The PeopleFirst
Global Summit ’26
October 21, 2026
Live online for 24 hours | Free to Attend | Available on-demand
In partnership with
About the Summit
The PeopleFirst Global Summit (previously Workplace Inspiration) is a free 24-hour non-stop virtual event designed to give you the confidence, tools and options to make 2026 the year you create a truly inspiring workplace.
This unique event spans the globe – uniting us through our shared purpose to change the world by improving the world of work. As the 50+ short presentations move from Auckland to New York (local time), you will receive advice tailored to your specific region and the challenges you are currently facing.
You will leave energized, with clarity and control about your options and freedom to choose your next steps in an uncertain world. Everyone who attends will take away ways to make simple changes that have the power to transform their organisation.
To view the 2025 Agenda and see the breadth of speakers click here.
To view last years content click here.
Thank you to our 2026 sponsors
Without their support, we would not be able to provide the community and events for free.
Previous speakers…
What you’ll learn
The below sessions are just an appetizer of what you will learn across the 24 hour event:
- Creating strong, PeopleFirst cultures that drive business and human outcomes
- Designing better employee experiences through inclusion, wellbeing, and authentic engagement
- Leading with empathy and purpose in times of constant change
- Building future-ready organizations with adaptable mindsets and intentional culture strategies
- Strengthening psychological safety and belonging in every corner of your workplace
- Navigating hybrid work and AI disruptions while keeping people at the center
- Turning employee voice into action to improve retention, performance, and innovation
- Empowering leadership at all levels to be culture-builders, not just culture-followers.
Australasia
The times listed below are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Sydney).
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10am
Ryan McGrory
MD, Australasia
Inspiring WorkplacesIntro and About IW
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10:30
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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11:00am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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11:30am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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12:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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12:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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1:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
APAC
The times listed below are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (Sydney).
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2:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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2:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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3:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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3:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Middle East & Africa
The times listed below are in British Summer Time (London).
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6:30am
Dr Jerry Gule
Director | Coach
Gule Executive Coaching (Pty) LimitedCreating a Culture of Joy and Happiness in the Workplace
In a bid to drive high performance, productivity and realize better returns, organizations relentlessly push their people to breaking point. In the process joy and happiness gets driven out the door which leaves teams feeling robotic, stressed and frustrated by the demand to do perform even more. Humans are wired for connection, joy and laughter. When the workplace is devoid of key ingredients of matters to people life becomes boring and worthless. In the circumstances some people may perceive themselves as being of not being valued.
This talk shows how to reclaim and embed humanness in the workplace to energize teams to truly enjoy and value their contribution and to feel positive and energized. It shows how when people are happy and joyful can drive productivity and success in sustainable ways.
The talk also provides practical ways those in charge of teams can remove workplace barriers and create a culture of joy and happiness in the workplace and how that can benefit individuals, the organization and the community in general.
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7:00am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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7:30am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Europe
The times listed below are in British Summer Time (London).
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8:30am
Karin Volo
CEO
Evoloshen -
9:00am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
EverHelp
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9:30am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Suzi Archer
Director of Internal Communications
NorgineCulture Transformation Without the Fairy Tale
Culture transformation is often presented as a destination. In reality, it’s messy, non-linear and never really finished.
Over the last three years, Norgine has moved from a fragmented employee experience to a more connected, purpose-led culture recognised externally for engagement, employee experience and workplace culture. But the progress wasn’t driven by a single initiative, framework or playbook. It came through listening, experimentation, leadership alignment and a willingness to adapt as business priorities evolved.
This session shares the realities of Norgine’s journey: what worked, what didn’t, and how our approach evolved from building momentum to sustaining performance. From embedding employee voice and creating meaningful employee experiences to navigating organisational change, operational challenges and rapid business transformation
UK & Ireland
The times listed below are in British Summer Time (London).
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11:30am
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
POD
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12:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Nineteen Group
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12:30pm
Richard Roberts
Founder
EnRich HRInspire your workplace by being a force for good
There has never been a more important time to build a business that stands for something. Today’s employees want more than a good salary. They want to know that the organisation they work for makes a positive contribution – to its customers, its communities, the environment and society as a whole.
And when they do people feel more connected to their work. They become more engaged. More motivated. Because inspiring workplaces don’t just have great cultures internally – they create a positive impact externally too.
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1:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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1:30pm
BREAK
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2:00pm
Emma Bridger
Co-Founder
The EX Space -
2:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Gemma Price
CEO
HubgemCulture by Design: How We Built an Inspiring Workplace, Fully Remote
In 2019, Gemma Price launched HubGem as a solo consultant with no capital behind her. Today, HubGem is a fully remote team of 26 recognised as the world’s #1 Happiest Workplace in 2026, with retention above 90%, hundreds of happy customers worldwide, and five-star Glassdoor reviews maintained since the business began.
In this session, Gemma shares the real story behind that culture — the decision, made while hiring her very first employee, to protect culture over speed of growth, and what that has meant in practice ever since: a dedicated People & Culture Manager from a very early stage, a leadership programme built around psychological safety, and a set of remote-first rituals designed to keep a distributed team genuinely connected. This isn’t a highlights reel of perks. It’s a practical look at what it actually takes to build and sustain culture inside a growing, fully remote business — including what worked, what didn’t, and the mindset shift that made the difference. Attendees will leave with ideas they can adapt for their own teams, wherever they’re working from.
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3:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Genting Casinos UK
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3:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Latin & North America Speakers
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Chris Littlefield
Founder | Keynote Speaker on Employee Appreciation and Workplace Culture
Beyond Thank You
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Edward Kruger, MBA, SHRM-SCP
Senior Human Resources Business Partner
Senior Human Resources Business Partner Northeast & Mid-Atlantic US
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Kelly Duff
Employee Experience Manager
Sentinel Technologies
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Laura Cooke
Co-Founder & CEO
Positive Foundry
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Courtney Zehnder
People & Culture Brand Manager
RS Group
Latin & North America
The times listed below are in British Summer Time (London).
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5:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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5:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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6:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
TaskUS, Inc.
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6:30pm
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7:00pm
Chris Littlefield
Founder | Keynote Speaker on Employee Appreciation and Workplace Culture
Beyond Thank You -
7:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Macmillan Publishers
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8:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Edward Kruger, MBA, SHRM-SCP
Senior Human Resources Business Partner
Ocean State Job Lot
Mobility Made Simple: The Blueprint for Placing Leadership Talent at Scale and Speed
During a rapid expansion in 2025, we realized that relying on spreadsheets, intuition, and reactive decision-making for leadership mobility wasn’t sustainable. We needed to get the right, experienced leaders into new territories, fast. Join us for a 30-minute session where we reveal how we stripped out the noise and built a proven 6-step blueprint for placing high-performing leaders at scale and speed.
You will learn how to:
- Assess leaders efficiently and gauge their willingness to relocate.
- Utilize a weighted scorecard to measure current performance against crucial KPIs.
- Integrate this data into a simplified tool to instantly identify promotion-ready candidates.
- Establish a proactive committee to make data-driven, strategic people moves and ensure smooth backfills.
- Stop reacting to vacancies.
Discover the mobility blueprint that is paying dividends in 2026 and beyond at the Inspiring Workplaces Global Summit!
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8:30pm
Kelly Duff
Employee Experience Manager
Sentinel TechnologiesAmplifying Impact Through Connection – How Human Connection Creates Extraordinary Workplaces
What if the key to building a thriving workplace isn’t another program or policy, but the quality of human connection? I’ll explore why connection remains one of the most important leadership and culture-building skills in today’s workplace. Through personal stories, lessons learned while helping strengthen culture during a period of unprecedented workplace disruption, and practical examples from Sentinel Technologies’ award-winning employee experience initiatives, I’ll demonstrate how intentional moments of connection can foster belonging, strengthen teams, and create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Attendees will leave with practical ideas they can immediately apply to build stronger relationships, elevate employee experience, and amplify organizational impact.
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9:00pm
Laura Cooke
Co-Founder & CEO
Positive Foundry -
9:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Courtney Zehnder
People & Culture Brand Manager
RSSmall Team, Big Impact
What do you do when you’re tasked with elevating the employee experience, strengthening your employer brand, and driving engagement, all without additional resources?
In this engaging and practical session, Courtney Zehnder shares the scrappy strategies, creative mindset, and proven playbook she has used throughout her career to transform limitations into opportunities. Drawing from real-world experiences and lessons learned, she’ll show you how to build influence, leverage partnerships, and create meaningful impact, even without a large team or budget. Whether you’re an HR team of one or part of a lean organization, you’ll walk away with actionable ideas, a fresh perspective, and the confidence to bring your biggest ideas to life.
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10:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
Novo Nordisk Canada Inc
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10:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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11:00pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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11:30pm
A talk from Inspiring Workplace Winner…
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12:00pm
Close