Organized with Holcim

GO4ZERO ACADEMY: UPSKILLING FOR A NET-ZERO FUTURE

Winning Case HR Excellence Awards 2026 – Best Employer Organizations

GO4ZERO aspires to be a catalyst for substantial change in the decarbonization journey of the Belgian construction industry. Led by Holcim Belgium, it involves substantial investments to guarantee unprecedented operational, economical and environmental performances. As the foundation of the project, HR implemented a the GO4ZERO Academy consisting of 44,000-hour training journey spanning 3 years to ensure all employees are well prepared to master the new plant from a technical, behavorial and safety perspective. This master class will illustrate how a net-zero transition can become an outstanding catalyst to face of radical societal change, and deliver a strong blueprint for the worker of the future.

Master: Inès de Meirsman, Chief People Officer, Holcim Belgium

16:45 – 17:15

CHRO ZONE

NETWORKING & MEETUP TIME

17:15 – 19:45

KEYNOTE ADDRESSES (PART 2)

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Guests will come back in plenary set up for a second selection of inspiring keynote speakers and panelists.

Keynote speakers and panelists will share their respective views on what HR Leaders should operate today to redefine their value proposition, and which HR assets should be optimized to generate measurable value. They will also challenge how to build critical new skills and digital capabilities outside the conventional spheres. Moreover, they will envision where to go on the offensive to ignite workforce engagement, and amplify employee experience.

This second part of the plenary program is organized in VIP roundtables while participants will enjoy a light dinner with a selection of wines.

Keynote 4 

THE RISE OF THE AI COACH: HR DREAM OR NIGHTMARE?

Keynote Speakers: Jurgen Heyman, Corporate VP, SPI Europe; Ambassador Hub Antwerp ICF Belgium | Miguel Candelas, President, ICF Belgium


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Keynote 5 

FROM AUTOMATION TO EVIDENCE-BASED: CORE PILLARS OF AN AI-INFUSED HR STRATEGY

Artificial intelligence is much more than just automating routine tasks. When smartly deployed as an AI-infused HR strategy, it has the real power to provide new layers of judgment, planning, control, and evidence-based decision-making. From predictive attrition & retention to forecasting needs to staffing adjustments to targeted re/upskilling to compensation optimization, a smart AI-infused strategy augments HR judgment, HR governance and HR accountability to levels unreached before. More than a journey towards efficiency, AI-infused HR strategy is about delivering a brand new HR value proposition.

Keynote Speaker: Sven Rymenans, Founder, eXcavate


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Reflection Time & Meal 

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AND EXPERIENCE SHARING

Enjoy a reflection break to share views with peers at your VIP table, challenge respective views, comment on the last keynotes, share experiences and refine your beliefs while enjoying a light dinner with appetizers and a selection of wines.


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Keynote 6 

BUILDING THE NEW HR VALUE PROPOSITION TO FACE PIVOTAL TIMES

When the world continues to move at lightspeed and in a completely unpredictable way, this CHRO discussion at the highest level will explore why and how HR should rebuild their value proposition to face pivotal times and comply with the new AI-driven, geopolitically complex, economically unpredictable, work-reinvented, and inclusion-led world. Next to this, it will stress out  how to reconsider technology, talents, and work models to bring agility, innovation and employee experience at levels never reached before.

Keynote Speakers: Anette Böhm, Chief HR Officer, BNODE | Arne Bogaerts, Head of People & Culture Europe, Ravago; NewGen HR Leader of the Year 2026 | Nathalie Strynckx, Chief HR Officer, Willemen Group | Edyta Gorecka, Chief HR Officer, Proximus Global | Nicole Parisis, Chief HR Officer, EIT Food


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19:45 – 20:45

CHRO ZONE

COCKTAIL | NETWORKING | MEETUP TIME