The demands on HR leadership
continue to grow.
Advances in AI, continuous change, scarce skills, changing workforce expectations and pressure for measurable business impact are influencing how organisations approach work, leadership, culture and performance.
HR Director Conference 2027 brings together CHROs, HR Directors and senior people leaders responsible for people strategy, organisational capability and workforce performance.
The conference will create a focused space for senior HR leaders to examine these priorities, learn from organisations responding to them and exchange perspectives with peers facing similarly complex decisions.
Across two days, the programme will combine strategic keynotes with three parallel tracks covering the priorities shaping the HR Director agenda: business and workforce strategy, leadership and talent, organisational transformation, technology and AI, employee experience and sustainable performance.
★★★★★
“Continuous learning through peers, with relevant topics that help us navigate the realities we are facing today.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
KEY THEMES FOR 2027
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE
| OPENING PLENARIES | |
| Leading What Comes Next: The New Mandate for HR in a Changing World of Work | |
| The Productivity Reset: Redesigning Work for a More Efficient, Focused and Human Organisation | |
| BREAKAWAY TRACK SESSIONS | |
| TRACK 1 | CASE STUDY: Building Inclusion into How the Organisation Operates: From HR Agenda to Business Agenda |
| TRACK 2 | CASE STUDY: Scaling the Business Without Losing the People: How HR Evolves for Growth |
| TRACK 3 | Before AI Comes Good Data: Building the HR Technology Foundation for Better People Decisions |
| TRACK 1 | CASE STUDY: Building Leadership Capability Across Africa: Lessons from Old Mutual’s Leadership Development Journey |
| TRACK 2 | Making Culture Investment Count: Turning Leadership Principles into Everyday Behaviour |
| TRACK 3 | CASE STUDY |
| TRACK 1 | CASE STUDY: Leading People in a Digital-First Business: Building Capability for Constant Change |
| TRACK 2 | From Wellbeing to Human Performance: Building the Conditions for Sustainable Success |
| TRACK 3 | Beyond Pay: Rethinking Reward to Drive Performance, Retention and Trust |
| TRACK 1 | From AI Experimentation to Business Value: Where HR Should Use AI – and Where It Should Not |
| TRACK 2 | The Human Side of HR: Building Trust, Belonging and Performance Through Empathy |
| TRACK 3 | Fixing the Hiring Process: How to Recruit Faster Without Sacrificing Quality |
| CLOSING PLENARY | |
| From losing 57–0 against the All Blacks in September 2017 to Back-to-Back World Champions: Leadership Lessons from South Africa’s Rugby Turnaround | |
| COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND EXCLUSIVE BOOK LAUNCH | |
| OPENING PLENARIES | |
| In Conversation: How CHROs Can Strengthen Their Strategic Influence at Board Level | |
| How to Do a Liver Transplant: Lessons in Leadership from the Operating Theatre to the Executive Office | |
| BREAKAWAY TRACK SESSIONS | |
| TRACK 1 | Workforce Planning in Practice: Using Data to Build the Workforce the Organisation Actually Needs |
| TRACK 2 | When AI Enters the Workplace: The HR Director’s Role in Keeping It Ethical, Human and Accountable |
| TRACK 3 | Building a Top Employer in a Frontline Workforce |
| TRACK 1 | Building a Future-Ready Workforce: Creating a Learning Ecosystem Across the Business |
| TRACK 2 | Building Leaders from Within: Developing Talent Through Experience, Mobility and Responsibility |
| TRACK 3 | From Employee Experience to Customer Experience: Connecting People Strategy with Better Service |
| CLOSING PLENARIES | |
| Culture as a Business Strategy: Connecting People, Purpose and Performance | |
| The Workforce Deal Is Changing: What Employees Will Expect from Employers Next | |
Download event brochure
PRE & POST CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
| Leading Teams with Superpowers | |
| How Leaders Build Connection, Competence and Autonomy | |
At the heart of the workshop are three critical conditions for sustained team performance: Connection. Competence. Autonomy. Participants will explore how these conditions need to be developed differently as teams progress through the stages of Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing, and how the framework can be applied practically across leadership development, onboarding, performance management and organisational culture. | |
| What This Workshop Covers | |
| Teams with Superpowers – The Core Idea | The Eight Levers of Intrinsic Motivation |
| Team Evolution – Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing | Calibrating Autonomy to Capability |
| Embedding the Model into HR Practice | |
| ABOUT THE FACILITATOR | |
 | DR CHARLES DU TOIT Founder, Trust-Based Leadership Academy |
| AI in HR | |
| Applying AI Responsibly Across the Employee Lifecycle | |
AI has moved beyond experimentation. The challenge for HR leaders is no longer whether AI will influence the people function, but where to use it, how to implement it responsibly and how to ensure technology strengthens rather than replaces human judgement. As AI becomes embedded across recruitment, onboarding, learning, performance, workforce planning and employee experience, HR leaders need to understand both the opportunities and the risks. This practical one-day workshop will take participants through the employee lifecycle, examining where AI can genuinely improve HR outcomes, where human judgement remains essential and what organisations need to put in place to implement AI responsibly. Rather than focusing on theory, the workshop will use real examples, practical case studies and lessons from implementation. Participants will work through realistic HR scenarios, evaluate AI use cases and explore how to combine AI capability with human ingenuity, judgement, empathy and creativity. The key question for the day: How do we use AI to make HR better — not simply faster? | |
| What This Workshop Covers | |
| AI Across the Employee Lifecycle – Where Does It Really Add Value? | From HR Problem to AI Opportunity and Redesigning Work |
| Responsible AI in HR – Building the Guardrails | From Pilot to Practice – Implementing AI Without Creating Chaos |
| ABOUT THE FACILITATOR | |
 | ELMEN LAMPRECHT Talent Management & HR Technology Expert |
| Neuroscience in the Workplace | |
| Future-Ready HR Leadership | |
| The world of work is being reshaped by AI, digital transformation, hybrid working and constant organisational change. Yet many HR practices still rely on traditional frameworks that do not fully account for how people actually think, learn, adapt and respond under pressure. This practical one-day workshop will introduce HR leaders to an applied organisational neuroscience approach that connects brain science with everyday people leadership and HR decision-making. Drawing on concepts including neural networks, memory systems, neuroplasticity, cognitive load, social cognition and basic psychological needs, participants will explore how the brain responds to uncertainty, technological disruption and change — and what this means for leadership, culture, learning, inclusion and performance. The focus throughout the day will be on bridging the knowing–doing gap: turning neuroscience insights into practical approaches that HR leaders can apply within their organisations. | |
| What This Workshop Covers | |
| Neuroscience Foundations for the Future-Ready HR Leader | The Brain Under Pressure: Bias, Change and Decision-Making |
| Neuroplasticity and Changing Organisational Behaviour | Designing Cultures for Performance, Trust and Adaptability |
| ABOUT THE FACILITATOR | |
 | DR INGRA DU BUISSON-NARSAI NeuroCapital |
PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS
SPONSORS & EXHIBITORS
Partner With Us
Sponsorship and exhibition Opportunities
For over a decade, KR has been at the forefront of bringing together influential HR leaders and decision-makers through this distinguished event. As we explore cutting-edge topics and transformative strategies, there is no better place to enhance your brand, establish robust business relationships, and ensure a thriving lead generation pipeline.
Benefits
PAST PartnerS
SAP • SuccessFactors • Oracle • Workday • Discovery • Sage • Bowmans • Aspire • Jem • Deel Local Payroll •
10X • Labournet • Mancosa • Millpark Education • University of Johannesburg • Wamly
Exclusive Opportunity: For more information on our varied sponsorship packages and to discover how you can be part of this unique event, please contact us.
2027 Venue
Protea Hotel Stellenbosch &
Conference Centre
Ideally located in the Stellenbosch Winelands, Protea Hotel Stellenbosch & Conference Centre offers a welcoming setting for both business and leisure. The hotel is close to Stellenbosch University, the town centre and Blaauwklippen vineyard, with comfortable accommodation, complimentary Wi-Fi, dining options and flexible event facilities.
With 11,000 square feet of event space, including a venue accommodating up to 450 guests, the hotel provides a convenient and professional setting for the HR Director Conference 2027.
Experience a focused executive environment built around meaningful connections, knowledge sharing and peer learning – where quality conversations take centre stage.
ADDRESS
Techno Avenue, Techno Park, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 7600
Contact Details & Reservations
Stacy Phillips
Banqueting Coordinator
D +27 (0) 21 880 9525
T +27 (0) 21 880 9500
E [email protected]
W Protea Hotel Stellenbosch (marriott.com)
