Wednesday
7th october 2026
17:30 – 18:45
Entrance & Bar
Registration & opening reception
Kick off the evening with a warm welcome at our opening reception. Collect your badge, enjoy a drink and start connecting with fellow HR leaders, innovators and technology partners before the official programme begins.
18:45 – 19:00
Main room
WELCOME BY MAARTEN VANGRAMBEREN
Maarten Vangramberen
Maarten Vangramberen will guide you through the HRtech Unfolded program on October 7 and 8. You may know him as a sports anchor and journalist at VRT and Sporza. Sports are a common thread running through his life — not only professionally, but also in his personal life. He exercises and plays sports every day and enjoys sharing that message with others. He also draws energy from presenting and moderating, and thanks to his years of media experience, he knows how to keep every event running smoothly, professionally, and with a touch of humor. Maarten is eagerly looking forward to taking you on the various journeys of HRtech Unfolded and giving you a day full of inspiration.
Photo: Anneke D’Hollander
Maarten Vangramberen
Be welcomed to an unforgettable evening as our host, Maarten Vangramberen, guides you through the HRtech Unfolded Gala. Get ready for a night of inspiration, recognition and celebration with the HR community.
19:00 – 19:30
Main room
Award ceremony
Celebrate the future of HR innovation during the HRtech Unfolded Award Ceremony, where one winner will be crowned in each of our three award categories: HRtech Startup of the Year, HRtech Project of the Year, and AI-Proof Company of the Year. Join us as we honour the organisations that are shaping the future of work through technology, innovation and impact.
19:30 – 20:15
Main room
Dinner starter
20:15 – 21:00
Main room
Keynote Dorien Van Steenberge
Dorien Van Steenberge
Dorien Van Steenberge has earned her stripes in IT strategy, corporate consulting and scale-up leadership, and brought that baggage to Wintercircus. There, she grew the Collective into a community of 1,500+ members.
Since the 1st of April 2026 (no joke), she’s the new CEO of Wintercircus Ghent, ready to write the next chapter. Twice nominated as Young ICT Lady of the Year, she knows better than anyone how technology and people come together. Building ecosystems, driving innovation, thinking ahead – that’s her thing.
Dorien Van Steenberge
Behind & Beyond Wintercircus – The Story of Dorien Van Steenberge
What does it take to build for what’s next?
Dorien Van Steenberge takes you behind the scenes of Wintercircus, from its remarkable history to the business and ambition behind it, while sharing her own journey to becoming its CEO.
From there, she looks beyond Wintercircus: at how AI is already changing the way she runs a team of 30, and at the much bigger shift ahead. What does the AI era mean for how we build companies, lead people and shape the future of our European economy?
A personal story about building, leading and embracing what comes next.
21:00 – 22:00
Main room
Dinner
22:00 – 22:30
Bar
Dessert
22:30 – 00:00
Bar
Late night bar
End the evening at our late night bar, where the conversations continue and the dance floor comes alive. Unwind, connect and celebrate with fellow HR professionals while our DJ keeps the energy going into the night.
Thursday
8th october 2026
08:15 – 09:15
Entrance & Bar
Arrival & networking
Start your conference day by collecting your badge, enjoying a coffee and connecting with fellow HR professionals, speakers and partners. Take the opportunity to network, explore the venue and get ready for a full day of inspiration and innovation.
09:15 – 09:30
Main stage
WELCOME BY MAARTEN VANGRAMBEREN
Maarten Vangramberen
Maarten Vangramberen will guide you through the HRtech Unfolded program on October 7 and 8. You may know him as a sports anchor and journalist at VRT and Sporza. Sports are a common thread running through his life — not only professionally, but also in his personal life. He exercises and plays sports every day and enjoys sharing that message with others. He also draws energy from presenting and moderating, and thanks to his years of media experience, he knows how to keep every event running smoothly, professionally, and with a touch of humor. Maarten is eagerly looking forward to taking you on the various journeys of HRtech Unfolded and giving you a day full of inspiration.
Photo: Anneke D’Hollander
Maarten Vangramberen
Join us for the official opening of the conference as our host, Maarten Vangramberen, welcomes you and guides you through a day filled with inspiring keynotes, engaging breakout sessions and valuable networking opportunities.
09:30 – 10:15
Main stage
Opening keynote Henry Coutinho-Mason
Henry Coutinho-Mason
Designing A People-First AI Strategy
Henry Coutinho-Mason is a globally recognized keynote speaker, consultant, and thought leader in leadership, innovation, and organizational transformation. With over two decades of experience, he has worked with major global organizations, helping them drive growth through strategic innovation and change management. Henry’s expertise spans across leadership development, digital transformation, and building resilient, adaptable organizations in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Designing A People-First AI Strategy
This year it’s AI. Last year it was the metaverse, web3 and crypto. Before that, it was social media and mobile.
For over a decade, Henry’s talks on how to think about new and fast-moving technologies have been enthusiastically received by executive audiences. Henry’s approach is a deceptively simple one – don’t only focus on what’s changing; instead identify what won’t change for your customers. What are the basic human needs and wants that your customers will still look to your organization to cater to a decade from now? So instead of talking solely about novel technologies themselves, Henry talks about the underlying relevant basic human needs they speak to – from convenience to empowerment and creativity.
This deeply human-centric view of technology might seem obvious, but Henry’s talks present a view of the world that is both fresh and compelling. More importantly, it’s an accessible and practical approach that audiences can take back into their organizations in order to think strategically about the long-term implications and opportunities that AI will present.
Henry Coutinho-Mason
The Future Normal: Co-creating a positive vision for HR – Live!
When AI can do more and more of the work, what will people do? And what will your organisation look like in the future?
Join author and “reluctant futurist” Henry Coutinho-Mason for a provocative, participatory exploration of the future of HR tech. Drawing on stories from retail, healthcare and beyond, Henry will bring these into our world to show how employee expectations will change, and how leaders can design AI-native organisations and cultures.
But Henry won’t just talk about the future, he’ll invite us to imagine it, together. Through his ‘multiplayer keynote’, you’ll share what you want from AI, and see the room’s ideas brought together, live on screen – leaving you with a share vision of what HR tech could make possible, and fresh ambition to make it happen.
10:30 – 12:00
Breakout rooms
Breakout sessions
The breakout sessions begin across six dedicated rooms, each aligned with one of the HRtech Unfolded journeys: Leadership & Strategy, Reward, Payroll & Legal, Data & Performance Management, Recruitment, Learning & Development, and DEI & Culture. Explore the journey that matches your priorities, with detailed session information coming soon.
Main room
Learning Bytes festival
New this year: Alongside the breakout sessions, HRtech Unfolded welcomes the 5th edition of the Learning Bytes Festival, an initiative by imec and Edtech Station. Discover the latest insights in digital learning, AI and workplace innovation through inspiring sessions from researchers, innovators and practitioners.
12:00 – 13:30
Food Market
Lunch & NETWORKING
13:30 – 15:00
Breakout rooms
Breakout sessions
The breakout sessions begin across six dedicated rooms, each aligned with one of the HRtech Unfolded journeys: Leadership & Strategy, Reward, Payroll & Legal, Data & Performance Management, Recruitment, Learning & Development, and DEI & Culture.
Explore the journey that matches your priorities, with detailed session information coming soon.
Main room
Learning Bytes festival
New this year: Alongside the breakout sessions, HRtech Unfolded welcomes the 5th edition of the Learning Bytes Festival, an initiative by imec and Edtech Station. Discover the latest insights in digital learning, AI and workplace innovation through inspiring sessions from researchers, innovators and practitioners.
15:15 – 15:55
Main stage
UnfOLDED. Live on Stage.
A new debate format at HRtech that puts consensus aside. HR experts are challenged to take a real stand, through sharp statements, live audience interaction, and even a direct confrontation with AI. No scripted answers, no safe conclusions. Unfolded. Live on stage.
Dorien Roes
Dorien Roes joined Workday in September 2020 as Country Manager for Belgium and Luxembourg. In this role, she is responsible for day-to-day operations in the region and for driving further growth in Belgium and Luxembourg. As a manager, she leads the growing Belux Workday team with great enthusiasm.
With a degree in Business Studies, Dorien has worked for various software vendors throughout her career. She has advised numerous companies, both at home and abroad, on optimising and digitising their financial processes. Previously, she worked at CCH Tagetik, part of Wolters Kluwer, as Country Manager for Belux, and at Sigma Conso, where she held the position of Sales Manager for Benelux & Iberia.
Dorien Roes
Kristof Stevens
Kristof Stevens is Tech Relations Expert at United Consulting, where he advises clients on choosing the right technologies to support their business goals. He began his career at NorthgateArinso as a project manager for SAP HR. In 2017, he founded Lab900 and co-founded huapii, talent management platform acquired by SD Worx in 2022. Since 2025, Kristof bridges technology and business, ensuring innovation translates into real impact at United Consulting.
From spreadsheets to AI, HR technology is reshaping the way organizations operate. Some teams still rely on Excel, while others are already taking their first steps with artificial intelligence. Based on the HR Tech layers, Kristof Stevens explores how HR leaders can assess their current position, identify the right technology to become a driver of real business value. Expect practical insights, examples, and a clear framework to move from manual processes to future-ready HR.
Kristof Stevens
Bram Desimpelaere
I am Bram Desimpelaere, Software Engineer at TechWolf, a Ghent-based scale-up that builds the workforce data layer for the AI era. I work on Work Intelligence, our product that maps how AI is changing jobs at the task level: what stays human, what gets augmented, and what can be automated. It all serves one mission: helping every person flourish at work.
Bram Desimpelaere
Violette Nimy-Soluka
Violette Nimy-Soluka is Country HR Manager Belgium & Luxemburg at GE HealthCare and a senior HR leader with 17 years of experience spanning healthcare & employment law and human resources.
She partners with senior leaders and C-suite executives to drive organizational transformation, develop future-ready talent, build high-performing cultures and inclusive workplaces.
Passionate about the future of work, Violette champions the practical application of AI in HR, leadership development, and workforce planning.
She is also a strong advocate for female talent, empowering women through mentoring, coaching, and leadership development initiatives.
Violette Nimy-Soluka
Nicolas Deruytter
Nicolas Deruytter is the founder and CEO of ML6, Europe’s AI Engineering Powerhouse. He launched the company in Ghent in 2013, and ML6 has since grown into a frontier AI engineering company that constantly pushes the boundaries of what’s possible with AI. It has achieved four consecutive Deloitte Fast 50 awards and a place on the Financial Times FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies. Today ML6 has over 150 AI-native experts and is active in Amsterdam, Berlin, Eindhoven, Ghent and Munich. From strategy to delivery, ML6 doesn’t follow the hype; it builds the future. It is now doing this with Unum, the world’s first Enterprise Superintelligence, launched in 2025. Their partners include Anthropic, Google Cloud, OpenAI, AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Hugging Face, Cisco, Mistral and ElevenLabs.
Under Nicolas’ leadership, ML6 partners with bold leaders to turn cutting-edge AI into lasting business impact. With over a decade of proven expertise, the company delivers AI that reshapes business models: AI that is reliable and secure. Operating at the intersection of business, technology and society, Nicolas is a sought-after speaker on entrepreneurship, innovation and the practical value of AI. He serves on the board of Voka, Flanders’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and holds master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and in Electromechanical Engineering from Ghent University.
Nicolas Deruytter
15:55 – 16:40
Main stage
CLOSING keynote JOHN HEYMANS
John Heymans
How ChatGPT helped me run my way to the Olympics
At 18, John decided to switch from hockey to athletics. He contacted an athletics coach, and together they reached the Olympic Games eight years later. It had never been his plan to become a professional athlete. John was the typical ambitious student, who graduated magna cum laude as a bio-engineer from KU Leuven. He was a party animal and fully enjoyed student life. It was only during the COVID period that his life changed drastically and the Olympic dream was born.
But John had neither financial support nor sponsors, and also no professional framework like many other athletes. He was still unknown to his sports federation and to the outside world.
Yet within two years, John has grown into one of the top athletes in his sport. He had a vision and executed it:
1. He immersed himself thoroughly in the scientific side of training and human physiology.
2. He surrounded himself with the right medical team.
3. He built the largest social-media presence in men’s athletics.
4. Against all expectations, he reached the Olympic final.
John’s story is anything but traditional and offers many interesting parallels with the business world.
John Heymans
HOW CHATGPT HELPED ME RUN MY WAY TO THE OLYMPICS
John Heymans booked a one-way ticket to Kenya to chase an Olympic dream among the world’s best long-distance runners. Two years later, he crossed the finish line 11th in the Olympic final.
John is the first athlete in history to approach world-ranking qualification as a mathematical optimisation problem, using ChatGPT as his co-pilot to solve it. His story blends the world of elite sports and AI-driven decision-making into powerful lessons for athletes, entrepreneurs, and business leaders alike.
16:45 – 18:00
Bar
Closing drink, NETWORKING & end of conference day
Wrap up an inspiring day with a closing drink and one last opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, speakers and partners. Reflect on the day’s insights, exchange ideas and continue the conversations before we bring the conference to an end.
The Journeys
Leadership & strategy
Lead the change, don’t chase it. Organisations are redesigning operating models, rethinking workforce composition, and recalibrating what leadership actually means.
Reward, payroll & legal
Pay people right. Stay compliant. Sleep better. As regulations tighten and pay transparency becomes the norm, organisations are expected to explain not only what they pay, but why.
Data & performance management
Less gut feeling. More good calls. Real-time people analytics, OKRs and continuous feedback loops are redefining how organisations track progress and unlock potential.
Recruitment
Attract. Engage. Hire. Repeat. Employer branding lives in every touchpoint: the job ad, the interview flow, the speed of feedback, the transparency of communication.
Learning & development
Make learning stick, and make it fun. Because skills expire, curiosity doesn’t. Organisations that win are those that embed learning into the flow of work, personalised, adaptive and connected to real outcomes.
DEI & Culture
Build belonging, on purpose. As workforces grow more diverse, organisations must turn differences into strength and make culture something people truly experience, not just describe.
Learning Bytes Festival is a one-day experience full of thought-provoking ‘learning bites’ aimed at inspiring you for the digital transformation of your L&D, HR, and talent development strategy.
It is an initiative from imec and Edtech Station, and its current, 5th edition takes place at HRTech Unfolded.
The festival showcases the latest insights from digital learning, AI, and workplace innovation, bringing together researchers, innovators, and practitioners to explore how people and organisations learn in a rapidly changing world.
10:30 – 10:35
Main Room
Welcome to Learning Bytes Festival 2026
10:35 – 11:10
Main Room
Opening keynote – Stijn Van Laer
11:10 – 11:35
Main Room
Research talk:
From training to competency intelligence: how AI and XR transform workforce development in the semiconductor industry
11:35 – 12:00
Main Room
Industry talk:
Human(e) communication in the age of chatbots
13:30 – 13:55
Main Room
Panel: AI, skills and the future of work: foes or friends?
13:55 – 14:20
Main Room
Research talk:
Adaptive cognitive load assessment in healthcare training and beyond
14:00 – 14:30
Breakoutroom: data & performance management
Research talk:
Your data, their decision: personal data exchange through data spaces
14:20 – 14:55
Main Room
Closing keynote – Bien Vanderstappen
14:55 – 15:00
Main Room
Closing of Learning Bytes Festival
Make sure you don’t miss out!