A quick look inside the HRO Today Forum Europe 2015
By the Editors
Look to network with your peers, hear from industry experts, get the latest on HR technology and analytics, and offer your own take on critical HR issues facing global companies? If so, consider our HRO Today Forum Europe 2015. It’s scheduled for 10-12 November 2015 at Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Here’s an early look at the Forum’s events:
- HRO Today Europe Awards Gala. This is our annual CHRO of the Year awards dinner (separate admission) to recognize outstanding global HR performance. Each year, we choose outstanding HR leaders who have driven innovation, and have the metrics, such as employee engagement and retention of good employees, to back it up. They provide a strategic partnership to drive talent acquisition and management, business growth, and a culture that can lead in a global workforce. A separate admission fee is required, but it’s well worth hearing from the winners.
- Our annual technology contest, the iTalent competition. Five selected finalists will get seven minutes to explain onstage their idea before our expert panel of judges. The winner gets a feature in the winter issue of HRO Today Global, one-on-one meetings with attending executives, and face time with the judging panel, including investors. Each year, new companies compete for the prize, which showcases technological innovation in adding value to HR.
- Industry-track experts offer their insights on our four tracks: talent acquisition, talent management, technology & analytics, and outsourcing. Pick a track and dive in, or move between tracks: The idea is to get the best take-home information and action steps to help improve HR in your company.
- Topic tables. One of our most popular features, meet with your colleagues and brainstorm/crowd-source solutions to tough problems facing HR. When each table is faced with their question, they often begin an engaging and enlightening discussion, which not only helps you learn new approaches and share your own, but sharpens your own thinking against colleagues in similar situations.
Speakers:
Here are some of the speakers scheduled to offer their insights:
- BillBoorman,Founder,#TruEvents.Withmorethan30 years’ experience in recruiting, Bill is the founder of #tru (the recruiting “unconference”) and has hosted over 100eventsin12months,travelingto65countriesand speaking and listening to thousands of people working in the recruiting space about how we can collectively make recruiting better for everyone. He is a lead advisor to talent technology companies and advises corporate clients on adopting new technology and working practice.
- Erica Briody, Global Head of Talent Acquisition & Staffing, Novartis Business Services. Erica provides strategic direction for talent in support of all Novartis businesses and divisions globally, sourcing the “Best Talent” in the industry, optimizing recruitment models, technology, employee value proposition, branding, campus and intern strategy, diversity, workforce planning and supplier partnerships.
- Jonathan Campbell, Co-Founder, Social Talent. Johnny is the founder and CEO of Social Talent, the world’s largest online recruitment training company with over 800 clients in more than 70 countries. He worked as a financial recruiter from 1998 until setting up Social Talent four years ago and to this day loves trying to find impossible-to-find people.
- Anna Cook, Head of Recruitment Unit, CERN. Annahasa background in immunology and her career has been an eclectic and interesting journey, spanning laboratory sales, the semiconductor industry, IT, resource planning and since 2010, HR. Anna leads CERN’s recruitment activities, overseeing all recruitment at CERN, constantly looking for novel ways to maximise CERN’s visibility on the job market and to attract the best talent today to support and drive the science of tomorrow.
- Patrick Coolen, HR Workforce Planning and Analytics Manager, ABN AMRO. Patrick Coolen is a senior all-around HR expert with 15 years of experience in HR. He was a member of the HR management team within ABN AMRO and is an expert in developing HR strategies and policies in all HR domains. He is a true believer in bringing HR back to the centre of decision making by making HR more fact based and data savvy.
- David D’Souza, Head of CIPD, London. David is Head
of London for the CIPD and a speaker and blogger
on HR, learning, the future of work and progressive business practice. The CIPD champions better work and working lives as the professional body for HR and people development, with over 135,000 members internationally. David has curated two books, both 
of which were bestsellers and as well as writing for a number of HR publications. He also writes his own blog, 101 Half-Connected Things (https://ddsouzadotcom. wordpress.com/).
- Michelle Mendelsson, EMEA Co-Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Credit Suisse. Michelle Mendelsson is the EMEA Co-Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Credit Suisse. She
is one half of a job share partnership and works three days a week. Her remit covers the full spectrum of diversity including: Gender, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Working Parents, Disability and Age. She is responsible for strategy development, education, networks, events, 
new legislation, internal and external communication
and benchmarking. Prior to joining Credit Suisse in 2000, Michelle worked for Marks and Spencer for fifteen years in a variety of commercial positions.
- Gary Madden, Director, HRIS, Learning Management Systems, BP. Gary joined BP in November 2011. In his current role as Director, HRIS, Learning Management Systems; Gary is responsible for BPs current main learning systems and has led the selection of a new global vendor whose product will replace all existing learning admin systems within BP.
- Marlene De Koning, Solutions Consultant, LinkedIn. Marlene works with many organizations to create a strategy for attracting the best talent and create an employer of choice position. Based on the organizations business goals and the effect on talent, she helps in creating a strategic path for finding the right talent in order to succeed these goals.
- Eamonn Eaton, Head of Group Learning and Engagement, Bank of Ireland. Eamonn is a senior member of the Bank of Ireland Group Human Resources Team with responsibility for building the capability the organisation needs to meet its strategic objectives. He led the design and implementation of the Banks Learningzone service that is delivered in partnership with Accenture Learning.
- Richard Schofield, Global Head of Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP), Alexander Mann Solutions. Richard Schofield is Global Head of Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) for Alexander Mann Solutions and has been in this role for the past three years. Richard is responsible for leading the SWP consulting practice across all of the current and new Alexander Mann Solutions client base.
- Peter Reilly, Principal Associate, Institute for Employment Studies (IES). Peter joined IES in 1995 and has just retired as Director of Research and Consultancy. He still leads IES’s Reward and Performance Management area, giving consultancy support to organisations on various remuneration and performance issues. Consultancy assignments have covered the full range of reward work: from job evaluation and grading, through pay structures and levels, to incentives and total reward. He previously had a 16 year career with Shell where he held various HR posts in the UK and abroad covering both generalist and specialist HR roles.
We’re excited about these speakers, topics and presentations we’ve lined up, and we hope to see you there.