HR leaders from across Australia have gathered in Sydney for the National HR Summit, opening with a powerful call for courageous, values-led and kinder leadership in a rapidly changing world of work
The National HR Summit opened in Sydney this morning with a powerful reminder of HR’s role in a world where work is being reshaped as much by human expectations as by technology.
Welcoming delegates, Sharon Gray, head of people and culture at OzHarvest, urged attendees to see the summit as a space to “get curious and learn” at a time when employees are asking deeper questions about their work.
“We’re gathering at a time when work has been fundamentally reshaped,” Gray said, noting it is not only AI and hybrid models driving change, but rising human expectations around meaning, belonging and values alignment. She shared OzHarvest’s own transformation journey – including a new CEO, strategy and structure – and reflected that even in a deeply purpose-driven organisation, change remains challenging.
“Purpose doesn’t eliminate uncertainty, and values do not remove anxiety, and passion does not automatically create alignment,” Gray said, adding that “HR reimagined is not about more work – it’s about clarity and it’s about courage, and, coincidentally, it’s about confidence.”
That theme of confidence set the stage for opening keynote speaker Colleen Callander, former CEO of Sportsgirl and Sussan and now a leadership advisor, founder of Mentor Me Women and three-time author.
Sharing her journey from 16-year-old retail assistant at Just Jeans in Geelong to leading two of Australia’s most recognisable fashion brands, Callander urged HR leaders to see themselves as “authors” of their own leadership story. “You can create the life and the leadership journey that you want to live in,” she told the audience.
Callander challenged traditional notions of leadership, arguing that it is not about title, rank or corner offices, but about how people show up “in every action, every interaction, every reaction and every decision.” Great leadership, she said, rests on strong foundations of self-awareness, values and purpose – and above all, kindness.
“Kindness is an absolute superpower, and it is for the new era of leadership,” she said, positioning kindness not as softness but as clear expectations, honest conversations, stretching people beyond their comfort zones and building genuine human connection.
Addressing alarming levels of burnout in the workforce, Callander also shared her own experience of hitting the “burnout wall” in 2007, and how stepping back, resetting her boundaries and redefining success enabled her to return and lead as CEO for 13 years without burning out again.
As the summit gets underway, Gray and Callander’s opening messages set a clear tone: the future of HR will be defined not just by systems and strategy, but by courageous, values-led and kind leadership that supports both performance and wellbeing.
