Strategic roundtable discussions
Engage with strategic leaders to exchange insights on your successes and challenges
Join us at #MCRLeaders25 to hear from industry leaders, engage in high-level strategic conversations, and walk away with actionable insights to drive your team's success.
Exclusively for TA leaders with decision-making responsibilities, you'll take part in our interactive roundtable discussions to share knowledge, and workshop solutions to the biggest challenges in TA, network with your peers and contribute to the discussions shaping the vision for recruitment in 2025 and beyond.
Premium Members can unlock FREE tickets (worth £295) using their Membership ID (found in My Account) as the promo code at registration.
Agenda
23 October 2025
Arrive early to collect your badge, enjoy a breakfast, and connect with other delegates before the conference begins.
A warm welcome by IHR's Co-founder Mark Lennox to set the scene for the day, introduce key themes, and outline what to expect.
AI-driven applications, swelling candidate pools, and tighter budgets mean recruiters are under pressure to deliver more with less. Yet most ATS automation still isn’t doing the job. In this session, Alex Dyer, Head of Customer Success at Pinpoint, shows how to unlock automation that actually works, with proven tactics and ready-to-use templates to save hours every week while keeping hiring quality high.
What to expect:
- Why traditional automation falls short and how to fix it
- Battle-tested tactics recruiters are using right now
- Templates and tools you can take away and apply instantly
AI is rapidly reshaping recruitment, from AI generated CVs to a surge of automated applications. For TA leaders, the challenge is not just keeping up but building processes that remain fair, transparent and compliant in a changing landscape. In this session, Robert Newry, CEO of Arctic Shores, will share how to design hiring strategies that embrace automation responsibly while protecting quality, integrity and trust at every stage of the journey.
What to expect:
- How to prevent bias from scaling across your organisation
- Designing assessments that are AI resistant and candidate friendly
- Automating responsibly without breaking the EU AI Act
Take part in group discussions, guided by a set of thought-provoking questions and instructions designed to spark collaboration and idea-sharing.
Recharge with refreshments and continue networking.
AI is opening new opportunities in early talent hiring, from smarter candidate discovery to more personalised candidate journeys. But with growing pressure to scale fast, organisations risk losing the human edge that makes early careers so valuable. In this session, Sian Wilson, Co Founder of DayOne, will share how to align AI with early careers strategies to build resilience, scale with purpose and create future ready workforces.
What to expect:
- How AI can enhance early talent discovery without losing the human edge
- Why early careers are pivotal to long term workforce resilience
- Scaling with purpose by blending technology and talent for intentional growth
Join a new discussion table and explore a different theme, with structured questions and guidance provided to help you exchange insights and uncover practical solutions.
Take a break, enjoy a delicious lunch, and build connections with delegates and partners.
This thought-provoking panel will explore how a skills-first approach is reshaping the future of hiring and workforce planning. Our expert speakers (to be announced soon) will share insights on:
- Why skills-first hiring unlocks stronger performance, diversity, and long-term retention
- How to shift your hiring model from roles-based to skills-led
- The role of skills-first strategies in driving equity and inclusive hiring outcomes
- How workforce planning evolves when prioritising potential over traditional pathways
- What talent teams must do now to thrive in a skills-first economy
Your final chance to engage in focused conversations, supported by tailored questions and instructions to ensure a productive and inspiring discussion.
Grab a coffee, reflect on the sessions so far, and network with industry colleagues.
A wrap-up of the day’s key takeaways and final thoughts to leave you inspired and ready to act.
Continue the conversation over drinks, building lasting connections.
Speaker Topics
AI
Responsible use of AI, fairness, assessment design, and the EU AI Act.
Recruitment automation
Using automation to improve recruiter efficiency in high-volume hiring environments.
Early careers
AI-powered early talent attraction, long-term workforce strategy.
Skills-based hiring
Moving to a skills-first model, inclusive hiring, future-focused talent strategy.
Speakers
Have a look at our previous and upcoming speakers
Why attend
Strategic roundtable discussions
Best practice sharing
Gain strategic insights from your peers on best practices and forward-thinking approaches
Unrivalled speaker content
Unrivalled speaker content
Be inspired from impactful success stories shared by talent leaders across different sectors
Expert guidance
Gain valuable insights from industry-leading experts at world-class organisations driving talent innovation
Networking opportunities
Networking opportunities
Grow your network with senior talent leaders in our exclusive lounge areas and post-event networking drinks
Offers, goodies & competitions
Pick up some treats for your team and be in with the chance to win big prizes
Register for the event
Previous attendees
“It was an excellent conference, with lots of new connections made and follow ups booked. I particularly enjoyed the variety of topics discussed, and the excellent organisation of the whole event.”
“The event was really informative and a great insight into what other companies are doing.”
“It was such an energising experience, full of thought-provoking conversations, meaningful connections, and shared purpose.”
Headline Partner
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
Venue
The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
0203 916 5025
The Lowry Hotel, at 50 Dearmans Place, is a short walk from Manchester city centre with excellent public transport links. It’s a 5-minute taxi or 20-minute walk from Manchester Piccadilly Station. Alternatively, take the tram to St Peter’s Square and walk 10 minutes across Trinity Bridge. Nearby bus routes include the V1 and 100.
Secure on-site parking is available in the hotel’s underground car park, charged at the daily rate and offered first-come, first-served. To guarantee a space, please reserve directly with the hotel.
An internal recruitment leader and Chartered Member of CIPD who is passionate about candidate and hiring manager experience.
Having worked in agency recruitment for around 8 years I made the move internally in 2019 and have thrived in streamlining recruitment processes, developing recruitment strategies, and developing teams of recruitment professionals.
Following 11 years heading up the Training Department for one of the UK's leading discount retailers, Laura now drives the Resourcing function, overseeing a team of recruiters serving 600 stores across the UK. Her unique perspective and L&D experience has brought a mentality of constant improvement, knowledge share and empowerment that has allowed Home Bargains to make the most of the tech at their fingertips.
Originally hailing from the beautiful British Virgin Islands, I made a transformative move to the UK in 2014, embarking on the journey that led me to HR Systems and Rewards Analyst. I also serve as a volunteer as the DE & I committee lead for the CIPD Manchester Branch where I'm deeply committed to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion within the HR community and our workplaces.
My journey into the world of data was sparked early in my career when tasked with analysing absence data, a pivotal project that supported the implementation of a Menopause policy but also created space for open conversations within workplace, encouraging inclusivity. I firmly believe that data holds the key to driving positive change refining best practices and creating environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging and empowerment. Let's continue to make the world of work better, one data point at a time.
With 25+ years in Manufacturing, Peter specialises in Production Management, Continuous Improvement, and Cost Optimisation as well as recruitment of early . Holding a CMI Level 7 Executive Diploma in Business Management, and as Continuous Improvement & 4IR Manager, he’s passionate about championing digital transformation in his industry and recruiting skilled early careers talent. By merging traditional manufacturing methods with advanced digital tools and utilising real-time data alongside AI-driven insights, he foresees a UK manufacturing future dominated by digitalisation, AI, and machine learning.
Daley has spent his career working with founders and leadership teams, devising and executing people and talent strategies that turbocharge growth and organisational performance. Along the way, he has led talent teams through several successful exits including a $700M acquisition, $7.4B IPO, and $10.4B merger.
Now, Daley is on a mission to transform the way startups are led. High dysfunction in startups is largely accepted as a trade-off for high experimentation, innovation, and pace of growth. But, Daley believes, the rate at which ‘dysfunction’ burns through cash, strategies, and people should no longer be acceptable, and that the startup community of super smart, solutions-driven peolpe can and must do better - for the sake of its customers, employees, and investors alike. Daley’s work with founders, therefore, prioritises effective, efficient, and sustainable leadership.
With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Alex has worked across a wide range of roles, from front-of-house and back-of-house operations to senior positions in sales, marketing, and account management. He has had the opportunity to experience both the operator and tech sides of the sector, providing him with a well-rounded understanding of the challenges and opportunities hospitality teams face every day. It's an industry he genuinely cares about and continues to enjoy being part of.
Robert Newry, Co-Founder of Arctic Shores, is a passionate advocate for social mobility and skills-based hiring. He has spoken on psychometrics, HR tech, and AI, appearing on BBC and being quoted in outlets like The Times and The Guardian. As host of the TA Disruptors Podcast, he writes for leading HR media and campaigns for CV-less hiring to promote social mobility and inclusion.
Sian Wilson is a global leader with over 25 years of experience in growth, marketing, commercial and strategic organisational development in tech and skills-based businesses. Sian is a Fellow of the RSA- spearheading social change, Chartered Institute of Marketing, Institute of Employability and Chartered Member of CIPD.
She is the Vice-Chair of Tech UK’s Skills and Inclusivity Council and Non-Executive Director of Society Matters CIC. As a founding member and Executive Director of Day One, Sian is dedicated to helping businesses ‘Hire Better’ through verified skills and values matching in a fair and equitable way.