Agenda
WEDNESDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2025

Conference agenda
Interactive session topics

8.00am

Registration

9.00am

Opening address

Aditi Sharma Kalra

Aditi Sharma Kalra

Editor-in-chief

Human Resources Online

9.20am

[Opening keynote]

Installing a ‘safe space’ sign is not enough: Why psychological safety needs to be hardwired into workplace culture

When the business environment is volatile – driven by geopolitical instability, trade disruptions, and economic shifts – businesses must pivot quickly. In such settings, psychological safety is what allows employees to surface issues, test ideas, and learn fast, especially with RTO (return to office) policies in place.

In this opening keynote session, let’s find out how psychological safety is the number one predictor of high-performing teams, and how it can transform vulnerability into a powerful tool for strengthening culture.

Our speaker will discuss:

  • Ways to confront entrenched workplace issues, such as interactions, processes, and leadership behaviours, that often go unspoken but deeply influence team dynamics.
  • Creating environments where vulnerability is protected, not punished: How leaders & managers can integrate psychological safety into their behaviours.
  • Incorporating a human-centric systems approach: The importance of listening and acknowledging diverse emotional needs to build trust and reduce stigma.
Tan Toi Chia

Tan Toi Chia

Chief, People, Organisation and Communications

StarHub

10.00am

[Keynote]

A growing mental health crisis: Addressing the threat to workforce productivity

The world is facing a mental health crisis. This keynote reviews the findings from the APAC/Singapore Mental Health Index specifically the impact of mental unwellness on work productivity and what can be done to address this.

Highlights of this keynote:  

  • The importance of looking at the right data for organisational wide decisions on improving employee wellness. 
  • The overlooked costs of mental health struggles – such as isolation – on workforce productivity, and what can be done about it. 
  • Biggest barriers to implementing impactful workplace health initiatives, and how organisations can address skepticism from both leadership and employees. 

      Speakers:

      Haider Amir

      Haider Amir

      Director, Asia

      TELUS Health

      Wynne Wee

      Wynne Wee

      Vice President, Asia Pacific

      Workplace Options (a TELUS Health company)

      10.40am

      Morning break

      11.10am

      [Panel discussion]

      From lip service to leadership: Demonstrating the business value of wellbeing initiatives

      When HR leaders can clearly communicate why wellbeing matters to the business and to people, it signals authenticity and helps embed wellbeing into the company culture, and not just as an HR policy.

      However, unlike revenue or productivity, wellbeing ROI is often indirect and long-term, making it hard for leaders to present a clear business case. As such, it is often still considered a ‘soft’ initiative – when the reality is that wellbeing has a financial cost if neglected, and a measurable return if implemented properly.

      Let’s come together to discuss how to move wellbeing away from reactive or cosmetic efforts toward a core business and people priority.

      • Making the business case: Identifying the metrics that can demonstrate the tangible benefits of wellbeing initiatives.
      • Leadership buy-in: Strategies to shift senior management’s perception of wellbeing from a ‘soft’ initiative to a strategic necessity.
      • Addressing structural issues: Are we designing jobs and workflows that promote wellbeing, or are we simply offering perks to offset unhealthy workloads?

      Panellists:

      Carrie Tan

      Carrie Tan

      Director, People & Culture

      Carlsberg Singapore

      Theodoric Chew

      Theodoric Chew

      CEO and Co-founder

      Intellect

      Todd Crane

      Todd Crane

      Regional Account Manager

      Technogym APAC

      Moderator:

      Tricia Duran

      Tricia Duran

      Head of HR, South East Asia & Taiwan

      Haleon

      11.50am

      [Interactive discussion #1 of 3]

      You’ll be engaged in three roundtable discussions throughout the day, each topic led by a zone host. Topics include balancing AI with empathy in employee wellness, upskilling managers to lead with care and clarity, why flex benefit schemes never go out of style. Click here to find out more about each topic, and to meet the zone host.

      12.30pm

      Networking lunch

      1.30pm

      [Panel discussion]
      Parents under pressure: Why family-focused support must be a core pillar of wellbeing

      With 41% of working parents reporting they’re too stressed to function on most days – more than double the rate of non-parents – family-related stress is fast emerging as a critical blind spot in corporate wellbeing strategies.

      This session shines a spotlight on:

      • The unmet needs of working parents and dependents,
      • Why family-focused wellbeing can no longer be treated as an afterthought,
      • How progressive employers are closing this gap – rethinking policies, benefits, and support systems to better align with the realities of today’s workforce.

      Join us as we unpack the data, challenge assumptions, and make the case for why inclusive parent support isn’t just a nice-to-have, but an essential lever for engagement, productivity, and retention in an evolving talent landscape.

      If you employ parents, this session isn’t optional. It’s overdue.

      Speakers:

      Priyanka Murthy

      Priyanka Murthy

      HR Strategy and Solutions, specialising in Change Management, Organisation Design & Development, and Workforce Planning

      3M

      Dr. Amy Reale

      Dr. Amy Reale

      Chief Clinical Officer

      Nightingale

      Penny Chen

      Penny Chen

      HR Director, APAC

      Wargaming

      Moderator:

      Amanda Lam

      Amanda Lam

      Senior Director & Head of People – SEA

      Edelman

      2.10pm

      [Interactive discussion #2 of 3]

      You’ll be engaged in three roundtable discussions throughout the day, each topic led by a zone host. Topics include balancing AI with empathy in employee wellness, upskilling managers to lead with care and clarity, why flex benefit schemes never go out of style. Click here to find out more about each topic, and to meet the zone host.

      2.50pm

      Afternoon break

      3.20pm

      [Interactive discussion #3 of 3]

      You’ll be engaged in three roundtable discussions throughout the day, each topic led by a zone host. Topics include balancing AI with empathy in employee wellness, upskilling managers to lead with care and clarity, why flex benefit schemes never go out of style. Click here to find out more about each topic, and to meet the zone host.

      4.00pm

      [Panel discussion]
      Change is constant and it’s making people tired: The value of resilience as a business-critical capability

      Organisational change is no longer episodic – it’s continuous. For both leaders and employees, this constant churn and redoing of business models is mentally and emotionally taxing. According to 2023 research, over 70% of transformations fail, and one of the top reasons is employee resistance and change fatigue.

      The emerging solution is leaning towards cultivating a resilient workforce – one that copes better with ambiguity and pressure; stays engaged longer during transitions; and helps reinforce cultural stability when everything else is shifting.

      In this panel discussion, we will unearth how to prioritise resilience-building in the workforce to achieve transformation goals.

      Topics of discussion include:

      • Emotional resilience during change: Strategies to support employees through emotional shifts, role transitions, and feelings of uncertainty during organisational change.
      • Integrating wellbeing into change management: Creating systems that stabilise teams with transparent communication, inclusive decision-making, and scalable support mechanisms.
      • Fostering emotional literacy: Cultivating self-awareness and adaptability to ensure employees thrive.

      Panellists:

      Ozge Yurtsever

      Ozge Yurtsever

      HR Head Southeast Asia

      Ferring Pharmaceuticals

      Keh Seng Ann Anthony

      Keh Seng Ann Anthony

      Vice President, Group Human Resources, Group Head of Talent Acquisition & Employee Experience

      Certis Group

      Jamie Ong

      Jamie Ong

      People and Communication Leader - Supply Chain Southeast Asia and Freight Management Asia

      HAVI

      Moderator:

      Meenakshree Nanda

      Meenakshree Nanda

      Director – Wellbeing, Inclusion & Diversity – APAC Region

      DP World

      4.40pm

      Closing remarks

      Aditi Sharma Kalra

      Aditi Sharma Kalra

      Editor-in-chief

      Human Resources Online

      5.00pm

      End of Corporate Wellbeing Asia 2025

      Interactive session topics

      Interactive Topic #1

      AI in corporate wellbeing: It’s not just about chatbots

      AI is everywhere now but how are organisations using it to improve their employees’ wellbeing? In this roundtable, we’ll have a grounded, honest discussion about how AI is reshaping corporate wellbeing.

      We’ll explore:

      • What AI can and cannot do in mental health,
      • How to implement AI tools with data protection, privacy, and ethics,
      • Ways to use AI to fill gaps in EAP accessibility and personalising mental health pathways.

       

      If an EAP refresh is on your radar for 2026, this session will offer the clarity you need to move from concept to action – minus the hype.

      Track 1 – Zone host:
      Keith Wang

      Keith Wang

      Founder and CEO

      Nightingale

      Track 2 – Zone host:

      Radhika Bahadur Bhushan

      Radhika Bahadur Bhushan

      Head of People Experience (SEAA)

      Unilever

      Interactive Topic #2

      Wellbeing begins with one-on-ones: Upskilling managers to lead with care and clarity

      People managers are on the frontlines of employee wellbeing, but many feel underprepared to handle it. Empowering managers to detect stress early, breaking mental health stigma through open dialogue, and fostering employee accountability for personal wellbeing are critical steps toward this mission of better equipping the ecosystem for such conversations. After all, corporate wellbeing thrives when people managers, employees, and organisations share responsibility in creating a supportive environment.

      In this interactive discussion, talkpoints include:

      • From deliverables to human connection: Redefining the manager’s role from task-owners to emotional anchors who can build relational trust within teams.
      • Spotting the silent signals: Early detection of distress (e.g., tone, withdrawal, disengagement) that managers could be trained to act upon.
      • Fostering shared responsibility: The importance of empowering employees to take ownership of their wellbeing.

      Track 1 – Zone host:

      Terrence He

      Terrence He

      Regional HR Business Partner, Asia Pacific

      Booking.com

      Track 2 – Zone host:

      Kathleen Kee

      Kathleen Kee

      VP HR – EMEA & Asia

      Santen Pharmaceutical

      Interactive Topic #3

      Move more, work better: How exercise boosts employee wellbeing & performance

      Exercise is not just about fitness, but also about wellbeing, energy, and business impact. The way we move — or don’t move — shows up in our productivity, creativity, and even our company’s bottom line.

      In this interactive discussion session, delegates will be led in a discussion that will:  

      • Ways to encourage employers and employees to take shared accountability for creating a culture of support.
      • Show the tangible benefits of exercise beyond physical health: stress reduction, sharper focus, improved mood, lower sick leave, and higher productivity.
      • Position exercise as a workplace benefit, rather than just a personal choice.

      Track 1 – Zone hosts:

      Todd Crane

      Todd Crane

      Regional Account Manager

      Technogym APAC

      Michelle Lim

      Michelle Lim

      Wellness Consultant – Health, Corporate and Performance

      Technogym Singapore

      Track 2 – Zone host:

      Erinna Khoo

      Erinna Khoo

      Senior Manager, Global Benefits & Wellbeing

      Seagate Technology