DAY 2 | 17 SEPTEMBER 2026

8:00 AM

Registration

9:00 AM

Opening address

Driving change readiness

9:20 AM

[Keynote presentation]
The superworker era: How L&D can redesign work, skills, and change from the ground up

AI is changing how work gets done, but many organisations are still trying to prepare employees through traditional programmes, fixed job scopes, and top-down transformation plans. In reality, HR and L&D often need to drive change without additional budget, external support, or a clear HQ directive. 

In this keynote presentation, the speaker will share a ground-up approach to workforce transformation in the age of AI. The session explores how L&D can move beyond prescribed job scope to become a solution architect for the business, redesigning roles, building micro-skills, and creating learning experiences that employees actually want to engage with. 

Key discussion points include: 

  • Redesigning roles for the superworker era: Rethinking what should be AI-enabled, human-led, or redesigned as work continues to change. 
  • Moving from macro programmes to micro-skills: Shifting from broad workshops to targeted masterclasses and bite-sized skills that employees can apply immediately. 
  • Building change from the ground up: Treating employees like customers, creating grassroots learning agendas, and positioning L&D as a driver of HR transformation.  
Jeslin Lim

Jeslin Lim

Head of People & Culture

Cycle & Carriage Singapore

10:00 AM

[Presentation]
From manager to change leader: Building a leadership pipeline that cannot be automated

As organisations face rising expectations for purpose-driven leadership, conventional leadership development is no longer enough. Companies need leaders who not only manage, but transform – the perfect blend of strategic agility, emotional intelligence, and leading with empathy, without losing sight of long-term business goals.

In this leadership development keynote, you can look forward to:

  • Ways to identify and define the essential competencies required for future-ready leaders.
  • Understanding how to build a sustainable leadership pipeline – all the way from emerging talent to senior roles.
  • Exploring how leadership development can be deliberately aligned with organisational strategy and business transformation priorities

10:40 AM

Networking break

11:10 AM

[Panel discussion]
Teams that outperform turbulence: Engineering organisational capabilities for trust and speed 

Static hierarchies are slowly being phased out in favour of dynamic teams and an organisational culture that is adaptive, collaborative, and resilient. In this high-velocity environment, effective team and organisational development (OD) is essential to unlocking high performance and collective agility across functions. 

Panellists on this discussion will be talking about: 

  • Implementing organisational development as a strategic initiative – by using diagnosis, culture interventions, and process redesign. 
  • Looking at how high-performance teams (cross-functional, empowered, adaptive) can be developed through deliberate team interventions. 
  • The role of OD and team development in delivering better business outcomes such as enhanced productivity, innovation, and long-term organisational health.

Panellist:

Karen Tay

Karen Tay

VP of Core Services, APAC

Merz Aesthetics
Gloria Chin

Gloria Chin

Group Director (Corporate Group)

Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore

11:50 AM

[Case study]
From disruption to discipline: Building a scalable learning ecosystem that supports business growth

When the pandemic disrupted daily operations, employees had to quickly adapt to new ways of working to stay connected and productive. For SATO, this became a turning point that showed the need for a more structured and scalable approach to learning.

 

Guided by its motto “building people for building business”, SATO has moved towards a global learning ecosystem over the past five years. In this case study, our speaker will share the organisation’s decision-making considerations around implementing a global LMS, strengthening content governance, and working with subject matter experts in Japan to keep learning aligned with business priorities.

 

Key takeaways include:

  • How to build an internal business case for a global LMS that supports consistency, accessibility, and scale.
  • Creating and deploying learning content across markets while balancing global standards with local relevance.
  • Keep training content evergreen by working closely with subject matter experts and linking learning back to business strategy.

 

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

1:30 PM

Speed networking

Building stronger leaders

1:40 PM

[Presentation]
Building agile leaders: Driving continuous transformation through L&D

Given that an agile mindset is now a continuous capability to be developed, we look at the L&D team’s responsibility to move from structured programmes to a dynamic enabler of agility. This involves the building of leaders’ capability to pivot anytime through real-time, business aligned skills, and shared accountability.

We utilise this time to discuss:

  • Ways L&D teams can partner closely with HRBPs and business leaders to identify capability gaps with greater speed.
  • How to pivot from traditional, competency-based learning frameworks with agile, community-powered, on-demand interventions that the business needs.
  • Making ‘learning in the flow of work’ a reality by ensuring leaders build better decision-making skills and business acumen required for continuous improvement and transformation.

2:20 PM

[Panel discussion]
From vacancy to velocity: Keeping pace with mid-management scarcity, critical skills and digitalisation

Many organisations are facing a mid‑management gap as experienced staff retire. Amidst this crisis, the demand for critical skills such as advanced engineering, digital, automation and AI continues to rise. 

In this panel discussion, we discover how to design an integrated talent and leadership pipeline that links structured hiring needs with hands-on development, global exposure and a strong line of sight to business needs. Through mentoring, partnerships, and differentiated learning for different generations, it enables L&D leaders to rebuild future ready capability.

Join us to discuss:

  • Designing integrated pipelines that connect recruitment, upskilling and clear progression pathways to ensure sustainable succession planning.  
  • Applying mentoring, mobility and cross-border exposure to build practical capability.  
  • Adapting learning to generational preferences and incentivising critical soft skills, such as problem solving and knowledge sharing.
Panellists:
Ting Smith

Ting Smith

Regional HR Director for Asia Pacific and the Middle East

Gensler
Yen Do

Yen Do

SVP, Human Resources

Toll Group

3:00 PM

Networking break

3:30 PM

[Panel discussion]
When the numbers fall short: How do we accurately measure the impact of learning?

For years, learning impact has been assessed at the end of programme, whereby L&D teams are left justifying value based on completion rates, attendance, and satisfaction scores that say little about whether performance has actually improved.

But expectations have changed. Business leaders today want clearer answers: Did learning change behaviour? Did it build capability? Did it move the needle on performance?

In this session, our speakers argue that the problem is not measurement alone, but how learning is designed in the first place. Attend this session to find out:

  • A clearer definition of learning impact that speaks the language that business leaders understand.
  • Practical ways to design learning around performance and behavioral changes, more than content.
  • Frameworks to move learning ROI conversations beyond completion rates and smile sheets.
Panellist:
Shibani Priyadarshini

Shibani Priyadarshini

Organisational Development Director

Novo Nordisk

Anya Loh

Anya Loh

Head of HR, APAC

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

4:10 PM

[Closing keynote – Fireside chat]
Engaging the exceptional: Keeping the spark alive for your top performers

High performers are often the most driven, and the most challenging, talent to engage. Their ambition, expectations, and desire to contribute require an intentional approach from leaders.

In this session, we look at how to move beyond surface-level engagement strategies to address deeper drivers for high performers, such as belonging, mastery, and purpose.

Conversation in this session will focus on:

  • Identifying and activating the drivers of engagement for high-performing talent.
  • Personalised engagement strategies for managers through tools like improved questioning, feedback styles, and communication.
  • Applying powerful coaching techniques to uncover barriers and sustain motivation.

Interviewee:

Meike MacFarlane

Meike MacFarlane

Chief People Officer

Lidl & Kaufland Asia

4:50 PM

Closing remarks

5:00 PM

End of Learning & Development Asia 2026