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
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping organisations, workflows and decision-making. But while the headlines often focus on automation and disruption, the deeper cultural question is how organisations prepare their people to use AI with confidence and responsibility.
Dr Mahsa McCauley is a globally recognised AI leader, Associate Professor at Auckland University of Technology, Chair of AI Forum NZ and Communication and Information Commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. Drawing on her work across AI research, policy, education, ethics and digital capability, Mahsa will bring clarity to one of the most important organisational shifts of our time.
This session will explore what leaders and People & Culture teams need to understand about AI adoption, capability-building and responsible transformation. It will show why the future of AI in organisations is not only a technology issue, but also a leadership, culture and governance challenge.
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
High performance cannot be sustained when people are exhausted, disconnected or constantly operating in survival mode. As organisations continue to navigate change and rising complexity, leaders must create cultures that protect wellbeing while enabling people to do meaningful, high-quality work.
Dr Denise Quinlan’s mission is to make work better by preventing burnout, protecting wellbeing and enabling sustainable performance. With internationally recognised expertise in resilience, strengths-based leadership, wellbeing and social climate, Denise brings a practical and evidence-based take on one of the most pressing cultural challenges facing workplaces today.
This session will explore how organisations can move beyond reactive wellbeing initiatives and build the cultural conditions that support sustainable performance. Denise will show how relationships, leadership behaviours, strengths, social climate and practical workplace habits can help people and teams thrive over the long term.
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
For more than twenty years, Darren Shand was at the heart of one of the most successful high-performance environments in world sport. As General Manager of the New Zealand All Blacks, he helped shape the culture, systems and “team around the team” that supported sustained excellence on the global stage.
In this closing keynote, Darren will take delegates behind the scenes of elite performance to explore what organisations can learn from the systems, standards, leadership practices and cultural foundations of winning teams. Darren will show how organisations can create environments where people are clear, connected, accountable and able to perform under pressure.
Drawing on his experience with the All Blacks and his work with business and sporting leaders around the world, he will share practical insights into team dynamics, leadership, purpose and the cultural discipline required to sustain performance over time.