Overview of the event:
The 2025 HR Conference is the leading gathering for HR professionals, business leaders, and organizational decision-makers in Laos and the region. Taking place over two days, the event explores the theme “Connecting People to Shape the Future”—highlighting how HR can drive organizational strategy, foster innovation, and strengthen workplace culture.
With engaging keynote speeches, interactive workshops, and collaborative sessions, this year’s conference will empower participants to explore emerging trends, reimagine HR practices, and build meaningful connections that shape the future of work.
Background of the event:
Following the tremendous success of the 2024 HR Conference, which welcomed over 300 participants and more than doubled attendance from the previous year, the 2025 edition builds on this momentum.
Last year’s conference revealed a growing commitment among professionals to redefine HR’s role in organizational success. The 2025 HR Conference aims to push the boundaries even further by:
- Exploring innovative strategies to bridge people and performance.
- Equipping HR practitioners with the tools to navigate new challenges.
- Reinforcing the human-centered approach at the heart of HR.
This gathering will bring together HR practitioners, executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, and students to co-create the next chapter of HR excellence in Laos and beyond.
Key highlights:
- Two-Day Program: Designed to balance thought leadership with practical learning, combining international insights with local relevance.
- Plenary Keynotes: Hear from government leaders, economists, and industry experts on workforce trends, HR innovation, and strategies to align people with national development goals.
- Themed Breakout Streams:
- Knowing – Workforce planning, strategic alignment, HR analytics, and future capability frameworks.
- Finding – Recruitment strategies, talent pipelines, AI in hiring, inclusive practices, and succession planning.
- Keeping – Employee engagement, workforce retention, knowledge transfer, and building sustainable workplace cultures.
- Networking Opportunities: From interactive workshops to a dedicated evening networking reception, the conference provides a platform to form valuable professional connections.
- Diverse Audience: Bringing together 350–500 participants, including HR leaders, entrepreneurs, recruiters, policymakers, academics, and students.
- Impact-Driven Outcomes: Focus on practical takeaways, collaboration opportunities, and actionable strategies that participants can bring back to their workplaces.
- Sponsorship & Partnerships: Supported by leading organizations, with opportunities for partners to showcase their brand, share expertise, and connect with HR decision-makers.
Agenda:
English
Lao
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Friday, November 14, 2025
ວັນພະຫັດ ທີ 13 ພະຈິກ 2025
ວັນສຸກ ທີ 14 ພະຈິກ 2025
Keynote Speakers
SITHONG SIKHAO Director General of the Planning Department, Ministry of Education and Sports
MS. JEAN LAU Chief Human Resources Officer – Kredivo Group
DUONG TRUNG LE Economist – World Bank
Session Speakers
DAISUKE FUKUZAWA Economist – World Bank
ASSOC. PROF. MATTHEW J. XERRI Associate Professor in Human Resources – Griffith University
DR. RYAN GOULD Deputy Head of the Department of Employment Relations and Human Recourses – Griffith University
DR. SUJATA BHATIA Organizational Development Trainer and Advocate
Our Partners & Supporters Proudly supported by leading organisations committed to HR excellence
Sithong Sykhao
Director General of the Planning Department, Ministry of Education and Sports
Keynote Speaker: “Laos’ National HRD Strategy Aligning Workforce Development with National Economic Goals
Mr. Sithong Sikhao is a distinguished education professional with over 30 years of experience in education planning and management. As the Director of the Planning Division at the Ministry of Education in Vientiane Capital, he has played a key role in shaping national education development strategies and is well-equipped to contribute to a Comprehensive National Human Resource Development (HRD) Strategy. He holds a Master’s degree in International Digital Library Learning from Oslo University College, Norway, and a Diploma in Library and Information Science from Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. His specialized training from the
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) enhances his expertise in education policy analysis. Mr. Sikhao’s leadership includes fostering policy dialogue and building partnerships with development organizations, essential for gathering input on HRD initiatives. His ability to communicate with diverse stakeholders and his strategic vision make him a vital contributor to advancing education in Laos.
Jean Lua
Chief Human Resources Officer – Kredivo Group
Keynote speaker: “Strategic HR for a volatile world”
Jean Lua is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Kredivo Group, a leading Southeast Asian fintech company. She drives the organisation’s people strategy across multiple markets, enabling business growth while cultivating a workplace where employees can thrive.
Duong Trung Le
Economist – World Bank
Keynote Speaker: “ASEAN Workforce trends – preparing for disruption”
Dr Duong Trung Le is an economist in the East Asia and Pacific Chief Economist Office of the World Bank. He is also an affiliate professor at Fulbright University Vietnam. His research focuses on the labor market and enterprise performance, investigating how they are influenced by economic growth drivers such as technological advancement, environmental change, and institutional quality.
Daisuke Fukuzawa
Economist – World Bank
Panel Discussion Topic: “Skills mapping and talent forecasting – Building the workforce of tomorrow”
Daisuke Fukuzawa is an Economist at the East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Chief Economist Office of the World Bank. His research focuses on structural change, digitalization and the labor market. He is the co-author of the flagship report “Future Jobs” which investigated the labor market impact of robots and AI.
Assoc. Prof. Matthew J. Xerri
Associate Professor in Human Resources – Griffith University – Australia
Workshop Topic:
- “Beyond Ratings: Designing Human-Centered Performance Systems”
- “Embedding Equity into Feedback and Reviews: Linking Performance to Purpose and Motivating Through Meaning“
Dr Xerri is an Associate Professor in Human Resources at Griffith University and is currently the Higher Degree Research Convener and Ethics Advisor for the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources at the Griffith Business School.
He is passionate about teaching and has won several awards for his teaching and curriculum development.
Dr. Ryan Gould
Deputy Head of the Department of Employment Relations and Human Recourses
Griffith University – Australia
Workshop Topic:
- “Beyond Ratings: Designing Human-Centered Performance Systems”
- “Embedding Equity into Feedback and Reviews: Linking Performance to Purpose and Motivating Through Meaning“
Dr. Ryan Gould is the Deputy Head of the Department of Employment Relations and Human Resources at Griffith Business School, and current Treasurer of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management. His teaching focuses on performance management, organisational behaviour and the dynamics of workplace relationships.
Focusing on performance management, and workplace relationships, Ryan seeks to improve our experience of work, motivation, performance and Employee Health and Well-Being.
Dr. Sujata Bhatia
Organizational Development Trainer and Advocate
Workshop Topic: “Recruitment excellence in a competitive talent market”
Dr. Sujata Bhatia is an international leadership and organizational development expert with extensive experience in human capital transformation, strategic communication, and talent engagement across Asia. Dr. Sujata’s work focuses on building authentic leadership, empowering teams, and creating resilient workplace cultures.