Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is no longer a future-focused concept; it’s a present-day business imperative. In this episode of The People Agenda podcast, host Chris Howard is joined by Douglas Leach, Founder of People Strategy Hub and the driving force behind the SWP Summit, to explore what people can expect from the event and why SWP has become critical to business performance today.
What is the SWP Summit 2026?
The SWP Summit 2026 is a one-day, implementation-focused conference designed to help organisations take immediate action on SWP. Taking place on 19 March 2026 at The Brewery, it brings together HR leaders, finance leaders, and cross-functional decision-makers who shape workforce strategy. This mix of attendees reinforces the message, SWP isn’t just an HR initiative, it’s a business-wide capability. The agenda is centred on practical insights and real-world application, with a focus on what organisations can implement now rather than long-term theory.
What makes this summit different from other SWP events?
The summit’s agenda places a strong emphasis on “implement tomorrow” takeaways, with practical insights that can be applied straight away. There are planned networking sessions which encourage meaningful peer exchange, and the content is tailored to support organisations at varying levels of SWP maturity.
Why is cross-functional buy-in a central theme?
SWP requires organisation-wide change, not isolated HR initiatives. On the agenda there is a session from Mark Jackson, Head of Future Workforce at Nationwide, sharing how to build cross-functional coalitions that turn workforce transformation from an HR initiative into a business priority. Mark’s section will cover:
- Moving SWP from an “HR issue” to a board-level priority
- Launching pilot programmes before scaling organisation-wide
- Building credibility with measurable outcomes
- Securing executive sponsorship early
- Managing organisation-wide change at pace
The main takeaway? Without senior alignment and financial backing, SWP stalls.
How will the summit address skills-based workforce transformation?
The summit tackles how to operationalise a skills-first planning model at scale. In his session Taiwo Ojo, CEO from Alluvium will focus on how organisations can build strong operational foundations for skills-based transformation. This can be achieved by:
- Governance models to support skills architecture
- Workflow design to embed skills planning
- Avoiding common early-stage mistakes
- Scaling from pilot to enterprise adoption
- Managing the pace of transformation without losing stakeholder trust
How does the summit address the impact of AI and technology?
The summit treats AI as a “constant catalyst” that complicates SWP by shifting the definitions of necessary skills and roles. Opinions on AI range from total workforce replacement to it being overhyped. The summit provides a space for experience-sharing to find current best practices rather than relying on unproven theories.
How will leaders prove ROI and speak the language of the CFO?
Proving ROI is positioned as a core requirement for SWP credibility at board level. On the agenda is a session on ROI and workforce planning, focusing directly on engaging CFOs and quantifying business impact. CPO’s can prove the return of investment for SWP by:
- Building data-backed business cases
- Translating workforce risk into financial language
- Defining measurable ROI metrics
- Monitoring transformation performance
- Communicating workforce risk in CFO terms
HR leaders need to quantify workforce risk and value in order to secure investment.
What broader themes run through the entire agenda?
The red thread is alignment, aligning workforce strategy to decision-making. Across sessions, several consistent themes emerge:
- Aligning SWP with business strategies for informed decision making
- Risk management in workforce transformation
- AI’s impact on SWP
- How to effectively build a business case to influence the C-suite
SWP is shifting from conceptual ambition to operational necessity. Listen now to hear the full conversation about the upcoming summit and dive deeper into these strategic workforce topics. If you would like to attend the SWP summit, you can book your place here.
