HR Connect Sydney
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
ILUMINA, 1 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
Can't make it to Sydney or attend in person?
Register for the Virtual HR Connect. Limited sessions will be broadcasted, however, no content will be recorded.
Your people thrive on connection. Your business does too.
Rapid disruption and nonstop acceleration have disconnected people, systems and processes. It is the quiet force that holds organizations back- from fragmented workflows to disengaged employees to data that doesn’t tell the full story.
When organisations stay connected, engagement increases, performance strengthens, and progress accelerates. Because real success is no longer about how fast you move through change, but how well you stay connected as everything shifts around you.
Join us at HR Connect, where you’ll engage with a community of HR leaders, peers and experts explore how SAP SuccessFactors AI-enabled suite helps you build a workforce strategy that fuels connection.
Past HR Connect Sydney
Event Agenda
Tim Bryant
SVP & Head of APAC
SAP SuccessFactors
In a world where work is constantly evolving, connection has become more important than ever. Today is about bringing people, ideas, and technology together, aligning teams around a shared purpose and turning strategy into meaningful action. As organisations navigate rapid change, success comes not just from moving faster, but from moving forward together, creating alignment between people, culture, and business outcomes to drive real impact. Build connection and growth with new SAP SuccessFactors solutions!
Josh Gosliner
Vice President of Product Strategy
SAP SuccessFactors
Autumn D. Krauss, Ph.D
Chief Research Officer
SAP SuccessFactors
In this keynote, Josh Gosliner and Dr. Autumn Krauss draw on global research insights to share SAP SuccessFactors' vision for the future of work, the implications for HR's evolving mandate, and how our product strategy and investments help HR lead this transformation.
Tina McCreery
Chief Talent Officer
Deloitte Australia
Chris Grimwood
Human Capital Partner
Deloitte Australia
The rate of change in today’s world of work has pushed the complex questions leaders face to a tipping point. Decisions between control or empowerment, stability or agility, and automation or augmentation aren’t just business imperatives – they’re critical, immediate priorities that will shape the organisation today and into the future. Organisations need to adapt quickly to capitalise on changing business, customer, and market needs, and 7 out of 10 business leaders today say their primary competitive strategy over the next 3 years is to be fast and nimble. So, how can organisations make insightful, informed decisions at the pace of change?
Presented by Deloitte
Caroline Hanke
Global Head of Organisational Growth & Health
SAP
Rebecca Edwards
Divisional Director of People, Culture and Safety
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Cassie Soady
Chief People Officer
Graincorp
Jodie Haydon
Chief People Officer
Regis Aged Care
Jess Furolo
Chief People Officer
Merivale
As AI, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce expectations continue to reshape business, organisations are under growing pressure to become more adaptive, skills-driven, and resilient. But what does this transformation look like in practice?
Join senior HR leaders from some of ANZ’s leading organisations for a strategic discussion on how they are evolving workforce models, leadership capabilities, and people strategies to prepare for the future of work. From skills and workforce agility to culture, organisational health, and AI readiness, this panel will explore the challenges, opportunities, and leadership shifts shaping the next era of HR.
Chaitanya Mannem
Managing Director - HR ReInvention
Accenture
With increasing regulatory scrutiny and workforce complexity, payroll compliance has become a critical business priority. Join Accenture and Bendigo Bank to discover how leading organisations are using AI and automation to improve governance, uncover compliance risks and drive faster, more informed decision-making. Learn how HR and payroll teams can gain greater transparency, reduce manual effort and proactively manage compliance with confidence.
Presented by Accenture
Trent Wai-Poi
HCM Value Advisor
SAP SuccessFactors
Sam Hannaway
Team Lead - PreSales APAC
SmartRecruiters, an SAP Company
Stay ahead of what's coming next with the latest SAP SuccessFactors roadmap. Join our product experts for an overview of upcoming innovations, key releases and strategic product direction across the second half of the year. Discover new capabilities, AI enhancements and planned investments designed to help you maximise the value of your SAP SuccessFactors solutions and prepare for what's ahead.
Chris Paine
Chief Technical Officer
Discovery Consulting
AI can summarise a year's worth of performance data in seconds, but without appropriate governance, transparency and accountability, organisations can expose themselves to unnecessary risk. Join Discovery Consulting for a practical session on governing AI-assisted decisions in SAP SuccessFactors. Explore emerging best practices, real-world AI adoption patterns across APJ, and how organisations can balance innovation with human oversight as AI capabilities continue to evolve.
Presented by Discovery Consulting
Jigar Lotia
Associate Partner, Technology and Innovation
EPI-USE
Scott Masson
Service Line Lead
EPI-USE
Discover how organisations are extending the value of SAP SuccessFactors by connecting HR with payroll, finance, and third-party systems using SAP Business AI Platform (SAP BAIP). Through real customer examples, EPI-USE will demonstrate how AI and integration can eliminate manual processes, close operational gaps, and streamline end-to-end workflows. Learn practical approaches to creating a more connected, efficient, and intelligent HR ecosystem that delivers measurable business outcomes.
Presented by EPI-USE
Michelle Clancy
Head of Org Design Solutions
Navigo
Leanne Duffy
Program Manager, HR Systems
Queensland Rail
Organisation design should enable better decisions, not create more administration. Join Leanne Duffy, Program Manager, HR Systems at Queensland Rail, as she shares how the organisation transformed its approach to restructures using Navigo and SAP SuccessFactors. Discover how Queensland Rail accelerated organisational change, eliminated manual organisational chart creation and data preparation, and shifted focus from administrative tasks to strategic workforce design. Hear the practical lessons learned and how the team improved agility, governance, and confidence throughout organisational change.
Presented by Navigo
Suraj K.K.
Managing Director
HR Path
Even with a modern HR platform, many organisations still rely on spreadsheets, email approvals and manual workarounds to manage everyday HR processes. Join HR Path to discover how organisations are automating business-specific workflows, improving visibility and simplifying HR operations through targeted innovations that extend SAP SuccessFactors. Explore practical examples including workbook automation, travel and expense workflows, visa management and Employer of Record processes.
Presented by HR Path
Adrian Everett
Co-Chief Executive Officer
HR Crowd
Fiona Darlington
Chief People Officer
IPH
Judith Carelsen
Co-Chief Executive Officer
HR Crowd
Kate McCormack
Chief People Officer
VMCH
No two SuccessFactors implementations are the same. Join IPH Limited and Villa Maria Catholic Homes as they share lessons from two very different programmes, from Recruitment and Onboarding through to Employee Central Payroll, Integration and WalkMe. Discover how leveraging a leading practice process approach underpinned the implementation decisions, governance approaches and ultimately provided practical lessons that helped both organisations accelerate delivery, reduce risk and achieve successful outcomes.
Presented by HR Crowd
Nicole Wright
HCM Transformation Lead Advisor
SAP
Shilpa Rani
Senior Value Advisor
SAP
Join Shilpa Rani, Senior Value Advisor at SAP, as she shares the organisation's approach to AI adoption across HR and People & Culture. Discover how Orora developed its AI roadmap, the lessons learned along the way, and the opportunities and challenges of embedding AI into everyday HR practices. Leave with practical insights into driving innovation, building organisational readiness, and delivering measurable business value.
Susan Tasic-Clark
Senior Manager, Solutions Consulting
OpenText
Discover how OpenText Content Aviator extends SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Joule beyond answering questions to completing real HR work. Through practical use cases, see how AI securely retrieves and summarises employee records, generates documents, compares contracts and policies, and streamlines HR processes. Learn how combining enterprise content with HR data enables faster decisions, greater productivity, and a more intelligent employee experience, while maintaining governance and compliance
Presented by OpenText
André Hussock
Business Unit Lead Employee Experience
cbs APAC
Johannes Schnatz
HCM Practice Lead ANZ
cbs ANZ
Don't just migrate; modernise. Discover how organisations can transform their move from SAP SuccessFactors to SmartRecruiters into a strategic opportunity by combining AI, automation, and cbs innovation to build a smarter, faster, and more effective recruitment ecosystem.
Presented by cbs
Jade Dellios
HR Technology & Transformation Director
PwC Australia
Sal (Salauddin) Mamun
SAP SuccessFactors Payroll Lead
PwC Australia
Managing time and payroll across multiple Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs) is one of the most complex challenges facing Australian employers. Join PwC as they share how a leading construction organisation transformed payroll operations through process standardisation, automation, and SAP SuccessFactors. Learn how the organisation strengthened governance and compliance while reducing payroll processing and administration time by 50%.
Presented by PwC
Nick Reid
Enterprise Sales Leader
ADP
Rosie Watson
Alliance Strategic Leader
ADP
Itti Bhanot
Manager, Payroll Systems and Payroll Transformation
IAG
Payroll compliance is no longer a point-in-time outcome achieved at go-live. Today’s regulatory environment requires organisations to proactively monitor compliance and respond as legislation and business requirements evolve. Learn how ADP is helping large and complex organisations build a sustainable operating model at scale by combining SAP’s proven payroll engine with ADP’s deep compliance expertise, certified integrations, intelligent tools and configuration governance.
Presented by ADP
Toni Abercrombie
Head of People Systems
Foodstuffs North Island
Richard Bell
HR Systems Lead
Sydney Airport
Kristin Allan
Director, People Consulting
EY Australia
What does it take to become AI-ready in HR? In this client-led discussion, HR leaders share how they are strengthening their HR foundations through modern platforms, trusted data, skills strategies, and change readiness. Learn from their experiences navigating transformation and discover the practical steps being taken to position HR as a strategic driver of business value in an AI-enabled future.
Presented by EY
Amy Mawer
Director Global Commercial Strategy, Innovation & Adoption
SAP
Catherine Jamieson
Global Product Manager, SAP Preferred Success
SAP
In a rapidly evolving world shaped by AI, shifting workforce expectations, and changing HR practices, organisations need more than a static plan; they need a clear path forward. This session explores the three forces transforming work today and introduces a practical “GPS” approach to navigating them with help from SAP SuccessFactors Advanced Success Plans.
Bryce Gammon
CEO
Safety Suite
Kellie Roberts
Manager, Safety Health & Wellbeing
NSW Legal Aid
Psychosocial risk requires a coordinated and proactive approach, yet many organisations continue to grapple with questions around ownership, governance, and implementation. In this session, explore how organisations can establish practical, auditable processes that strengthen accountability, support employee wellbeing, and create a more defensible approach to managing psychosocial risk.
Presented by SafetySuite
Yanik Fernando
SuccessFactors Sales Lead
DyFlex Solutions
HR transformation doesn't happen in isolation. As organisations modernise their SAP landscape, aligning HR and ERP strategies has become critical to delivering long-term business value. Join DyFlex to explore how organisations are planning their SAP SuccessFactors and SAP S/4HANA journey, simplifying business processes, aligning technology roadmaps and creating a connected foundation for future growth.
Presented by Dyflex
Roopa Rao
Product Owner (Senior Payroll Manager)
Woolworths Group
Adriano Mirabile
Head of People Systems, Analytics & Payroll
Kmart Group
Kim Rawlings
National Director of Customer Success & Consulting
Spinifex IT
Payroll doesn't end once employees are paid. Every pay cycle brings reconciliations, reporting, investigations, compliance activities and employee queries that consume valuable time. Join SpinifexIT’s Customer Panel session to explore practical ways organisations are improving payroll operations, reducing manual effort and giving payroll teams the tools they need to run payroll more efficiently, from implementation through to day-to-day operations.
Presented by Spinifex
Chris Youness
Executive Director, People & Culture
Creative Australia
Clare Badger
SVP & Head of APAC
Zalaris
Learning is no longer just about compliance. It's about building the skills and capabilities organisations need to adapt and grow. Join Creative Australia as they share their journey with SAP SuccessFactors Learning, including the challenges they faced, the decisions that shaped their approach, and the outcomes they've achieved. Together with Zalaris, they'll explore practical lessons on building workforce capability, strengthening compliance, and using AI to deliver more personalised learning experiences.
Presented by Zalaris
Ronni Kahn AO
Founder & CEO
OzHarvest
Great leadership isn't built on strategy alone. It's built by leaders who understand why their people and purpose matter. As HR leaders navigate increasing complexity, the challenge is not just creating an engaged workforce, but sustaining culture, connection, and performance at scale.
Drawing on more than two decades of leading OzHarvest, Ronni Kahn AO will share the leadership principles that transformed purpose into impact. Through stories and practical insights, she'll explore how organisations can attract people who share their mission, build cultures where people thrive, and create lasting alignment from recruitment through to leadership. Attendees will leave inspired to lead with purpose and create workplaces where people choose to stay.
Fraser Browne
General Manager, Northern Region & ANZ
SAP SuccessFactors
Featured Speaker
Ronni Kahn AO
Ronni is a passionate advocate and activist renowned for disrupting the food waste landscape in Australia. She appears regularly in national media, serves in an advisory capacity to government and is a sought-after keynote speaker.
Ronni is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and was named Australian Local Hero of the Year.
Her journey is the subject of the feature film, Food Fighter directed by Dan Goldberg.
In 2020 she co-authored her biography; A Repurposed Life, which was nominated for an ABIA award for Biography Book of the Year.
Speakers
Josh Gosliner
Vice President of Product Strategy
SAP SuccessFactors
Tim Bryant
SVP & Head of APAC
SAP SuccessFactors
Autumn D. Krauss, Ph.D
Chief Research Officer
SAP SuccessFactors
Caroline Hanke
Global Head of Organizational Growth & Health
SAP
Catherine Jamieson
Global Product Manager, SAP Preferred Success
SAP
Amy Mawer
Director Global Commercial Strategy, Innovation & Adoption
SAP
Trent Wai-Poi
HCM Value Advisor
SAP
Fraser Browne
General Manager, Northern Region & ANZ
SAP SuccessFactors
- Speakers Part 1
- Speakers Part 2
- Speakers Part 3
Ronni Kahn AO
Founder & CEO
OzHarvest
Cassie Soady
Chief People Officer
GrainCorp
Rebecca Edwards
Divisional Director of People, Culture and Safety
Taronga Conservation Society Australia
Kellie Roberts
Manager, Safety Health & Wellbeing
NSW Legal Aid
Chris Youness
Executive Director, People & Culture
Creative Australia
Leanne Duffy
Program Manager HR Systems
Queensland Rail
- Speakers Part 1
- Speakers Part 2
Matt Harman
Program Director, HRIS
Bendigo & Adelaide Bank
Tina McCreery
Chief Talent Officer
Deloitte Australia
Roopa Rao
Senior Payroll Manager
Woolworths Group
Chris Grimwood
Human Capital Partner
Deloitte Australia
Adriano Mirabile
Head of People Systems, Analytics & Payroll
Kmart Group
- Speakers: Part 1
- Speakers: Part 2
Jess Furolo
Chief People Officer
Merivale
Fiona Darlington
Chief People Office
IPH
Kate McCormack
Chief People Officer
VMCH
Toni Abercrombie
Head of People Systems
Foodstuffs North Island
Richard Bell
HR Systems Lead
Sydney Airport
Itti Bhanot
Manager, People Systems
IAG
- Speakers: Part 1
- Speakers: Part 2
Jigar Lotia
Associate Partner, Technology and Innovation
EPI-USE
Steve Borg
Client Engagement Lead
EPI-USE
Susan Tasic-Clark
Senior Manager, Solutions Consulting
OpenText
Bryce Gammon
CEO
Safety Suite
Clare Badger
SVP & Head of APAC
Zalaris
Michelle Clancy
Head of Org Design Solutions
Navigo
André Hussock
Business Unit Lead, Employee Experience
cbs APAC
Johannes Schnatz
HCM Practice Lead ANZ
cbs APAC
Nick Reid
Enterprise Sales Leader
ADP
Suraj K.K
Managing Director
HR Path
Chaitanya Mannem
Managing Director - HR ReInvention
Accenture
Rosie Watson
Alliance Strategic Leader
ADP
Yanik Fernando
SuccessFactors Sales Lead
DyFlex Solutions
- Speakers Part 1
- Speakers Part 2
- Speakers Part 3
- Speakers Part 4
- Speakers Part 5
Sponsors
Platinum
Gold
Demo Theatre Partner
F&B Partner
Location
ILUMINA SYDNEY
1 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW 2000
LUMINA is a unique, state-of-the-art meeting and event venue located in the heart of Sydney’s historical and cultural civic centre of Martin Place.
