Employee EngagementEnabling TechnologyEvidence-Based HRInnovation

Leadership + Culture = Competitive Advantage

Amsterdam Forum to showcase what it takes to be great at each

By the Editors

HRO Today Global magazine and the HRO Today Services & Technology Association are scheduled to host the annual HRO Today Forum Europe 2015 on 10-12 November in Amsterdam. The forum will present to participants the latest HR technology and analytics, offer an opportunity for networking with the leading minds in HR, and give attendees a chance to discuss their own experiences. The event will be held at the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre.

The European event is one of three annual forums presented by HRO Today -the others are the North America event (2016 is scheduled for 2-4 May in Chicago) and the APAC event (scheduled for June in Singapore; specific dates to come). More than 25 leading thinkers and HR practitioners are on the speaking agenda.

Variety of formats

Feedback from previous Forums shows that participants prefer material to be presented in a wide variety of formats. Thus, there will be topic tables,

where attendees discuss and crowd-source tough problems facing HR – the ones with no easy answers and no right answers, either. There will also be panel discussions, rapid-fire presentations, longer, in-depth discussions, as well as a technology contest.

Also scheduled is the HRO Today Europe Awards Gala. This is the annual CHRO of the Year awards dinner (separate admission) the evening of 10 November and recognizes outstanding global HR performance (please see page 6). There are nine awards in four different categories.

The iTalent competition is a unique competition that allows five companies to get exposure and one to stand out above the rest. Five selected finalists each receive seven minutes to articulate onstage their idea for a HR tech product or service. An expert panel of judges asks questions – maybe puts the presenters on the spot – and then offers their opinions. The winner is selected, however, from the audience participants (i.e., leading HR thinkers) and social media.

The highest vote getter earns a feature in an upcoming HRO Today Global magazine, plus the exposure before HR leaders, face time with investors, and the expert input from the judging panel. It’s usually a tough competition and standing out among the finalists is a real honor.

For those participants with specific learning goals, the HRO Today Forum Europe offers industry tracks:

  • Talent acquisition: MSP/contingent Labor, RPO and staffing, and screening and selection.
  • Talent management: engagement, recognition, retention, motivation, learning/training and development.
  • Technology and analytics: integration, SaaS solutions, Big Data
  • Outsourcing: supply chain management, multi-process HRO, BPO, governance, contracts, sourcing.

Of course, attendees are not limited to a specific track, and can either deep dive in one area or move about as their needs require.

As mentioned earlier, there are the popular Topic Tables. This event-within-the-event allows participants to share their expertise by answering a specific question. Participants consistently rank Topic Tables highly, and are often surprised by the different approaches people take – as well as finding there is plenty of common ground and common thought- patterns that are the hallmarks of high-achieving HR executives.

No HRO Today Forum would be complete without plenty of networking opportunities. Futurestep will host an 11 November networking party at the West India House in the center of Amsterdam. It features cocktails and dinner with entertainment. It provides an elegant but relaxing atmosphere to network with senior executives in a “relaxed and inspiring” location. There will be transportation.

And then will be plenty of the usual networking breaks to allow you decompress, absorb the information, and discuss it with your peers.

Keynotes

The awards dinner is 10 November, and the conference itself commences 11 November. The opening keynote is from CEO Elliot Clark of SharedXpertise, the publishers of HRO Today Global and HRO Today, as well as the managers of the HRO Today Services & Technology Association. Clark will offer opening remarks and a keynote introduction.

Next up is keynote speaker Jonathan Campbell, co- founder, Social Talent, the world’s largest online recruitment training company with over 800 clients in more than 70 countries. Campbell will address “HR’s Impact on Company Culture.”

After the two keynotes, Seb O’Connell, executive vice president, managing director Europe, Cielo, is scheduled to take the stage and offer his take on “HR Rising: Talent Acquisition Trends & Impacts for 2015.”

Global VP and Executive Director Zachary Misko of the HRO Today Services and Technology Association will then do a presentation showcase entitled, “European HR Associations’ Panel – HR Challenges Across Europe.”

WilsonHCG will sponsor a lunch master class by Craig Sweeney, director of Recruitment Solutions-EMEA, WilsonHCG.

Other panels include the “Top Five Trends Impacting HR Leadership & Culture,” “Top Technology Disruptors Panel,” and “The Impact of HR on Europe’s Best Companies to Work for Panel.”

There will be a welcome reception and networking activity at the end of the first day, and then the aforementioned HRO Today Forum Party.

Highlighting the conference’s second day are the industry tracks and the iTalent competitions.

Speakers

Many of the speakers were highlighted in the Summer 2015 edition of HRO Today Global. Since then, HRO Today has added the following speakers:

  • Darren Bartholomew, Head of HR Planning and Info Systems UK, Selex ES Ltd. Darren is Head of HR Planning and Info Systems UK at Selex ES, a leading European Defence Company and part of the Finmeccanica Group. Responsible for governance of HR Outsource provision in the UK, he has led the contract negotiations with numerous suppliers, and has recently completed the transition of the full HR and Payroll service to a new provider, and widened the scope to provide payroll services for the entire Finmeccanica UK group. Outside of work Darren is a District Manager for St John Ambulance, the UK’s leading First Aid Charity, and is responsible for 1,500 volunteers delivering first aid and ambulance cover at events across Essex.
  • Leigh Carpenter, EMEA Programme Director, The Talent Board. Leigh Carpenter is EMEA Programme Director of the Talent Board, founding organisation of the Candidate Experience Awards, he has over 16 years experience in recruitment, business operations, project and strategic management with a proven track record of successfully leading client services and developing teams across multi-sector organisations.
  • Russell Dalgleish, Managing Partner, Exolta Capital Partners. Russell has followed a career focused on the application of technology within the corporate environment to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. With experience within the HR sphere since 1998 he has ran companies developing and delivering people orientated solutions and today focuses on the application of Big Data and Internet-of- Things solutions within the workplace. He has run successful companies in the technology, engineering, energy, electronics, entertainment and professional services sectors. He has experience off starting, building, growing and exiting businesses in the UK and US and uniquely also
built one of Europe’s first cloud based recruitment platforms. Most recently he is part of the team to launch TeamPlayer360 a free monthly newspaper aimed at the recruitment and HR sector. Today as Managing Partner of the consultancy Exolta Capital Partners, www.exolta.com he brings together a wealth of business experience to develop growth strategies aimed at creating value for shareholders and employees alike. LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/ russelldalgleish/
  • Ron Dunlap, PhD, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Information Officer, Graebel. Ron Dunlap has
been with Graebel since January, 2009. He was first hired as vice president of strategic sourcing and was promoted to vice president of operational excellence and customer experience. Today, he serves as the organization’s chief information officer (CIO) and chief operating officer (COO). The company’s global relocation and mobility move management divisions that administer services for clients on six continents report to Dunlap
as COO. As the CIO, Mr. Dunlap is responsible
for the oversight of all information technology functions, including data security. He also leads the operational excellence function which houses all critical disciplines related to the overall company performance. These disciplines include quality, operational intelligence, and the project management office.
  • Oscar González, Human Resources Director, Azkoyen Group. Oscar leads the definition, effective implementation of organizational and human resources management methodologies, best practices and policies, that help to attract, keep and develop talent in Azkoyen Group, contributing to company ́s success and business results. Within this multinational company, he leads strategies in change management, leverages diversity, and seeks synergies within the Group to develop a team building approach that motivates, commits and aligns employees to corporative goals. Oscar has worked in HR for 16 years and has consistently sought commitment from senior management to develop employees and managers to better the business and create an enjoyable work environment.
  • Seb O’Connell, Executive Vice President, 
Managing Director Europe, Cielo. In his role
as Managing Director – Europe, Seb O’Connell leads the organization’s creation and delivery of customized, innovative solutions to clients seeking transformational change. As a member of the 
Cielo Global Executive Team, he plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the organization as it expands its footprint in Europe and beyond. Seb brings to Cielo a strong background in business development as well as insightful solution design and operational delivery. An acknowledged industry thought leader and EMEA Advisory Board Member to HRO Today Services & Technology Association, Seb is frequently quoted in the media and is a highly-regarded speaker at regional, national and international conferences and seminars.
  • Auke IJsselstein, HR Metrics & Analytics Consultant, ABN AMRO. Auke IJsselstein is an HR expert whose drive is to make the intangible more concrete
 and to make complex matters comprehensible. With an education in Business Economics and quantitative research he gathered experience in Compensation & Benefits and General (business) HR advisory before co-founding the HR Analytics department within ABN AMRO. Today his ambition is to transform HR towards being all about impact. ABN AMRO is a Dutch global bank with more than 25000 employees.

We’re excited about
 these speakers, topics and presentations we’ve lined up, and we hope to see you there.

Tags: Employee Engagement, Enabling Technology, Evidence-Based HR, Innovation

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