CIPD Ireland Annual Conference 2026

Get ready for a day of inspiration, learning, and networking at the CIPD in Ireland Annual Conference 2026.

People, purpose, performance.

Headline sponsor: Zurich Life

As the world of work continues to evolve rapidly, so must organisations and the people profession. Come together with top leaders and strategic thinkers to explore how we can align people, purpose and performance for sustainable success.

Welcome and opening address

📌MC: Matt Cooper

📌Speaker Alison Hodgson, Market Director, CIPD Ireland

Headline sponsor address: Global forces, Irish Impact

📌Speaker: Richard Temperley, Head of Investment Development, Zurich Life
Get an investor‑level view of global economic trends, financial markets, and investment flows influencing stock markets, pension funds, and organisational performance, providing a clear picture of Ireland’s position within the interconnected global economy and likely trends shaping the landscape.

HR in the C-suite

Discover how HR aligns strategy with business goals, influences organisational outcomes, and navigates the tough trade-offs that come with real-world leadership. Expect an honest conversation about how HR leaders can act as trusted advisors to CEOs and MDs, while driving commercial success.

📌Panel:

• Martha Ryan,People and ESG Director, BootsIreland(CIPD Most impactful and inspirational leader 2026)
• StephenWatkins,Managing Director,BootsUKand Ireland

• Shane O’Brien,Global HR Business Leader, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Financial Services

• Ray McGann, Managing Director, Hewlett PackardEnterprise Ireland

• More to be announced

Chaired by Peter Cheese, CEO, CIPD.

Keynote address: Humans have the edge – 4IR

📌Speaker: Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon,MBE, co‑founder of Stemettes and future-of-work expert
Technology is transforming the workplace at unprecedented speed, and HR has a pivotal role in ensuring humans not machines drive performance, innovation, and impact. Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE will bring real examples, emerging trends, and discuss how organisations can harness tech to amplify human potential in this fourth industrial revolution.

Followed by fireside chat contextualising the human-technology intersection for HR leaders.

Parallel sessions: Insights area and expert-led roundtable conversations

Morning session

Choose two 50-minute conversations from a series of expert-led roundtables and interactive insights areas. Take a dive deep into the issues shaping the future of work, exchange ideas with peers, and leave with practical takeaways for your organisation that you can use immediately.

Themes:

• Future of work: strategy, agility and talent development – Organisational design, workforce planning, and capability building for tomorrow.
• People priority: wellbeing, resilience and high performance – Driving engagement, inclusion, and productivity without compromise.
• The Human-tech frontier: where HR meets digital – AI governance, digital adoption, and building data-driven HR capability.
• Future-ready workplaces: leaving a legacy for the next generation – Skills architecture, succession planning, and HR capability development to prepare for 2030.

Topics will be published soon.

Parrell sessions: Insights are and expert-led roundtables

Afternoon session

Expectations are changing. Are we really keeping up?

📌Speaker: Kevin Empey, International Head of Future of Work Strategy and Solutions with Lockton and Founder of Workmatters

Case studies: Amy Burke, Chief People and Sustainability Officer, Vhi and Morag Lynagh, ex Global Future of Work Director, Unilever

The way employees engage in work is evolving faster than most organisations can respond. In this interactive session, Future of Work Strategist Kevin Empey is joined by leading practitioners to explore how organisations can rethink the employee proposition, align purpose with performance, and make careers matter – all while delivering real business outcomes.

Designing for Performance: How we shape the way work gets done

📌Speaker: Linda Waters, Senior Employer Solutions Manager, CIPD

Our Employer Solutions Expert sees first-hand what works in organisations driving performance and competitive advantage. In this session, we bring you top insights on how the people function can connect talent, technology, agile ways of working, and trust to deliver measurable business impact and a future-focused people strategy

CPOs charting change

Most transformations don’t fail in the planning. They fail in the execution. This panel will share how they navigate complexity, embed culture, and translate people strategy into measurable organisational outcomes. Learn what works and what doesn’t when leading change.

📌Panel:

• Alan Murphy,Senior HR Director,DocuSign
• Margaret O’Shea,Head of Ireland and Bank of America Europe HR

• More to be announced

Panel discussion chaired by BernaOztinaz,Chair oftheEuropeanAssociationforPeopleManagement.

Closing keynote: Life is improv

📌Speaker: Neil Mullarkey(Whose Line is itanyway?,Austin Powers, co-founder of the Comedy Store Players)

In a world of short attention spans, work is digital, and conversations move fast, authentic listening, adaptability, and collaboration are more important than ever. Neil Mullarkey (comedian, author and co-founder of the Comedy Store Players) closes the day with an energising, interactive keynote that will leave you refreshed and ready to take on the world.

Networking reception

Don’t let the day end with the keynote. Join your peers for drinks, continue the conversations that matter, and make connections that could spark your next big idea.

Bookings available here: Bookings available via the link here: CIPD in Ireland Annual conference in Ireland 2026 Tickets, Thursday, Apr 16 from 9 am to 4:30 pm | Eventbrite