Program

Wednesday, November 12, 2025 | Hotel Arena, Amsterdam

Date

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Location

Hotel Arena

We’re currently working on putting together an inspiring program for CHRO Day 2025. Stay tuned! More speakers and sessions will be announced soon. We look forward to creating a valuable and insightful day together with you!

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
We look forward to welcoming you on Wednesday, 12 November at Hotel Arena in Amsterdam. Upon arrival, you can pick up your badge and ease into the day with a cup of coffee or tea.
 
Foyer
 
 
12:00 PM - 12:20 PM
Welcome to CHRO Day 2025: Growing a Resilient Workforce
 
Kapel

We’ll kick off CHRO Day with an inspiring plenary opening, where host Laura Bas will dive deeper into the theme Growing a Resilient Workforce.

 
12:20 PM - 1:15 PM
Network with Peers during Lunch
 
Foyer
 
Break
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Masterclass: The HR Director as AI Leader
Hosted by Youforce
Salon

AI is developing at lightning speed. What started with chatbots is rapidly evolving into autonomous agents that fundamentally transform the way we work.

For HR leaders, this is a unique opportunity. AI and technology are not just an IT affair. They only succeed when they are anchored in your organization’s culture. And that’s exactly where your strength lies. You know how to engage people. You can influence behavior and strengthen leadership. This way, AI doesn’t become a temporary project, but a lasting reality that helps the entire organization accelerate structurally.

In this masterclass, you’ll discover how to make your organization truly AI-ready from an HR perspective. You’ll gain concrete tools, inspiring examples, and a step-by-step plan to connect digitalization with culture. This positions HR as the driving force behind sustainable change.

Curious about how to build an AI-first culture? And how to take a leading role from HR? Then sign up now for this exclusive AI Masterclass for CHROs.

Session round 1
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM
Round Table: The Resilient Organization – Turning Workforce Planning into a Strategic Advantage
Hosted by ATOSS
Studio 3

Why has resilience become one of today’s most critical business capabilities? In this interactive roundtable, we’ll explore how CHROs can turn workforce planning into a strategic lever for resilience - balancing flexibility, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
Together with ATOSS experts and peers, we’ll discuss:
•    What crises and challenges are shaping the need for resilience today?
•    What distinguishes organizations that adapt successfully from those that struggle?
•    Which human, social, and organizational factors truly strengthen workforce resilience?
Drawing on practical insights and real-world examples, we’ll look at how data, AI, and self-service tools can enhance decision-making, empower employees, and ensure compliance — helping you build a workforce that is not just efficient, but sustainably strong.
 

 
Workshop: Reward with Value(s) – A People-Centric Total Rewards Strategy Guided by Data
Hosted by Aon
Studio 4

How would your organization change if you truly dared to lead with data today?
The labor market is evolving at a rapid pace, and organizations striving for continued success are placing people-centricity at the core of their strategies. A robust corporate culture - founded on connection, flexibility, and meaningful benefits - is fundamental to both the Employee Value Proposition and the Total Rewards approach.
According to Aon’s Employee Sentiment Study 2025:

  • 61% of employees are willing to forgo existing benefits in exchange for greater freedom of choice.
  • Only 14% of multinational organizations provide guidelines for personalized benefits.
  • Organizations that enhance their communication regarding benefits observe employee understanding rising from 18% to over 60%.

Furthermore, the study highlights that a people-centric approach is only effective when it is underpinned by measurable data. Data serves as a compass for policies that are both strategic and meaningful, connecting employees to the organization’s broader objectives. During our session, we’ll dive into this hands-on: in small groups, we’ll explore real-world cases and share insights that can be applied immediately, with people at the core and data as the foundation.

 

 
Round Table: The Rise of the Chief Work Officer
Hosted by Workday
Studio 2

AI isn’t coming, it’s already changing how every organization works. The question for CHROs is no longer if you’ll adapt, but how.
In this roundtable, we’ll explore the rise of the Chief Work Officer, a new kind of HR leadership that shapes how humans and intelligent systems work together. What happens when AI becomes part of your workforce? How do you balance efficiency with trust, governance, and culture? And what does it mean for the way you define leadership, skills, and growth?
Guiding the conversation is Rich Bye, who brings over 30 years of HR leadership experience and now leads strategic workforce innovation at Workday. He joins as a sparring partner, to exchange ideas and learn from your experiences.
Expect a candid dialogue with peers about what it takes to lead in this next era of human-AI collaboration and how to ensure your organization’s resilience keeps pace with its technology.

 
Masterclass: Human-Proof HR & Leadership – Staying Resilient in a Complex Society
 
Kapel

Since the industrial age, we’ve treated people like machines: Hired for efficiency, managed like machines, and optimized for productivity. We also built organizations to match: hierarchical and mechanical, based on the outdated belief that survival belongs to the strongest and most adaptable but maybe Darwin was wrong. It’s actually the most connected who survive. Connection, it turns out, is also the key to human flourishing. However, that connection is under pressure due to individualization, digitization, polarization and today’s geopolitical climate. How, then, to build a strong company culture? This talk is a timely reset for HR and leadership. It explores how to build cultures of meaning, connection, and belonging in a world that’s fragmented and fast-moving. We’ll discuss why the World Economic Forum coined ‘resilience’ as the #2 most important skill for the years to come and why guiding people through uncertainty and investing in wellbeing is no longer “soft”, why it’s not just a moral obligation, but at the core of future-oriented businesses and HR teams. We’ll explore how leaders can unlock not just performance, but potential, by role-modelling what it means to lead as a human, not a job title. Because people aren’t resources and organizations aren’t machines anymore.

 
2:30 PM - 2:45 PM
Mini Break
 
Foyer
 
 
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Masterclass: Resilient by Design – The CHRO as a Just Transition Leader
Hosted by AllChiefs
Studio 1

How do you build human resilience in times of systemic change?
Resilience has become the core capability of our time, yet resilience alone is no longer enough. Organizations that will thrive are those that connect resilience with responsibility: adapting to disruption while ensuring that progress remains fair, human, and sustainable.
Today, four global forces are converging: demography, digitalization, geopolitics, and climate change. They are reshaping not only the workforce but the very nature of work itself.
In this strategic masterclass, AllChiefs explores how CHROs can lead organizations through this next era of transitions.
As responsible transformation leaders, CHROs combine resilience with moral vision, ensuring that digital, green, and demographic shifts strengthen both performance and purpose. This session is not about tools or trends, but about reflection and redefinition: rethinking the CHRO’s role as architect of resilient and responsible organizations.
 
 

Session round 2
Masterclass: Genzpiration
 
Studio 4

The youngest generation in the workplace, Gen Z, brings fresh energy, ambitions, and expectations. But how can you make sure your organization remains attractive to this group?
And just as important: how do you retain their talent, drive, and creativity once they’re on board?
In this masterclass, Laura Bas challenges you to look beyond the clichés about generations.
She reveals what truly drives Gen Z and how you can connect their perspective with the rest of your organization. Expect sharp insights, practical examples, and a fresh take on employer branding, leadership, and culture.
Gen Z is setting the tone for the future of work. This session will give you both inspiration and concrete tools to start acting on it today.
 

 
Masterclass: The Era of Added Value in Employer Branding
Hosted by Publicis Groupe
Salon

How do you keep your culture strong after years in which job-hopping became the norm and loyalty wore thin? We’ve moved from the War for Talent to a highly opportunistic job market (2020–2025), with turnover hovering around 20–25%. That surge is cooling, but a new shift is underway: talent isn’t chasing openings anymore, they’re looking for fit, meaning, and shared values that often extend beyond the job itself. In this masterclass, Publicis Groupe looks back at three decades of change and explores what it demands of CHROs today. Success now depends on clarity and consistency: defining what your employer brand stands for, expressing it internally and externally, and shaping the experience to reflect it. You’ll leave with concrete ways to define “added value” within your organization: to attract the right people, increase retention and strengthen culture. Turn your employer branding into the foundation of a resilient workforce.

 
Masterclass: De (veer)kracht van verbondenheid (NL)
 
Kapel

De kracht én veerkracht die ontstaat als mensen zich echt verbonden voelen.
Waarom stappen mensen vrijwillig op een vliegtuig naar Afghanistan, voor een mager salaris en komen ze terug met méér verbondenheid dan ooit?
Wat maakt dat mensen in het leger elkaar blijven steunen, ook jaren na hun diensttijd?

Kees de Rijke leidde als HR-directeur van de Koninklijke Landmacht 22.000 mensen.
In deze sessie deelt hij inzichten uit een wereld waarin rituelen, vertrouwen en mentale fitheid essentieel zijn en laat hij zien wat dat betekent voor organisaties die onder druk staan.

Hoe houd je je workforce betrokken als de druk toeneemt en de bezetting daalt? En hoe voorkom je dat verbondenheid en werkgeluk bijzaak worden?

Een sessie die uitnodigt tot reflectie én actie.
Voor CHRO’s die bouwen aan een organisatie die niet alleen sterk is, maar veerkrachtig blijft.

Session round 2
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Round Table: Connecting Talent, Growth and Wellbeing in Times of Change
Hosted by SAP SuccessFactors
Studio 3

How can CHROs strengthen talent flows, growth and wellbeing in an environment where everything is connected: skills, leadership, engagement and technology?
In this roundtable, we take a systems view of the organization: how do different parts of the HR ecosystem support or undermine resilience and performance?
Which technological developments truly help, and where do they fall short?

A strategic peer exchange on leading sustainable growth and healthy organizations with SAP SuccessFactors as sparring partner.

 
Round Table: How Emotionally Intelligent Leaders Build Resilient Workforces
Hosted by The School of Life Amsterdam
Studio 2

Work has never been more complex. AI is reshaping jobs, the war for talent is intensifying, and stress levels are rising across the workforce. Traditional tools are no longer enough: spreadsheets don’t prevent burnout, algorithms don’t build trust, and no KPI has ever made someone feel truly heard. Lasting performance depends on something deeper: the emotional intelligence of leaders. 
 
Emotionally intelligent leaders know how to build strong relationships, inspire trust, and create psychological safety; conditions that boost engagement, improve retention, and bring diverse teams together. Yet our research shows that only 24% of employees believe their leaders set a good example of effective collaboration. 
 
In this breakout session, experts from The School of Life will draw on timeless philosophy and cutting-edge psychological research to share perspectives on cultivating emotionally intelligent leadership across your organisation. Join us to explore how human connection can be your most powerful driver of resilience, engagement, and sustainable performance. 
 

 
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
CHRO Of The Year 2025 Award Show
 
Kapel

Who truly embodies modern leadership? At CHRO Day, we present the CHRO of the Year Award—a moment to celebrate visionary leadership, innovation, and organizational impact. It’s a recognition of courage, people-centered thinking, and strategic ingenuity.

 
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Networking Drinks & Bites
 
Kapel

Wrap up CHRO Day with drinks and bites! The perfect moment to reflect, make new connections, and exchange fresh ideas.