Employee experience has never mattered more – and rarely has it felt harder to get right. People professionals are being asked to improve engagement, wellbeing, inclusion and retention at a time when energy is low, workloads are high, trust is fragile, and expectations have fundamentally shifted. AI, economic uncertainty, challenges around hybrid working and constant change have impacted how our people experience work on a day-to-day basis, yet many organisations are still relying on frameworks, processes and assumptions that no longer fit the reality people are living in. This is why Employee Experience Expo 2026 is such an important event. It recognises that EX is no longer a “nice to have” or a standalone initiative – it’s a strategic, cultural and leadership challenge that sits right at the heart of performance and retention. The conversations at this year’s Expo focus on what genuinely shapes experience today: how leaders show up, how work is designed, how listening turns into action, how technology supports rather than erodes humanity, and how organisations create environments where people want to stay, grow and contribute. We’ll start the day with the AI People Operations Panel debate when HR Director Claire Horner, Director of People Jo Mountney, People & Leadership Partner Marie Proctor, People Transformation Manager Stanislava Gaspar, and HR Analyst Mervyn Dinnen (panel chair) discussing the future of work and how AI can be an enabler for productivity and retention. We’ll then have another panel discussion led by Pip Donnelly and Vanessa Russel, representing…
