CHRO Series Malaysia 2026: VIP Lunch Workshop
- Hazel Loh
Transforming Spoken Confidence into Business Performance
In today’s increasingly global and AI-driven economy, effective spoken communication has become a critical business capability. Yet for many enterprises, the impact of poor communication remains hidden beneath the surface — affecting client engagement, slowing talent mobility, and limiting leadership readiness across regional and global teams.
High-potential employees are often held back not by technical capability, but by a lack of confidence in spoken English. Meanwhile, organizations continue investing heavily in traditional language training programmes that improve test scores, but fail to deliver measurable business outcomes.
According to IDC research commissioned by ELSA, enterprises in Asia with 1,000 employees could unlock up to US$500,000 in additional annual ROI when teams communicate with greater confidence, while 86% of businesses reported improved sales revenue after investing in AI-powered English communication tools.
The cost of inaction is significant — and cumulative.
The VIP Lunch Workshop: From Communication to Commercial Impact is an invitation-only executive session designed to help senior HR leaders move beyond theory and explore the practical business case for communication transformation.
Hosted by ELSA, this exclusive workshop brings together senior HR decision-makers for an interactive peer-to-peer discussion focused on one key question:
How can organizations transform spoken communication from a hidden cost centre into a measurable driver of growth, productivity, and talent mobility?
What You Will Experience
The session opens with a candid fireside chat featuring enterprise leaders who have successfully addressed the “English Ceiling” within their organisations.
Attendees will hear how they:
- Identified communication as a hidden business constraint
- Transitioned from traditional training to AI-powered coaching
- Shifted from measuring completion rates to business outcomes
- Linked communication capability directly to talent mobility and performance
This is followed by a curated lunch discussion and roundtable exchange, where participants will explore their own organisational challenges in a highly interactive setting.
Key focus areas include:
- Quantifying the cost of communication gaps in your organisation
- Building a clear ROI case for communication investment
- Driving behavioural change, not just training completion
- Scaling spoken confidence across regional and global teams
Key Outcomes
Participants will leave with:
- A practical ROI framework linking communication to business performance
- Peer-validated strategies for enterprise-scale communication development
- Clear approaches to strengthen talent mobility and leadership readiness
- Executive-level narratives to secure buy-in for AI-powered coaching solutions
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is designed for senior HR leaders who are actively shaping workforce capability and business transformation.
Ideal participants include:
- CHROs and Heads of HR focused on linking talent development to business impact
- Heads of L&D and Talent looking for scalable, AI-driven learning solutions
- HR leaders in large enterprises across banking, healthcare, manufacturing, IT services, hospitality, and GLCs
Why This Session is Different
Unlike traditional conference sessions, this is a closed-door working session focused on peer learning and practical execution.
| Main Stage Session | VIP Lunch Workshop |
|---|---|
| Strategic insights | Real-world implementation |
| Broad industry perspective | Peer-to-peer problem solving |
| Awareness building | Actionable frameworks and ROI thinking |
Workshop Agenda
The session is structured to maximize engagement, allowing guests to hear real-world success stories before diving into guided discussions relevant to their own organizations.
| Time | Session | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11:30 AM | Welcome & Introduction | Opening remarks to set context, objectives, and a confidential, collaborative discussion environment. |
| 11:35 AM | Customer Fireside Chat | A candid discussion on overcoming the “English Ceiling,” including key challenges, the shift to AI coaching, and measurable business impact on talent mobility. |
| 12:15 PM | Lunch & Roundtables | Lunch served alongside facilitated roundtables focused on real organisational challenges in communication and talent development. |
| 1:15 PM | Closing Remarks | Key takeaways, synthesis of discussions and followed by opening for networking. |
| 1:30 PM | Networking & Photo Taking | Informal networking with peers and the ELSA team, plus group photo opportunities. |
| 2:00 PM | End of Session | Guests transition back to the main conference agenda. |
Register Your Interest
Hosted by ELSA, this invitation-only VIP luncheon brings together a select group of CHROs and senior HR leaders for an exclusive executive networking and knowledge-sharing experience.
Submit your interest via the form below. Participation is limited to 20 senior HR leaders and is subject to review and approval.
Exclusive Lucky Draw for VIP Luncheon Attendees
- 1st Prize: Lenovo Idea Tab (8GB/128GB, Grey) with Pen (worth USD285)
- 2nd Prize: Sony WF-C710N Wireless Earbuds, White (worth USD63)
