BY HR WORLD MEDIA
WORKHUMAN DINNER
AMSTERDAM - 9 NOVEMBER 2026

The Trust Gap:
Why Managers Hold the Key to Strategy Execution

In partnership with
WORKHUMAN DINNER
AMSTERDAM - 9 NOVEMBER 2026

The Trust Gap:
Why Managers Hold the Key to Strategy Execution

In partnership with
ABOUT THIS CLUB

Overview

Strategy is set at the top, but it succeeds or stalls in the everyday behaviour of managers. Organisations are asking more of them than ever: build trust, translate priorities into action, recognise and develop people, and create the conditions for stronger performance. Where employees do not trust the person leading them, even the best strategy struggles to take hold.
This evening brings together CHROs and senior HR leaders to compare how they are closing the manager trust gap: strengthening manager effectiveness, using recognition and feedback to make the right behaviours visible, identifying the leaders people already trust, and connecting better management to measurable business outcomes.
Evening Focus
Four themes frame the evening. Rather than working through them in order, the group decides where to go deepest, so the conversation follows what matters most to the leaders around the table.

01

People rarely commit to a strategy when they do not trust the manager asking them to deliver it. Trust is built through everyday behaviour: consistency, transparency, accountability, genuine concern for people and noticing good work when it happens. We’ll compare where organisations see the biggest gaps between leadership intent and employee experience, which manager behaviours close them, and what role timely, specific recognition plays in building credibility, connection and psychological safety.

02

Annual performance processes alone rarely shape behaviour in real time. We’ll compare how organisations are combining continuous feedback, recognition, coaching and accountability to create a more human and effective performance experience. What do managers need to make these conversations meaningful, and how can an ongoing record of recognition and feedback give managers and employees a fairer, fuller picture of what good performance looks like?

03

Strong individual results do not necessarily predict strong leadership, and manager effectiveness can feel intangible until it is connected to outcomes. We’ll discuss how recognition patterns, peer feedback and workforce data can reveal the people others already trust, the contributors traditional talent reviews overlook, and the link between better management and engagement, retention and strategy execution. How can HR build a picture of management impact that the executive team finds credible?
SPEAKERS & CONTRIBUTORS

Moderator and speakers.

MODERATOR

Sarah Malik

Editor-in-Chief
HR World Media

SPEAKER

James Thornton

CHRO
Unilever

SPEAKER

Elena Rossi

Chief People Officer
Radisson Hotel Group

SPEAKER

Marcus Chen

VP People & Culture Spotify

SPEAKER

David Lammers

CHRO
Heineken

SPEAKER

Sophie van den Berg

Chief People Officer
Philips

SPEAKER

Tom Richardson

Chief People Officer
Booking.com

MODERATOR

Sarah Malik

Editor-in-Chief
HR World Media

SPEAKER

James Thornton

CHRO
Unilever

SPEAKER

Elena Rossi

Chief People Officer
Radisson Hotel Group

SPEAKER

Marcus Chen

VP People & Culture Spotify

SPEAKER

David Lammers

CHRO
Heineken

SPEAKER

Sophie van den Berg

Chief People Officer
Philips

SPEAKER

Tom Richardson

Chief People Officer
Booking.com

Evening Programme

A considered flow for a deeper conversation.

17:30
WELCOME AND ARRIVAL
Canapés and welcome drink
18:00
EXECUTIVE PANEL
One moderator and three executive panellists
18:30
PRACTITIONER CASES
Two 10-minute executive case studies
18:50
PARTNER PERSPECTIVE
A concise 10-minute insight from the host partner
19:00
DINNER AND ROUNDTABLE
A moderated discussion around the table
20:30
INFORMAL CONVERSATION
Time to continue discussions
21:00
CLOSE
Evening concludes
19:00
WELCOME & ARRIVAL
Guest arrival, introductions and drinks.
19:30
SEATED STARTER & EXECUTIVE PANEL
Guests take their seats as the starter is served. A short senior-level conversation sets the context for the evening: the manager trust gap, rising expectations of managers and why manager effectiveness decides whether strategy is executed.
19:50
WORKHUMAN PERSPECTIVE
A concise perspective from Workhuman on how recognition and everyday feedback help managers build trust, reinforce the behaviours that matter and make strategy visible in daily work.
20:00
DINNER & EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE
Moderated peer discussion over the main course and dessert. The group decides which of the four themes to explore in most depth, comparing experiences, approaches and challenges across organisations.
21:30
INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS
Time for participants to continue discussions and build relationships around the table.
22:00
CLOSE
VENUE & LOCATION

NIM Restaurant Amsterdam

Keizersgracht 335-H 1016 EG Amsterdam

An invitation-only evening for 12–15 senior HR leaders, with Workhuman as the exclusive commercial partner.
The emphasis throughout the evening is on candid peer exchange, practical benchmarking and learning from the experiences of the senior leaders around the table.
ABOUT THE PARTNER
Workhuman is a leading provider of employee recognition, employee experience and human-centered workplace culture, helping organisations build more human workplaces where people and performance thrive.
REQUEST AN INVITATION

RSVP for this Club.

Attendance is complimentary for qualifying CHROS and senior HR leaders and subject to confirmation by HR World Media.