2025 Topics & Themes
- Financial wellness strategies
- Mental wellbeing
- DE&I
- How to manage the rising costs of health benefits
- Use of AI in the reward space
- ESG reward solutions and considerations
- Supporting neurodiversity in the workplace
- Rewards and recognition challenges
If you are interested in a speaking opportunity, please contact eventteam@summit-events.com
The face of international women’s rugby, Maggie Alphonsi is one of the most well-known names in women’s team sports. Before announcing her international retirement she represented her country seventy-four times, scored twenty-eight tries, won a World Cup, and helped England win a record breaking seven consecutive Six Nations crowns.
Through her England rugby career, Maggie became a household name and a media professional. Since retiring she has commentated on live rugby matches and featured on the BBC’s Children in Need and The One Show.
Maggie was named the Sunday Times Sports Woman of the Year, won the title of Six Nations Grand Slam Winner six times, and was the first woman to win the Rugby Union Writers Club Player of the Year. She was awarded an MBE for her Services to Rugby.
In her speeches Maggie shares her experiences and considers working in a male dominated environment. She also looks at how to perform under pressure and overcome adversity.
Coming Soon!
Patrick Ismond started his career as a Sociology lecturer, with a special interest in community relations, struggles for working-class equality, and diverse sporting identities. These themes translated to work in the public and private sectors, where he has worked with Board members, frontline staff and HR departments, to embed organisation development and culture change programs. His experience has been gained across a range of organisations of differing sizes and levels of complexity - from NHS Trusts to the army, and from football clubs to third-sector charities. He is currently Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the RSPCA, with a key remit to embed a Society-wide plan across the National Society and its extensive branch network. Away from work, he established a fully inclusive games event for the over-50s, is a keen Arsenal fan, and has a lifelong interest in the life and career of activist and singer Paul Robeson.
This presentation will focus on key areas of opportunity and challenge, in the process of embedding a DEI organisational strategy. Specifically, it will highlight the importance of leadership commitment, aligning initiatives with business objectives, and overcoming barriers for organisations that are new to the DEI space. Key talking points will include leadership buy-in and managing resistance to change, as well as measuring impact and articulating DEI's ROI. The examples and scenarios will be drawn mainly, but not exclusively from our recent journey to successfully embed a DEI strategy at the RSPCA, the world's oldest and largest animal charity.
With over 20 years of experience in Personnel, HR, and Payroll, Tracy has navigated a diverse landscape across private, public, and charitable organisations, including Boots Contract Manufacturing, Loomis, Vision Express, and Nottingham City Council. Currently Tracy is the Head of People at Swim England, overseeing the entire employee lifecycle—from recruitment to wellbeing, reward, and compliance.
Tracy's journey in HR began unexpectedly when she 'fell' into personnel as a Personnel Clerk. What started as a small office role evolved into a passionate career that spanned nearly a decade before she transitioned to the education sector as the Deputy Head of Student Support in a secondary school. During this time, Tracy won a national award during National Learning Week and was recognised for contributions to the Extended Schools programme, a vital part of the Every Child Matters agenda.
In 2017, Tracy made the leap back into HR, combining expertise in people management with payroll oversight, discovering that managing adults can be just as challenging (if not more so!) than working with children.
Throughout her career Tracy has witnessed HR evolve from a purely administrative role to a strategic powerhouse that prioritizes wellbeing and reward.
Outside of her professional life, Tracy is a proud parent to two amazing children, aged 17 and 23, who are carving their own paths in music and design.
When not immersed in the world of HR, Tracy enjoys rejuvenating in the great outdoors, savouring the tranquillity of nature, away from screens and bustling crowds.
Coming Soon!
International Keynote Speaker & Bestselling Wellbeing Author of 52 Weeks of Wellbeing | Chief Impact Officer @ JAAQ | Transforming Digital Engagement for 40M+ @ Bupa | X Future of Wellbeing Leader @ Deloitte | 20M+ people engaged so far, aiming for 1 billion.
We’ve never been more connected, and yet more disconnected at the same time.
A unique array of challenges, and opportunities, have been created by hybrid working (this is the lens through which we will deliver this talk) and while its flexibility has created opportunities for demographics previously excluded from the workplace, it’s becoming tough to support and engage the increasingly complex and diverse set of needs of the multigenerational workforce.
How can we deliver interventions for employees when they need it, how they need it, and where they want it?
With over 43 years’ in business, Tony has a wealth of experience from working in a broad range of sectors and functions. This enables him to bring a unique perspective to his reward role. As a business disrupter and innovator, he has driven change in the businesses he has worked for or with. He has worked for some of the most innovative businesses in the UK and been at forefront of some of the most significant changes in the market.
With now over 8 years working in Reward leadership, driving global transformations in companies including ECB (Cricket board) Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group, Carnival plc, dentsu Group, Cambridge Press & Assessment and Aristocrat, Tony has developed a deep understanding how compensation and benefits impact the big picture and has developed reward strategies for future success. He brings a commercial mindset to drive innovation and transformation, delivering impactful results.
Prior to this, he spent decades as a benefits consultant and advisor, building strong connected programmes to deliver cost savings and employee engagement. An early joiner to the Darwin team 25 years ago he helping them carve out the new world of online flexible benefits.
Running his own consultancy firm for 7 years he created online platforms, reward branding and propositions for some of the largest business names in the world including: McGraw Hill Group of Companies (Standard & Poor's), Charles Stanley, Weil Gotshal & Manages, Swiss re, H J Heinz, The Telegraph Media Group, Waterman plc, Toshiba, Bernard Matthews and Chanel.
As a consultancy director for Benefex, he managed clients including Bank of England, LSEG, Bank of America, E.on, EDF, Centrica, M&S, Coke Cola Enterprises, CAA and Plusnet (part of BT Group)
As an administrator, salesperson, adviser, manager, director, consultant, business owner or VP Tony has gained a vast knowledge of the reward landscape.
Information
We know that an informed workforce will make better choices and live a healthy lifestyle but:
- What media type, what content, how, where and when do we engage them.
- Is it based on claims history, demographics, location and role.
Prevention/Intervention
We also know the early a problem is detected the lower the risk and the cost so how do we provide:
- Early cancer detection (highest cost claims), musculoskeletal prevention (most frequent claims)
- Bringing employee’s families on board with wellbeing programmes (they account for a large proportion of claims ).
- How is it paid for and by who?
Treat/Manage
Digital accessibility and proliferation of online platforms mean an employee does not know who or where to go to for help. How do we:
- Guide them through the maze
- Manage their time to take tests, have physio, follow ups etc
- Help with immediate needs (quick links)
- How do we ensure claims are managed to the right service and at the right time
I have 17 years HR experience, primarily in sport, in varied and challenging roles. My current role is focussed on developing reward strategies, approach to pay and benefit design. Having previously studied psychology, I have a keen interest in how reward approaches attempt to influence behaviour and play a part in working lives, particularly in a changing landscape.
Outside of work, I have a 5-year-old son, who loves the outdoors. I enjoy sport, travelling and spending quality time with people close to me.
If every seat in the stadium gives you a different view of the pitch, are we all watching the same match?
I will look at the many that factors can influence people’s perception of the reward offering, the impact that can have on motivation, and the impact on the workplace, good and bad.
Rugby is a naturally competitive environment, and being the governing body of the sport, a commercial operation and running professional and international teams creates conflicting priorities and I will discuss how we attempt to address these in a reward context.
Speaker Programme
The Rewards & Benefits Summit programme consists of Strategy Group sessions – case study led presentations followed by Q&A and Action Learning workshops – key topic roundtable discussions.
If you have any recommendations for speakers or topics please email event.team@summit-events.com
Register your interest for the Rewards, Benefits & Wellbeing Summit 2025
4th-6th June 2025, Eurostars Hotel, Sitges
Submit your name and email address and a member of the Summit team will send you further details including:
- the confirmed list of attendees
- instructions on how to apply for a delegate place
- sponsorship options
“As always the Reward & Benefits Summit never disappoints - 2 days of engaging thought provoking conversations with likeminded individuals as well as great seminars. Well worth the time spent!”
“This was my first Summit and I found the whole experience invaluable. Everyone I met, whether other delegates, guest speakers or suppliers provided different insights and experiences that I can use in the shaping of our future strategies. The event was exceptionally well organised and thoroughly enjoyable.”
