As AI becomes more powerful, the role of the human becomes more important.

That was the starting point for an afternoon we recently hosted together with Heineken, bringing together a small group of senior HR leaders from across FMCG for conversation, exchange and reflection on AI and the future of HR. Between them, the leaders around the table are responsible for some of the world’s largest workforces.

A collaboration with Heineken

The session was created with Heineken, led by Judith Bejczy, Senior Director People Europe at Heineken, and Yolanda Talamo, CHRO at Heineken. The KennedyFitch team was led by Managing Partner Frank van den Brink and Partner Athena Tavoulari

Yolanda Talamo opened the conversation. Frank van Driest followed, setting the scene around AI and Human Quotient, the uniquely human capabilities that AI cannot replace and that can help unlock the full potential of AI. That gave the group a strong shared starting point, and a question that ran through much of what followed: if AI optimizes but does not deliver growth, what does?

What the group discussed

From there the discussion moved across transformation, productivity, capability, new ways of working and the future of HR.

Just as valuable was the opportunity to compare notes, challenge assumptions and learn from one another in an open and informal setting. Leaders shared what they are seeing, where they are experimenting, what is working and where questions remain.

Why this kind of exchange matters

It is not often that peers from across a sector, with a European scope, have the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day and speak openly with each other.

The starting points around the table were different and the perspectives varied, which is precisely what made the conversation useful. These are leaders approaching similar questions inside very different organizations, and there is real value in creating space for that kind of peer exchange.