People and Culture Leadership Conference
Strengthen Your Leadership. Expand Your Network.
Connect. Learn. Grow.
Join a practical and thought provoking one day conference designed exclusively for senior People and Culture (P&C) and Organisational Development (OD) professionals. This event brings together experienced practitioners who are passionate about strengthening organisational capability, sharing contemporary practice and exploring the evolving challenges shaping today's workplaces.
Led by the Corporate Dojo team — including Founder and Sensei Karen Gately and Executive Consultant Samantha Fraser — the day brings together keynote speakers, an expert panel, interactive workshops and collaborative discussion.
Whether you are shaping people strategy, partnering with leaders, driving culture transformation, or building organisational capability, this conference offers a trusted space to connect with peers, exchange ideas, reflect on emerging trends and build meaningful professional relationships across industries and sectors.
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Why Attend the Leadership Conference?
Connect with experienced leaders from a diverse range of industries and sectors, expanding your professional network and gaining fresh perspectives.
Share ideas, challenges and practical solutions in a trusted, confidential environment where real-world experience is valued.
Gain contemporary insights and actionable strategies you can apply immediately to enhance leadership effectiveness and organisational performance.
Strengthen your leadership capability and commercial acumen, enabling you to navigate complexity, influence outcomes and drive sustainable results.
Build meaningful professional relationships and partnerships that extend well beyond the day.
Create dedicated space for reflection, learning and future-focused thinking, helping you stay ahead of emerging trends and challenges.
Leadership Is Easier When You Don't Have To Do It Alone
Senior People & Culture and Organisational Development leaders are navigating increasing complexity, evolving workforce expectations and growing pressure to deliver meaningful organisational outcomes.
The P&C Leadership Conference creates a dedicated space to step away from day-to-day demands, connect with experienced professionals and engage in practical conversations that challenge thinking, broaden perspectives and strengthen leadership practice.
This one-day immersive conference brings together senior P&C and OD professionals from across industries and sectors to explore the contemporary challenges shaping People & Culture leadership.
Led by the Corporate Dojo team, including Founder and Sensei Karen Gately and Executive Consultant Samantha Fraser, the day will feature keynote speakers, an expert panel, interactive workshops and collaborative discussion.
Topics across the day will explore workforce analytics, psychological safety and performance accountability, hybrid work, AI and automation, growth cultures, diversity and inclusion, and what executive leaders need from HR to drive performance.
8 October 2026 | 9AM to 4PM | Karstens Melbourne, 123 Queen Street, Melbourne
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P&C Leadership Circle Conference - 8 October 2026
A dedicated full-day conference bringing together senior HR and People and Culture professionals to explore emerging workforce trends, organisational challenges and innovative practices shaping the future of People and Culture leadership.
| Time | Speaker | Overview | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00AM | Karen Gately | Introduction to the Program | Welcome |
| 9:20AM |
Dr Kim Hazendonk |
The Optimism Advantage: Leading with Possibility in a Challenging World | Speaker |
| 10:00AM | Marg O'Rouke OAM Head, La Trobe Uni |
View from the Top: What Executive Leaders Need from HR to Drive Performance | Speaker |
| 10:40AM | Morning Break | Cuppa and Networking | Break |
| 10:55AM |
Marissa Black Karen Linford Dr Maresa Seabrook |
Bridging Two Worlds: Designing Hybrid Work That Works for People and the Business The Workforce Reimagined: Leading People Through AI, Automation and the Future of Work Learning Without Limits: Building Growth Cultures Inside Regulated Environments |
Panel Discusson |
| 12:10PM | Lunch Break | Lunch and Networking | Lunch |
| 12:55PM | Damian Zahra CPO, Bunnings |
The People Dividend: Using Workforce Analytics to Drive Smarter Commerical Decisions | Speaker |
| 1:35PM | Karen Gately | Psychological Safety versus Performance Accountability The Tensions between Care and Accountability and Why High-Perforing Cultures Need Both |
Interactive Workshop |
| 2:35PM | Afternon Break | Cuppa and Networking | Break |
| 3:00PM | Samantha Fraser | Diversity Without Inclusion Attracting Diverse Talent is only Half the Work: What Happens After They Arrive? |
Interactive Workshop |
| 3:45PM | Karen Gately | Closing Comments | Closing |
Introducing the Conference Guest Speakers
Dr Kim Hazendonk, Neuropsychologist
Postive Brain
Dr Kim is a Clinical Neuropsychologist, author, keynote speaker and leadership expert, and the Founder and Principal of Positive Brain. Combining neuroscience and psychology, she helps leaders and teams enhance performance, resilience, collaboration and psychological safety through practical, evidence-based strategies.
Kim has designed and delivered more than 200 executive leadership programs and coached hundreds of professionals across diverse industries globally. A sought-after speaker and media contributor, she also consults to the Hawthorn Football Club. Kim holds a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) and is endorsed by AHPRA in Clinical Neuropsychology.
Damian Zahra, Chief People Officer
Bunnings
Damian Zahra is the Chief People Officer at Bunnings Group, leading the People and Safety function and overseeing the delivery of the organisations people and safety strategy. He brings more than 25 years’ experience in senior human resources roles across property, online / media, professional services and retail sectors.
Prior to joining Bunnings, Damian was the General Manager, People and Culture at Vicinity Centres and previously held senior leadership roles at REA Group, where he led the international People and Culture program. He is also a board member of the Corporate Mental health Alliance Australia.
Marg O’Rourke OAM
La Trobe University
Margaret O’Rourke OAM is a distinguished leader in education, local government and regional development. A proud Bendigo local, she served as Mayor of the City of Greater Bendigo from 2016 to 2020 and as a councillor until 2024. As Board Chair of Bendigo Kangan Institute, she drove transformative reforms and oversaw major infrastructure projects, helping the institute become the 2022 Victorian and Australian Large Training Provider of the Year. In 2024, she received the Order of Australia Medal for her service the community of Greater Bendigo, and in 2025 was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in the TAFE and Skills Sector Award. Marg currently serves as Head of La Trobe University's Bendigo campus , Chair of Victoria's Regional Development Advisory Committee, and also holds roles as part of Coliban Water, v/line advisory board, and is the RDA Loddon Mallee Deputy Chair.
Introducing the Conference Panelists
Marissa Black, Chief People Officer
Easygo
As Chief People Officer at Easygo, Marissa partners with the CEO and executive team to lead global people transformation and support the company's next phase of growth and globalisation.
With more than 20 years of experience across People and Culture, talent and transformation, Marissa has held senior leadership roles at Origin Energy, Saputo, Bankwest, and Vanguard Australia. At Origin, Marissa built enterprise talent capability, led large-scale transformation initiatives, and helped strengthen leadership, succession, and organisational performance.
Known for commercial acumen, empathy, and energy, Marissa brings a modern, data-led approach to building high-performing teams, cultures, and people strategies that unlock business value.
Karen Linford, Chief People Officer
GV Health
Karen Linford is an accomplished people and culture executive with extensive experience leading workforce strategy and organisational transformation across the healthcare sector. Since joining GV Health in 2018 as Chief People Officer, she has spearheaded initiatives focused on attracting, retaining and developing talented teams, while driving significant improvements to organisational systems and HR performance.
Karen brings a collaborative leadership style and a strong track record of building high-performing teams. She holds an MBA from La Trobe University and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner. Earlier in her career, she practised as an Occupational Therapist in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Dr Maresa Seabrook, General Manager People, Capability
Law Institute Victoria
Dr Maresa Seabrook is a strategic people and culture leader, researcher and executive with a passion for solving complex organisational challenges, building capability and creating high-performing workplace cultures. With experience spanning the technology, higher education and professional services sectors, she specialises in organisational transformation, workforce strategy, leadership capability and culture.
In her current role at the Law Institute of Victoria, Maresa leads initiatives that strengthen organisational performance, employee experience and wellbeing, while helping shape contemporary people practices across the legal profession. Prior to joining the LIV, she held senior leadership roles at Netcraft and RMIT University. Maresa holds a PhD in Human Resources from the University of Sydney Business School.
Enter the Inner Circle
The Leadership Circle is more than a professional network - it is a collaborative community committed to continuous learning, leadership excellence, and creating positive impact within organisations and industries.
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