Panel 2: Embedding Wellbeing into Organisational Strategy

Emily Pearson is a founder, author and pioneer of human sustainability, leading the movement to reposition workplace wellbeing from a nice-to-have initiative to a business-critical strategy. With more than 25 years’ experience across health, social care, workplace mental health and organisational wellbeing, Emily is the founder of the Wellbeing Lead Academy - the UK’s only nationally accredited career pathway for Wellbeing Leads. Her work equips HR professionals, wellbeing leads and senior leaders to build evidence-based, measurable wellbeing strategies that reduce risk, improve culture and create the conditions for people and organisations to thrive. Emily is a multi-award-winning wellbeing and business leader and was named a 2026 winner of the Lifetime Impact in Workplace Wellbeing Award at the Great British Workplace Wellbeing Awards. Her work has been recognised for its contribution to advancing strategic workplace wellbeing and elevating the role of the wellbeing lead as a critical partner in business success. As an author and speaker, Emily brings a rare combination of lived experience, professional expertise and commercial insight. She speaks with honesty, warmth and conviction about the human cost of poor work, the strategic value of wellbeing, and why the future of sustainable business depends on leaders who understand that profit follows people. Her mission is clear: to help CEOs and organisations embed wellbeing into the DNA of business - not as a perk, programme or poster campaign, but as a powerful driver of performance, retention, resilience, social value and human thriving.

Claire Cathcart is an award-winning HR professional and Founder of ELEVATE Hub, one of the UK's fastest-growing communities for HR professionals. With over 15 years' experience spanning FTSE 100 organisations, scale-ups and high-growth businesses, Claire is passionate about helping HR professionals build confidence, develop their careers and create meaningful impact within their organisations. Named one of the UK's Most Influential HR Practitioners, she is known for her practical, engaging and honest approach to topics including career development, leadership, wellbeing and the future of HR. Through ELEVATE Hub, Claire supports hundreds of HR professionals through learning, networking, mentoring and community, creating a space where people can grow, connect and thrive.

Stuart Clack is a passionate advocate for workplace health and wellbeing, bringing over a decade of experience in developing practical, people-first approaches that place culture and lived experience at the heart of wellbeing. He believes wellbeing should be embedded into everyday working life rather than treated as a standalone initiative, empowering individuals to take ownership of their own physical and mental health. His approach focuses on building psychological safety, encouraging open conversations, and supporting early intervention to create environments where people feel safe, valued and able to thrive. Stuart is committed to driving sustainable change by aligning wellbeing with organisational priorities, ensuring it delivers lasting impact for both individuals and the wider business. His work has contributed to wider industry thinking, supporting Deloitte and Business in the Community (BITC) research and publications, and most recently being part of the focus group that helped shape the Principles of Workplace Health & Wellbeing Leadership. His leadership has been widely recognised, earning multiple accolades including This Can Happen Wellbeing Team of the Year, Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) Health & Workplace Wellbeing, Medway Healthy Workplaces, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Great British Wellbeing Awards