DisruptHR 2.0: Putting humanity at the core of HR

Co-organized by Prof. Dr. Brooke Gazdag, Alycia Boyer (KLU Employer relations), and KLU student Ksenia Ramaj, the event featured nine speakers, including KLU professors, senior HR leaders, CEOs, and representatives of premium partners such as CMA CGM. Together, they addressed challenges related to leadership, organization, growth, and relationships both within and beyond the corporate system.

Coffee, timer, and inspiration

The guests – including KLU students and external participants, representatives of various companies, staff, faculty, and partners – arrived at the KLU campus early in the morning to start their day with coffee, a crepe, and lively conversations.

The second breakfast edition of DisruptHR brought together a stellar lineup of speakers who shed light on a wide range of topics: from leadership on the football pitch and the neurological synchrony of groups working toward the same goal to the new leadership skills that parents can develop during parental leave.

Through fast-paced, timed talks, the speakers left the audience with useful tips, emotional moments, and inspiring ideas to discuss during the networking session that followed the presentations.

“You know many of these things, but when someone points them out, that’s when you actually realize this is how it should be done,” said Sonali Jadhav, a student at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), who attended the event following a recommendation from a friend who had participated in the first edition.

A common denominator: a focus on humanity

The talks covered a very broad range of challenges and observations from the perspectives of people navigating the field of HR: how to apply leadership, how to manage transparency, how to support parents in the workplace, how to become a creative brand ambassador for an organization, and how to remove corporate blockages, to name just a few.

Despite the diversity of ideas and perspectives, one conclusion was clear: organizations should make use of technology, but they also need to remain human.

The world needs more connection, greater closeness, and more spaces that allow creativity and growth. Companies that disregard these needs are likely to encounter problems sooner or later.

As Babette Lammerts, HR Director Benelux for CMA CGM, shared in the networking session, “Make choices. Do it! Take care of the environment. There are great things that can be done, and AI is just a tool.”

Speaker line-up and talks:

• Prof. Dr. Björn Michaelis, KLU Kühne Logistics University 
  From pitch to boardroom: Leadership lessons from Klopp, Guardiola & Co.
   
• Nina Zolezzi, Neuroscience-informed Leadership Consultant
  It's time we build organizations that match our biological hardware
   
• Marc Murray, Senior HR Manager & International Data Protection, Hermes Fulfilment DACH 
  In 10 years 30% of the experienced workforce will have left into retirement. HR — when's the right time to prepare? How about NOW?
   
• Elena Heckmann, Supplier Impact & Sustainability Manager, Accenture 
  The future of fit: Why personal strengths matter more than ever in the future of work'
   
• Wibke Dauletiar, Executive Coach & Leadership Advisor, la·c
  Busy, but stuck: Why organizations don't move forward
   
• Lukas Hurrle, Senior Global Lead NIVEA MEN Strategy, Insight, Discovery, Beiersdorf 
  The leadership upgrade we keep ignoring
   
• Babette Lammerts, HR Director Benelux, CMA CGM
  You Are at the Helm
   
• Prof. Dr. Moritz Petersen, KLU Kühne Logistics University
  Not your comms team: The unofficial communicators inside your organization
   
• Per Ledermann, CEO & Chairman, edding
  Transparency in management: Playing with the fire of the brutal truth

DisruptHR 3.0 at the horizon

With DisruptHR Hamburg, KLU continues giving space to influential voices redefining people’s leadership in the world of business. The next edition, DisruptHR 3.0, on November 12, promises to keep the momentum and tackle more exciting topics. 

More Information

• DisruptHR Hamburg