Leading recruitment company Acorn by Synergie and commercial law firm Darwin Gray, in partnership with Beam Development and Training, welcomed HR professionals to its latest Wales HR Network event called ‘Why wellbeing isn’t a tick-box exercise’.
The event, which took place on May 14 in Cardiff’s Greyfriars House and was hosted by Confused.com, brought together leading voices from across the HR and business community to explore the vital connection between employee wellbeing and professional growth.
The discussion focused on moving beyond surface-level initiatives, instead encouraging organisations to take a more holistic and strategic approach.
Attendees gained practical insights into how supporting employee wellbeing can directly enhance engagement, productivity, and long-term organisational success.
The event also highlighted how organisations can build resilience and drive high performance by embedding meaningful wellbeing strategies into their workplace culture.
The expert panel featured Lianne Weaver, Director at Beam Development & Training, Liz Hayward, Strategic People Partner at Pennon Group, Christina Green, Chief People Officer at Signable and Laura Harte, HR Advisor at Confused.com
Lianne Weaver, Managing Director at Beam Development and Training said:
“Wellbeing is not about one-off initiatives or ticking a box or doing an event on a key awareness day, it’s about creating a culture of wellbeing throughout the entire organisation. When that happens it shows in how people are led, how they’re listened to, how they show up at work, how pressure is managed, how stress is handled, and ultimately how psychologically safe people feel to be their authentic selves. True wellbeing needs to be shared, lived, demonstrated across the entire organisation.”
Each panellist shared real-world experiences and actionable strategies, covering topics such as leadership accountability, creating psychologically safe workplaces, and aligning wellbeing initiatives with broader business goals.
The session also provided attendees with the opportunity to network with peers, exchange ideas, and reflect on how their own organisations can evolve their approach to people management.
Emily Meredith, Head of HR at Acorn by Synergie, commented:
“This was a fantastic event and the level of insight and openness from our panellists was inspiring. It’s clear that wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s fundamental to building strong, successful organisations.
“This was a fantastic event and the level of insight and openness from our panellists was inspiring. It’s clear that wellbeing is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s fundamental to building strong, successful organisations.
“We’re proud to bring together such knowledgeable voices and create a space where HR professionals can learn, connect, and take away practical ideas they can implement straight away.”
Owen John, Head of Employment & HR at Darwin Gray added: “It has been a pleasure to bring together yet another expert panel to share valuable insights on such an important topic. Wellbeing can be a complex topic when it comes to employment law and HR best practice and it’s fantastic to hear so many positive and progressive approaches surrounding it.
“We’re thrilled with the success of the People Power series so far and look forward to delivering more value to our Wales HR Network community as we plan for the rest of 2026 and beyond.”
The next event in the series will be taking place in the Autumn. The Wales HR Network is designed to support HR professionals by providing a platform for discussion, learning, and collaboration on the most pressing people-related challenges facing organisations today.
