Business Partnering
CRF Learning: Business Catalyst: Reimagining HR Business Partnering – Geneva
The cost of the programme is CHF 2,500 for CRF members and CHF 3,500 Swiss Francs for non-members. There are a limited number of Not-For-Profit places available at CHF 2,000 Swiss Francs. To register interest in enrolling or to discuss group discounts, please contact Erika.
Today’s HR Business Partners are expected to be business leaders first, HR experts second. Grounded in cutting-edge research, this programme is designed to support that shift, equipping HRBPs to lead with strategic insight and business relevance.
As AI, automation, and data-driven decision-making transform how organisations create value, HR must move beyond traditional delivery models to actively shape business strategy. This is not about stepping away from HR — it’s about using HR insight to deliver commercial impact.
You’ll shift your focus from traditional, bureaucratic HR to delivering measurable business outcomes, building organisational capability, and understanding how emerging technologies are reshaping the business landscape. With a strong emphasis on practical implementation, the programme will increase your influence and effectiveness by:
- Enhancing your ability to lead through disruption and innovation
- Developing deeper commercial and strategic thinking
- Ensuring faster and more effective delivery
- Improving influencing skills
The organisations that thrive today are those where HR is embedded in strategic decision-making — not operating from the sidelines. This programme is your catalyst for becoming a true business partner in an AI-powered world.
Benefits of Attending
This programme will examine the attitudes that differentiate great HRBPs and, by working through CRF’s Strategic HR Framework, will enhance your capabilities in a range of areas. Specifically, you will:
- Gain greater understanding of how your organisation operates, delivers value and drives success, thereby enabling you to be a more effective business partner
- Increase your credibility with customers by developing greater commercial acumen, business understanding and influencing skills
- Grow in confidence to challenge existing thinking through a robust model for effective HR
- Evaluate where you can add greater value to the organisation
- Build your overall capability ensuring you optimise your business impact.
Attendees will receive digital copies of all programme materials, relevant CRF research and a workbook to explore concepts, models and plan a programme for ongoing development.
Who Should Attend?
Attendees will be existing HR Business Partners, specialists moving into the role, or HR Managers preparing for a more strategic position. We expect all attendees to be technically proficient in HR.
Cost
The cost of the programme is CHF 2,500 for CRF members and CHF 3,500 Swiss Francs for non-members.
There are a limited number of Not-For-Profit places available at CHF 2,000 Swiss Francs.
To register interest in enrolling or to discuss group discounts, please contact Erika.
Programme Dates
25 – 26 March 2026: 09.00 – 17.00 each day (two-day in person – Geneva)
The Programme in Detail
DAY 1
AM – Build Strong Foundations & Align On Purpose
- Establish programme objectives
- Explore the HR manifesto
- Clarify HR’s role
- Build connections through introductions and coaching pairs
PM – Develop Strategic HR Capability
- Strengthen HR attitudes and impact, and apply this to strategy development, deployment, and strategic workforce planning.
DAY 2
AM – Lead Change, Talent & Organisational Effectiveness
- Explore change management, performance management, and talent strategies to align people practices with business needs.
PM – Influence, Measure & Embed Impact
- Build stakeholder management capability, apply evidence-based HR and metrics, and consolidate learning through reflection and action planning.
Venue
Gavi Offices
Global Health Campus
Chemin du Pommier 40
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex
Switzerland
Faculty
Helen Franklin
Associate Faculty, CRF
Helen is an experienced coach, facilitator, leadership and management trainer and organisational development specialist who thrives on making life easier for those she works with by freeing them up to lead in current role or in their careers in general.
As a coach, mentor, & facilitator, Helen is passionate about the success of others and brings a personable, approachable style. She creates a supportive, safe environment for leaders to explore and advance their understanding of themselves in relation to their broader context and coaching goals, with appropriate challenge where necessary. She works with leaders on their mindset, behaviours and ultimately outcomes as appropriate.
Helen works with individuals & teams at all levels, from high potential graduate trainees to global Directors in sectors including FMCG, Legal, Technology, Beauty, NHS, Education, Third Party Logistics, Charity & Government bodies. Her focus includes:
– Transition coaching, career coaching (finding direction, building ownership & management) & Breakthrough coaching (i.e. helping leaders overcome stallers; building confidence, enabling them to thrive in challenging times)
– Organisational Development & Change Mentoring & Process Consultancy
– Leadership/ Management Development, team coaching, facilitation, meeting/conference design & facilitation.
Helen is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Personnel & Development, holds a Masters in Coaching & Mentoring Practice, and is certified at Senior Coaching Practitioner level with the EMCC. She has over 15 years’ senior leadership experience where she has experienced complex change and challenging demands including as UK HR Director for Wrigley which included supporting the defence of market position on key competitor entry and seeing Wrigley listed in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies. As Global Talent & Learning Director, she played a key role in the successful cultural integration of Wrigley’s 17,000 employees into Mars.
As a consultant in the last 10 years, as well as coaching over 150 people for a total of over 1000 coaching hours, Helen has successfully supported organisations with diagnosis of systemic issues, coached senior teams to effectively work together and lead their organisations, and more recently trained managers to set up and support effective hybrid working with their teams so that they are cohesive and high performing.
John Whelan MBE
Director, CRF
John Whelan is a Director at Corporate Research Forum. Formerly UK HR Director of BAE Systems, the FTSE 100 defence, security, and aerospace company, John’s experience and strengths lie in business and HR Transformation, Organisation Development and Employee Relations. Prior to joining BAE, he held a variety of HR roles in engineering, technology and manufacturing businesses across the telecommunications and semi-conductor industries including Matra-Marconi Space where he was HR Director for the UK and, latterly, Group HRD.
Programme Pre-Work
