Staffbase, the first AI-native employee experience platform, today announced its keynote speakers and agenda for the return of VOICES 2026, the premier global summit for employee communicators, HR and IT professionals, which will take place on May 12, 2026, from 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm ET. This year’s event will bring together some of the brightest minds from leading global organizations, highlight real-world case studies from communications, IT, and people leaders, and uncover practical frameworks for unlocking organizational agility, connection, and belonging for every employee.
This year’s lineup of speakers includes a wide range of top industry authorities and thought leaders, including CPOs, CHROs, Chief Communications Officers, as well as brand and technology leaders from Mattel, Intel, Deere & Company, Yum! Brands, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Life Time Inc., M&T Bank, and more.
In an era of digital acceleration, the gap between AI strategy and employee execution is a defining challenge for modern enterprises. According to MIT’s The Gen AI Divide report, 90% of organizations have launched AI projects, but only 5% are seeing meaningful business outcomes. VOICES 2026 addresses this value gap, providing the blueprint for turning AI ambition into operational reality to better employee experience. Leaders must find ways to provide clarity amid instability while turning access to information into a competitive advantage.
VOICES Americas 2026 will help communications and digital workplace leaders tackle the transition from AI ambition into operational reality, particularly for hard-to-reach workers. Industry leaders will lead discussions surrounding enterprise transformation blueprints, explore real-world case studies from digital workplace practitioners, and unlock the frameworks needed to build an AI-native experience for every employee, from the corporate office to the frontline.
“We are at a point where the disconnect between AI ambition and frontline reality has become a significant business risk. If an AI strategy only exists in the boardroom, it is effectively a failed strategy,” said Dave Maffei, Staffbase GM and SVP of the Americas. “The criticality of this moment lies in our ability to bridge that gap. We have to move past the hype to focus on the organizational and cultural infrastructure needed to reach the hardest-to-reach employees. Success won’t be defined solely by the tools we deploy, but by how supported people feel during this transition and how effectively their potential is maximized.”
The current agenda includes:
- EXperts on EXperts: Building human edge in the AI Era: Join Karen Ancira, EVP & Chief People Officer at Mattel, Andrea Whitney, Chief Communications and Community Impact Officer at Yum! Brands, and Matt Heinrichs, SVP of Technology at Life Time Inc., for a cross-functional discussion surrounding scaling Agentic AI and high-speed transformation without sacrificing the clarity, shared meaning, and connection that define the human edge.
- Building an AI-Ready Intranet for Every Employee with Intel, Henry Schein, and Deere & Company: This panel of experienced global workplace leaders will share their “how-tos” for designing an experience hub with impact. They will explore the three pillars of a modern intranet strategy: designing for the hardest-to-reach employees first, establishing the content governance required for an AI-ready foundation, and reducing digital friction across the organization.
- AI and Employee Experience in 2026: Key Shifts Reshaping the Sector: In this keynote, Staffbase Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Frank Wolf will address how the AI conversation in employee experience has moved past ‘should we?’ and well into ‘how do we?’. He will share a strategic view of the key shifts defining the sector in 2026: what’s actually working, where the profession is headed, and what organizations need to build now to turn AI ambition into lasting employee value.
- Leading Through the AI Shift: A CHRO Conversation on Culture, Trust, and the Future of Work: Join this fireside chat with CHRO leaders from organizations such as The Magnum Ice Cream Company as they explore how to rebuild trust, belonging, and shared experience, from addressing FOBO (fear of becoming obsolete) to ensuring ensuring AI enhances rather than erodes the human experience at work.
- Sin Filtro: The AI Workplace Roast! IT, HR, and Comms Leaders Tell the Truth About the Future of Work: In this fast-paced, unfiltered session, leaders from IT, HR, and Internal Communications at M&T Bank and Mission Fed Credit Union share what really happens when AI hits the workplace. From implementations that looked great on paper but landed very differently with employees, to leadership missteps and GenAI gone wrong, nothing is off limits.Explore Hrtech Articles for the latest Tech Trends in Human Resources Technology
