Day One

• How can organisations ensure fairness in employee benefits across 43 countries with vastly different local standards?
• Learn how Ipsen implemented a global minimum benefits standard between 2022 and 2024, decoupling benefits from local government provisions to reduce inequality and reinforce their commitment to employee wellbeing
• Explore how Ipsen’s “We care about people as much as we care about our patients” philosophy drives their global strategy, including the integration of electric vehicles into their sustainability goals

• The life sciences industry is credited with having saved hundreds of millions of lives and is finding new solutions to global challenges every day.
• Why is it struggling to attract and retain the talent needed to face the challenges of the future?
• New research in global workforce trends reveals pressure points with direct implications for sourcing and retention strategies
• Clearly articulating life sciences’ core values can inspire talent to make our story their story
• Learn insights for building resilient workforces that integrate rising generations with senior expertise 
• Consider responsible AI adoption that places people, compliance and security first

This interactive Q&A explores how HR leaders are driving transformation by aligning talent strategy with operational integration and cultural evolution. Learn how bold leadership models and future-ready people strategies are helping organisations navigate rapid change, break down silos, and build environments that support growth and resilience.

• Aligning HR strategy with business transformation and new operating models
• Integrating HR with operations to foster cross-functional collaboration
• Building a future-ready workforce while maintaining cultural integrity
• Balancing ambition, credibility, and change absorption across global teams

This roundtable invites participants to reflect on how HR can scale its impact by integrating culture, operations, and strategic planning. Building on the Q&A session, the discussion will explore how leadership models and people strategies can be designed to support agility, engagement, and long term transformation.

• How can HR lead multiple change initiatives without overwhelming the organisation?
• What are the benefits and risks of merging HR with operational functions?
• How do you maintain cultural cohesion during structural transformation?
• What metrics best capture the success of integrated HR strategies?

Leave with actionable ideas to evolve your HR leadership model – balancing operational synergy, cultural depth, and strategic agility.

• How can HR teams help employees navigate layoffs while maintaining trust, motivation, and long term career prospects?
• Discover how Ryvu Therapeutics developed an outplacement program in response to a one-third workforce reduction, offering CV-building support, LinkedIn profile preparation, career coaching, and CEO-led networking opportunities
• With around 80% of affected employees successfully re-employed or starting PhD studies within six months, the initiative shows how thoughtful HR leadership and collaboration can strengthen both individual recovery and organisational resilience

• Discover how to architect a robust HR blueprint for small biotech organisations, mastering the complexities of operating across diverse European jurisdictions in a rapidly evolving business landscape
• Delve into the art of cultivating organisational agility, managing every facet of HR to create a destination workplace that attracts and retains top talent throughout Europe
• Gain insights into how visionary HR leadership and strategic partnerships can accelerate sustainable growth, ensuring seamless scaling and positioning your biotech for long-term success

This interactive Q&A explores how HR leaders can navigate complex transitions – whether downsizing or scaling – while maintaining trust, agility, and long-term impact. Learn how thoughtful outplacement strategies and holistic HR frameworks can support both individual recovery and organisational evolution.

• Designing empathetic outplacement programmes that rebuild trust
• Supporting career transitions through coaching, networking, and visibility
• Building agile HR structures across diverse jurisdictions
• Creating destination workplaces that attract and retain top talent

This roundtable invites participants to reflect on how HR can lead with empathy while architecting resilient, scalable organisations. Building on the Q&A session, the discussion will explore how to balance operational complexity with human-centred leadership in both growth and transition contexts.

• How can HR maintain motivation and trust during workforce reductions?
• What does it take to build an agile HR function across multiple jurisdictions?
• How do we measure the impact of people-first strategies on long-term retention?
• What role does leadership visibility play in shaping employee experience?

Leave with actionable ideas to lead HR through change – strengthening both individual outcomes and organisational culture.

• How can a biotech company safeguard its entrepreneurial spirit during a period of hypergrowth and commercialisation?
• Learn how Santhera embedded cultural ambassadors, prioritised hiring for cultural fit, and elevated employee experience as a strategic driver of scale
• Even while growing at record pace, Santhera preserved its core identity and strengthened engagement, ensuring culture became a catalyst rather than a casualty of expansion

• How can Talent Acquisition evolve to meet the demands of rapid internal transformation, technological disruption, and shifting skill requirements?
• Explore Bachem’s approach to employer branding, cross-functional collaboration and first steps to integrate AI to future-proof external recruitment and internal development
• Learn how building a transformational network and aligning TA with strategic workforce planning has accelerated readiness, improved agility, and strengthened team cohesion across global operations

This interactive Q&A explores how organisations can preserve and strengthen their cultural identity during periods of rapid expansion. Drawing on real-world strategies, the session highlights how embedding cultural ambassadors, hiring for fit, and aligning leadership communication can turn growth into a catalyst for deeper engagement.

• Safeguarding entrepreneurial spirit while scaling operations
• Embedding culture into hiring, onboarding, and leadership practices
• Using strategic communication to reinforce values during change
• Elevating employee experience as a driver of sustainable growth

This roundtable invites participants to reflect on how culture can be intentionally scaled and sustained during organisational hypergrowth. Building on the Q&A session, the discussion will explore how communication, leadership alignment, and employee experience can be leveraged to maintain cohesion and purpose.

• What cultural elements must be protected during rapid expansion?
• How can communication strategies reinforce identity across growing teams?
• What role should leadership play in modelling and scaling culture?
• How do you measure cultural health during periods of transformation?

Leave with actionable ideas to embed culture into your growth strategy – ensuring it remains a source of strength, not strain.

• As AI rapidly advances, employees—especially subject matter experts—face identity disruption when their specialised knowledge feels less unique. This session explores the psychology of threatened expertise and equips leaders to help teams redefine their value from "what I know" to "how I think" by developing AI-proof human capabilities.
• Understanding Identity Disruption: How AI threatens career identity and triggers psychological threat responses that leaders must recognise and address.
• Developing AI-Proof Capabilities: A practical leadership model focusing on the 4 C's: Connection, Critical thinking, Creativity, and Character—the human strengths AI cannot replicate.

• How can a global life sciences company build a high-trust, high-performance culture in a fully remote environment?
• Explore how Jazz Pharmaceuticals redesigned its operating model post-pandemic—shifting to home-based contracts, rethinking office spaces as collaboration hubs, and embedding flexibility and autonomy into its culture
• With under 4% attrition and over 30% of hires coming from employee referrals, Jazz’s approach has become a magnet for top talent, especially from competitors mandating office returns

This interactive Q&A explores how organisations are revitalising workforce diversity and learning culture to drive innovation and long-term impact. Learn how targeted graduate programmes and global learning frameworks are helping reshape organisational capability, shift cultural mindsets, and prepare teams for the future.

• Reversing workforce ageing and skill stagnation through graduate initiatives
• Co-designing programmes to ensure relevance, retention, and innovation
• Building global learning frameworks that move beyond satisfaction metrics
• Embedding outcome-driven learning to support strategic growth

This roundtable invites participants to reflect on how organisations can embed learning and development into their talent strategy to rejuvenate culture and drive measurable business outcomes. Building on the Q&A session, the discussion will explore how to balance generational diversity, digital fluency, and strategic learning design.

• How can graduate programmes be designed to drive innovation and retention?
• What shifts are needed to move from satisfaction-based to outcome-driven learning?
• How do you embed learning culture across global teams with diverse needs?
• What role does reverse mentoring play in shaping future-ready organisations?

Leave with actionable ideas to strengthen your talent pipeline and learning strategy – ensuring your workforce is equipped, engaged, and aligned with future goals