• Talent Summit Cork

    24th September 2026 | Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

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The Future @ Work

In an era powered by rapid digital acceleration and shifting local markets, an organisation's ability to adapt is no longer a luxury—it's essential for survival. Talent Summit Cork delivers a practical playbook for the "What Now?" era, equipping leaders with the insights needed to build resilient, human-centric, and forward-thinking workplaces.

  • The Cork Conversation: Move beyond generic predictions to tackle the specific economic realities, talent retention constraints, and entrepreneurial dynamics facing the Munster region today.

  • Support Your Leaders: Explore if we are setting managers up to fail with complex caring responsibilities, and learn how to shift the burden toward structural organisational change.

  • Beyond the Tech Stack: Get practical, actionable ways to start with AI—building team confidence, spotting high-value opportunities, and adopting it safely and effectively in everyday work. Discover how small, deliberate steps can accelerate adoption and unlock lasting productivity gains.

  • Embracing Skills: Discover how transitioning to a dynamic, capability-driven model helps your organisation adapt rapidly as the half-life of professional skills shrinks.

  • Feedback, Not Failure: Learn to build true resilience by decoupling self-worth from professional setbacks and fostering a culture of high accountability without shame.

2026 Speakers

Plus more to be announced shortly

  • Fiona Parfrey

    Fiona Parfrey

    Co-founder of
    Riley

  • Kate English

    Kate English

    Chief Economist at
    Deloitte

  • Michelle O'Keefe & Tracy Gunn

    Michelle O'Keefe & Tracy Gunn

    Co-founders of
    Platform 55

  • Cleo McCormack

    Cleo McCormack

    Global Co-Creation Director at
    Version 1

  • Treasa McCarthy

    Treasa McCarthy

    Group HR Manager at
    CField Construction

  • Denis Cremin

    Denis Cremin

    Associate Director - Munster,
    Sigmar Recruitment

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Agenda

9.00 am: Registration & Networking
Teas, coffees, pastries

9.30 am: Welcome
Denis Cremin, Associate Director - Munster at Sigmar Recruitment

9.40 am: The Cork Conversation
In this session, we move beyond generic global predictions to tackle the specific economic and cultural realities facing the Munster region today. Together our panel will dissect the most pressing challenges for Cork employers, from talent retention in a highly competitive landscape to adapting to shifting workplace dynamics. Attendees will gain a macro and micro view of how global economic shifts are directly impacting Cork’s local business ecosystem and talent pool, while also exploring the power of entrepreneurial agility—delivering lessons on adaptability and innovation from the startup world that businesses of all sizes can apply.

Speaker:

  • Kate English, Chief Economist, Deloitte

  • Fiona Parfrey, Co-founder, Riley

  • Denis Cremin, Associate Director at Sigmar Recruitment (Moderator)

10.10 am: Are leaders being set up to fail in the future of work?
We are demanding more from our leaders than ever before—expecting them to act as performance drivers, empathetic coaches, and culture architects all at once. Yet, recent data reveals that eight in ten managers do not feel confident navigating the sensitive, life-changing conversations that dictate whether top talent stays or goes. This provocative session explores whether we are unintentionally setting our leaders up to fail by overloading them with complex caring responsibilities while relying on outdated corporate structures. Moving beyond well-meaning but ineffective policies, this discussion will show HR professionals how to shift the burden away from individual managers and toward structural organisational change. Attendees will leave with a practical roadmap for equipping leaders with the systemic support they need to lead with true empathy, protect the talent pipeline, and avoid burnout.

Speakers: Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keefe, Co-founders, Platform 55

10.30 am: TBC

Panel:

11.00 am: Tea/Coffee Break

11.30 am: TBC
Speaker:

11.50 am: Beyond the Tech Stack: A Practical Playbook for AI Adoption

As AI rapidly reshapes the workplace, organisations are discovering that the biggest barrier to success is rarely the technology itself, but human readiness. This session offers practical ways to get started with AI—helping leaders and teams build confidence, identify high-value opportunities, and adopt AI safely and effectively in their everyday work. Drawing on real-world experience across industries, Cleo will explore how small, practical steps can accelerate adoption, unlock productivity, and create lasting organisational value. Attendees will leave with concrete, actionable starting points for building AI confidence and capability within their own teams—moving beyond the tech stack to focus on what actually drives adoption: people, culture, and everyday practice.

Speaker: Cleo McCormack, Co-Creation Director, Version 1

12.10pm: "It’s Feedback, Not Failure" — Learning to Reset in the Public Eye
Speaker: TBC

12.30 pm: Closing Words
Denis Cremin, Associate Director - Munster, Sigmar Recruitment

12.40-1.30 pm: Lunch

Sigmar Recruitment
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  • “A really uplifting morning at the Talent Summit in Cork — huge thanks for hosting such an inspiring and energising event.”

    Founder & CXO

  • "It was an inspiring and insightful event exploring HR innovation, AI, inclusion, diversity, and more. Grateful to have been part of such an enriching experience!”

    HR Assistant

  • "Great to attend the Talent Summit last week in Cork. Great line up of speakers as always."

    HR Manager

  • "We had the pleasure to attend the 2025 Talent Summit in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. A very insightful and engaging session exploring relevant trends as we embrace distruption in today’s working world!"

    TA Manager

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