New Initiatives & Innovations To Increase Change Programme Engagement & Impact: From Emerging Tech Shaped By Data & Effective AI Adoption To Empowered Employee Cultures & Effective Communication Strategies… Build Powerful Change-Ready Company Cultures To
Drive Impactful, People-Centric Organisational Change & Deliver Real Results
One Day Only Of Leading, Cross-Sector Practitioner-Led Conference Talks & High-Impact Networking, Pendulum Hotel, Manchester, 4th March 2026
You will shortly receive an email with a further £20 off, if you don’t receive your discount please email
contact@drivingchangeconference.com
08.15 Registration & Informal Networking
OPENING REMARKS
09.00 GIC Welcome & Morning Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Jennifer St Quintin, Head of Operations & Administration, Astellas Pharma
Celine Ansari, Director of the Transformation Management Office, ITV
AI ADOPTION IN CHANGE: OPPORTUNITIES & BARRIERS
09.10 Don’t Get Left Behind! Discover Strategic AI Solutions To Strengthen & Streamline Your Processes, Without Losing The Crucial Human Touch
- Soon companies that don’t use AI are likely to be the minority; keep pace with your competitors with practical examples and real-world cases of efficient and results-driven AI deployment
- Bad input leads to bad output! How can you ensure that the data going into AI processes is accurate and validated? What guard rails are needed to maintain output that is effective, correct and compliant?
- Activating AI usage is just the beginning – as the technology evolves exponentially, what new developments and innovations are next in the pipeline? What will AI be capable of within the next 5 to 10 years and beyond?
- Assuage potential AI fears among employees by promoting the benefits, and upskilling colleagues in AI fundamentals to make sure the technology works for them, not the other way around
Jennifer Cohen Falah, Senior Strategy & Transformation Change Lead, Burberry
PEOPLE CENTRICITY & EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
09.30 Position Employee Wellbeing Front & Centre Throughout Transformation Journeys To Drive Change Which Is Sustainable & People-Centric
- The people behind the process; embed employee wellbeing into the heart of change strategies and HR policies
- Schedule regular check-ins with staff at all levels to gain vital feedback, address key concerns and avoid disengagement
- Maintain a consistent and cohesive change roadmap which is adaptable without being reactive, and promotes calm and stability in the face of challenges
- Carefully moderate the pace of change at an employee level, to avoid setting unrealistic expectations that spread change fatigue and burnout
Lee Robinson, Director of Enterprise Transformation & Change, Compass Group UK & Ireland
CHANGE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES
PANEL Q&A
09.50 Reach Out To All Corners Of The Business With Powerful, Tailored & Change-Ready Comms Strategies That Truly Speak To All Parties
- Keep remote and hybrid workforces pulling together towards unified company goals through persuasive, eye-catching and inspiring comms
- Get creative! Craft attention-grabbing content that boosts engagement, and optimise your omnichannel strategies to deliver on the right platform at the right time
- What are the latest tech and AI developments set to revolutionise comms strategies, and how can they be utilised in an impactful and cost-effective way?
- Empower communicators to influence strategy, offer invaluable expert advice and foster collaboration and transparency
Jennifer St Quintin, Head of Operations & Administration, Astellas Pharma
Kelly McGowan, Director of Transformation, Action for Children
Jodie Bennett, Operations & Governance Director, Excellence & Chief of Staff (to CRO), WTW
Daryl Woodhouse, Head of Culture, Ethics, & Behaviours, National Grid Electricity Transmission
Lucy Clarkson, Internal Communications & Engagement Business Partner, Marie Curie UK
10.20 Bonus Session; Reserved For Forvis Mazars
Alan Frost, Partner – Transformation & Change, Forvis Mazars
10.35 Morning Refreshment Break & Informal Networking
11.05 Bonus Session; Reserved For Pluxee
CULTURAL CHANGE
11.20 Change Hearts & Minds With A Company Culture That Embraces Change, Aligns Workforces & Promotes Understanding Of The Intentions Behind The Journey
- Cultivate an informed understanding of your organisation’s goals, short-term and long-term, by setting clear expectations on the scale and scope of change and its intended outcomes
- Create and inspire change champions by enabling employees to play a more proactive role in change management, and to truly believe in their contribution to the greater whole
- Take care of your greatest asset! Foster change-ready mindsets by showcasing success stories and mitigating concerns around upcoming challenges
- Join the dots between long-term change intentions and the impact on colleagues day-to-day by maintaining a people-centric approach that makes employees’ voices heard
ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE
11.40 Distributed Vs. Delineated Accountability: A Smarter Approach to Change Management & Project Triaging
In fast-paced environments, traditional change models can fall short—especially when specialist resources are stretched. This presentation explores how a distributed accountability model can better align with organisational realities and unlock greater agility.
- Flexible Models Work Best
Rigid structures and delineated roles limit impact. Distributed accountability boosts scope and reach. - Tailored, Not Template
Effective change management practice approach should reflect your organisation’s culture and context—not a generic framework. - Scale with Care
Start small and grow gradually to avoid organisational shock and maximise positive traction. - Culture is Key
Change management is more than professional practice. Culture and behaviours, especially those connected to leadership, also need investment. - Lead the Change of Change
Successful adoption of new practice needs buy-in at every level—change management establishment itself must be change-managed.
Dominic Carey, Head of Business Change, TransPennine Trains Ltd
Fiona Gilmartin, Head of Integrated Project Management Office, TransPennine Trains Ltd
THE SHIFT OF HYBRID VS. OFFICE
PANEL Q&A
12.00 Engage & Involve The Full Workforce In Organisational Change & Ensure Adaptability For Hybrid & Remote Working Is Baked Into Your Change Strategies
- Leverage the power of clear communication and powerful content to ensure that change strategies are being cascaded to remote and hybrid employees just as much as in-office staff
- How can you reinject crucial human connection for remote employees to boost morale and a team-focussed mindset?
- Gather real and relevant feedback from remote and hybrid colleagues to see what’s working, and address what isn’t
- What are the warning signs of disengagement and disenfranchisement in remote employees? How can you identify and reach out to these colleagues to course-correct?
Sarah Tegerdine, Head of People Partnering, Channel 4
James Dunne, Business Improvement Regional Manager, Balfour Beatty
Dan Harris, Head of Finance People Capability, BAE Systems
Daryl Woodhouse, Head of Culture, Ethics, & Behaviours, National Grid Electricity Transmission
Sophie Parsell, Strategic People Lead – Experience, Reward & Partnering, British Red Cross
Seema Dixit, Head of Commercial for Interchange Station, Automated People Mover & Station Common Components, HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
CHANGE JOURNEY MANAGEMENT
12.30 Maximise, Maintain & Manage Every Step Of The Change Journey To Engage & Support Colleagues At All Levels
- What is your organisation’s change narrative? Use clear communication and storytelling to cascade your change strategies to all part of the workforce and highlight the “why” as well as the “what”
- Change can be challenging, foster support and inclusivity by prioritising colleague wellbeing in all change journeys
- Break down silos and unite disparate departments by demonstrating all colleagues’ vital roles within the overall unified whole
- Equip your teams with the tools and knowledge needed to tackle future challenges with continuing capability and efficiency
Nataly Quinn, Head Of Change & Tech Adoption, Holland & Barrett
12.50 Lunch & Informal Networking For Speakers, Delegates & Partners
13.25 Informal Breakout Discussions
A) Behavioural Change
Alexander Barrett, Senior Communications Officer (Organisational Change), Thames Valley Police
B) Omnichannel
Kelly McGowan, Director of Transformation, Action for Children
C) Measurement & Metrics
Baljit Dhillon, Programme Delivery Director, British Gas
D) Overcoming Change Fatigue
Jonathan Arber, Head of Strategy and Governance – Finance Shared Services, BT Group
E) Agile Methodologies
Henry Carvalho, Change Management Director, AstraZeneca
OPENING REMARKS
13.55 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Opening Remarks
Dominic Carey, Head of Business Change, TransPennine Trains Ltd
Berenice Levenez, Director of Strategy, Transformation & Technology, GirlGuiding
MEASUREMENT, METRICS & SHOWCASING SUCCESS
14.05 Evaluate The Big-Picture Cost & Impact Of Organisational Change Through Validated Metrics That Tell A Clear Story & Inform Future Strategies
- Leverage the most effective metrics to showcase your organisation’s change narrative, in both financial and people-centric terms
- Track change journeys right through to completion to measure the true impact in terms of ROI, realisation of benefits and overall organisational strength
- Consider both sides of the coin; what can be lost during organisational change, and what hidden costs and challenges can this create?
- Utilise up-to-date tools and technology to measure results that are AI-savvy and operate safely within legal and compliance guidelines
Chelsea Parker, Senior HR Business Partner, Amazon
SENIOR LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
14.25 Company Culture Starts At The Top! Transform Senior Leaders Into Powerful Change Champions To Drive & Communicate Key Strategies
- Craft the right narrative around your change journey, highlighting the why and the how as well as the expected results, to secure senior leadership buy-in
- Lead by example! Motivate senior leadership to lead from the front and champion a change-ready mindset that can cascade down through the organisation
- Identify and overcome change resistance in senior leadership to ensure that the right message is coming straight from the top
- Upskill and equip senior leadership to communicate change strategies in a timely and effective manner, to prioritise employee wellbeing and mitigate potential fears and concerns
Anthony Savell, Head of Business Optimisation, Close Brothers
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & UPSKILLING
PANEL Q&A
14.45 From Long-Term Staff To Gen Z Recruitments, Engage & Empower Employees To Build A Forward-Looking & Change-Receptive Company Culture
- Bring employees into the journey with clearly communicated goals and the reasoning behind them, to allay concerns and to avoid the sense that change is happening “to” them
- Utilise the latest insights in behavioural psychology to overcome change resistance and reposition change as not just a necessity, but a beneficial positive
- Empower employees as change leaders by encouraging input and involvement to take ownership of key aspects of the transformation journey
- Reinforce employee retention and reassure colleagues of their critical value by delivering the tools and training needed to keep pace with the fast-moving sector
Ryan Warcup, Business Improvement & Development Manager, Balfour Beatty
Shruti Birari, Vice President Change Management, Marsh
Keeley Watts, Head of HR & People, The Alchemist Bar & Restaurant Ltd
Marrily Runoona-Rutsito, HR Business Partner, Network Rail
Seema Dixit, Head of Commercial for Interchange Station, Automated People Mover & Station Common Components, HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
Sarah Fidment, Professor Of Leadership & Management & Head Of Department For People & Performance, The Manchester Metropolitan University
15.15 Bonus Session; Reserved For Exclusive Conference Partner
15.45 Afternoon Refreshment Break & Informal Networking
GUIDING THE FUTURE: LEADING WITH PURPOSE THROUGH DIGITAL & CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION
16.20 Empowering Change, Embracing Technology, Engaging Hearts & Minds
Berenice Levenez, Director of Strategy, Transformation & Technology, GirlGuiding
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, BUY-IN & ADOPTION
16.40 Make An Open & Shut Case For Organisational Change By Highlighting The Key Deliverables To Internal & External Stakeholders
- Evaluate the full consumer experience, step by step, to create a smooth and cohesive transition across multiple digital touchpoints
- Assess the merits of the latest technologies to enhance your customers’ digital experience without exceeding budgets
- Embed personalisation and speed up digital journeys by using customer data in a tailored and effective way
- Collaborate across multiple internal teams, channels and processes to join up disparate elements into a coherent and seamless customer experience
Scott Straughan, Head of Change Delivery, formerly Stagecoach Group
THE FUTURE OF CHANGE - INDUSTRY BENCHMARKING
PANEL Q&A
17.00 Future-Proof Your Organisational Change Strategies By Assessing The Potential Impact Of Upcoming Developments & Planning Ahead
- Gain key insights and inspirations from industry peers regarding the current state of organisational change and the most likely imminent developments
- The world of work is changing; what will organisational structures look like in the 2030s, and what change programmes are required to effectively get us to that point?
- The genie is out of the bottle; deep-dive into the fundamental impact of AI and automation, and how its continuing influence will shape the future of organisational change
- How will the unstable political environment, both nationally and internationally, affect organisational change in the coming years? How can organisations prepare and adapt?
Isabella Kew, Change Management Program Manager, Amazon
Sarah Fidment, Professor Of Leadership & Management & Head Of Department For People & Performance, The Manchester Metropolitan University
Scott Straughan, Head of Change Delivery, formerly Stagecoach Group
17.30 Afternoon Co-Chairs’ Closing Remarks & Close Of Conference
Dominic Carey, Head of Business Change, TransPennine Trains Ltd
Berenice Levenez, Director of Strategy, Transformation & Technology, GirlGuiding