On 23 June 2026, activpayroll and Unit4 Prosoft will host Workforce Intelligence 2.0 in Malaysia, bringing together HR leaders, payroll professionals and transformation specialists to explore how organisations can build AI-ready, adaptable and resilient workforces at a time when technology is advancing faster than workforce capability.
Across ASEAN, organisations are continuing to invest heavily in AI, workforce transformation and digital capability. However, many businesses are still facing the same challenge: how to translate investment in technology and workforce initiatives into measurable business outcomes.
The event will focus on the practical workforce challenges organisations are currently navigating across workforce strategy, organisational culture, leadership and capability development.
Business leaders are under increasing pressure to improve productivity, manage workforce costs and respond to changing employee expectations, while continuing to navigate skills shortages and organisational change. Increasingly, organisations are recognising that workforce transformation is not solely a technology challenge, but equally a leadership, culture and workforce readiness challenge.
Rather than focusing on AI trends alone, Workforce Intelligence 2.0 will explore how organisations can create workforces capable of sustaining growth and adapting to continuous change.
For many organisations, workforce transformation discussions have traditionally centred around hiring strategies, training programmes or technology implementation. However, emerging workforce challenges are exposing the limitations of approaching these issues independently.
Across the region, HR leaders are increasingly confronting several connected realities:
These challenges are forcing organisations to rethink how workforce capability is identified, developed and sustained.
The concept of Workforce Intelligence 2.0 reflects this shift, moving beyond static HR reporting towards a more integrated approach that combines workforce data, skills intelligence, organisational culture and business strategy.
For payroll and HR leaders, this evolution is particularly significant. Workforce data is no longer viewed solely as operational information. Increasingly, it is becoming a strategic asset that can support workforce planning, capability development and long-term organisational decision making.
The event will bring together industry leaders to share perspectives on the workforce, leadership and organisational challenges emerging alongside AI adoption.
Sharala Axryd, Founder and CEO of CADS AI, will discuss workforce intelligence, AI capability and the changing nature of workforce transformation during her session, “Workforce 2.0 – You can’t HIRE your way out of this”.
Drawing on her experience working with organisations across ASEAN, Sharala will explore why businesses need to think differently about talent strategy, workforce readiness and internal capability development as AI adoption accelerates across the region.
Imad Abd Latif, Country HR Director at bp Malaysia, will also share perspectives from his international leadership experience during his session, “AI & Culture”.
With experience across multiple regions and business environments, Imad will explore how organisations can build cultures that support adaptability, leadership development and sustainable workforce transformation.
Together, the sessions will contribute to a broader discussion around how organisations can balance technological change with workforce engagement, organisational resilience and long-term business priorities.
The event will also include an audience-led panel discussion from 11:20am to 11:45am, moderated by Manish Mehta, Regional Director of Payroll Operations and Head of Global Support Services, APAC Operations at activpayroll. The session will focus on workforce readiness challenges, and the organisational barriers businesses are encountering as AI adoption accelerates, including how organisations are measuring workforce readiness beyond training completion metrics and whether current workforce strategies are delivering meaningful behavioural change.
The Workforce Intelligence 2.0 event also reflects a broader shift taking place across payroll, HR and workforce management functions.
Historically viewed primarily as operational functions, payroll and workforce data teams are now playing a more strategic role in helping organisations understand workforce trends, support compliance, improve workforce planning and support decision making.
For organisations operating across multiple markets, this becomes increasingly important when navigating:
By bringing together perspectives from workforce intelligence, organisational culture, payroll and HR transformation, activpayroll and Unit4 Prosoft aim to facilitate practical industry discussion around the future of workforce strategy and organisational readiness.
Event Details
Event: Workforce Intelligence 2.0
Date: 23 June 2026
Location: activpayroll APAC HQ, KL
Hosts: activpayroll and Unit4 Prosoft
Find out more and register here