09:30 CET/ 15:30 SGT | Registration & Welcome Coffee (30 Mins)
Check in, get comfortable, and start connecting in a relaxed setting

10:00 CET/16:00 SGT | Opening & Warm-Up (15 Mins)
Meet the &ahead team, hear what the day holds, and kick off with a light networking exercise

10:15 CET/ 16:15 SGT | Session 1: Careers and AI  

Title –  Harnessing AI for Career Clarity, Upskilling & Leadership

Sub-topic Highlight – From Insight to Impact: Using AI to Lead, Learn & Level Up

Speaker / Mentor / Moderator

• Vincent Zepfel – Headhunter THRONSBERG
• Nádia Lustosa Horn – Senior Manager E-Learning Fresenius Kabi
• Chen Peng – CEO minden.ai
• Siew Ting Foo – Board Director I Best-selling Author
• Christiane Leonhardt – Projektleitung – DB Management Consulting
• Yunita Ong – Internation News & Circulation Lead – LinkedIn

Synopsis – As the world of work evolves at unprecedented speed, how can we navigate our careers with clarity and confidence? This session explores how AI can empower professionals to explore new paths, deepen leadership capabilities, and make informed choices in moments of career transition or growth.

Objectives

• Understand how AI is reshaping work, roles, and leadership
• Learn how to use AI tools for career discovery and upskilling
• Reflect on fears and opportunities with AI in career reinvention
• Build peer insight and action steps through collaborative dialogue
• Share 1–2 clear insights or stories (up to 5 minutes each) on how AI intersects with careers, leadership, or transitions
• Highlight tools, platforms, or frameworks that offer real value
• Support small-group discussions as a table facilitator: prompt conversation, listen deeply, and help surface insights

11:15 CET/ 17:15 SGT| Session 2: Creating your Personal Branding for Strategic Career Pathways

Title – Your Leadership Brand: Designing What Comes Next

Sub-topic Highlight – Board and Director Roles as One Strategic Option

Speaker / Mentor / Moderator

• Christine Fink – Director People & Organization bei cosnova GmbH
• Michael Jenkins – CEO at Expert Humans and Partner, Future Work Forum
• Su-Yen Wong – Board Chair | Global Board Director | YPO | Keynote Speaker | Leadership Professor
• Susanne Thill – Marketing & Kommunikation/Beratung OPARI AG
• Amelie Heller – Project Lead Platformization @WISAG
• Rukayyat Kolawole – WealthTech Founder CEO PACEUPinvest® GmbH
• Darshana Rajaram – Head of Vertical Markets APAC – Technology, Semiconductor & Cloud DB Schenker

Synopsis – Career transitions—whether planned or unexpected—offer a rare opportunity to redefine your trajectory. At the heart of any successful shift lies a clear and intentional personal brand. This session focuses on how to shape and communicate your leadership brand to open doors to a range of strategic pathways, including board and director roles, advisory work, portfolio careers, or functional pivots. Whether you’re at a crossroads or stepping into a new chapter, this conversation helps you build clarity, confidence, and credibility.

Objectives – Participants will

• Reframe career transition as a strategic design process
• Learn how personal branding can unlock new leadership pathways
• Explore various post-transition options, including board roles
• Reflect on how to strengthen their leadership narrative and visibility

12:15 CET/ – 18:15 SGT | Mentoring Lounge 

A unique, 30-min-long onsite or digital 1:1 Discussion exchange (Proudly sponsored by Cosnova).

What happens in a Mentoring Lounge?

Successful mentoring requires a commitment of time from both mentoring partners. It is not coaching where the coach guides and supports the coachee through questions but a two-way dialog, exploring different possibilities and paths. 

Participants who ask for a 1:1 Mentoring will be asked to outline their needs and/or goals and realistic expectations prior to the event start either online or on a short form on site. 

1. What is your ideal job to return to like? 
2. What is the most important thing that would help you move forward to make it a reality?
3. What would make your mentoring dialog valuable to you? 

We will then match the participant with a Mentor based on the answers and aspirations and they will have a look at those to see how to best prepare for the discussion. 

The discussion focus on –

• One-on-one
• Approximately 30 minutes long
• An opportunity for both mentoring partners to have a focused yet relaxed dialog about the way forward.

Mentoring Partners may choose to stay in touch after the conference, on their own accord.  

13:15 CET/ 19:15 SGT |  Session 4: Connect with your Career allies and Personal Board of Directors (Session for participants in Germany only)

Title –  Stronger Together: Building Your Career Support Circle

Subtopic title – The Power of Meaningful Connections, Mentors & Sponsors

Speaker / Mentor / Moderator

• Corinna Valentine – CFO and Managing Director PAYONE
• Aroon Nagersheth – Geschäftsführer at Newcomers Network GmbH
• Ilaria Rossini – Global Learning Culture Lead @ Boehringer Ingelheim
• EunJu Oh – Executive and Leadership Coaching for international leaders

Synopsis – Career growth doesn’t happen in isolation—it flourishes through connection. Whether you’re relaunching, pivoting, or returning, your professional journey is strengthened by a trusted circle: your Personal Board of Directors. In this session, we explore how to identify and cultivate meaningful relationships with mentors, sponsors, and allies who champion your growth.

Senior speakers will share their personal stories of navigating change, building networks across borders and sectors, and leaning on allies through uncertainty and reinvention. You’ll leave with actionable ideas to expand your network with intention, depth, and authenticity—no elevator pitch required.

Objectives – Participants will

• Understand the concept and structure of a Personal Board of Directors
  
• Reflect on who currently supports (and challenges) their career thinking
  
• Gain insights from senior leaders on how networks have shaped their journeys
• Learn how to connect with purpose—beyond superficial networking
• Begin mapping out their own career support ecosystem

Forum Wrap-Up, Networking

Post forum group coaching – We believe in continuous learning. For a successful career relaunch to happen, the crucial step is what will you do after with the knowledge, tools, and network that you have gained. Access to 4 sessions of after forum group coaching as we support you with the next steps to: Clarify your career and life vision.

• Create your career relaunch action plan
• Develop your unique and authentic personal brand with personal branding experts
• Build and connect with your personal board of career directors
• Map a future career plan that takes into account the future of work and digitization

Key Outcomes

• You have a better understanding of your career journey and improve your self-awareness to lead across different aspects of life
  * You redefine and learn to articulate your personal brand through a winning LinkedIn profile and practical tips to continuously shape this brand
• You know how to strategize and negotiate your next career steps with authenticity, confidence, and impact
•  You understand the impact of digitalization on the future of work and how this can put you ahead of the changing career landscape
• You create meaningful connections with our corporate partners and learn about potential career opportunities
• You gain insights into what corporations expect from you as potential leaders of the future
• You interact and learn about what has worked for other leaders when returning to work after a career break or when relaunching your career
• You convert your career strategy into concrete actions together with our team of experienced coaches who understands your frustrations. We provide you with key insights, advice on your professional and personal goals strategy, help you build your personal brand, and navigate your job search to reach your next ideal role.

“I strongly recommend this event for everyone planning to come back to the labor market after a career break.” Nadia Lustoca Horn, E-Learning Manager, Fresenius

Our Partners and Sponsors:

AKA Bank

Cosnova GmbH

Clincase

Mannheim Business School

Fitch Group (Fitch Ratings and Fitch Solutions)

Climate Partners

Workforce Singapore – SG United Jobs and Skills Info Kiosk

Wework and Wework Labs

Women Who Inspire Rhein Main

Founder Institute

Frankfurt Valley

Hungry Tea Masters

SAP

SEEA

Station

WeSpark

We are also very grateful to have the continuous support of Ada Salas, Peter Fotyi, Kuan Seah Ling, Maria Luisa Engels, Nawres Caman, Laura Ng, Kong Jun Jie and many others as we continue to grow in Europe and Asi