Future: Skills Asia

08:15 AM - 09:00 AM SGT

Registrations

Registration opens for all attendees.

09:00 AM - 09:10 AM SGT

Skills Are The New Gold

In today’s business world, an organization's value lies in its people’s skills. As technology evolves, traditional roles will change too. To remain competitive, companies must focus on developing future skills - both hard and soft, and preparing their workforce for tomorrow, today.

Sandhya Karpe, Leader, Human Capital Center, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

09:10 AM - 09:30 AM SGT

From a CEO’s Lens: Right-Skilling Talent for the Business

CEOs across the world today have made having the right talent in place, their topmost internal priority. They recognize that staying ahead requires a workforce that is capable of adapting to change. Hear from an eminent business leader about why Future Skilling matter to business leaders and what businesses need to get right.

Ng Tian Chong, CEO, Singtel Singapore

09:30 AM - 10:20 AM SGT

The Future of Skills - Partnering within the Ecosystem

Catapult sits at a critical vantage point, working closely with companies and policymakers to build future skills. What are the key skills of the future? How can companies partner within the ecosystem to develop these skills for future leaders in Asia?

Syed Mohammad Muhafiz, Head of Human Capital Investment, PETRONAS

James Andrade, Sr. Vice President/Head Catapult Executive Leadership & Innovation Institute, CapitaLand Ltd.

Sandhya Karpe, Leader, Human Capital Center, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

10:20 AM - 10:45 AM SGT

Networking Break

An opportunity to connect with fellow attendees during our networking break to exchange ideas and discuss insights from the sessions.

10:45 AM - 11:20 AM SGT

The Skills Advantage: The Why, What & How of Future Skilling

Explore the critical trends shaping jobs, skills, and AI, and how to effectively evaluate and implement reskilling strategies. Understand the importance of adopting a human-centered, sustainable, and scalable approach to future skilling.

Anish Lalchandani, Global Head of Talent Management, A.P. Moller-Maersk

11:20 AM - 11:30 AM SGT

Table Talk

Participants will engage in focused discussions using key questions to encourage collaboration and insightful exchanges.

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM SGT

Building an Agile Workforce

Introduction to the skills-based approach to human capital development. How is it different and what benefits does it have? Hear about our latest research in this area. Hear how a leading MNC is putting this concept into practice through structured training, internal mobility, and upskilling.

Andrew Newmark, Chief Human Resources Officer – Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International

Marion Devine, Senior Human Capital Researcher, Europe, The Conference Board Europe

Gurpreet Grewal, Asia Talent Management Program Director, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

12:30 PM - 01:30 PM SGT

Lunch & Networking

All participants will have the opportunity to connect with new contacts or reconnect with familiar faces over lunch.

01:30 PM - 03:00 PM SGT

Elective Sessions – Part A

Attendees will be briefed on afternoon elective sessions and how to participate. The elective breakout sessions will cover: A-1: Is your Talent Digitally Fluent? Digital & AI Skill-building A-2: Building An AI-Enabled Organization

Sandhya Karpe, Leader, Human Capital Center, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

01:45 PM - 03:00 PM SGT

A-1: Is your Talent Digitally Fluent? Digital & AI Skill-building

Explore FedEx and MTR's journey in building digital capabilities across its workforce. This session will cover the challenges and successes in engaging diverse teams, fostering a tech-friendly culture, and navigating generational differences. Learn how these companies drive excitement, adopt AI initiatives, and shift mindsets to embrace technology.

Bianca Wong, Vice President, Human Resources Asia Pacific, Federal Express Asia Pacific

Dan Wong, CEO, GIFT.ed

Jane Horan, Program Director, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

01:45 PM - 03:00 PM SGT

A-2: Building An AI-Enabled Organization

In today's environment, AI can be an effective tool to enhance competitiveness and productivity. What's involved in building an organization that can leverage the advantages of AI? What skills are needed? And what are the "enabling" conditions?

Gurpreet Grewal, Asia Talent Management Program Director, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

Raunak Bhandari, Regional HR Business Partner, Google Cloud, People Consultant, APAC,

Ruth Gellert-Neale, Chief Human Resources Officer, Technology, APAC and EMEA, JLL Technologies

03:00 PM - 04:00 PM SGT

People and Sustainability

ESG frameworks often miss the focus on the P i.e. People. Understand the emerging perspective on People as a critical pillar in ESG. Learn about a three-legged framework and holistic approach to People Sustainability, practical applications and strategies to overcome challenges in implementing sustainable practices within organizations.

Sandhya Karpe, Leader, Human Capital Center, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

Sunil Puri, Senior Vice President and Head of Research, Stewardship Asia Centre (SAC)

Shailaja Sharma, Executive Director, Learning and Talent Management, SGX Group

03:45 PM - 04:00 PM SGT

Move to Breakouts

04:00 PM - 04:30 PM SGT

Networking Break

An opportunity to connect with fellow attendees during our networking break to exchange ideas and discuss insights from the sessions.

04:30 PM - 05:40 PM SGT

B-2: Building Inclusive Cultures

Inclusive Leadership is a critical future skill and inclusive cultures can enhance your employee brand and attract the best talent. Hear from two leading companies about their innovative approaches to building inclusive cultures.

Jane Horan, Program Director, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

Madhavi Shilpadhipathi, General Manager - Human Resources  ( MAS Capital ), MAS Holdings$

Aditi Nair, Barclays Capital Asia Limited$

04:30 PM - 05:40 PM SGT

Elective Sessions – Part B

Attendees will be briefed on afternoon elective sessions and how to participate. The elective breakout sessions will cover: B-1: The Hard Work of Building Soft Skills B-2: Building Inclusive Cultures

04:30 PM - 05:40 PM SGT

B-1: The Hard Work of Building Soft Skills

The World Economic Forum highlights that “soft skills” will be most critical for future business competitiveness. And yet, soft skills are the hardest to get right. What can companies do to accelerate the development of future skills and how is this being done in practice?

Shoba Purushothaman, Co-founder, Hardskills Asia

Jennifer Tan, Head of Workforce Transformation and Managing Director, Learning and Transformation, Group Human Resources, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited

Cynthia Tan, Program Director, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

05:15 PM - 05:30 PM SGT

Table Talk: How Did Today Matter for You?

Participants will engage in focused discussions and insightful exchanges.

05:40 PM - 05:50 PM SGT

So What & What Next?

Guiding questions will be shared with participants for this session.

Sandhya Karpe, Leader, Human Capital Center, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

05:50 PM - 06:00 PM SGT

Future Agendas & Closing Remarks

The closing remarks will recap key insights and takeaways from the day’s discussions, reinforcing the importance of future skills in driving business growth.

Sam Charlton, Managing Director, Asia, The Conference Board Asia-Pacific

06:00 PM - 07:30 PM SGT

Networking & Refreshments Break

This session offers attendees a valuable opportunity to engage with peers, exchange insights, and build meaningful connections in an informal setting.

11:00 PM - 12:00 AM SGT

Daniel TEST - Break networking

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