HR Directors Summit 2009
The 2nd Annual HR Directors Summit held on February 10th-12th 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. The event was extremely well received by industry practitioners, academics and solution providers of leading international organisations. The Summit provided its participants with innovative knowledge through unique, practical case study-driven presentations from recognized industry insiders.
Winning pre-event focussed Spotlight Day
The day prior to the event, a special Spotlight Day was held; which focused on the practical side of Talent Management & Leadership as well as Recruitment & Retention Strategies. It became a great platform for learning and networking, due to the close interaction of delegates through interactive sessions and several round tables.
The Talent Management Stream of Spotlight Day was chaired by David Lamond, Associate Dean of Nottingham Business School and the excellent HR experts from Danone, BT, Nike, Oliver Wyman and Progreso. They provided insights into different approaches towards effective Talent Management and the establishment of a Corporate Performance Culture.
Hilary Sears, Chairman of the Association of MBAs opened the Spotlight Day. The first workshop was delivered by the HR Director of BT on how to build an Effective Employee Value Proposition to deliver positive ROI in the hard times. Meanwhile, Sej Butler, IBM’s Head of European Recruitment, , emphasised the importance of Diversity in the organisational development.
The programme of the day was a diverse mix of presentations, interactive discussions, provoking diverse positive feedback, that guarantee our customer’s success and maximization of their business potential.
Informative and inspiring sessions at the Main Summit
The Two day Summit offered a unique networking opportunity for HR Professionals around Europe. Attendees benefited from case studies and learned from top companies how to successfully plan and implement a company’s Talent Management & Leadership Strategies as well as effective Recruitment & Retention plans.
The summit offered different streams to choose from, chaired by outstanding HR professionals, such as Peter Haen, VP of EAPM – European Association of Personal Management and Jan Kingsley, Director, Association for Professional & Executive Learning (former Director of EFMD).
The presentation of Tony Williams, Group Head of HR from ABN Amro and RBS, proved particularly interesting, as it gave insights into the HR challenges across borders throughout Mergers & Acquisitions. Introduced by Marc Timermann from Hudson, the topic of future leaders and Women at the Top was well received.
The second day of the HR Directors Summit introduced further motivating interactive presentations from leading experts of General Electric, Honeywell, Shell and Adecco.
The event’s highlight was the presentation of Prof. Lynda Gratton, whose presence at the HR Directors Summit marked her first presentation after beginning of the crisis and provided new perspectives. The presentation was extremely engaging and inspiring, embracing the importance of energy and innovation in today’s world. “Having Lynda Gratton as main guest speaker was particularly valuable.”, said Jorge Aisa Dreyfus, Director of Organizational Effectiveness EMEA.
Exclusive knowledge and value for all participants
The evening network session at the La Vierge Noire restaurant was a further opportunity for delegates to continue discussion about the day’s event in a relaxed and casual environment. Over delicious French cuisine, participants were able to truly engage with the industry peers, network and to continue to share ideas and solutions for the raising challenges of the market.
"I particularly appreciate the time reserved for networking” said, Mark Timmerman, Executive Director of Talent Management Europe from Hudson. “The speakers and attendees have major HR experiences and it is one of the few precious moments in the year that one can learn from others and check one’s own ideas or Talent Management practices."
The in-takes from the Three day event are truly extensive. Just to mention a few proposed pillars of the effective HR for 2009 which were Trust and Transparency, Communication, Team Work and the Importance of Good Leadership. Ultimately, the coming year will require new ideas to tackle the challenges posed by the market. ¨Innovation is the key to success¨ - announced Lynda, closing the 2nd HR Directors Summit.
“The HR Director summit in Brussels was a great opportunity for me to connect with other HR practitioners and a number of reputable suppliers. Speaking to a knowledgeable audience sharpens the mind! If you are willing to let yourself be surprised, this will certainly present opportunities. I took away a few nuggets for Shell that I will use in the HR, Change and Communication domain.” Sander Nieuwenhuizen , Vice President, HR - IT
The 3rd HR Directors Summit for next year is scheduled for the 16-18th of February 2010. The programme of this future event will be posted on http://www.bmeglobal.com
For more information on the summit, please give us a call at +34 93 903 61 59 or send us an email to hrdirectors@
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
