Building a Future-Fit Workforce: Reskilling and Rethinking Work

With over 15 years operating at C-level in Global organisations, Bev prides bringing energy, dynamism and a sharp focus to all she does. Bev’s background is in Human Resources with a particular emphasis on Strategic Workforce Planning, Talent Development and Employee Engagement. Her experience spans multiple sectors including IT Services, Technology, FMCG and Manufacturing. Her achievements are based on her having a clear vision; that creating the right culture and leadership style enables people to grow and develop as their organisation transforms, helping to ensure they remain relevant, engaged and successful.

Nick is a speaker, author and advocate for ‘Paradox HR’. Until the end of 2020, he was Executive Vice President HR Business Transformation for Unilever. After graduating with a degree in Politics and Economics from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, he joined Unilever in 1986 as an Employee Relations Manager in a Bird’s Eye Walls Factory. After 15 years working in Bird’s Eye in various locations, Nick went to Rotterdam, the Netherlands to work in Unilever’s ice cream and frozen food business in Europe where his role was to scale and regionalise the business. Followed by Switzerland to establish the ‘Unilever Supply Chain Company’, first on a European level and then globally. Before becoming EVP HR for Business Transformation, Nick was EVP HR for Europe and the Global Markets, having day to day responsibility for Unilever’s HR partnering globally. 

The last 30 years, have seen him covering all areas of HR, ranging from introducing new information systems, designing new reward systems for sales forces, working with marketing to speed up innovation times, to setting up new Companies and troubleshooting industrial relations ‘crisis’ across the globe. 

His passion is for change management, organisational development and industrial/employee relations. He describes his ‘purpose’ as ‘bringing creativity from conflict’ and is an HR professional, because he believes that if ‘we change the workplace, we do change the world’. He co-authored the book The HR (R) Evolution: Change the Workplace, Change the World (2019, Routledge). 

Ian Goldin is Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford, Professorial Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford University, and from 2006 to 2016 was the founding Director of Oxford University’s interdisciplinary Oxford Martin School. He currently leads the Oxford Martin research programmes on Technological and Economic Change, Future of Work and Future of Development. He has published over 60 journal articles and 23 books, most recently Rescue: From Global Crisis to a Better World.

Patrick Hull is the VP Future of Work at Unilever, where he is responsible for helping people stay fit for work, now and in the future. His Unilever career started in South Africa in 1996 when he joined as a Management Trainee in Finance. He did various roles in both Finance and Sales, before leaving to start his own leadership development training business. After 5 years, he rejoined Unilever in HR specialising in Change Management. In 2008, he moved to the UK and led Unilever’s Change Management programme as they outsourced HR Services. Patrick then moved into Leadership Development roles in China and Africa, before moving back to the UK in 0216 as Global Learning Director for Leadership and Business Skills. In 2018, he became Global HR Strategy Director, before becoming VP of Future of Work.

Ravin Jesuthasan is the global leader of Mercer’s Transformation Services business. He is a recognised global thought leader, futurist and author on the future of work and workforce transformation. He has led multiple research efforts on the global workforce, the emerging digital economy, the rise of artificial intelligence and the transformation of work, for the World Economic Forum and is a member of the forum’s Steering Committee on Work and Employment. He is the author of the books Transformative HR, Lead The Work: Navigating a World Beyond Employment and Reinventing Jobs: A 4-Step Approach to Applying Automation to Work. Ravin has authored over 150 articles including 14 for the Harvard Business Review and the Sloan Management Review.

Gillian has worked as a senior HR practitioner and OD specialist for several organisations including Swiss Re, Vodafone and BAA. Prior to her HR career, she was a management consultant with Deloitte Consulting and is also a qualified solicitor. Gillian has written various CRF reports on subjects including HR strategy, organisation design and development, leadership development, coaching and diversity.