Inaugural SIM HR Summit

The inaugural SIM HR Summit 2026, themed “Workforce Strategy & Future of Work: From Talent Decisions to Business Impact”, brought together more than 100 HR leaders, business decision-makers, alumni, industry practitioners, and SIM senior leadership for a timely conversation on how workforce decisions shape organisational performance.

Against a backdrop of global uncertainty, rapid technological change, evolving workforce expectations, and increasing business complexity, the summit explored how organisations can make more deliberate decisions around talent, capability building, workforce redesign, and long-term sustainability.

The event was graced by SIM senior leadership, including Professor Jorg Bley, Provost of SIM, and Ms Sara Yik, Chief Human Capital Officer, SIM, who shared perspectives on the importance of aligning workforce strategy with business priorities. The summit also featured alumni speakers and panellists who returned to contribute their industry insights and experiences to the wider SIM community.


A key highlight of the summit was the main panel discussion, which examined how workforce decisions can translate into measurable business impact. Moderated by Christopher Tan, the alumni panel featured Sean Loke, Charles Ng and Leonard Ong, who shared candid perspectives on leadership, talent strategy, organisational change, and the future of work.

Participants also joined breakout discussions covering three critical themes:
HR, AI & Workforce Redesign
This session explored how technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping job roles, skills, workflows, and organisational capability. The discussion featured insights from Bryan Aw, Renae Chen and Arthoven Ng.

Retention Under Constraint: Who to Protect and Why
Led by Johnathan Ng and Dr Koh Tat Suan, this session examined how organisations can make intentional workforce choices amid constraints, including how to identify critical capabilities and protect key talent.

Hiring Fewer, Hiring Better
Facilitated by Loh Kaili and Wu Jia Qing, this session focused on quality hiring, capability-based recruitment, and strategic talent investments in a changing business environment.

Beyond the discussions, the summit served as a meaningful platform for industry and academia to exchange perspectives on lifelong learning, leadership development, and future-ready talent. The strong participation reflected the growing importance of workforce strategy as a business priority, not just an HR function. For upcoming alumni events, follow our SIM Alumni Instagram page for more information.

The event also marked the announcement of the upcoming SIM Alumni HR Chapter. This chapter aims to bring together HR professionals, alumni, and industry partners to continue meaningful conversations, strengthen professional networks, and support the development of future-ready HR leadership.