The most important discussions frequently take place in the background. This session focuses on the "hidden curriculum" of the office and is designed to help you see what’s actually happening around you, not just what’s officially on the agenda.

What we will cover:

• Why influence is rarely tied to a job title and how to identify the trust networks that actually move the needle.

• Why we often misread situations when we have skin in the game, and how to distinguish between resistance to your idea versus resistance to the moment.

• Learn the one specific question that moves you from defensive to curious the second a pitch starts to slide off the rails.

Meet the speaker:

Belinda Brummer - Founder, Boost Learning

Belinda has spent her career at the intersection of how organisations are supposed to work and how they actually do. As founder of Boost Learning, and with over two decades spanning senior HR leadership, management consultancy, and learning design, she has worked with Boards to shape people strategy, and she has sat with the person trying to navigate a difficult conversation before their next meeting. This dual perspective shapes everything she does.

A UCD alumna herself, Belinda has led HR functions through growth, acquisition, and organisational change across Ireland, the UK, Europe, and the US, working with technology companies, NGOs, government-funded bodies, and scaling startups. She holds an MBS in Management Consultancy with First Class Honours from UCD Michael Smurfit Business School, and through her consultancy work and The Manager’s Moment Podcast, she regularly explores what it genuinely takes to read situations well, build trust, and influence outcomes in organisations that rarely hand you the manual.

She brings genuine curiosity about what makes people tick in workplaces and has a low tolerance for advice that doesn't survive contact with reality.