The gap
Every quarter brings another restructure, another tool, another shift in priorities, and now AI on top of the lot. The people inside those companies move at a different speed. Culture takes time to shift, and trust takes time to earn back once it slips.
That distance, between how fast the business wants to go and how fast its people actually can, is where good organisations quietly come undone. It shows up as the change that never sticks, and the strategy that looked brilliant on the slide and stalled in the corridor.
The leaders who understand this gap best are the ones who have paid for it while building companies. On 13 August, they are on the stage and in the seats around you. That is the point of the evening.
The conversation
Andrew Banks, who built two of Australia's largest HR & talent businesses, in conversation with a panel of leaders who operate at the top of the profession, on what is actually happening inside organisations right now.
Conversations at this level usually happen behind closed doors. For one evening, the door is open. It happens once, and the room only exists that night. If you are not in the room, you miss it.
Who you'll hear from
Your host
Andrew Banks is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Morgan & Banks and Talent2, building two of Australia's largest HR & talent businesses with combined annual revenues exceeding A$1 billion. Today he is an active investor, mentor and one of Australia's best-known business leaders, recognised by many from Shark Tank Australia.
The Panel
Every seat on the panel is an award-winning leader working at the top of the profession.
Director of FNDN
Director of FNDN and founder of the Startup People Summit, and one of the most-followed HR voices in the country. Matt has built people and culture inside some of Australia's fastest-scaling companies, and is an HR Influence Awards winner.
HR Influence Awards winnerHead of Commercial and Client Experience at Preacta
Fay works alongside people leaders across a wide range of organisations and sees the patterns most leaders only meet one company at a time. Named Australia's Talent Acquisition Business Leader of the Year 2026.
Talent Acquisition Business Leader of the Year 2026Head of People and Culture at OzHarvest
Sharon leads people and culture where mission and stretched resources meet, and the volunteer-to-paid pipeline is one of the hardest fast-versus-slow problems anyone in the room has had to solve.
HR Influence Awards winnerThe room
An intimate setting, filled by chief people officers, HR directors, recruitment leaders, founders and owners: the people who make the calls the rest of the organisation lives with. A room this concentrated is rare, and it is the reason the evening is capped.
1
night
2
-hour session, no repeat
$30
per person, fully hosted
The experience
The evening is fully hosted at Work Club Locomotive, a members' club set in a heritage railway workshop in South Eveleigh. Food and drink are taken care of, so the only things to think about are the conversation and the company.
Who it's for
Chief people officers, HR directors, heads of talent, founders and business owners. If you carry the people decisions in your organisation, this room was built for you.
The details
When
Thursday 13 August 2026,
6:00pm to 8:00pm.
Tickets
$30 per person.
one session.
Where
Work Club Locomotive (Club Lounge), Bay 5-7 North, 2 Locomotive Street, Eveleigh, Sydney. A members' club in a heritage railway workshop in South Eveleigh.
Get directionsGetting there
The Foundry car park at 2 Central Avenue, South Eveleigh is a two-minute walk from the door. Redfern Station is around the corner if you are coming by train.
Get directions to car park2026 Fireside Chat
Andrew Banks and a panel operating at the top of the profession, in a room of peers you will not find together again soon. When the seats are gone, they are gone.
Save your seat$30 per person · Work Club Locomotive, Eveleigh, Sydney
FAQ
No. Compono hosts because this is the problem we care about, and the evening is a conversation, not a demo. Come for the panel and the people.
What does the $30 cover?Everything. The evening is fully hosted, with food and drink included. The ticket is deliberately modest; it is about being in the room, not the catering.
What is the format?Doors open at 6:00pm. The fireside conversation takes over for the second half of the evening and we wrap at 8:00pm. No assigned seats and no lectern.
Who will be in the room?Senior HR, recruitment and business leaders from across Sydney: chief people officers, HR directors, founders and owners.
Can I bring a colleague?Yes, while seats last. Send them the page and have them grab their own ticket so we know to expect them.
Any dietary requirements?Let us know when you register and we will sort it with the venue.
Where can I park?The Foundry car park at 2 Central Avenue, South Eveleigh is a two-minute walk from the door. Redfern Station is a short walk if you are coming by train.
What should I wear?Business casual.