The Organisational Culture Summit delivers cutting-edge insights into the future of organisational culture – from purpose-led transformation and psychological safety to AI, wellbeing and authentic leadership.
Each session is designed to provide practical takeaways you can implement immediately, helping you create resilient, adaptive and high-performing cultures.
You can find the full 2027 program below:
9:10
The future of work is no longer waiting on the horizon. It is already reshaping the way organisations make decisions, design roles, build capability, use technology and respond to changing employee expectations. Yet in the rush to keep up with AI, automation and constant disruption, one of the most important cultural questions is often overlooked: are we building organisations that are genuinely ready for what comes next?
Dr Ben Hamer, renowned sociologist, accredited futurist and one of Australia’s leading voices on the future of work, will open the summit with a timely and practical exploration of the forces reshaping work, leadership and culture. Drawing on his research into future trends, workforce transformation and curiosity as a competitive advantage, Ben will challenge leaders to move beyond reactive change and build the organisational muscle to ask better questions, notice emerging signals and adapt with confidence.
This session will explore how leaders can create cultures where people are curious, capable and ready to contribute in new ways. Ben will examine the human side of technological change, the expectations of the modern workforce, and the cultural conditions that help organisations stay relevant, resilient and ready for the future.
Most organisations know that culture matters. The challenge is turning cultural ambition into meaningful change – change that is visible in everyday behaviours, leadership decisions, team dynamics and the way people experience work.
Alicia will explore the leader’s role in moving culture from intention to action. Drawing on her experience in leadership development, governance, purpose-led change and community impact, Alicia will examine what it takes to mobilise people around a shared cultural direction and create momentum for transformation.
This session will challenge leaders to think differently about their own influence, the signals they send, the stories they tell and the behaviours they reinforce. It will provide a powerful foundation for the day by showing how cultural transformation begins with leaders who are willing to model the change they want to see.
11:15
High-performing cultures are not created through slogans or good intentions. They are built through everyday behaviours that shape how people focus, collaborate, experiment and make progress.
Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist, founder of the award-winning behaviour change consultancy Inventium and host of the number one ranking business podcast How I Work. Having worked with organisations including Google, Apple, Disney, LEGO, Coca-Cola and Microsoft, Amantha brings a practical lens to the challenge of building cultures that help people do their best work.
In this session, Amantha will explore how behavioural science can help organisations create the conditions for productivity, innovation and meaningful change. She will show how leaders can move beyond busy work and reactive change and instead design workplace habits that support creativity, focus, energy and performance.
12:00
Culture only creates value when it is lived, embedded and reinforced in the everyday realities of work. Values, strategy and leadership intent matter – but their true impact is seen in decisions, behaviours, systems, rituals and the way people respond when uncertainty and change arrives.
In this practical industry case study, a senior organisational leader will share the real-world experience of building and sustaining culture through transformation. This session will explore the challenges, lessons and practical choices involved in aligning culture with strategy, strengthening trust, engaging people and maintaining momentum through change.
Designed to bring the morning’s themes into focus, this case study will look at what it takes to move from cultural intention to implementation – and how culture can become a genuine driver of performance, engagement and organisational resilience.
13:45
Performance and wellbeing are too often treated as competing priorities. But in healthy, high-performing cultures, they are deeply connected. People do their best work when they feel valued, capable and supported – and when the systems around them make sustainable performance possible.
Dr Adrian Medhurst is a workplace psychologist, author, educator and global consultant specialising in organisational culture and wellbeing. As co-founder of Benny Button, he helps organisations use science-based strategies to support resilience, engagement and sustainable performance in fast-paced, high-demand environments.
In this session, Adrian will explore how leaders can move beyond reactive wellbeing initiatives and intentionally design cultures where people can perform without burning out. Drawing on positive psychology, behavioural science and wellbeing research, he will provide practical frameworks for strengthening psychological safety, preventing burnout and aligning wellbeing with performance.
The organisations that succeed in the future will not simply be those that adopt new technologies first. They will be the organisations that build the culture, leadership and workforce capability to adapt continuously.
Fiona Hewitt, Founder and Managing Partner of Unboxable, works with boards, executive teams and leadership groups across Australia and New Zealand to navigate growth, transformation and the future of work. In this session, Fiona will explore how leaders can prepare their organisations for an AI-enabled future while keeping people, culture and human capability at the centre.
This keynote will provide a high-level, practical view of how culture can either accelerate or inhibit transformation. Fiona will examine the leadership mindsets, workforce shifts and organisational conditions needed to build adaptability, trust, learning and confidence in a changing world.
15:45
High performance is not just about talent, ambition or effort. It is shaped by the goals people pursue, the pressure they carry, the recovery they prioritise and the culture that surrounds them.
Dan Haesler is a performance and leadership coach specialising in mindset, mental skills and leadership. He has worked with elite athletes and teams including members of the Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams, the Penrith Panthers, NSW Swifts, Wallabies and Socceroos, as well as corporate organisations across the Asia Pacific.
In this closing keynote, Dan will draw on insights from elite sport, psychology, leadership and his work with high performers to explore what it takes to unlock real potential without sacrificing wellbeing. He will challenge leaders to rethink the relationship between performance, pressure and recovery, and to consider how culture can either help people thrive or push them towards exhaustion.
This session will leave delegates with practical tools to build confidence, lead under pressure and create environments where people can perform at their best in a way that is sustainable, human and connected to what matters most.