Wellbeing and benefits spend are under greater scrutiny than ever. Rising healthcare costs, tighter operating margins and increased focus on equity while mitigating workforce risk mean boards, CEOs and CFOs are asking harder questions of HR and benefits leaders about return on investment. Many organisations are still investing heavily, yet struggling to clearly demonstrate impact beyond utilisation or engagement metrics.

As scrutiny increases, the risk is not just budget reduction — it’s misalignment. Fragmented benefits, uneven access and limited outcome data make it harder to prioritise investment or explain how wellbeing and mental health support performance, retention and healthcare cost control. When value is unclear, employee benefits are vulnerable to being treated as cost centres rather than as cost-containment drivers that create real business impact.

Learn from the world’s top HR, benefits and wellbeing executives on how they are reframing wellbeing, mental health and benefits as part of a broader cost and risk strategy, and making investment decisions that stand up to executive and financial scrutiny.

Discussion points

How to defend wellbeing and benefits spend under executive scrutiny: Reframe investment conversations around healthcare cost containment, workforce risk and business outcomes.
How to prove ROI beyond utilisation metrics: Link wellbeing and mental health investment to retention, productivity and healthcare costs in a language finance leaders recognise.
How to assess equity, access and hidden workforce risk: Identify where benefits fail to reach those most at risk and how gaps in access increase cost, absence and attrition.
How to simplify wellbeing and benefits without increasing risk: Learn how leaders are reducing complexity in wellbeing and benefits without compromising access, equity or workforce outcomes.

Panelists:

Diana Fayad, Head of International C&B – Total Rewards at GE Vernova
Mandar Phadke, Vice President, Head of Health, Safety & Wellbeing at Ericsson
Katarzyna Curry, Global Benefit Program Leader at Baker Hughes
Rodney Bolden, Executive Director, Head of Workplace Benefits Insights at Morgan Stanley
Dan Harrah, Vice President, Clinical Sales at Spring Health
[Event Chair]: Chris Rainey, CEO & Co-Founder at HR Leaders