Senior leaders from across business, healthcare, academia and public policy have now been confirmed to join the speaker line-up for the Make a Difference Leaders Annual General Meeting and Leadership Forum, taking place on Monday 19 October 2026 at the British Library’s Knowledge Centre in London.
Built around the theme “The clarity and courage to focus on what matters most”, and recreating the collaborative, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange for which Make a Difference Leaders’ Club events are renowned, this year’s AGM will bring together senior employer leaders to cut through complexity and identify the key priorities that will have the greatest impact on workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing over the next 12 months.
Under the banner “Creating Healthier Workplaces. Stronger Cultures. Better Business.”, the event has been designed to help leaders focus on where their time, attention and investment can make the biggest difference.
New speakers announced
The day will open with a “State of the Nation” keynote address from Andrew Haldane CBE, President of the British Chambers of Commerce and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England. His session will be followed immediately by a high-level panel discussion facilitated by Dame Carol Black GBE, bringing together leading voices to explore the implications for employers.
Newly confirmed speakers include:
- Kathleen Saxton, author of Sly & Mighty, who will explore how organisations can recognise and move beyond toxic leadership to create healthier, higher-performing workplace cultures.
- Clarke Carlisle, Chair of Mind, who will lead the fireside conversation with Kathleen Saxton
- Richard Heron, former VP Health at BP and one of the UK’s leading voices on workplace health, who will facilitate the day’s closing strategic discussion, helping attendees identify the two or three priorities that matter most for their organisations.
- Gethin Nadin, bestselling HR author and award-winning psychologist, and Christian van Stolk, Executive Vice President at RAND Europe, who will join the opening keynote panel following Andrew Haldane’s address.
They join an agenda featuring senior employer leaders from WPP, WSP, Royal Mail Group and others, who will be sharing practical experience of navigating risk and uncertainty, embedding healthier workplace cultures and creating sustainable organisational performance.
A day designed to inspire focused action
This year’s programme has been intentionally designed to help leaders make sense of a rapidly changing landscape, learn from peers facing similar challenges and determine what matters most to create a positive turning point for workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing within their own organisation.
Across keynote presentations, panel discussions, case studies, workshops, and informal working-lunch discussion groups, delegates will be able to explore the challenges most relevant to them and their organisation.
Keep Britain Working will be a consistent thread running throughout the agenda, enabling delegates to learn directly from Vanguard employers and explore how the Review’s recommendations can be applied within their own organisations.
From collective wisdom to clear priorities
A distinctive feature of this year’s AGM is its emphasis on practical application.
Throughout the day, attendees will hear from experts and peers before bringing those insights together in a closing strategic discussion focused on identifying the priorities that will make the biggest difference within their own organisations.
The objective is for every delegate to leave not with a longer to-do list, but with greater clarity about where they can have the greatest impact on workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing.
Partnership opportunities available
We are also pleased to confirm that alongside Wysa, SuperWellness and Lockton have joined the event as sponsors. A limited number of non-competing partnership opportunities remain available for selected organisations wishing to align themselves with this crucial conversation shaping the future of work and business.
Join us at the British Library
The Make a Difference Leaders Annual General Meeting and Leaders Forum takes place on Monday 19 October 2026 at the British Library Knowledge Centre in London.
The event will bring together senior leaders responsible for HR, wellbeing, reward, benefits, occupational health, health and safety, employee experience, inclusion and organisational culture from employers across the UK.
Places are limited to 150 attendees and almost one-third have already been reserved. To receive the full agenda and registration details:
Register your interest in attending the Make a Difference Leaders AGM here.
