Explore the Agenda

Discover

20-minute presentation from organisation sharing their case studies

Action

20-minute audience roundtable discussion

Speed Networking

In this quick-fire networking session meet the other attendees

Develop

20-minute Q&A between speakers and the audience

Panel Discussions

30-minute dedicated panel discussion covering both prepared and audience
questions

Speed Learning

Discuss, debate and get inspiration on how
to approach specific challenges with your
fellow colleagues

8:00 am Check-In, Refreshments & Community Introductions

8:20 am Chair’s Welcome & Opening Remarks

Senior Vice President & Global HRBP, Kyowa Kirin

8:30 am 💡 Interactive Panel Session: How Leading Life Sciences Organisations of All Sizes Are Anticipating the Future Demands of the Biopharma Industry

Global Head People Insights Consulting, Roche
Global Head of Talent & Development, Argenx
Chief People Officer, Ryvu Therapeutics
Vice President, Global Talent Global HR, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A
Vice President, Human Resources, Oxford Biomedica
  • Explore how AI is reshaping strategic decision-making in life sciences, and where leaders draw the line between leveraging AI’s speed and safeguarding independent, critical judgement
  • Compare the workforce trends, talent priorities, and operational realities shaping organisations across the life sciences ecosystem and learn which approaches can be successfully applied regardless of company size or stage
  • Understand why learning from peers across the life sciences ecosystem is critical for identifying emerging trends, challenging conventional thinking and preparing for future disruption

Redesigning Organisations for Greater Agility & Performance

9:10 am ⚡ Discover: How Bayer Transformed a 160-Year-Old Hierarchical Organisation Into an Empowered, Entrepreneurial Business Through Dynamic Shared Ownership

Head, Human Resources North Europe Cluster, Bayer
  • Learn how Bayer reduced organisational layers from 12-15 levels to just 5-6, pushing decision-making closer to employees and accelerating business responsiveness
  • Explore the practical realities of implementing Dynamic Shared Ownership (DSO) across a global organisation, including redesigning leadership, accountability and workforce models at scale
  • Understand how Bayer’s innovative ‘Home and Work’ model and 90-day cycles enable greater flexibility, cross-functional collaboration and stronger alignment to business outcomes

9:30 am ⚡ Discover: Reinventing Rezon Bio’s Operating Model, Culture, & Workforce Following Its Transformation Into an Independent CDMO

Chief People Officer, Rezon Bio
Head of People & Organization Business Partnering & Organization Development, Polpharma Biologics
  • Discover how Rezon Bio navigated the complex people, culture and organisational transition from an internal development organisation to a standalone CDMO serving multiple external customers while maintaining scientific excellence
  • Step inside the strategy the organisation took to build a customer-centric culture across a workforce historically focused on science, development, and technical delivery, and what the team learned from these efforts
  • Explore the leadership, organisational design, and talent strategies required to align people, processes, and mindsets around commercial growth and long-term competitiveness in a rapidly moving European life sciences market

9:50 am 💡 Develop: What’s the Biggest People Challenge When Reinventing How an Organisation Operates?

Head, Human Resources North Europe Cluster, Bayer
Chief People Officer, Rezon Bio
Head of People & Organization Business Partnering & Organization Development, Polpharma Biologics

Go beyond the case study: This is your chance to ask questions that uncover the decisions, challenges and lessons behind the results

10:10 am ▶▶ Action: What Lessons about Organisational Transformation Apply Regardless of an Organisation’s Size, History, or Stage of Growth?

Turn insight into action: This is your opportunity to work with your peers to identify the changes you can immediately apply in your organisation

10:30 am 🤝 Speed Networking & Refreshments Break

Building One Culture Through Growth, Change & Expansion

11:20 am ⚡ Discover: Unifying Three Legacy Organisations Into One High-Performing Culture in Just One Year

Senior Vice President, Talent & Development, Acino International AG
  • Discover how Arcera built a shared cultural identity across three legacy businesses while preserving local strengths and accelerating employee engagement through a period of rapid transformation
  • Learn the practical strategies used to create belonging at scale, align employees behind a new organisational purpose, and embed culture consistently across multiple international markets
  • Explore how HR partnered with leadership to strengthen internal and external employer branding, turning cultural integration into a competitive advantage for attracting and retaining talent

11:40 am ⚡ Discover: Scaling uniQure Through 50% Workforce Growth and Its First Commercial Launch by Embedding Culture, Values & Hiring Discipline

Vice President Global HR, uniQure
Global Head Of Talent Acquisition, uniQure
  • Learn how uniQure redefined and operationalised four core values across communication, recognition and talent processes to create a stronger foundation for commercial growth
  • Discover how HR aligned leadership, employee ambassadors and business teams behind a unified “ONEuniQure” culture following significant organisational change and restructuring
  • Explore the practical hiring strategies being used to assess both the “what” and the “how” of candidate performance while adding 100 new employees without compromising culture

12:00 pm 💡 Develop: What Culture Challenges Are Universal, Regardless of an Organisation’s Size or Stage of Growth?

Senior Vice President, Talent & Development, Acino International AG
Vice President Global HR, uniQure
Global Head Of Talent Acquisition, uniQure

Go beyond the case study: This is your chance to ask questions that uncover the decisions, challenges and lessons behind the results

12:20 pm ▶▶ Action: How Do You Build One Strong Culture While Navigating Significant Growth and Change?

Turn insight into action: This is your opportunity to work with your peers to identify the changes you can immediately apply in your organisation

12:40 pm Lunch & Community Perspective Exchange

Sustaining Trust & Engagement Through Transformation

2:10 pm ⚡ Discover: How CSL Seqirus Protected Employee Engagement Through Major Transformation, Separation, & Workforce Change

Vice President & Global Head of Human Resources, CSL Seqirus
  • Learn how CSL Seqirus successfully re-established itself as a standalone organisation while navigating large-scale transformation, organisational redesign, and uncertainty without sacrificing employee engagement
  • Explore the leadership behaviours, cultural disciplines, and communication strategies that helped maintain engagement levels within just 2% throughout a period of significant business change
  • Using employee feedback, leadership accountability, recognition programmes, and frontline capability building to sustain trust, performance, and retention during transformation

2:30 pm ⚡ Discover: How Compass Pathways Sustained Exceptional Engagement Through Hypergrowth & Phase III Trial Execution

Vice President, People, Compass Pathways
  • Understand how Compass Pathways strengthened already high levels of employee engagement while navigating Phase III trials, hypergrowth and an intense pace of R&D activity
  • Uncover how investment in 360° feedback, executive coaching and leadership self-awareness strengthened management capability and helped create a culture of growth, compassion and accountability
  • Explore practical strategies for helping managers translate scientific and technical expertise into effective people leadership, enabling teams to thrive through uncertainty, transformation and rapid expansion

2:50 pm 💡 Develop: How Do You Sustain Trust & Engagement When Uncertainty Is Unavoidable?

Vice President & Global Head of Human Resources, CSL Seqirus
Vice President, People, Compass Pathways

Go beyond the case study: This is your chance to ask questions that uncover the decisions, challenges and lessons behind the results

3:10 pm ▶▶ Action: How Do You Communicate & Lead Through Uncertainty Without Losing Employee Trust?

Turn insight into action: This is your opportunity to work with your peers to identify the changes you can immediately apply in your organisation

Scaling Globally Without Losing Local Effectiveness

3:30 pm 🤝 Afternoon Refreshments, Connections & Collaboration Break

4:00 pm ⚡ Discover: How Cytokinetics Translated a European Launch Strategy Into Successful Country-Level Commercialisation

Head of Human Resources Europe+, Cytokinetics, Incorporated
  • Learn how Cytokinetics built the people, leadership and organisational foundations required to support a rapid transition from a development-stage biotech to a commercial organisation across Europe
  • Explore how the European HR team created a scalable framework that enabled local market teams to execute effectively while maintaining alignment to a broader regional strategy
  • Gain practical insights into navigating simultaneous launches across multiple countries, balancing regional consistency with local market realities during a period of significant business growth

4:20 pm ⚡ Discover: Aligning Leadership Teams & Boards Across Cultures While Preserving Local Identity During Global Growth

Chief People Officer, Immatics
  • Learn how to create a unifying set of values and leadership principles that connect global teams while allowing regional cultures to thrive
  • Explore practical strategies for educating and aligning geographically diverse executive teams and boards as organisations expand into new markets
  • Understand how to adapt talent, rewards and people strategies across regions without losing consistency, trust or organisational cohesion

4:40 pm 💡 Develop: What People Strategies Are Most Difficult to Translate Successfully Across Markets?

Head of Human Resources Europe+, Cytokinetics, Incorporated
Chief People Officer, Immatics

Go beyond the case study: This is your chance to ask questions that uncover the decisions, challenges and lessons behind the results

5:00 pm ▶▶ Action: What’s the Key to Balancing Consistency & Flexibility Across Markets?

Turn insight into action: This is your opportunity to work with your peers to identify the changes you can immediately apply in your organisation

5:20 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

Senior Vice President & Global HRBP, Kyowa Kirin

End of Conference Day One