emerging leaders in multinationals summit 2026

15 may'26

8am - 5:30pm

sheraton grand sydney hyde park

members only

australia's only summit exclusively designed to supercharge ceos & emerging leaders in foreign-owned companies. secure your tickets today!

secure your seat

the opportunity

Developing and retaining top talent is a key challenge for multinational leaders. Many emerging leaders have the potential to step up but need the skills, mindset, and network to navigate the complexities of senior leadership in a global environment.

ELM 2026 is an opportunity to fast-track leadership growth, well-being, and career success. This year, we'll unpack how to reboot the human side of your team in an ever-changing digital world, with leadership & business experts, top CEOs and multinational peers.

activate your human advantage

Today’s multinationals move faster, feel noisier, and operate in greater complexity, with smarter tools, constant information, and global teams spread across time zones.

Reboot human, the ELM 2026 theme, is a reset on what leadership needs now: not rejecting technology, but keeping humans in the loop and building trust through clarity, presence, and real connection.

For emerging leaders, this is a defining moment. This summit builds the distinctly human capabilities that matter most when certainty is low: deep listening, self-awareness, curiosity, adaptability, and sound judgment.

The result is teams that stay connected, and organisations that grow performance without losing what makes leadership human.

Rebooting isn’t about starting over. It’s about resetting how we operate.

activate the human side of leadership

activate the human side of leadership

Strengthen what technology can’t replace, presence, empathy and sound judgment when it matters most.

reboot what your leadership looks like

reboot what your leadership looks like

Step beyond doing into real leadership, and grow performance without losing connection.

build stronger, future-proof teams

build stronger, future-proof teams

Learn how to build trust fast across distance and difference, collaborate with technology, and perform under pressure.

meet your speakers

Hear from world-class executives, leadership experts and founders, and take home practical strategies and proven playbooks you can use straight away, plus lessons you’ll carry long after the summit ends.

Tim Arnold Best-Selling Author, Leadership Development ExpertLearn more

Tim Arnold Best-Selling Author, Leadership Development Expert

Maile Carnegie Former Executive at ANZ, Google, & Proctor & Gamble Learn more

Maile Carnegie Former Executive at ANZ, Google, & Proctor & Gamble

Mark Ritson World-leading Marketing Professor & Founder MiniMBALearn more

Mark Ritson World-leading Marketing Professor & Founder MiniMBA

Rich Hirst Co-founder & CEO, Abundium

Rich Hirst Co-founder & CEO, Abundium

Alexia Horley CEO ANZ foods, PepsiCoLearn more

Alexia Horley CEO ANZ foods, PepsiCo

steve thompsett

Steve Thompsett CEO for DHL Supply Chain Australia & New ZealandLearn more

Steve Thompsett CEO for DHL Supply Chain Australia & New Zealand

Silke Barlow Country General Manager Australia, LenovoLearn more

Silke Barlow Country General Manager Australia, Lenovo

Rose Herceg President, Australia & New Zealand, WPPLearn more

Rose Herceg President, Australia & New Zealand, WPP

the investment

Choose your pathway: book a seat for individual growth or lock in a table for team momentum. Want to keep building? Upgrade to the Emerging Leaders Forum for 12 months of learning and peer connection.

solo growth

$2,590+GST pp

1 x summit ticket

Individual growth

High-impact networking

Exclusive insights, resources & recordings

Deeper connection between CEO & team

Reserved table for enhanced team engagement

Stronger team alignment & collaboration

Bigger savings with a bundled table price

secure your seat

team acceleration

$2,190+GST pp (save $400 pp)*

8 x summit tickets

Team growth & development

High-impact networking

Exclusive insights, resources & recordings

Deeper connection between CEO and team

Reserved table for enhanced team engagement

Stronger team alignment & collaboration

Bigger savings with a bundled table price

*Total table investment is $17,520+GST. Saving based on standard individual seat pricing. Don’t wait – you can confirm your team closer to the Summit.

secure your table

elm forum upgrade

+ $2,190+GST pp (12-month subscription)*

8 x live masterclasses with world-class thinkers to sharpen your leadership edge

4 x in-person dialogues for policy, influence and high-calibre C-suite connection

4 x peer coaching sessions to crowdsolve real leadership challenges with multinational peers

Always-on access to recordings, insights and resources in Abundihub

*Upgrade by adding $2,190 + GST per person to your Summit ticket and receive all Summit benefits plus Emerging Leaders Forum access for 12 months from 1 May 2026. See sample program here.

upgrade now

reflections from the room

"The ELM summit provided excellent insights into how to develop key skills which enable young leaders to grow and advance whilst also providing great life techniques to provide the balance and create healthy minds and bodies"

Adam SharpManaging Director, SIKA Australia

"What a privilege to be able to attend ELM 2025, great speakers & networking opportunity with other emerging leaders, got many practical tips to balance performance & wellbeing."

Vanessa JuwitaCategory Manager, Clorox Australia

"Abundium always has the balance right between what affects us personally, what is relevant at the national level and the interactions at international relationships with HQ."

Christina GerakiteysCo-CEO, UtopiaX

"It was a great opportunity to meet new people and take a day to step back and think properly about how we can get the most out of ourselves and the people around us."

Joshua HughesHead of Data & Analytics, Buildcorp

"Abundium provided the inspiration to refocus and approach my future working career with a different perspective. Many key takeaways from respected and inspirational presenters."

Darren TylerOperations Manager ANZ, Abbott Australasia

elm'23 vicky brady

elm'23vicky brady

elm'23 peter fuda

elm'23peter fuda

elm'24 andy meikle

elm'24andy meikle

nicky sparshott

elm'24 nicky sparshott

elm'24nicky sparshott

elm'24 ian bailey

elm'24ian bailey

elm'25 steve vamos

elm'25steve vamos

chelsea pottenger

elm'25 chelsea pottenger

elm'25chelsea pottenger

elm'25 matt hall

elm'25matt hall

elm'25 cynthia scott

elm'25cynthia scott

elm'25 andrew may

elm'25andrew may

benefits

inspiration & learning

Be inspired by world-class leadership experts, experienced multi-national CEO's and executives and keynote speakers, gaining insights on human connection and leadership excellence.

practical & tactical

Walk away with actionable strategies to develop yourself and others, strengthening your organisation’s leadership pipeline and future readiness.

deepening relationships

Build stronger connections with current and emerging leaders in your organisation, including your CEO, fostering ongoing collaboration and growth.

new connections

Expand your network with leaders from other multinational organisations, creating opportunities to exchange ideas and explore new business relationships.

broader perspective

Gain a broader perspective, feel recognised by your company, and leave recharged and energised to lead in 2026 and beyond.

frequently asked questions

We're here to help. Can't find the answer to your question? Get in touch here.

Who can attend ELM 2026?

CEOs, c-suite execs and emerging leaders one or two levels below the local (ANZ)  country leadership team of a foreign owned company.  

I don't work for a multinational, can I attend ELM 2026? To ensure all those attending get a true peer experience, you must work for the local operation (ANZ) of a foreign owned multinational company.

What defines an ‘emerging leader’?

An ‘Emerging Leader’ is someone who sits below the country leadership team. They have great potential and are key talent to their organisation.

How should my company choose who attends? We suggest you select one or two people from each of your functions to attend ELM based on those that have expressed their desire to move up to join the country executive team. This approach promotes cross functional collaboration and relationship building, which is key to the future success as a country leader.

How does ELM 2026 compliment our in-house programs? ELM provides emerging leaders in multinationals with access to insights & experiences of global thought leaders, multinational CEOs, & peers outside their company and industry. This diversity of thought & wisdom is key in a rapidly changing world where the solutions to organisational challenges do not always exist within the walls of the company.

What if I only want to come to a few sessions?

ELM is designed as a full day experience, so we encourage you to attend the whole day, however if you need to miss a session that is at your discretion. Tickets are for the full day only. Tickets for individual sessions are not available. 

Will there be an ELM online offering in 2026?

No, ELM 2026 will be a completely live experience however attendees will have access to recordings following the summit via an exclusive online community for ELM 2026 attendees.

How can I apply to be an ELM 2026 Partner? We’re so glad you asked! We have 3 partnership tiers available, click here to learn more and email events@abundium.com to sign up.

How can my company or I apply to speak at ELM 2026? You can get in touch with us at events@abundium.com

Can I delegate my complimentary member seat? CEO, CPO, CFO, Executive & Emerging Leaders Forum members receive a complimentary seat at the ELM 2026 summit. Your complimentary seat can be delegated to a true peer only by 23 March 2026. Email events@abundium.com to delegate your seat.

Can I get my ticket refunded? We don’t want your ticket to go to waste so emerging leader tickets are transferable to anyone of your choosing as long as they meet the attendee criteria (see ‘who can attend’). Refunds for this event are not available.

How are you addressing and representing First Nations people at the event?

Abundium acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land where the event will take place.

We are working to ensure the event recognises and respectfully upholds inclusive cultural protocols. Our program is still being developed and will offer a diverse range of topics, people, and ideas.

How long has ELM been running for? ELM was an initiative conceived and launched in 2013 by Rich Hirst when he was a Director of the CEO Forum Group. Well over 2,000 people have participated in ELM since then. In 2020 Rich founded Abundium, a knowledge network for the local leaders of foreign owned organisations. The ELM program was relaunched in 2023 for a new audience of emerging leaders.

How can I learn more about Abundium? The Abundium website is your first stop for information on why we exist, who we are and what we do. Check out this page footer to sign-up for our newsletters. For additional content and highlights, find us on Linkedin and use '@abundium' to mention us. Our event hashtag is #abundiumelm.