Agenda
TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2026

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]

When nothing feels certain: Leading with clarity through change, pressure, and transition

Economic instability, geopolitical tensions, and ongoing restructuring are creating a deep sense of uncertainty for employees. Beyond workload or burnout, many are grappling with fears around job security, financial stability, and what the future holds.

However, employers often struggle to address these concerns transparently and humanely, and create conditions for people to stay engaged, resilient, and focused, even when the road ahead is complex.

Through this session, we will gain perspectives on:

  • The impact of job insecurity and financial anxiety on employee behaviour, trust, and performance, and how leaders can respond constructively.
  • Managing restructuring, difficult transitions, and organisational change with transparency, empathy, and structure.
  • Building resilience, emotional stability, and confidence in a workforce navigating constant uncertainty.

10.00am

[Presentation]

From firefighting to foresight: Using data to predict and prevent wellbeing risks

As organisations continue to invest in employee wellbeing, many are looking for more effective ways to understand what people need and to act before challenges escalate.

Workforce and health data can offer valuable early insight into patterns affecting energy, engagement, resilience and retention. The opportunity now lies in translating these insights into timely, targeted and responsible action that supports people and strengthens long-term organisational health.

In this discussion, we will uncover:

  • The early indicators hidden in workforce data that can help organisations identify emerging wellbeing needs.
  • How predictive insights can inform timely, targeted and practical wellbeing interventions.
  • How to balance proactive monitoring with the values of trust, ethics, transparency, and employee privacy.

10.40am

Morning break

11.10am

[Interactive discussion #1 of 3]

All conference participants will enjoy three rounds of interactive roundtable discussions held in each of your seating zones and moderated by a host. Topics will explore the impact of financial stress, leadership readiness, and delivering wellbeing impact in a cost-conscious environment. Make sure you participate in each of the three topics and benefit from peer-to-peer learning!

11.50am

[Panel discussion]

The personalisation gap: Delivering consumer-grade wellbeing for a complex workforce

Today’s workforce expects a “consumer-grade” experience, where support is personalised, timely, and relevant to their individual needs, much like the digital services they use in everyday life. However, achieving this level of personalisation across diverse markets and employee groups remains a significant operational and strategic challenge for HR leaders.

The conversation will centre on:

  • Rising expectations for personalised, on-demand support and what consumer-grade really means in the workplace.
  • Creating journeys that mirror the convenience, employees’ greater choice, and relevance across different life stages and needs like consumers.
  • Balancing global consistency with flexible, localised benefit design across markets.

Moderator:

Adrian Ole

Adrian Ole

Chief People Officer

Inchcape Shipping Services

12.30pm

Networking lunch

1.30pm

Speed networking

Straight after lunch, let’s get refreshed through this facilitated networking session designed to re-energise you as well as expand your professional network.

1.40pm

[Interactive discussion #2 of 3]

All conference participants will enjoy three rounds of interactive roundtable discussions held in each of your seating zones and moderated by a host. Topics will explore the impact of financial stress, leadership readiness, and delivering wellbeing impact in a cost-conscious environment. Make sure you participate in each of the three topics and benefit from peer-to-peer learning!

2.20pm

[Presentation]

Invest smarter, impact greater: Using workforce insights to design and deliver high-impact wellness programmes

With increasing pressure to justify wellbeing spend, people leaders can no longer rely on intuition, they need a clearer, data-driven way to decide what to invest in, who to target, and how to deliver impact.

This session explores how organisations can use workforce and health data to move beyond measurement, towards more targeted and effective wellbeing investment decisions that drive both employee outcomes and business value.

In this session, we will uncover:

  • How to use data to identify priority wellbeing needs and inform investment decisions.
  • Practical ways to prioritise high-impact programmes and allocate budgets more effectively.
  • How to optimise programme delivery through segmentation, targeting, and timing to improve utilisation and outcomes.

Speaker:

Dr. Riyaad Karriem

Dr. Riyaad Karriem

Asia Pacific Regional Medical Director

Chevron

2.50pm

Afternoon break

3.20pm

[Interactive discussion #3 of 3]

All conference participants will enjoy three rounds of interactive roundtable discussions held in each of your seating zones and moderated by a host. Topics will explore the impact of financial stress, leadership readiness, and delivering wellbeing impact in a cost-conscious environment. Make sure you participate in each of the three topics and benefit from peer-to-peer learning!

4.00pm

[Presentation]

Thrive by design: Repositioning wellbeing as a strategic capability for sustainable performance

For years, wellbeing has largely been positioned as a support function, focused on helping employees cope with stress, burnout and change. However, as organisations face accelerating AI disruption and growing uncertainty, a different approach is needed. The ability of people to adapt, innovate and perform sustainably is becoming a business imperative.

This session introduces an “Inside-Out, Outside-In” approach to wellbeing, showing how organisations can strengthen the inner capacity of leaders and employees while shaping the cultural and workplace conditions that enable people to thrive.

Let’s come together as we hear from our speaker on:

  • Understand why wellbeing is emerging as a core capability supporting resilience, adaptability and sustainable performance.
  • Strengthen the inner capacity of leaders and employees while fostering psychological safety, trust and human-centred leadership.
  • Design workplace conditions and cultures that enable people to thrive while delivering stronger business outcomes.

Speaker:

Chiz Hau Chang

Chiz Hau Chang

Deputy Director Employee Wellbeing

Nanyang Technological University 

4.30pm

Closing remarks

Aditi Sharma Kalra

Aditi Sharma Kalra

Editor-in-chief

Human Resources Online

4.45pm

End of Corporate Wellbeing Asia 2026

Interactive session topics

Interactive Topic #1

Financial stress is the new burnout: Addressing unseen pressures impacting performance

Rising living costs, complex tax environments, and economic uncertainty are placing growing pressure on employees, affecting not only their personal lives but also their focus, productivity, and engagement at work. The issue not only lies in environmental development, but that many employees struggle to fully understand or utilise the financial benefits already available to them,which limits the impact of employer support.

In this discussion, we will unpack:

  • The ripple effects of financial stress on focus, productivity, and decision-making.
  • Why existing benefits (insurance, retirement plans, tax support) are often underutilised or misunderstood.
  • Building practical, localised financial wellbeing strategies that go beyond education into real behavioural change

Interactive Topic #2

Promoted for performance, stretched by people’s needs: Building leadership’s capability for wellbeing expectations

Many people leaders have been promoted based on technical delivery, not their ability to support others. This has created a growing disconnect, where employees are asking for support that managers feel unprepared, uncomfortable, or unequipped to provide.

Let’s find out:

  • Why the widening gap between employee openness and leader readiness is intensifying.
  • Moments where managers struggle most, such as difficult conversations, emotional distress, and boundary-setting.
  • Practical ways to build “people-care capability” without overloading already stretched leaders.

Interactive Topic #3

High impact, low budget: Rethinking wellbeing for a cost-conscious reality

With shrinking budgets and rising expectations, HR teams are being asked to deliver meaningful wellbeing outcomes with fewer resources. Many are urged to sustain programmes without increasing spend, leading to concerns about dilution of impact. The real challenge is not doing more but doing what matters most.

In this session, we will explore how leaders can maintain a strong focus on employee wellbeing while responding to business demands by discussing:

  • How to prioritise high-impact initiatives and eliminate low-value activities.
  • Building internal capability instead of over-relying on external vendors and external marketplaces.
  • Leveraging partnerships, AI, and shared services to scale efficiently.
Desiree Tan

Desiree Tan

Director, Human Resources

Ubisoft​