Agenda: Thursday, 18 June 2026
Now in its 11th year, the carefully curated content-led agenda at the REBA Congress provides senior reward, benefits and wellbeing directors with the opportunity to take valuable time away from the day-job where they can learn, share, network and reflect. Combining leading-edge thinking with practical tips and guidance, the REBA Congress agenda features keynote talks, topical speaker sessions, panel debates, workshops, masterclasses and roundtable discussions.
Here's a printer friendly version of the whole agenda to make it easy to review.
8.25am – 9.10am
DEMO: Ready in weeks. Valued from day one: How Zest/Epassi is automating and personalising benefits with technology
DEMO: Ready in weeks. Valued from day one: How Zest/Epassi is automating and personalising benefits with technology
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
Benefits have evolved. Has your platform?
Zest turns complexity into clarity by automating admin, personalising every employee's experience, and putting real-time data where HR can actually use it.
And with our NEW AI-powered Q&A agent, we’re turning a benefits package into a retention tool that actually works.
- See how Zest automates benefits: we eliminate manual processes and get you live in weeks, not months
- Stop guessing, start knowing: drill into benefits usage by age, gender, department and salary giving HR and reward leaders the intelligence to continuously improve your employee proposition.
- Real answers, not AI guesswork: employees who understand their benefits use them, meaning fewer inbox queries for HR.
Most AI chatbots are aware of support documentation. Zest’s is aware of the individual: it has access to each employee’s specific benefit selections, their employer’s policies, and the full suite of plan documentation answering questions personalised to that person’s situation, not just generic FAQs.
Hosted by:
Luke Prankard, Sales Director, Zest
Speakers
WORKSHOP: Taking control of healthcare spend for the long-term: Transitioning to a healthcare trust to rebalance cost, risk and value
WORKSHOP: Taking control of healthcare spend for the long-term: Transitioning to a healthcare trust to rebalance cost, risk and value
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefits professionals in organisations who have at least 750+ employees.
PMI costs continue to rise, employee expectations are growing and claims are becoming increasingly complex. At the same time, diagnostic delays and inconsistent access to care are undermining productivity, while renewal shocks are becoming the norm. All of this is raising serious sustainability concerns for employers. If your organisation is feeling the pressure, you’re not alone.
Join this fast paced, interactive workshop session designed for reward and benefits leaders who need more control over healthcare spend and employee outcomes. We’ll demystify the common myths that hold organisations back from moving to a healthcare trust, from perceived complexity to concerns about risk and organisation size and show what it really takes to make a confident switch. This session will help you to cut through the noise and uncover:
- What’s really driving today’s escalating healthcare risk
- Why traditional PMI models struggle to offer preventative care, flexibility, visibility and cost predictability
- How a trust can give employers greater control of benefit design, claims management and long-term financial stability to meet your unique business needs
- What type of trust is the right strategic fit for your organisation
Hosted by:
Ian Talbot, CEO, Healix Health
Sarah Taylor, Director of Corporate Healthcare Proposition, Healix Health
Speakers
WORKSHOP: Building the right mindset, capability and culture to embrace tech and AI and drive change and innovation
WORKSHOP: Building the right mindset, capability and culture to embrace tech and AI and drive change and innovation
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefit professionals in UK and multinational organisations with a headcount of 1,000+ employees.
AI is accelerating change but technology alone won’t deliver value without leaders who can navigate uncertainty, shift mindsets and embed new ways of working. This workshop explores the role reward and benefits leaders can play in supporting the development of leadership capability, resilience and cultural readiness and ensure their organisations not only adopt AI, but use it to drive performance, innovation and a better employee experience.
Key discussion points
- The role leaders play in embracing technology: how leaders can motivate employees to experiment with new technologies and share their knowledge with colleagues, to enhance collaboration and innovation
- Emerging technologies and skills: explore how emerging technologies like AI influence the demand for skills and strategies to develop these skills at all levels of the organisation, from the board and senior leaders to front-line employees
- Embracing new ways of working: helping employees embrace change and integrate technologies into their daily routine
- Aligning reward, benefits and experience to drive adoption: using reward, recognition and employee experience to reinforce new behaviours, support upskilling and ensure confident and sustained engagement with AI-enabled ways of working
Hosted by:
Sonya Poonian, AI Transformation Director – Worforce and Employee Experience, Gallagher
Rohan Gohil, Consultant – Employee Experience and Communication, Gallagher
New for 2026 … REBA Multinational Lounge in association with Howden
New for 2026 … REBA Multinational Lounge in association with Howden
Global benefits, tech and data
New for 2026 … Kickstart your REBA Congress experience with the multinational benefits breakfast in the Multinational Lounge - an exclusive, bookable breakfast session designed for senior reward and benefits leaders with international responsibility. Start your day by connecting with peers who truly understand the complexity of managing global benefits, in a facilitated meet and greet designed to spark meaningful conversations and create new connections.
With four dedicated networking zones covering Europe, APAC, the Middle East & Africa, and the Americas, you’ll have the opportunity to dive straight into the regional challenges that matter most to you. Expect fresh perspectives, shared insights and valuable connections - all before the main programme begins. Spaces are limited, so reserve your place early and make the most of this new networking experience at this year’s REBA Congress.
After sharing international insights, head next door for the global benefits keynote. Join Jo Rees and Dr Amanda Bunten from GSK for an executive interview on the realities of transformation in progress, bringing to life their journey towards an AI-enabled global reward and benefits experience.
In association with Howden Global
Join our multinational lounge hosts who include:
Europe networking zone
- Doreen Bos, Senior Manager Benefits, Recognition & Wellbeing, EPDM, The Kraft Heinz Company
- Matthias Hembold, VP Global Risk Benefits, Health & Wellbeing, DHL
- Lianne Frost, Benefits Director, Warner Music
APAC networking zone
- Sandra Cooney, VP Global Benefits, Take-Two International
- Rozina Joseph, Senior Director Global Benefits, Comcast Corporation
- Heidi Wurzer, Senior Global Benefits Manager, Resmed
Middle East & Africa networking zone
- Karen Sancto, Global Wellbeing Benefits Manager, Microsoft
- Debs Holland, Head of Compensation and Benefits, HFW
Americas networking zone
- Lisa Boardman, Reward Manager, Edrington
- Fabio Mazetti, Global Senior Benefits Manager, Phillp Morris International
- Yoana Karamitrova, Global Benefits Manager, Checkout.com
Speakers
9.15am – 10.05am
Welcome & Opening keynote 1 with Lara Lewington: The emerging health-tech landscape: separating science from snake oil (and what it means for employers)
Welcome & Opening keynote 1 with Lara Lewington: The emerging health-tech landscape: separating science from snake oil (and what it means for employers)
Optimising workforce health benefits
Join leading technology broadcaster, journalist and author specialising in AI and health, Lara Lewington to explore the emerging health-tech landscape – separating science-backed innovation from ‘snake oil’ solutions.
Lara will examine key consumer health trends, the future impact of health AI and the ethical, legal and trust issues around sensitive health data, while sharing practical levers to drive sustained employee behaviour change.
Join this game-changing session to understand how the upcoming healthcare revolution can help your workforce live healthier, better lives.
Welcome & Opening keynote 2: Keynote executive interview: GSK’s journey towards an AI-enabled global reward and benefits experience
Welcome & Opening keynote 2: Keynote executive interview: GSK’s journey towards an AI-enabled global reward and benefits experience
Global benefits, tech and data
Join GSK’s Global Experience Owner – Performance and Reward, Joanne Rees, and Global Head of Employee Health and Wellbeing, Dr Amanda Bunten, as they share their journey so far in rethinking global rewards and benefits through a more people-centred lens.
Drawing on employee insight and a vision to create a truly global experience for employees, they will discuss how they are working to reshape how reward and benefits are designed, delivered and experienced across the organisation and how AI can help unlock new possibilities. This session will offer an open and honest perspective on this evolving journey, exploring options and approaches that can help embed benefits into the everyday employee experience to better support health, wellbeing and positive behaviour change.
The conversation will focus on the realities of transformation in progress - the opportunities, challenges and unanswered questions - and what the future of AI-enabled rewards and benefits could look like.
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: How AVEVA manages prevention at scale: What works (and what doesn’t) in complex global organisations
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: How AVEVA manages prevention at scale: What works (and what doesn’t) in complex global organisations
Global benefits, tech and data
Preventive wellbeing strategies rarely deliver visible cost reductions in year one. As engagement rises and unmet need surfaces, costs can increase before long-term value is realised, leading many organisations to withdraw investment at precisely the wrong moment.
This evidence-led case study session with AVEVA draws on peer-reviewed research and real-world experience and delivery to challenge how ROI is measured, revealing the predictable curve from engagement to stabilisation to cost avoidance.
Key takeaways:
- Why prevention appears to fail: understanding the engagement → stabilisation → cost avoidance curve
- Rethinking ROI: why short-term evaluation cycles systematically undervalue prevention
- Designing for impact: how fragmented benefits drive long-term cost inflation
- What works in practice: relatable and actionable insight from AVEVA on how they align benefits, care pathways and data to deliver long-term cost control and improved employee outcomes
OPTION 2: Pensions as a strategic lever: Turning workplace pensions into measurable business value
OPTION 2: Pensions as a strategic lever: Turning workplace pensions into measurable business value
Pensions and workplace savings
Join to explore how pensions have moved from a compliance tick box exercise to a core strategic driver within the total reward agenda. Drawing upon Cushon’s latest research, we will examine how pensions influence employee career decisions, strengthen retention and shape perceptions of employer value in an increasingly competitive talent market.
Key takeaways
- Why long‑term financial security is now inseparable from employee health and wellbeing and day‑to‑day workforce performance
- What defines a high-quality pension in today’s environment
- Practical insights on reducing engagement friction, improving employee understanding and positioning pensions as a visible and valued benefit
- Bridging the value gap: how to proactively include pensions value for money conversations in the workplace and across all earnings
Speakers
OPTION 3: The ripple effect of pay transparency on reward decisions and equity
OPTION 3: The ripple effect of pay transparency on reward decisions and equity
Pay and reward strategy
Pay transparency is reshaping reward strategy across the UK and Europe, extending far beyond compliance into how organisations design, govern and defend pay decisions. This session explores what credible transparency really requires and how reward leaders can respond with confidence in an increasingly scrutinised landscape.
Key takeaways
- How pay transparency legislation is exposing strengths and weaknesses in job architecture, pay governance and progression models
- What reward frameworks and decision-making discipline are needed to support credible, defensible transparency
- How UK equality action plans compare to EU pay transparency requirements – and what this means for UK employers
- Why wellbeing, including men’s and women’s health must now be embedded within reward strategy to support fair pay and sustainable careers
Speakers
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY: The power of proactive work-life supports: Measuring the positive business impact of family care at Clifford Chance
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY: The power of proactive work-life supports: Measuring the positive business impact of family care at Clifford Chance
Family care and wellbeing services
Join this session to focus on measuring the impact of your family care policies. What outcomes can you expect to achieve and what metrics are helpful? You will hear insights from Bright Horizons’ latest research showing how family supports positively impact areas as diverse as wellbeing, productivity, performance, loyalty, career progression and onsite attendance. Hear from leading law firm, Clifford Chance on how their family support policies and practices deliver for the firm, engaging and retaining key talent.
Key takeaways
- Explore key markers of success among organisations with work-life supports and family care from Bright Horizons Work-Life Gap Report 2026
- Create your own future-focused work-life strategies designed to attract, support and retain talented working parents
- Measure impact: understand how strategic family support drives performance, retention and stronger business outcomes
OPTION 5: Proving the value of prevention: Practical steps to measure success
OPTION 5: Proving the value of prevention: Practical steps to measure success
Preventative health benefits and services
Preventing illness in the workplace isn’t new. But as workplace health risks rise and costs increase, the picture is becoming more complex and benefits leaders need to present a clear, credible business case for investment. Offering practical and actionable steps, this session will examine how, if done properly, a truly preventative approach doesn’t just keep employees in better health and more productive but can also deliver significant ROI. The solution is not just standalone wellbeing initiatives, it’s an integrated end-to-end approach focused on early risk detection, timely intervention and clear navigation into the right support where needed.
Key takeaways:
- Define what success looks like: identify the clinical and proxy metrics that demonstrate impact across key risk areas such as MSK, mental health, cardio-metabolic health and cancer (e.g. reduced days lost, condition-specific risk scores, timely care pathway adherence, and engagement rates)
- Build a credible ROI story: translate outcomes into financial value – linking early intervention to reduced absence, lower presenteeism and controlled claims spend
- Turn data into insight not risk: use health, utilisation and workplace data to generate meaningful, anonymised insights while maintaining trust and avoiding surveillance concerns
- Drive behaviour change at scale: apply evidence-based engagement levers from nudges to digital-first pathways to workplace design changes to embed prevention into daily work life and deliver measurable results
Speakers
OPTION 6: Whole-of-workforce health engagement: Redefining organisational health
OPTION 6: Whole-of-workforce health engagement: Redefining organisational health
Preventative health benefits and services
Traditional health strategies often focus high-cost interventions on a small, visible (executive) population leaving significant risk undetected across the wider workforce. This session examines how employers can evolve to a truly whole-of-workforce model using health data analytics, targeted screening and integrated care pathways to proactively manage risk and deliver precise, meaningful and cost-effect prevention at scale.
- Move beyond reactive models: How accessible and affordable whole-of-workforce screening and health analytics enable earlier, targeted intervention at scale
- Surface the biggest hidden risks across your workforce: Identify high-risk cohorts beyond senior or visible groups to focus investment where it matters and impacts most
- A truly joined-up care journey: Connecting screening to GP triage and targeted MSK, mental health and lifestyle support, and where applicable alongside existing PMI
- Transformational and measurable impact: A clear ROI framework linking workforce-wide engagement to reduced presenteeism, absenteeism and improved productivity - redefining the prioritisation of healthcare investment for your organisation
Speakers
OPTION 7: DEMO: Whole of workforce health: Exploring solutions and approaches that can help more employees get access to private diagnostics and treatment using Equipsme
OPTION 7: DEMO: Whole of workforce health: Exploring solutions and approaches that can help more employees get access to private diagnostics and treatment using Equipsme
Optimising workforce health benefits
Equipsme plans blend health insurance benefits with the pricing simplicity of cash plans and are often described as the “middle ground’ between PMI and cash plans. Find out how Equipsme helps businesses create an inclusive health strategy with whole of workforce solutions designed to be affordable and sustainable.
Key takeaways
- Flexible health insurance plans. Choose any combination of levels to suit your company budget and empower employees with the ability to pay the difference to upgrade and add family.
- Pricing designed to be affordable and sustainable. Equipsme plans are community rated with everyone paying the same.
- Simple and easy to understand. Four plan levels with a simple quote and buy process and minimal admin for the company and employees.
Hosted by:
Gavin Shay, Co-founder and Distribution Director, Equipsme
Speakers
OPTION 8: DEMO: How PwC is leveraging Workday's AI tools to future-proof the employee benefits experience within Benefits+, their flexible benefits solution
OPTION 8: DEMO: How PwC is leveraging Workday's AI tools to future-proof the employee benefits experience within Benefits+, their flexible benefits solution
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
Join this exclusive session to see how PwC’s Benefits+ solution is evolving inside Workday - and why that matters.
As Benefits+ is housed in Workday, it can directly leverage Workday’s best‑of‑breed AI capability, helping organisations benefit from innovation without creating a separate, disconnected experience. We’ll show how Benefits+ can move beyond a portal to become an intelligent, in‑flow service: helping employees get answers quickly, supporting administrators with guided actions, and improving consistency and control across employee benefits processes.
Highlight of this session will include:
- An overview of PwC’s Benefits+ solution in Workday and how we’re future‑proofing the employee benefits experience
- A demonstration of Benefits+ and how AI Agents will work through leveraging Workday’s AI capability. This will include how agents can seamlessly enhance the employee experience and support benefits administration (e.g. automated document review, policy guidance and smarter query handling)
- Open discussion on how we can partner with clients to build and extend agent capabilities across the benefits landscape (use cases, controls and rollout approach)
Hosted by:
Ben Leigh, Senior Manager | Consulting, Workforce Transformation, PwC
Speakers
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***10:40-11:25*** From runaway costs to clear pathways - building your AI-first, global preventative health plan
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***10:40-11:25*** From runaway costs to clear pathways - building your AI-first, global preventative health plan
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefit professionals in multinational organisations with a headcount of 5,000+ employees.
Healthcare costs are climbing, and preventative health and more efficient healthcare navigation is the most effective way to bend that curve. AI is opening up new possibilities for what a preventative health programme can actually deliver. In this hands-on workshop, we'll work through a structured framework to help you build a concrete AI-first preventative health plan, leaving with a five-year aspiration, the milestones to get there, and one action you can take in the next 90 days.
Key discussion points:
- The real cost of doing nothing — and what a five-year AI-first programme could look like instead
- The data, technology, and capability gaps that are holding most organisations back right now
- Why AI is shifting the conversation from ROI to Value on Investment — and how to make that case to your CFO
Hosted by :
Sebastian Fallert, Co-Founder and CEO, Ben
Carl Chapman, VP Benefit Strategy& Partnerships, Ben
11.15am – 11.40am
OPTION 7: DEMO: How Benifex technology fixes the fundamentals before AI scales them
OPTION 7: DEMO: How Benifex technology fixes the fundamentals before AI scales them
Global benefits, tech and data
An interactive demo for global benefits leaders whose organisations are reviewing or changing benefit platforms or teams under pressure who need technology that works before AI is layered on. This session shows how the Benifex platform fixes the structural issues that cause global benefits and wellbeing strategies to underperform and how those same foundations enable responsible, scalable AI use.
What we’ll demonstrate:
- Governance and control at global scale- how clear global standards, local flexibility and decision rights are delivered without fragmenting data or employee experience
- Unified benefits and wellbeing data - how disconnected benefits, wellbeing and utilisation data are brought together into one coherent, insight‑ready view to support accountability and future AI use
- Employee understanding and engagement - how intelligent design, navigation and communication reduce confusion, improve clarity and drive appropriate use of benefits
- Aligned prevention and care pathways - how technology reshapes when and how employees access support, enabling earlier intervention and greater cost stability
- AI‑ready readiness without premature risk - how AI and automation are applied only after governance, data and design are strong avoiding the amplification of existing weaknesses.
Hosted by:
James Brace, Enterprise Account Director, Benifex
Speakers
OPTION 8: DEMO: Live look Inside the Peppy app: The future of preventative women's health at work
OPTION 8: DEMO: Live look Inside the Peppy app: The future of preventative women's health at work
To attend this demo, please ensure you are from the Oil and Gas, Defence, Airlines or Construction sector, with a company size of 500 plus in the UK.
Somewhere in your organisation, women are managing health conditions that were identified too late, not for lack of effort, but because the right support wasn’t available at the right time. Peppy was built to change that. In this live demo of our latest product innovations, we’ll take you inside the Peppy app to show how proactive health assessment, AI‑enabled personalisation and on‑demand access to specialist clinicians help surface risks earlier and deliver better outcomes for both employees and employers
- Prevention starts with personalisation: relevance‑led design and AI health plans enable earlier engagement
- Women’s health risks are being missed: conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are under‑addressed at work – Peppy’s women-specific pathways brings them forward sooner
- Access is everything: fast, unlimited access to specialist clinicians to remove friction and deliver maximum impact
Hosted by:
Sara Redwood, Director of Sales and Partnerships, Peppy
Speakers
OPTION 1: MASTERCLASS: The blueprint for driving great outcomes from your benefits spend – strategy, governance and data
OPTION 1: MASTERCLASS: The blueprint for driving great outcomes from your benefits spend – strategy, governance and data
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
Taking the key learnings from the REBA Benefits Design Research, this session will set out what best practice looks like for any reward and benefits professional looking to execute a clear, strategic approach to benefits. Stop with the guess-work and start driving real and measurable business outcomes.
Join this masterclass session to get a deep dive into the research and pursuant best-practice, including:
- The relationship between the maturity of approach to benefits management and success
- The measures that are most used and give the clearest indication of success
- The tools and techniques to get a better understanding of your benefits, what’s working and what’s not
- The constraints holding reward teams back and how to overcome them
Speakers
OPTION 2: PANEL: Health and wealth: How working-life health is shaping retirement outcomes
OPTION 2: PANEL: Health and wealth: How working-life health is shaping retirement outcomes
Pensions and workplace savings
As poor health, career breaks and caring responsibilities reshape working lives, employers face a growing challenge to protect long-term pension adequacy. This panel to explore the critical link between workforce health and pensions adequacy - and what role employers must play in closing the gap.
- The interplay between workforce health benefits and pensions adequacy: how rising ill health, particularly mental health in younger workers, is impacting contribution patterns and retirement outcomes
- The impact of career breaks and caring responsibilities on pensions and the implications for workforce participation, retention and financial resilience
- The employer’s role in addressing the ‘Keep Britain Working’ agenda and why health intervention is now central to tackling the retirement adequacy challenge
- Identify practical actions employers can take to better integrate health, prevention and pension strategies to improve long-term employee outcomes
Moderator: Jo Gallacher, Content Director, REBA
Panel speakers:
- Samantha Lucas, Pensions and Benefits Manager, Currys
- Mo Harhara, Head of Pensions, Skanska
- Dr Suba M, Medical Director, Aviva
- Laura Stewart-Smith, Head of Pension Engagement, Aviva
OPTION 3: SPOTLIGHT SESSION: The transparency trade-off: Is there a perfect pay structure?
OPTION 3: SPOTLIGHT SESSION: The transparency trade-off: Is there a perfect pay structure?
Pay and reward strategy
A series of three short sharp spotlight talks from leading industry commentators and employers that provide insights and latest thinking on big picture issues and the key emerging themes and trends.
As legislative and social pressure for greater pay transparency accelerates, organisations are being forced to rethink pay structures. The challenge is clear: how do you balance the need for greater clarity, fairness and progression with the flexibility required to manage cost, nuance and a constantly shifting business environment?
1. What is the transparency trade-off?
This spotlight talk examines the structural tension organisations are trying to manage, between being more open and granular to enable transparency but at the same time the challenges that places on affordability and progression expectations and flexibility to manage nuance What are the trade-offs and is there a viable middle ground?
Justine Woolf, Director of Consulting, Innecto
2. Flexibility vs fairness: Managing pay with broad bands
A contrasting employer view from a more flexible, broad-banded structure. This session will explore how organisations manage agility and market responsiveness — and the trade-offs in communicating fairness, progression and consistency to employees. And how they could introduce more granularity.
Michael Cowan, Reward Manager, B&Q
3. The difficult pay decisions needed to close gaps and build fairer progression
An employer perspective on how pay structures can be evolved and salary ranges rebalanced to improve fairness, strengthen consistency and address historic inequities. The talk will explore the strategic thinking behind this work, the challenges of managing expectation and engagement, and how reward leaders can use data, governance and senior-level buy-in to make difficult pay decisions and build a more equitable framework for progression.
Rachael Tate, Human Resources Director, National Fostering Group
Moderator: Janet Cooper OBE, Experienced Reward Professional & Chair of three Remuneration Committees
OPTION 4: MASTERCLASS: Five to Thrive: Tackling people risk in 2026
OPTION 4: MASTERCLASS: Five to Thrive: Tackling people risk in 2026
Optimising workforce health benefits
This masterclass will cover five key strategic imperatives for addressing 2026 people risks - offering practical insights and guidance to reduce people-related risks and help your organisation and workforce thrive. Drawing on the Marsh People Risk Report 2026, and REBA’s From Strain to Workforce Strength reports, it will explore:
- The AI hustle: Harnessing your workforce to unlock AI’s productivity potential.
- Surviving the fast lane: Cultivating leaders today for the digital risk and realities of tomorrow.
- Frayed loyalty: Addressing employee financial insecurity.
- Quest for clarity: Streamlining and seeking new insights for better plan management.
- The receding wellness wave: Staying vigilant in protecting workforce health and safety.
Speakers
OPTION 5: PANEL: Global benefits transformation: Rethinking strategies to keep pace with change
OPTION 5: PANEL: Global benefits transformation: Rethinking strategies to keep pace with change
Global benefits, tech and data
Rising healthcare costs, shifting workforce expectations and increase regulatory complexity are focusing employers to rethink and review how global benefits are designed, managed and delivered. This panel explores how organisations are modernising their global principles and frameworks to balance cost control, consistency and talent attraction/retention.
- Using workforce data to anticipate current and future employee needs and emerging health risks
- Rethinking global principles and setting global minimum standards to enable local flexibility and adaptation
- Embedding prevention to improve, access, affordability and long-term outcomes
Moderator: Debi O’Donovan, Co-Founder and Director, REBA
OPTION 6: MASTERCLASS: From silos to synergy – building integrated workplace wellbeing and prevention programmes
OPTION 6: MASTERCLASS: From silos to synergy – building integrated workplace wellbeing and prevention programmes
Preventative health benefits and services
With exclusive insights from the REBA Health and Wellbeing Research 2026 in association with AXA Health and the annual AXA Mind Health report, join this masterclass to discover how to transform fragmented benefits into seamless, integrated health journeys that foster a culture of wellbeing.
The session will explore:
- Practical strategies for breaking down silos, leveraging digital tools, and harnessing data insights to create cohesive programmes
- Learn how better integration enhances employee health, motivation and engagement
- With fresh insights into emerging trends, you’ll leave equipped with top tips to craft whole of workforce, integrated benefits that support long-term value
OPTION 1: From strategy to activation: Data & AI driven reward, benefits and wellbeing
OPTION 1: From strategy to activation: Data & AI driven reward, benefits and wellbeing
Global benefits, tech and data
- Leveraging AI to deliver enhanced navigation and personalisation for employees
- The importance of data depth, breadth, and quality when activating your strategy
- How predictive analytics help employers move from “I think” to “I know” when demonstrating the financial impact of their reward and wellbeing strategy
Speakers
OPTION 2: Why aligning retirement support with broader financial wellbeing has never been more important
OPTION 2: Why aligning retirement support with broader financial wellbeing has never been more important
Financial wellbeing
The pensions landscape is undergoing significant change, driven by new initiatives such as Targeted Support, pensions dashboards and the Pensions Scheme Bill, including the introduction of guided retirement options. At the same time, employees’ perceived financial knowledge and their actual financial capability continues to widen. With nearly half of individuals unsure about the basics of workplace pensions, upcoming changes risk deepening this divide. This session will explore how pension reforms will reshape workplace financial wellbeing strategies and why a more joined‑up approach to retirement support is now critical. We’ll cover:
- What the evolving pensions landscape means for the workplace
- Key considerations for employers
- Practical steps to prepare employees for the changes ahead
Speakers
OPTION 3: Harnessing the power of strategic recognition to prevent people risk, drive resilience and support organisational goals
OPTION 3: Harnessing the power of strategic recognition to prevent people risk, drive resilience and support organisational goals
Employee recognition
Recognition is more than just a tool for employee engagement. When leveraged effectively, it becomes a strategic lever for mitigating people risk. This session will show how strategic recognition can act as a data-driven early-warning system for workforce health and burnout, while strengthening resilience and supporting the organisation’s core values and priorities.
Key takeaways
- How recognition shapes engagement, belonging and workforce wellbeing
- Preventing burnout and mitigating mental health risks through aligned, positive behaviours across the organisation
- Turning recognition data into a strategic asset: leveraging data analytics for actionable insights into workforce health and behaviours
- Driving measurable organisational impact: aligning recognition with core business objectives such as innovation, inclusion and performance
Speakers
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY - Keep Britain Working: How British Airways reduced workforce health risk through a preventative care strategy
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY - Keep Britain Working: How British Airways reduced workforce health risk through a preventative care strategy
Family care and wellbeing services
For employers with frontline and caregiving-heavy workforces, sickness absence, presenteeism and attrition are mounting into a significant and often invisible cost burden, particularly in roles that technology cannot replace. In this fireside chat, Stephanie from KareHero is joined by British Airways to explore how early-intervention care solutions, targeted benefits and practical workplace design can stabilise teams, protect productivity and preserve long-term resilience. Drawing on KareHero's proprietary data and real client experience, alongside British Airways' on-the-ground perspective, the session will move beyond the theory to share what's actually working and the practical steps any employer can put into motion this quarter.
Key takeaways
- Spot the risks early: learn the tangible behavioural and operational signals that flag emerging caregiving strain and mental health risk, and how simple screening tools can surface issues months before they convert into long-term absence
- Invest preventatively to avoid spiralling downstream costs: hear how leading employers like British Airways are using early-intervention care support to offset rising sick pay bills, reduce turnover and protect frontline operational capacity, with a clear case for the ROI of acting now versus paying later.
- Take practical action now: walk away with a concrete starter set of workplace actions, from internal comms and manager training, to referral pathways and benefit design, that organisations can implement immediately without waiting for a full strategy overhaul
- Support the sandwich generation: recognise the growing cohort of employees simultaneously caring for children and ageing parents, and understand how targeted policies, flexible working arrangements and dedicated caregiver benefits can prevent this high-value, mid-career talent from burning out or exiting the workforce entirely
- Measure what matters: understand the metrics that genuinely indicate workforce resilience (absence trends, manager referrals, benefit engagement, retention by life-stage) so you can build the internal case for sustained investment
OPTION 5: The Prevention Gap: Why workforce health investment isn’t delivering – and how early diagnosis can change it
OPTION 5: The Prevention Gap: Why workforce health investment isn’t delivering – and how early diagnosis can change it
Preventative health benefits and services
Employers are investing more than ever in wellbeing, yet outcomes remain flat. This session explores how closing the gap between insight and action - through early screening, early diagnosis and data-led intervention - can uncover hidden risks, reduce inequalities and enable more targeted, effective workforce health strategies.
- Measuring the wrong things limits early action: traditional metrics like absence, surveys and claims only capture issues after they escalate, missing the window for early intervention
- Hidden and unequal risks delay diagnosis: gaps across women’s health, mental wellbeing and underserved groups mean many conditions go undetected until they worsen
- Delayed diagnosis is compounding the problem: NHS backlogs and limited access to private care are pushing identification later, increasing impact on performance and resilience
- Early diagnosis enables smarter prevention: proactive screening and diagnostic insight allow employers to intervene sooner, expand access across the whole workforce, and drive measurable gains in productivity, engagement and retention
OPTION 6: Simplifying global benefits management: Practical routes from local to global
OPTION 6: Simplifying global benefits management: Practical routes from local to global
Global benefits, tech and data
With mid-market organisations and budgets in mind, this session explores how to cut complexity and cost when managing benefits across multiple countries. Learn how to determine the right balance of global, regional and local approaches and implement practical and pragmatic solutions that deliver faster, measurable value.
Key takeaways
- How to decide global vs regional vs local: evaluating the pros and cons and simple decision rules you can use to pick the right scope for each country
- Apply a simple four-step global benefits management (GBM) playbook: map coverage and gaps, benchmark regionally, define pragmatical minimum standards and streamline governance and reporting
- Stay ahead of key global trends to plan, adapt and make better country-specific benefits decisions
- Understand what good looks like through real-client lessons and examples (e.g. standardised reporting, phased implementation approaches and realistic timelines to embed change and control costs)
Speakers
OPTION 7: DEMO: Built in, not bolted on with Ben: The benefits metric global enterprise teams get wrong - and how AI fixes it
OPTION 7: DEMO: Built in, not bolted on with Ben: The benefits metric global enterprise teams get wrong - and how AI fixes it
Global benefits, tech and data
Benefits technology made a lot of promises. For most global enterprises, the manual work, the complexity, and the data gaps never went away - because the foundations were never right. Ben is built differently. See what a platform designed for global complexity, with AI at its core, actually looks like in practice - and what it means for your team's time.
- See how Ben handles what legacy platforms can't: multi-country eligibility rules, local regulation, and a workforce that never stops changing - without the manual workarounds
- Understand how AI connects the right benefit to the right employee at the right moment, wherever they are in the world
- Leave knowing how to measure benefits ROI effectively - and how AI can help you make sharper decisions next time
Hosted by:
David Duckworth, Co-founder & COO, Ben
Speakers
OPTION 8: DEMO: Find out about the Marsh AI Advantage
OPTION 8: DEMO: Find out about the Marsh AI Advantage
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
You’re awash in data - but what you need is clarity. Our Intelligence Layer brings together unrivalled global benefits data (real-time claims, plan designs, market benchmarks and trend research) and combines it with actuarial and clinical expertise. The result: clear explanations of what’s driving outcomes, practical clinical and financial recommendations you can act on, and measurable improvements in employee health and cost. Join us to see a live demo and how this could help your global benefits strategy.
- Interpret the "why" behind the "what"
- Design clinical interventions and financial risk-mitigation strategies
- Transform data analytics into measurable human and fiscal outcomes
Hosted by:
Callum Burns-Green, Mercer Marsh Benefits Advisory Market Leader, Marsh
Dirk Schmallenbach, Multinational Advisory – Pensions and Employee Benefits, Marsh
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***12:20-13:05*** The bleeding edge of benefits management – what’s working now and what needs to comes next
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***12:20-13:05*** The bleeding edge of benefits management – what’s working now and what needs to comes next
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefit professionals in multinational organisations with a headcount of 5,000+ employees.
This interactive workshop brings together senior benefits leaders operating at the leading edge of benefits strategy and delivery. Designed as a peer-led discussion, the session will focus on what processes, tools, metrics and tactics are truly driving value today and what needs to evolve next.
Through open, experience-led conversation, we’ll explore the approaches and techniques, especially around data, governance and emerging technologies that are working today to manage rising costs, understand what’s happening inside programmes and all while improving outcomes.
Expect practical insights, shared challenges and a dynamic discussion on how benefits teams can stay ahead in an increasingly complex and performance-driven environment.
Key discussion points
- Defining what good looks like: how we are setting benefits strategy today and what KPIs and metrics are being measured
- Strengthening governance models: how reward leaders are establishing benefits governance – the cadence, the reporting and stakeholder engagement
- Unlocking the power of data: how data is being collected, correlated and analysed to understand what’s happening in their programmes
- Evaluate the role of AI: what practical, high-impact use cases are emerging and how AI can support cost management, targeting and performance
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: Accelerating the global benefits function into a strategic and governed programme at ServiceNow
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: Accelerating the global benefits function into a strategic and governed programme at ServiceNow
Global benefits, tech and data
Global benefits are now the second-largest people cost in most organisations and the least visible. Plans, vendors, renewals and employee journeys live across hundreds of point systems, broker portals and spreadsheets. Every country owns a piece. Nobody owns the whole. Meanwhile, the EU Pay Transparency Directive, ESG disclosure and AI-era employee expectations are moving benefits into the reporting perimeter and onto the CEO's radar faster than most teams can keep up
- Why global benefits have become a CEO-level issue amid pay transparency, ESG and AI-driven employee expectations
- How leading organisations are shifting from chasing benefits data to owning a single, trusted source of truth
- Developing a practical operating model built on visibility, intelligence and governance — without replacing existing systems
- A preview of the Origin and ServiceNow integration to see how better benefits governance improves cost control, compliance readiness and the employee experience
Speakers
OPTION 2: Financial wellbeing isn’t enough. Behaviour change builds resilience
OPTION 2: Financial wellbeing isn’t enough. Behaviour change builds resilience
Financial wellbeing
Most workplace financial wellbeing programmes are too broad to be truly effective and can leave employees underprepared and exposed to financial risk. Join this session to discover how a simpler, more strategic approach can drive real behaviour change and build employee financial resilience. Drawing on real case studies from a range of medium-sized organisations, we’ll uncover three priorities employers must get right to drive meaningful, lasting change and support a financially resilient workforce - and they cost nothing to implement.
- Why many workplace financial wellbeing strategies fail to change behaviour
- Why understanding the difference between financial wellbeing and financial resilience matters
- How to drive positive behaviour change and improve ROI from existing benefits
- How stronger financial resilience can reduce stress, absence and improve workplace performance
Speakers
OPTION 3: Stop choosing and drive ROI: The best benefits and wellbeing support is human and digital
OPTION 3: Stop choosing and drive ROI: The best benefits and wellbeing support is human and digital
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
Facing rising benefits costs and flat engagement, reward leaders must stop treating digital and human support as alternatives. This session shows how a deliberate human+digital model — AI support, targeted face‑to‑face coaching and manager enablement — boosts uptake, builds trust and delivers measurable ROI.
- Where to spend: a practical assessment on allocating budget between tech and high‑touch support tied to clear outcome metrics (engagement, uptake, reduced absence)
- Use AI to support and triage, not replace: how AI assistants can handle scale and speed while routing high‑value, trust‑dependent cases to short, focused human interventions
- Managers as force multipliers: taking steps to equip and reward line managers so they become the front line of early intervention and sustained benefits adoption
- Build trust and prove value: the importance of personalisation based on employee data and appropriate AI guardrails delivering guidance not advice to increase employee confidence
OPTION 4: Beyond diagnosis and labels: Designing workplaces where neurodiversity thrives
OPTION 4: Beyond diagnosis and labels: Designing workplaces where neurodiversity thrives
Family care and wellbeing services
This session reframes neurodiversity through an early identification lens, focusing on how proactive, needs-led support, better job design and manager-led adjustments can reduce risk, sustain performance and unlock strengths. It will explore the practical steps employers can take to move from reactive support to proactive design and create environments where neurodivergent employees can thrive post-diagnosis.
- Reframe neurodiversity as difference not deficit: shift from diagnosis-led support to a strengths and needs-based approach that improves fit, engagement and productivity
- Understanding what early needs-led intervention looks like: Identify early indicators such as presenteeism, cognitive ocverload or disengagement and implement tiered, practical interventions before they escalate
- Enable managers to act with confidence: equip manager with simple, practical tools to adapt job design, communication and expectations to individual needs
Speakers
OPTION 5: Predict. Act. Impact - How early action on mental health data can reduce risk, improve employee performance and deliver measurable business ROI
OPTION 5: Predict. Act. Impact - How early action on mental health data can reduce risk, improve employee performance and deliver measurable business ROI
Mental resilience
Clinical evidence based and case-study guidance for benefits leaders on using workforce data identify emerging mental health risk, enable earlier intervention, and improve employee and organisational outcomes.
Key takeaways:
- Detect early mental health signals and develop frameworks for right-time, psychologically informed interventions to optimise mental health and wellbeing, and drive performance.
- Personalise support pathways: examples of tailored psychological programmes that can reduce claim risk and help sustain employee performance
- Prove impact to the board: a replicable ROI approach with worked case studies showing how interventions can reduce absence, improved productivity and strengthen the business case for investment
Speakers
OPTION 6: From access to assurance: Consumer behaviour and workplace wellbeing
OPTION 6: From access to assurance: Consumer behaviour and workplace wellbeing
Preventative health benefits and services
As employees increasingly behave like health consumers expecting fast, personalised and on-demand care, the pressure on employers is intensifying. At the same time, the government’s Keep Britain Working agenda is shifting more responsibility for workforce health, prevention and early intervention onto employers. The result is a growing tension between rising expectations, workforce risk and cost control.
This session explores how employers can respond by moving from simply offering health benefits to actively curating them, building trusted, outcome-focused health strategies that balance consumer-grade experience with clinical integrity, value for money and long-term workforce health.
Key takeaways:
- The role of the employer in becoming the curator of health benefits, prioritising spend on interventions that deliver measurable outcomes
- Understanding the expectations and implications of the government’s Keep Britain Working agenda on employer workplace health strategies
- Using platforms and pathways to deliver personalisation without creating an unsustainable cost model
- Building trust and health literacy: leveraging the employer role to guide employees through complex health choices, improvement engagement, decision making and long-term behaviour and lifestyle change
Speakers
OPTION 7: DEMO: Activate: How Aon is connecting tomorrow’s employee benefits and total rewards technology with the workforce today
OPTION 7: DEMO: Activate: How Aon is connecting tomorrow’s employee benefits and total rewards technology with the workforce today
Global benefits, tech and data
Activate is Aon’s enhanced employee benefits and total rewards platform, bringing rewards, wellbeing and pensions into one connected experience. In this live demo, see how Activate connects with employees, uses responsible AI, data and analytics and self service tools to simplify administration, engage employees and help organisations drive better decisions.
- How a single, global platform connects benefits, wellbeing and rewards while adapting to local needs.
- How automation, data, AI and intuitive self service turn benefits from static information into meaningful action.
- How organisations can reduce complexity, improve engagement and unlock more value from their benefits investment.
Hosted by:
David Kirk, Growth Leader, Technology, Aon
OPTION 8: DEMO: Reward. Protect. Engage. Closing the protection gap in practice with Personal Group
OPTION 8: DEMO: Reward. Protect. Engage. Closing the protection gap in practice with Personal Group
Optimising workforce health benefits
Many employers have strong benefits in place, but they’re not always reaching the whole workforce or preventing risk early enough. In this session, Arianne Riddell will explore how combining Hapi, face-to-face engagement and employee-funded protection helps close the gap and improve outcomes for businesses and their people.
- Why underused benefits are increasing workforce risk, not reducing it
- What changes when you combine tech, face-to-face engagement and protection
- How to improve access, engagement and early intervention across your workforce
Hosted by:
Arianne Riddell, Chief Client Officer, Personal Group
Speakers
***14:00-14:45*** OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: From fragmented benefits to connected care: leveraging AI and digital tools to deliver meaningful global women’s and family health support
***14:00-14:45*** OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: From fragmented benefits to connected care: leveraging AI and digital tools to deliver meaningful global women’s and family health support
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefit professionals in large organisations with a headcount of 10,000+ employees.
As global family-building norms, access, and regulations continue to shift, benefit leaders are under pressure to deliver inclusive women’s and family health support that deliver outcomes while managing rising healthcare costs. Drawing on the latest global trends data from Maven’s State of Women’s and Family Health Benefits report and real-world employer insights, this workshop will explore how a connected care model, one that combines timely access to clinical expertise, personalised navigation, and AI-enabled tools, can help close access gaps, improve health outcomes and safeguard productivity and retention.
Key discussion points
- Insights into the latest global trends and regional pain points in women’s and family health, and what they mean for your employee health and benefits strategy
- How employees are already using AI for health decisions - and how to embed AI-enabled tools within clinically guided, trusted care models
- How integrated clinical support and care navigation can be used to improve access, reduce delays and ensure employees get the right care at the right time
- Compare approaches to financial support across regions, including key regulatory considerations, to help preserve equity for global employees
- Identify metrics that matter: linking health benefits data to talent outcomes and building a narrative for leadership that ties inclusive health to business performance
Hosted by :
Grace Conway, Director, Global Strategic Alliances, Maven Clinic
Carolina Garcia, Regional Vice President of Sales, Maven Clinic
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: Inclusive by design - How Sodexo is engaging a highly diverse workforce at scale
OPTION 1: CASE STUDY: Inclusive by design - How Sodexo is engaging a highly diverse workforce at scale
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
With 35,000 employees spanning frontline and deskbased roles, multiple generations, nationalities and languages, Sodexo faces the reality many large employers do: a workforce that cannot be engaged through a single lens, channel or message.
This session explores how global food and services provider, Sodexo, has taken a pragmatic approach to engaging a genuinely diverse workforce. The discussion will explore what “inclusive engagement” really means in practice, where standard models break down, and why Sodexo chose to invest in benefits technology for their entire population.
- What inclusive benefit design looks like in practice for a multigenerational, multinational and nondeskbased workforce
- Why one size does not fit all — and where traditional engagement models break down at scale
- Investing in benefits technology for the full workforce: reducing risk, administration and fragmentation while increasing reach and engagement
- Communicating with employees who have different access, language, financial priorities and levels of confidence with benefits
- Building a compelling business case for inclusive engagement in a costconstrained environment
OPTION 2: What gets measured gets managed: inside the UK FinWell Index
OPTION 3: Tackling the global resilience gap: How to navigate mental energy and human value in the age of AI
OPTION 3: Tackling the global resilience gap: How to navigate mental energy and human value in the age of AI
Preventative health benefits and services
As AI and constant change reshape work, employees are increasingly experiencing anxiety, digital overload and burnout. Drawing on the latest insights from Wellhub’s Return on Wellbeing study 2026 and real-world examples, this session will explore how organisations can turn AI-driven stress into a catalyst for resilience, engagement and sustainable performance.
- Why mental health is a business-critical issue right now
- Breaking the AI-driven stress cycle: practical strategies to tackle digital overload and cognitive fatigue
- Redefining how employees recharge and contribute - and how to support recovery
- Using global and local data to identify mental health risks, build the business case and target investment where it matters most
Speakers
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY: Driving global workforce sustainability with Ferring Pharmaceuticals: using family-building and hormonal health support as strategic levers
OPTION 4: CASE STUDY: Driving global workforce sustainability with Ferring Pharmaceuticals: using family-building and hormonal health support as strategic levers
Family care and wellbeing services
Join this session to explore how global demographic and cultural shifts are reshaping today’s workplace - and why family-building and hormonal health support have become strategic levers for talent attraction, retention and workforce sustainability. Hear from Ferring Pharmaceuticals as they share practical lessons and insights from rolling out a comprehensive global benefits programme, and discover how organisations can align fertility, family-building and hormonal health initiatives with their broader workforce strategy.
Key takeaways
- How global and workforce demographic shifts are creating new strategic people risks
- Designing inclusive, scalable and locally sensitive benefits that support all paths to parenthood and the full continuum of lifelong hormonal health, while managing budgets and compliance across multiple regions
- Identifying the most compelling metrics and KPIs for building a robust business case
- Real‑world lessons from a global employer on measuring impact, securing and maintaining board‑level investment for family-building and hormonal health support
OPTION 5: Beyond one size fits all: Building financial inclusion into your employee wellbeing strategy
OPTION 5: Beyond one size fits all: Building financial inclusion into your employee wellbeing strategy
Financial wellbeing
Financial inclusion is rising up the agenda for employers across the UK, but what does it look like in practice? In this session, Hymans Robertson Personal Wealth explores why even well-intentioned financial wellbeing support can still leave the people who need help most the furthest behind. Drawing on exclusive new data from Hymans Robertson's Financial Stress Index, we'll examine the real impact of financial stress on employees and make the case for a more flexible, demographic-aware approach that works across generations and life stages.
- Understand the scale of financial stress and its impact on employee engagement, productivity and retention
- Discover why accessibility, timing and relevance matter as much as the range of support on offer
- Learn how to design financial wellbeing support that speaks to different age groups, demographics and life stages
- Leave with practical takeaways to help shape a more inclusive benefits and wellbeing strategy
Speakers
OPTION 6: Resilience by design: building workplaces that thrive through change
OPTION 6: Resilience by design: building workplaces that thrive through change
Mental resilience
As organisations navigate constant change, this session explores resilience through the lens of workplace mental health as a system shaped by leadership, workplace design and access to support. We explore how organisations can sustain performance during ongoing change, rather than simply manage pressure when it peaks.
- Understand the performance link: How mental health, job design and leadership behaviours combine to directly influence performance and productivity
- Build resilience into the system: Why the ability to absorb pressure depends on alignment between workplace design, leadership and support
- Design for sustainable performance: How intentional job design and authentic leadership create ongoing energy, adaptability and resilience
- Reframe mental health as value: Why mental health is a performance driver directly impacting retention, engagement and bottom-line results
Speakers
OPTION 7: DEMO: What's Next for Benefits Tech? See Euphoric's Biggest Update Yet, Unveiled at REBA
OPTION 7: DEMO: What's Next for Benefits Tech? See Euphoric's Biggest Update Yet, Unveiled at REBA
Global benefits, tech and data
Benefits teams have more tools than ever. More vendors, more logins, more data. And somehow, less insight and control. In this session, Euphoric demonstrates what an all-in-one, integrated, AI-first benefits platform looks like. And we'll be making an announcement that changes the category. Come and be first to know.
Three key takeaways:
- Why fragmented benefits stacks are costing you more than you think. Global benefits leaders are telling us the same thing: the industry has been solving parts of the problem while the greater whole remains broken. We'll show you why an all-in-one, integrated, AI-first platform is where it’s all going.
- A live demonstration of what a truly connected benefits eco-system looks like. One dataset. One administration platform. One experience. See how a single benefits document becomes something that works for the employer who needs insight, the broker who needs data, and the employee who just wants to understand and use what they've got.
- An exclusive first look at what's next. We're announcing something at REBA Congress that we believe will change how employers think about benefits technology. We're not saying more. You'll have to come and see it.
Hosted by:
Max Landry, CEO, Euphoric
Speakers
OPTION 8: DEMO: Howden shows the tools needed to drive a strategic approach to benefits management
OPTION 8: DEMO: Howden shows the tools needed to drive a strategic approach to benefits management
Benefits tech, data, design and strategy
In this demo session, Howden will be showcasing the next generation of benefits tools, designed to support better benefits management. We’ll also showcase how they enable a truly strategic approach to setting and driving business outcomes. This includes AI driven benchmarking, employee listening, what if modelling and more. Attendees will get an introduction to the next generation of tools supporting benefits management:
- Our latest AI driven benefits benchmarking tool, with over 1,000 employer responses
- Our employee listening tools, which help you understand exactly what employees expect and think
- Our what if modeller, which shows the cost, impact and value of making changes to your programme
Hosted by: Matthew Gregson, Executive Director, Howden
Speakers
OPTION 1: Living well: The power of lifestyle medicine in the workplace
OPTION 1: Living well: The power of lifestyle medicine in the workplace
Preventative health benefits and services
As chronic disease continues to rise and pressure on health systems grows, lifestyle medicine is increasingly recognised as a practical, evidence‑based approach to prevention, treatment and long‑term health. For employers, this raises important questions about workforce wellbeing, productivity, absence and how best to support sustainable behaviour change at scale.
This session will explain what lifestyle medicine means in practice, drawing on clinical evidence and real‑world insight to explore how lifestyle interventions reduce the risk of non‑communicable disease and improve physical and mental health outcomes. The focus is on practical employer application: how lifestyle medicine aligns with NHS direction, where the private sector adds value, and what organisations can do to support healthier, more resilient workforces without relying on quick fixes.
Key takeaways:
- What lifestyle medicine means – and why it matters: the six pillars, the strength of the evidence base and the role lifestyle change plays in preventing and managing chronic disease
- From evidence to action: practical, scalable ways employers can support behaviour change, including health literacy, coaching and access to multidisciplinary care
- Setting realistic expectations: how to approach outcomes responsibly, align initiatives with wider health and focus on long‑term impact rather than short‑term fixes
Speakers
OPTION 2: CASE STUDY: From insight to impact: how Church of England are building financial resilience through better pension communication
OPTION 2: CASE STUDY: From insight to impact: how Church of England are building financial resilience through better pension communication
Pensions and workplace savings
Pensions are one of the biggest investments an organisation makes in its people, so why is communication so often treated as an afterthought? Too many schemes settle for “good enough”, missing the opportunity to genuinely engage members, build understanding and improve financial confidence and wellbeing. In this interactive session, we’ll explore:
- How the Church of England has taken a different approach - using insight to truly understand member needs
- How they have used this insight to design a communications and engagement programme that responds in a meaningful way, while exploring the potential of CDC as part of its future pension strategy
- Latest findings from newly commissioned independent research, highlighting the key barriers and opportunities in pension communications today
- What this means for schemes looking to do more than just meet minimum requirements
Speakers
OPTION 4: The Prevention Advantage: Stop paying for sickness, start preventing it
OPTION 4: The Prevention Advantage: Stop paying for sickness, start preventing it
Preventative health benefits and services
The government’s Keep Britain Working review in October 2025 delivered a stark message: Britain is facing a quiet but urgent health crisis and workplace health is no longer a peripheral HR issue, but a mission-critical risk for both the UK economy and your business.
Join us to hear how you can take a more proactive role in preventing avoidable illness and gain access to our actionable insights.
OPTION 6: Global MSK support before absence: The rise of AI care
OPTION 6: Global MSK support before absence: The rise of AI care
Family care and wellbeing services
Explore how AI powered MSK self-help care pathways are helping employers provide fast, convenient access to support before symptoms escalate into absence, improving employee experience whilst reducing pressure on traditional occupational health and physiotherapy pathways. With delivery available across more than 150 countries, employers can offer a consistent, scalable MSK support model across global workforces.
- Why early access matters: supporting employees at the point symptoms begin rather than waiting until pain impacts work, productivity or absence
- How our AI care model enables employees to access guidance, education and personalised programmes quickly and conveniently, without the delays associated with traditional pathways
- Delivering a globally consistent MSK support programme across more than 150 countries, helping multinational employers reduce variation in access, employee experience and care quality
- Understand how employees engage with conversational AI, including natural language interactions, continuous support and personalised progression
- The role of scalable AI-Care pathways in supporting distributed and shift based workforces, whilst complementing existing OH, EAP and physiotherapy provision
- Real world examples demonstrating engagement levels, utilisation patterns, productivity impact and how employers are building preventative workforce health strategies around digital MSK support
OPTION 7: DEMO: From pressure to performance: Building a psychologically safe, high-performing workforce with Unmind
OPTION 7: DEMO: From pressure to performance: Building a psychologically safe, high-performing workforce with Unmind
Global benefits, tech and data
Explore how global enterprise GE Vernova is navigating large-scale transformation is rethinking wellbeing to support performance at scale. This session will show how moving beyond fragmented, reactive approaches and isolated individual interventions to a proactive, whole-organisation model can strengthen psychological safety, can improve outcomes for people and reduce long-term people costs.
- Why reactive wellbeing approaches fail in high-pressure transformation environments
- Why leader and manager buy-in is critical to embedding wellbeing in day-to-day leadership
- The role of AI in delivering scalable, cost-effective and high-quality mental health support
- How investing in mental health supports both performance and psychological safety
- The measurable impact of a proactive approach on reducing long-term people costs
Hosted by:
Dr Nick Taylor, CEO & Co-Founder, Unmind
Dr Jonathan O’Keefe, Chief Medical Officer, GE Vernova
OPTION 8: DEMO: Origin’s enterprise benefits intelligence – giving you the infrastructure to lead
OPTION 8: DEMO: Origin’s enterprise benefits intelligence – giving you the infrastructure to lead
Global benefits, tech and data
Most organisations are stuck managing their second-largest people cost on spreadsheets. Origin gives benefits teams the visibility, intelligence and governance to change that. Join to see how leading multinationals are transforming benefits from an operational into a strategic function, with trusted, agnostic AI, built for benefits.
- Why your benefits data is holding you back - most teams can't answer basic questions about their global benefits for weeks. This session shows what it looks like when every benefit, every cost, every vendor, and every country is structured into a single source of truth and what becomes possible the moment you can see it.
- The three things benefits teams need to lead - visibility of every benefit, every cost, every vendor; intelligence to know where savings and risks exist; and governance to act on it. How each layer builds on the last, and where to start.
- How to prove value fast without a big implementation - Origin requires no system replacement, no implementation fee and pays for itself within year one. We’ll show you how to pick one priority, prove it, and build from there.
Hosted by:
Chris Bruce, CEO & Co-Founder, Origin
James Akers, SVP Product, Origin
Speakers
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***15:10-15:55*** Before you scale AI, fix the foundations: What AI will expose in your global benefits strategy
OPTION 9: WORKSHOP: ***15:10-15:55*** Before you scale AI, fix the foundations: What AI will expose in your global benefits strategy
This workshop is exclusively designed for senior reward and benefit professionals with international responsibility.
Global benefits strategies are not failing due to a lack of innovation, they are failing because the foundations are weak. As organisations accelerate towards AI-enabled platforms and personalisation, many are layering advanced technology onto fragmented data, inconsistent governance and poorly understood propositions. Drawing on global research and large-scale enrolment data, this workshop challenges benefit leaders to pause, diagnose and fix the fundamentals before scaling existing problems at speed.
Designed for benefit directors and managers who are implementing benefits technology for the first time, considering switching providers or under pressure to demonstrate readiness for AI-enabled solutions, participants will leave with a clear evidence-led view of what must be fixed first, what can safely be enabled later and where moving too quickly risks scaling existing problems rather than solving them.
Key discussion points
- Why benefits strategies fail: the six most common structural weaknesses undermining value and impact
- AI readiness vs reality: what AI will expose in your current governance, data and operating model
- The engagement paradox: why benefits matter more than ever, yet usage and perceived value remain low
- Fix first, scale later: the critical priorities that unlock sustainable ROI from future tech investment
4pm – 4.45pm
Curated roundtables or visit exhibition
OPTION 8: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Implementing a benefits platform
OPTION 8: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Implementing a benefits platform
Meet the case studies
Gain insights from a carefully curated case study table host who will kick off with a 5–10 minute case study - setting out strategy, progress and key lessons - followed by an interactive group table discussion focused on shared challenges, practical solutions and real-world insights. Connect, challenge and exchange ideas with peers tackling the same issues.
The case study roundtables will cover three main topics:
- Implementing a benefits platform
- Defining and creating global minimum standards
- Managing rising healthcare costs
Case study hosts:
- Reiko Kubota, Head of Global Benefits, Fidelity International
- Lisa Boardman, Reward Manager, Edrington
Implementing a new benefits platform at Fidelity International
Case study host: Reiko Kubota, Head of Global Benefits, Fidelity International
Reiko will share her sixyear journey implementing a global benefits platform, emphasising a UKled start that evolved into a consistent global blueprint. Despite COVID delays, the rollout has delivered clear benefits visibility, employee engagement and cost savings through centralised, branded delivery.
Top tips
- Secure strong leadership buyin and a dedicated project manager to drive a coordinated, scalable global rollout
- Define a clear vision and global blueprint from the start while allowing local flexibility for market nuances
- Track financial impacts and highlight tangible savings (e.g., salarysacrifice opportunities) to win stakeholder support
About the host: Reiko heads up global benefits at Fidelity International and for the past six years has focused on the creative use of benefits as an attractive engagement and communication tool through leveraging technological capability. Reiko’s career, spanning 20 years, has seen her scope extend beyond the UK, where she is based, to EMEA, APAC and India, leading strategic direction with particular attention to global framework and local sensitivity.
Implementing a global benefits platform
Case study host: Lisa Boardman, Reward Manager, Edrington
Lisa will share her experience implementing an AIdriven benefits platform at a large multinational, designed to address rising administration costs, improve employee experience and enable offshore support. By prioritising a cocreation partnership with the vendor, selecting a solution requiring minimal employee data and navigating procurement and AI governance requirements early, the project achieved rapid deployment, improved visibility across benefits and a costneutral position within six months.
Top tips
- Secure early approval from procurement and AI governance stakeholders through a strong, metricsdriven business case
- Prioritise solutions that are easy to implement and require minimal employee data to accelerate rollout and adoption
- Focus on consolidation by reducing multiple systems and selecting vendors that can expand functionality over time
About the host: Lisa is Reward Manager at Edrington, with over 20 years’ experience leading global reward projects across organisations including BP, Barclays and CocaCola. She specialises in transformational change through reward design, process optimisation and datadriven decisionmaking, with a particular interest in how AI can revolutionise the reward function – delivering value, equity and strategic insight in reward design.
OPTION 9: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Defining and creating global minimum standards
OPTION 9: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Defining and creating global minimum standards
Meet the case studies
Gain insights from a carefully curated case study table host who will kick off with a 5–10 minute case study - setting out strategy, progress and key lessons - followed by an interactive group table discussion focused on shared challenges, practical solutions and real-world insights. Connect, challenge and exchange ideas with peers tackling the same issues.
The case study roundtables will cover three main topics:
- Implementing a benefits platform
- Defining and creating global minimum standards
- Managing rising healthcare costs
Case study hosts:
- Fabio Mazetti, Global Senior Benefits Manager, Phillp Morris International
- Charlotte Frost, Head of Culture & Employee Experience, Schroders
Defining and creating global minimum standards at Philip Morris International
Case study host: Fabio Mazetti, Global Senior Benefits Manager, Phillp Morris International
Philip Morris International undertook a fouryear, companywide journey to move from a decentralised, countrybycountry benefits approach to a centralised set of global minimum standards covering 94 countries. Key drivers for the project were a detailed benefits gap analysis, two years of data collection to build a robust business case and secure leadership buy-in, phased budgeting and careful localisation to manage cultural, tax and cost nuances which has resulted in established minimums for all employees around key wellbeing benefits including holiday leave, protection benefits and enhanced psychological support options.
Top tips
- Lead with data to uncover hidden inequities: Carry out a deep-dive analysis into local markets to find cultural or systemic gaps
- Bridge the finance gap with a two-tiered budget approach: Use central ‘kick-start’ funding before transitioning the costs to local markets to help reduce initial resistance and demonstrate corporate commitment
- Prioritise pragmatism over uniformity: Recognise that global minimums don’t require identical packages and should allow for local nuances to navigate tax laws and Works councils.
About the host: Fabio is the ideal case study host because he led the programme’s design and implementation, navigated the stakeholder approvals and market complexities, can speak to practical steps, tradeoffs and lessons learned and will provide tangible takeaways to help peers looking to develop a pragmatic, phased approach.
Defining and creating global minimum standards at Schroders
Case study host: Charlotte Frost, Head of Culture & Employee Experience, Schroders
Charlie will outline Schroders’ approach to globalising benefits as a practical transformation journey, driven by a clear focus on cost efficiency, profitability and improved employee experience. With operations across nearly 40 countries and the majority of headcount concentrated in a small number of markets, the organisation is working to move from a fragmented, locally driven approach to one underpinned by central governance and global minimum standards. By mapping existing provision, consolidating platforms and brokers, and aligning benefits strategy to wider business priorities, the programme aims to optimise spend, improve consistency and better communicate the value of benefits to employees.
Top tips
- Anchor benefits transformation in a clear business case with measurable KPIs, linking cost savings, employee value and business outcomes
- Establish a clear global benefits strategy and define global principles early, balancing cost efficiency with employee experience
- Leverage broader people processes to target communications that improve visibility, engagement and recognition of benefits value across the organisation
About the host: Charlie is Head of Culture and Employee Experience at Schroders where she is leading the organisation’s global benefits transformation journey across nearly 40 countries. This project focuses on establishing central governance and global minimum standards, optimising spend through consolidation and aligning benefits with business priorities while enhancing employee experience and wellbeing outcomes.
OPTION 10: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Managing rising healthcare costs
OPTION 10: New for 2026: MEET THE CASE STUDIES - Managing rising healthcare costs
Meet the case studies
Gain insights from a carefully curated case study table host who will kick off with a 5–10 minute case study - setting out strategy, progress and key lessons - followed by an interactive group table discussion focused on shared challenges, practical solutions and real-world insights. Connect, challenge and exchange ideas with peers tackling the same issues.
The case study roundtables will cover three main topics:
- Implementing a benefits platform
- Defining and creating global minimum standards
- Managing rising healthcare costs
Case study hosts:
- Richard Caddis, Chief Medical Officer, Rolls Royce
- Sarah Nightingale, Employee Benefits Manager, EMEA, Meta
- Marissa Arnold, Head of Group Reward Operations, Kingfisher
- Marion May-Hamilton, Transformation Lead: Global benefits, Kingfisher
Managing rising healthcare costs at Rolls Royce
Case study host: Richard Caddis, Chief Medical Officer, Rolls Royce
RollsRoyce is in the process of rolling out a datadriven, costcontainment approach that starts with a scalable foundation and focuses on targeted utilisation pathways to steer employees toward occupationally focused care and reduce uncapped claim spend. Richard and the team works with brokers and providers to use claims insight, smallscale funding routes and pathway controls (e.g., copays/limitations) to moderate rising healthcare costs over time.
Top tips
- Intervene early to reduce cost and risk: direct employees into occupational MSK and mental health pathways to improve outcomes and prevent high-cost claims
- Let data drive where you act: use claims insight to identify low-value spend and target interventions where they deliver the greatest impact
- Build, test and scale what works: start with a low-cost foundation, then pilot and refine controls (e.g. internal service providing pathways, specific provider routing) to sustainably balance access, quality and cost
About the host: Richard Caddis is Chief Medical Officer at RollsRoyce and partners closely with the reward and benefits team to blend clinical insight with benefits strategy— ensuring interventions are medically sound, operationally feasible, and aligned with costmanagement objectives.
Managing rising healthcare costs at Meta
Cast study host: Sarah Nightingale, Employee Benefits Manager, Meta
Sarah will share Meta’s pragmatic, datadriven approach to addressing rising healthcare costs in the UK, following a sixmonth strategy ahead of the April PMI renewal. Moving away from generic consultancy approaches, the team analysed claimant behaviour, utilisation patterns and demographic needs to design targeted interventions that focused on outpatient cost control, while protecting core benefits such as inpatient and cancer care. By introducing annual outpatient caps, encouraging use of lowercost providers and focusing on behaviour change rather than restrictions, the programme reduced a forecast 20% premium increase to 5% and is now monitoring outcomes and member behaviour to refine the next phase.
Top tips
- Focus on your own data and population: understand claimant personas and utilisation drivers rather than relying on generic market solutions
- Prioritise the levers that influence behaviour, such as outpatient controls and provider direction, before introducing more restrictive measures
- Protect highvalue benefits while targeting cost drivers to balance financial sustainability with employee experience
About the host: Sarah Nightingale is Employee Benefits Manager at Meta, with extensive experience managing reward and benefits programmes for large, complex employee populations. She specialises in designing and delivering marketleading offerings across all levels of an organisation, combining datadriven insight with practical plan design to balance cost, value and employee experience.
Managing rising healthcare costs at Kingfisher
Case study hosts: Marion May-Hamilton, Transformation Lead: Global Benefits and Marissa Arnold, Head of Group Reward at Kingfisher
Marion and Marissa will share how Kingfisher re-designed its private medical insurance (PMI) strategy to tackle unpredictable and rising healthcare costs across a complex, multi-entity UK group. By moving away from a long-standing incumbent to a new provider and switching to 100% stoploss cover, the team transformed variable claims spend into a more predictable and sustainable employer cost. Alongside securing significant cost savings, the programme focused on broker re-negotiation, clearer communications and promoting cost effective care pathways. The project combined strategic re-design with practical operational change (FAQs, people-ops coaching, tailored portals) to protect benefits while controlling risk.
Top tips
- Prioritise predictability over short-term cuts such as 100% stop-loss to avoid surprise liabilities and support reliable budgeting
- Negotiate (ruthlessly) with brokers/providers: require justification for increases, agree fees and “freebies” up front and push for meaningful best and final offers
- Communicate relentlessly and equip people ops: create clear FAQs, anticipate common queries and train HR/people ops so they can triage
- Harmonise policies where possible, simplify portals/access and start aligning datasets to reveal real cost drivers and replication opportunities across countries.
About the hosts:
Marion May-Hamilton has over 20 years’ experience delivering global benefits transformation across consultancy, insurance and in-house roles. She specialises in designing and implementing global benefits strategies, including harmonisation, cost optimisation and innovative financing approaches, aligning programmes to business priorities while enhancing employee outcomes.
Marissa Arnold has over 20 years’ HR experience, including more than a decade in reward. She specialises in leading reward initiatives across complex organisations, designing data driven pay and benefits strategies that support fairness, performance and cost effective outcomes.
4.50pm – 5.30pm
On the sofa with… BAFTA award-winning, genre-defining documentary presenter - Louis Theroux
On the sofa with… BAFTA award-winning, genre-defining documentary presenter - Louis Theroux
Keynote
Louis Theroux is best known for producing immersive documentaries that explore the controversial and complex aspects of the human condition. He is the host of the Louis Theroux Podcast and has presented the BAFTA-winning series Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends, When Louis Met…, and most recently the eye-opening Inside the Manosphere, plus countless award-winning specials.
By charming his subjects, Louis is able to offer rounded portraits of the people involved in complex social issues and human dilemmas, while always resisting easy judgements. In 2022, he unexpectedly went viral on TikTok with rap, Jiggle Jiggle, that’s been streamed over 70m times.
Bringing his unique presence, charm and charisma that have engaged audiences and interviewees for decades, acclaimed documentary maker and presenter, Louis will join us for this year’s much-anticipated closing fireside chat.
