Three tracks, two days, endless opportunities. Discover what's in store at Unite 24.
Toggle between our online and in person agenda by clicking the headings below. Agenda is subject to change.
07:00 AM BST
08:00 AM BST
09:15 AM BST
Get an exclusive look at Unily's vision for the future of employee experience. How will the trends and technology of today evolve to meet the demands of tomorrow? How can modern enterprises achieve faster pivots and drive Organizational Velocity to lead the way?
with Chris Ciauri - Chief Executive Officer at Unily; Leslie Bagala - Head of Product at Unily
10:10 AM BST
Hear from the multihyphenate mogul behind some of the most disruptive brands of the decade: SKIMS, Good American, and Safely. Emma is the down-to-earth entrepreneur known for smashing through glass ceilings and building some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Her ability to carve out niches in crowded markets has made her one of America’s richest self-made women worth $390m, and the first black female investor to feature on Shark Tank and Dragons Den. Learn from a certified marketing mastermind who understands what it takes to craft a message that cuts through in the noisiest spaces. Discover how to engage a global audience, activate employees as brand ambassadors, and leverage the power of purpose to rally people behind your vision.
with Emma Grede - CPO & Founding Partner, Skims; CEO & Co-Founder, Good American; Co-Founder, Safely; Investor, Shark Tank & Dragon's Den
11:30 AM BST
Seize the opportunity to get the expert insights you need to supercharge your internal comms strategy. In this highly interactive panel session, our crack team of IC pros field questions from the audience, offering their best advice for solving your biggest challenges.
with Peter Lyons - Head of Internal Communications at British Airways; Joanne Frankel - Head of Internal Communications at Amdocs; Jennifer Sproul - Chief Executive at Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC)
A problem every IC team has: how do you empower quality, compliant intranet creators across the org in a way that doesn't eat up the time of the whole IC team? See how National Grid uses Employee Journeys and the power of automation to replace clunky content management training with a seamless upskilling journey. Discover how they’re enabling budding creators to manage training around their work. Also, meet Unily's Employee Journeys Product Manager for further inspiration on leveling employee engagement with intelligent journeys.
with Michelle Marston - Intranet Platform and Content Specialist at National Grid; Rachel Holland - Product Manager at Unily
With employee expectations sky high and your competitors doing their best to lure top talent, leaving your EX strategy to chance is a risky play. In this fireside chat, we'll hear how one enterprise is in the midst of redesigning their offering from the inside out with listening, leadership development, and technology at the forefront. Leave with new ideas for evolving your strategy to meet the ever-evolving needs of the modern workforce and advice on how to bring leadership in on the journey.
with Hattie Roche - Founder & Strategy Chief at Fauna; Kris Kurates - VP Global People Experience at Altice USA
12:25 PM BST
These roundtables are designed to provide a focused, in-depth exploration of the unique challenges and opportunities facing your industry. Be it employees in hard-to-reach areas, high turnover, or a new regulation in your market, come together with peers who can relate to your challenges. This roundtable will discuss:
01:10 PM BST
02:00 PM BST
The Estée Lauder Companies’ intranet – MyELC – launched in 2020 and two years later was named among the world’s best intranets by the Nielsen Norman Group. How are they staying ahead of the curve in a complex global business environment? Discover how the team is utilizing Unily to deliver on the communications demands of the global company.
With a focus on leveraging gen-AI to power a new wave of employee communications, powerful content governance and a mindset towards sustainable technology, hear how the global beauty company is shaping up to evolve and create a sustainable intranet.
with Nancy Maloney - Executive Director, Digital Channel Operations at The Estée Lauder Companies; Kerry O'Donnell - Executive Director, Tech for Global Communications at The Estée Lauder Companies
03:15 PM BST
As we enter the Employee Experience era how can you shake up a traditional enterprise organization and reassemble to deliver for employees? This panel session reveals the people behind world-class EX teams to understand how they’re organized for high performance. How are they structured? Who are the key players? How do they split roles and responsibilities? What are the measures of success?
with Kim England-Godber - Vice President, Digital Employee Experience & Community Engagement at Pearson; Ruth Clarke - Strategy Partner at Six Consultancy; Sarah Gregory - People Experience Director & Deputy Chief People Officer at BBC; Caroline Lagden - Head of Colleague Channels & Experience at Lloyds Banking Group
with Adrian Gagala - Global IT, Lead Digital Employee Solutions at dormakaba; Alexander Wood - Deputy Vice President Internal Communications at dormakaba; Christoph Bergs - Communication Specialist at dormakaba
Imagine a time when work was purely transactional—short-term, seasonal, and often impersonal. This session takes us on an exploration of how the evolution of work has shaped the employee experience and communication strategies we rely on today. From the earliest forms of labor to the digital age, we’ll uncover the origins of employee experience design, highlighting the key moments that have influenced how we engage, collaborate, and communicate today. By understanding these roots, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the forces that continue to impact our ideas about work and the strategies you can use to foster a more connected and engaged workforce that stand the test of time.
with Professor Michael Heller - Professor of Business History at Northumbria University
04:15 PM BST
Go behind the scenes with three very different enterprises as they share unique approaches to culture transformation. Whether you’re looking for strategies to create a culture of belonging, elevate leadership visibility, or amplify the voice of the employee, this session will be packed with inspiring stories of how other enterprises just like yours are navigating the challenge of transforming enterprise culture at scale.
with Peter Lyons - Head of Internal Communications at British Airways; Laura Jamieson - Head of Internal Communications at Alshaya Group; Deepa Ramesh - Senior Manager, Employee Communications Platforms at Kantar
When it comes to governing your intranet, take a few pages from the Ted Lasso playbook. Learn how Aflac is approaching intranet governance as a team sport that leads to a winning employee experience. From standing up an inner circle of advisors and decision makers to prioritizing the projects that strike the goal, join us as we explore how to promote your intranet governance to the highest division.
with Monica Miller Rodgers - Senior Manager, Employee Communications at Aflac
Join Jenni Field, Trudy Lewis and Advita Patel as they bring the Calm Edged Rebels podcast to life on stage! They'll be discussing how to have confidence in your skills and abilities.
The trio will take their trademark, unscripted approach to the podcast and discuss this topic live in front of you. If you’ve listened to any of the seven seasons you’ll know each episode is honest, funny and packed full of tips and advice to help you move forwards and do things a little differently to get the outcomes you want.
All three of them have a background in communication, employee experience and leadership and they set up Calm Edged Rebels in 2020 as a way to bring their WhatsApp conversations to life!
with Advita Patel - Director at Comms Rebel; Trudy Lewis - Director and Founder at Colinear; Jenni Field - Founder and CEO at Redefining Communications
05:15 PM BST
2024 has already been a hot year for M&A with no signs of slowing down and in today’s fast-paced business landscape, the success of these initiatives often hinges not just on financials but on how well organizations manage the human side of change. This panel will explore the critical role EX and IC plays in driving successful business transformations, especially during mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Hear from leading brands that have been through the process on how they build employee engagement, align company cultures, and foster a sense of belonging amidst change.
with Rebecca Bainbridge - Head of Internal Communications and Employer Branding at YouGov; Natalie Lord - Head of Internal Communications at WSP UK; Joanna Parsons - CEO at Curious Route
As the sun sets on social platforms like Workplace by Meta, and companies re-evaluate their social strategy, the challenge remains the same: How do you build a meaningful, engaged community across a diverse and global workforce? For companies like Disney, Starbucks, H&M, and Chipotle, the key to better social lies in content. Discover how Alshaya emphasizes transparency, education, and recognition to elevate their best place to work agenda, ensuring every employee—from the frontlines to corporate HQ—feels connected to the company’s mission.
with Laura Jamieson - Head of Internal Communications at Alshaya Group
with Suzie Robinson - Intranet and Comms Consultant at ClearBox
06:15 PM BST
07:00 AM BST
Find sanctuary in the soothing rhythm of slow-flowing yoga in this 45-minute class adapted for every ability.
Transport available from Buckle Street Studios.
08:00 AM BST
09:15 AM BST
What would happen if we could increase the happiness of our workforce by 1%? Can happiness be a catalyst for productivity and innovation? Will we be happier in the age of AI? Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and thought leader on happiness and AI, joins us to unpack these questions in a thought-provoking session that challenges us to redefine our formula for success.
Discover a future where happiness powers growth and safeguards against risk, and explore the potential of a Chief Happiness Officer to unlock performance, reshape corporate culture, and build resilience against burnout. Learn how to position your organization for joy and turn stress reduction into a strategic advantage as we approach a new era of workplace transformation underpinned by AI.
with Mo Gawdat - Former Chief Business Officer of Google X, bestselling author, and expert on AI and happiness
11:00 AM BST
Over the last decade, enterprises have developed sophisticated customer experience strategies, leveraging cutting-edge tactics and technology to attract, retain, and nurture customer relationships. This session explores how leading enterprises are applying CX thinking to EX transformation. Hear from employee experience leaders striving to deliver consumer-grade employee experience and explore the many ways EX investments ultimately translate into a supercharged customer experience.
with Adib Abrahim - Managing Director, Digital Strategy and Communications at American Airlines; Juliett Cattermole - Group People Director at David Lloyd
Battling to convince stakeholders to think user first? Want a pivot for your intranet but don’t know where to start? Hear how technology enterprise ZEISS is using deep user research and thoughtfully layered personas to design a truly global intranet around employee needs. Discover tactics for aligning various stakeholders behind a shared, user-centric vision that thinks people first, not platform first, and learn how to apply persona-thinking to intranet design.
with Lena Diemer - Head of Internal Channels Corporate Brand, Communications and Public Affairs at ZEISS
Achieving a world-class digital employee experience is like conducting an orchestra. Many different instruments need to come together in perfect harmony. In this session, Unily will present learnings gathered from nearly 20 years of supporting the world's most iconic brands to streamline and optimize complex IT landscapes. Come away with new ideas on how to elevate velocity through cohesive digital experience design.
with Matthew Boyd - Head of Product Marketing at Unily
12:00 PM BST
12:45 PM BST
02:00 PM BST
Technology innovation never ends, and hype can distract from the fundamentals. Great content and communication strategies are augmented by automation, not replaced. Attend this session to hear about the trends shaping our digital workplaces and understand the crucial role that modern intranets play. Principal analyst at Forrester Research, Cheryl McKinnon, will share recent research to help technology, communication, and business leaders keep great digital employee experiences at the forefront of their roadmaps.
with Cheryl McKinnon - Principal Analyst at Forrester
03:15 PM BST
How will the AI revolution underpin the next phase of employee experience transformation? Hear from the tech providers architecting solutions, the digital workplace leaders implementing them, and the experts advising them. Discover what the AI-powered future of work could look like and find out how you can start unleashing the value today.
with Jed Griffiths - Chief Digital Officer at Microsoft; Gillian McCann - Chief Technology Officer at WorkGrid; Darren Phillips - Head of Product Enablement at Unily
Ever wondered what makes Pearson's Hub the ultimate digital employee experience platform? Join us for a peek behind the scenes to learn the secrets of every pixel-perfect page. We'll be talking about everything from the team’s obsession with top-notch editorial quality to how they future-proof the platform for continued success. Learn about the game-changing foundations that set Pearson apart from the rest. You’ll gain insights and practical tools to level up your own digital landscape. Say goodbye to just "good" platforms—let's turn yours into something truly great!
with Dina Vekaria-Patel - Manager, Digital Employee Experience & Community Engagement at Pearson
Is it a challenge to get organizational buy-in no matter what you try? You might be tempted to think the problem is everyone else, but a breakdown in communication is often linked to a leader’s behaviour and approach. In short, it’s not the culture that’s the problem—it’s that nobody believes you.
Business communications strategist Jenni Field knows what it's like to help leaders get out of their own way. From working with creative entrepreneurs to C-suite executives at FTSE100 companies, she’s learned over the years that the number one challenge for most organizations is not a question of engagement but of credibility.
In this session Jenni will share the eight practices you need to be a leader people will follow. Based on years of research, Jenni will share stories, strategies and practical advice to help you become the kind of leader people want to follow and the credible leader your team need.
with Jenni Field - Founder and CEO at Redefining Communications
04:15 PM BST
Having spent the last two years at the helm of Unily and previously more than a decade as VP of Employee Success UK&I at Salesforce, Jenny shares 10 lessons to help you futureproof and scale a winning employee engagement strategy fit for the modern workplace. Gain first-hand insights from Jenny as she shares her experience in crafting effective employee engagement strategies within large, complex enterprises.
with Jenny Shiers - Chief People Officer at Unily
Join Arc'teryx as they take us through the journey of building Bird Nest - their one-stop shop for internal resources and communications globally. From front-line staff members to corporate employees, Bird Nest is the solution to communication gaps and the home for all employee resources.
In this session, team members of the Global Communications and Technology teams will take you through the learnings and path of a rapid implementation, the continued expansion of Bird Nest, the everchanging landscapes of communications and technology, and the ever-present need for information quickly. Listen in for tips on transforming communication practices, identifying gaps and solving for them, no matter the size of your organization.
with Carla Kadi - Internal Brand Communications Manager at Arc'teryx; Brook Robertson - Senior Project Manager at Arc'teryx; Eleanor Bayley-Carter - Brand Content Strategist at Arc'teryx; Tess Hutson - Program Manager, Retails Communications at Arc'teryx
Gallagher’s State of the Sector is the definitive global report on internal communication and employee experience trends. In its 16th year, the survey elicited a veritable mountain of data with responses from 2,300 comms and HR professionals worldwide. Hear what it takes to derive meaning from metrics as we unpack new findings from this year’s report and preview the themes for 2025.
with Sharn Kleiss - Employee Experience Strategy Lead at Gallagher; Chris Andrew - Principal, Head at Caburn Hope
05:15 PM BST
06:15 PM BST
Happy hour never ends at the Unite 24 wrap party!
DAY 1, OCT 15
02:00 PM BST
The Estée Lauder Companies’ intranet – MyELC – launched in 2020 and two years later was named among the world’s best intranets by the Nielsen Norman Group. How are they staying ahead of the curve in a complex global business environment? Discover how the team is utilizing Unily to deliver on the communications demands of the global company.
With a focus on leveraging gen-AI to power a new wave of employee communications, powerful content governance and a mindset towards sustainable technology, hear how the global beauty company is shaping up to evolve and create a sustainable intranet.
with Nancy Maloney - Executive Director, Digital Channel Operations at The Estée Lauder Companies; Kerry O'Donnell - Executive Director Technology Lead for Global Communications and Corporate Functions at The Estée Lauder Companies
03:15 PM BST
As we enter the Employee Experience era how can you shake up a traditional enterprise organization and reassemble to deliver for employees? This panel session reveals the people behind world-class EX teams to understand how they’re organized for high performance. How are they structured? Who are the key players? How do they split roles and responsibilities? What are the measures of success?
with Kim England-Godber - Vice President, Digital Employee Experience & Community Engagement at Pearson; Ruth Clarke - Strategy Partner at Six Consultancy; Sarah Gregory - People Experience Director & Deputy Chief People Officer at BBC; Caroline Lagden - Head of Colleague Channels & Experience at Lloyds Banking Group
04:15 PM BST
Go behind the scenes with three very different enterprises as they share different approaches to culture transformation. Whether you’re looking for strategies to create a culture of belonging, elevate leadership visibility, or amplify the voice of the employee, this session will be packed with inspiring stories of how other enterprises just like yours are navigating the challenge of transforming culture at scale.
with Peter Lyons - Head of Internal Communications at British Airways; Laura Jamieson - Head of Internal Communications at Alshaya Group; Deepa Ramesh - Senior Manager, Employee Communications Platforms at Kantar
05:15 PM BST
2024 has already been a hot year for M&A with no signs of slowing down and in today’s fast-paced business landscape, the success of these initiatives often hinges not just on financials but on how well organizations manage the human side of change. This panel will explore the critical role EX and IC plays in driving successful business transformations, especially during mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Hear from leading brands that have been through the process on how they build employee engagement, align company cultures, and foster a sense of belonging amidst change.
with Rebecca Bainbridge - Head of Internal Communications and Employer Branding at YouGov; Natalie Lord - Head of Internal Communications at WSP UK; Joanna Parsons - CEO at Curious Route
As the sun sets on social platforms like Workplace by Meta, and companies re-evaluate their social strategy, the challenge remains the same: How do you build a meaningful, engaged community across a diverse and global workforce? For companies like Disney, Starbucks, H&M, and Chipotle, the key to better social lies in content. Discover how Alshaya emphasizes transparency, education, and recognition to elevate their best place to work agenda, ensuring every employee—from the frontlines to corporate HQ—feels connected to the company’s mission.
with Laura Jamieson - Head of Internal Communications at Alshaya Group
with Suzie Robinson - Intranet and Comms Consultant at ClearBox
06:15 PM BST
Hear from the multihyphenate mogul behind some of the most disruptive brands of the decade: SKIMS, Good American, and Safely. Emma is the down-to-earth entrepreneur known for smashing through glass ceilings and building some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Her ability to carve out niches in crowded markets has made her one of America’s richest self-made women worth $390m, and the first black female investor to feature on Shark Tank and Dragons Den. Learn from a certified marketing mastermind who understands what it takes to craft a message that cuts through in the noisiest spaces. Discover how to engage a global audience, activate employees as brand ambassadors, and leverage the power of purpose to rally people behind your vision.
with Emma Grede - CPO & Founding Partner, Skims; CEO & Co-Founder, Good American; Co-Founder, Safely; Investor, Shark Tank & Dragon's Den
02:00 PM BST
Technology innovation never ends, and hype can distract from the fundamentals. Great content and communication strategies are augmented by automation, not replaced. Attend this session to hear about the trends shaping our digital workplaces and understand the crucial role that modern intranets play. Principal analyst at Forrester Research, Cheryl McKinnon, will share recent research to help technology, communication, and business leaders keep great digital employee experiences at the forefront of their roadmaps.
with Cheryl McKinnon - Principal Analyst at Forrester
03:15 PM BST
How will the AI revolution underpin the next phase of employee experience transformation? Hear from the tech providers architecting solutions, the digital workplace leaders implementing them, and the experts advising them. Discover what the AI-powered future of work could look like and find out how you can start unleashing the value today.
with Jed Griffiths - Chief Digital Officer at Microsoft; Gillian McCann - Chief Technology Officer at WorkGrid; Suzie Robinson - Intranet and Comms Consultant at Clearbox; Darren Phillips - Head of Product Enablement at Unily
04:15 PM BST
Having spent the last two years at the helm of Unily and previously more than a decade as VP of Employee Success UK&I at Salesforce, Jenny shares 10 lessons to help you futureproof and scale a winning employee engagement strategy fit for the modern workplace. Gain first-hand insights from Jenny as she shares her experience in crafting effective employee engagement strategies within large, complex enterprises.
with Jenny Shiers - Chief People Officer at Unily
Join Arc'teryx as they take us through the journey of building Bird Nest - their one-stop shop for internal resources and communications globally. From front-line staff members to corporate employees, Bird Nest is the solution to communication gaps and the home for all employee resources.
In this session, team members of the Global Communications and Technology teams will take you through the learnings and path of a rapid implementation, the continued expansion of Bird Nest, the everchanging landscapes of communications and technology, and the ever-present need for information quickly. Listen in for tips on transforming communication practices, identifying gaps and solving for them, no matter the size of your organization.
with Carla Kadi - Internal Brand Communications Manager at Arc'teryx; Brook Robertson - Senior Project Manager at Arc'teryx; Eleanor Bayley-Carter - Brand Content Strategist at Arc'teryx; Tess Hutson - Program Manager, Retails Communications at Arc'teryx
Gallagher’s State of the Sector is the definitive global report on internal communication and employee experience trends. In its 16th year, the survey elicited a veritable mountain of data with responses from 2,300 comms and HR professionals worldwide. Hear what it takes to derive meaning from metrics as we unpack new findings from this year’s report and preview the themes for 2025.
with Sharn Kleiss - Employee Experience Strategy Lead at Gallagher; Chris Andrew - Principal, Head at Caburn Hope
05:15 PM BST
06:15 PM BST
What would happen if we could increase the happiness of our workforce by 1%? Can happiness be a catalyst for productivity and innovation? Will we be happier in the age of AI? Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer at Google X and thought leader on happiness and AI, joins us to unpack these questions in a thought-provoking session that challenges us to redefine our formula for success.
Discover a future where happiness powers growth and safeguards against risk, and explore the potential of a Chief Happiness Officer to unlock performance, reshape corporate culture, and build resilience against burnout. Learn how to position your organization for joy and turn stress reduction into a strategic advantage as we approach a new era of workplace transformation underpinned by AI.
with Mo Gawdat - Former Chief Business Officer of Google X, bestselling author, and expert on AI and happiness
Alongside the scheduled sessions above, online ticket holders will receive exclusive first access to all other sessions listed on the in-person agenda as on-demand content, which will be made available throughout the live event. This allows you to catch up on any sessions you missed and explore the complete conference content at your convenience.
