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Abstract blue and green gradient with dotted arc pattern. Forward 2026 logo with blue arrow design.

Welcome to Forward 2026!

Forward is the premier conference for leaders transforming the experience of their most critical asset: the frontline workforce.

Agenda

08:15 AM
Registration

Check-in & Coffee

09:00 AM
Opening Remarks (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Welcome to Forward 2026!

09:20 AM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Reimagining Work and the Workforce in the Age of AI.
Designing Organisations Built for an AI-Enabled World.

Marcus Berret Global Managing Director at Roland Berger
09:40 AM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Employee Experience. At Scale. How Digital Enablers Transform Work in a Decentralized Organization.

Julia Herrmann Project Manager HR Digitalisierung at REWE Group
Mareike Heidemann-Jarosch Product Owner Frontline Information & Knowledge Value Stream Domain Corporate Functions at REWE Group
10:00 AM
R&D Showcase (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

What's Next at Flip: Connecting every employee to everything they need in one touch.

Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.
Luke Talbot Chief Product & Technology Officer
10:40 AM
Coffee Break

Power Up with Coffee & Connections

11:15 AM
Breakout (German)

Alle HR-Prozesse in One-Tap: Die Operations-Transformation bei FORVIA HELLA.

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Arena Room - Floor 5


Was passiert, wenn HR-Self-Service, Betriebskommunikation und Schichtpläne auf einer Plattform zusammenwachsen – und das Clipboard endlich in der Schublade bleibt? David zeigt, wie FORVIA HELLA die One-Touch-Experience für Produktionsmitarbeitende in der Praxis umsetzt: Urlaubsanträge, Schichtdaten-Korrekturen und Stammdatenpflege wandern vom Papier-Zettel direkt in die Flip-App. Ein Praxisbericht darüber, wie ein globaler Automobilzulieferer Flip zum zentralen Zugang für seine Frontline Worker macht – ohne Firmen-E-Mail, ohne Werk-PC, ohne Umweg über den Meister.

David Schwarzelmüller Head of Digital Communications & Collaboration, HELLA GmbH & Co. KGaA
11:15 AM
Breakout (German)

Mehr Zusammenhalt: Wie die toomunity 18.000 Mitarbeitende zu einer Learning Community verwandelt hat.

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Workshop Room - Floor 5

Wie baut man Gemeinschaft, wenn 18.000 Mitarbeitende auf hunderte Standorte verteilt sind – ohne gemeinsamen Arbeitsplatz, ohne Firmen-Laptop? toom Baumarkt zeigt, wie aus einer Kommunikationslösung eine echte Learning Community geworden ist: Wissen wird geteilt, Erfahrungen landen nicht mehr in Silos, und Märkte lernen voneinander statt nebeneinander her. Ein Praxisbericht darüber, wie Zusammenhalt im Einzelhandel heute aussieht – und warum die Mitarbeitenden selbst der entscheidende Faktor sind.

Daria Ezazi Head of Corporate Communications toom Baumarkt GmbH
Ralf Ludwigs Lead HR-IT, Processmanagement & Analytics bei toom Baumarkt
11:15 AM
Breakout (English)

Connecting Global Teams: What Works (and What Doesn’t) When You Design for Everyone.

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Liberty Stage - Floor 5


Connecting global teams sounds simple until your workforce spans offices, labs, manufacturing sites, and frontline locations where many employees don’t sit at a desk or regularly access traditional intranet tools.

In this session, Mairian will share the real-world lessons from rethinking how a global organisation connects its people through Collab, CSL’s employee communications platform. Rather than adding more channels or tools, CSL focused on simplifying the experience: designing for both wired and unwired employees, reducing noise through targeted content, and establishing clear governance to keep communication relevant and sustainable at scale.

This is an honest customer story about what didn’t work in the previous model, what worked once CSL designed for frontline realities, and what the team would do differently if starting again. Attendees will leave with practical, transferable ideas for connecting global teams through clarity, relevance, and inclusion–without overengineering the solution.

Mairian Gildea Senior Manager, Employee Channels, CSL
11:15 AM
Breakout (English)

Unleashing the power of AI to your workforce: using Agents, Flows and Automations.

Show more
Straight-Up Room - Floor 5


In this session, Flip's Product team provides an in-depth look at how Agents, Flows, and Automations work together to bring the power of AI directly to frontline employees. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into Flip's product vision and the practical mechanics behind AI-driven workflows. This session also offers a dedicated opportunity to ask the questions you have always wanted to ask – answered directly by the people who build the product.

12:00 PM
Lunch Break

Refuel and Reconnect

01:00 PM
Breakout (English)

The Gap Between Strategy and Reality – And Why It Matters on the Frontline.

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Liberty Stage - Floor 5


In most organisations, there’s a gap between how work is designed – and how it actually happens on the frontline.

On paper, everything makes sense.
Clear communication. The right tools. Efficient processes.

In reality?
Teams are navigating workarounds, duplicating effort, and relying on whatever gets the job done quickest – whether it’s “official” or not.

This session brings that gap to life. We’ll contrast what leaders think is happening with what’s really happening day-to-day – and explore why so many well-intentioned strategies break down in practice.

Grounded in real-world examples from frontline environments, we’ll show where things go wrong, what it looks like when it works better, and the practical shifts organisations are making to close the gap.

Jen Draper Managing Director at Work Networks
01:00 PM
Breakout (German)

KI im Unternehmen – der Betriebsrat als Schlüsselpartner für Produktivität, Vertrauen und Akzeptanz.

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Arena - Floor 5


KI-Einführungen scheitern oft nicht an der Technologie – sondern am fehlenden Vertrauen. Roman Zitzelsberger, Geschäftsführer der Petromanos Group und ausgewiesener Experte für Arbeitnehmervertretung und digitale Transformation, zeigt, wie Unternehmen den Betriebsrat vom Blocker zum Enabler machen – und warum partnerschaftliche Mitgestaltung der entscheidende Hebel für erfolgreiche KI-Adoption ist.

Roman Zitzelsberger CEO Petromanos Group
01:00 PM
Breakout (German)

Von Flip-Flops zu Flip Flows – dank MitarbeiterApp werden alle Mitarbeitenden in digitalisierte (Geschäfts-)Prozesse eingebunden.

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Workshop Room - Floor 5


Kommunikation ist der Einstieg – aber Prozesse sind der Gamechanger. Marc Pühringer, Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC, zeigt anhand konkreter Praxisbeispiele, wie Unternehmen mit Flip den Sprung von reiner Kommunikation hin zu vollständig digitalisierten Workflows schaffen – und damit auch die letzte Meile der Belegschaft endlich in operative Prozesse einbinden.

Marc Pühringer Principal Sales Consultant bei HIRSCHTEC
01:00 PM
Breakout (English)

Unleashing the power of AI to your workforce: using Agents, Flows and Automations.

Show more


In this session, Flip's Product team provides an in-depth look at how Agents, Flows, and Automations work together to bring the power of AI directly to frontline employees. Attendees will gain firsthand insight into Flip's product vision and the practical mechanics behind AI-driven workflows. This session also offers a dedicated opportunity to ask the questions you have always wanted to ask – answered directly by the people who build the product.

01:45 PM
Coffee Break

Power Up with Coffee & Connections

02:15 PM
Keynote (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Rethinking the Human Side of AI at Work.

Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO
02:45 PM
Panel Discussion (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Transformation in Times of Disruption: Leading in the Age of AI.

Khaled Thaler Managing Director at HIRSCHTEC
Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle Professor for Technology Management & Human Factors, IAT University of Stuttgart; Director at Fraunhofer IAO
Bala Sathyanarayanan EVP & CHRO at Greif
Mathias Makedonski Associate Director at the Boston Consulting Group
03:35 PM
Awards Ceremony (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Honoring Success, Inspiring the Future of Frontline.

04:15 PM
Closing Remarks (English with Subtitles)
Horizon Stage - Floor 4

Carry the Momentum Forward

Portrait of a man with a beard on a blue triangular background.
Luke Talbot Chief Product & Technology Officer
Benedikt Brand CEO, Co-Founder of Flip
04:30 PM
Evening Reception
Sky Lounge - Floor 6

Building Connections Beyond the Day

FAQ's

Questions you might be asking yourself

What’s included with my ticket?

Your ticket provides full access to all keynote sessions, workshops, the awards celebration, curated networking experiences, and event hospitality throughout the day, along with exclusive insights and tailored experiences designed for you.

Do I need to sign up for sessions ahead of time?

Most sessions are open — just show up and take a seat. However, some of them have limited capacity, so we'll be sending a separate sign-up link closer to the event. Keep an eye on your inbox.

Will food be provided?

Yes, there will be meal and break offerings included with your ticket.

How do I check in on the day of the event?

Just follow the signage when you arrive and head to the registration desk. Our team will get you checked in.

Is there parking available near the venue?

Yes! The closest option is Junghofplaza Parkhaus, directly at the venue. Additional public parking nearby includes: Parkhaus Götheplatz, Parkhaus Börse, Parkhaus Alte Oper.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the event?

You can reach our team at events@getflip.com. We’re happy to help.

Location

Spark Europe

Junghofstraße 16, 60311, Frankfurt am Main - View Map