Marketing News South Africa

Global HR giants for SA conf

The world's two principal human resource strategists - Dave Ulrich and Lynda Gratton - will appear live and in person in Johannesburg in August 2008 as part of a world-first double-header from the pair.

The professors, from University of Michigan and University of London respectively, are the latest in a line of global thinkers and management experts brought to South Africa by Global Leaders.

The duo will address an audience of private and public sector professionals at The Forum in Bryanston on August 18 and 19, 2008.

Topics to be addressed include: connecting the inside and outside of an organisation; building both individual and organisational capability; and delivering against HR's increasing responsibility for innovation and value creation.

Professor Ulrich explained: “It is now about making sure that once you are at the table, you are contributing - doing more than being the note-taker in strategic discussions.

“The war for talent is over and talent won. Managing talent means that employees are competent, committed, and can contribute.”

Gratton will present her groundbreaking work on HotSpots and she said: “My passion over the past two decades has been to visualise and to describe a way of working that resonates with our human potential and creates Hot Spots, where innovation flourishes.

“Hot Spots are exhilarating places to be. We want to make this exhilaration part of our everyday experiences of work and central to the mission of leaders.”

The role of the HR department is changing, according to Tina Schneidermann, president of Global Leaders. “In an increasingly competitive marketplace, most corporate deliverables hinge on the performance of the team - and, by extension, the HR department,” she said.

“This challenging and content-rich conference will equip business leaders and HR professionals to deliver successfully against these new, key responsibilities that span both personal and organisational transformation.

“The pressure is certainly on the HR department to deliver to stakeholders. Throughout this event, we will focus on how to rethink and redo HR in order for business value to be created.”

Tickets are available for one day, or a special reduced rate to attend both days of learning. For more details, visit www.globalleadersevents.com/ulrich-gratton.

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