HR Conclave and World Café on the New Age Manager
Building on this momentum, the HR Conclave and World Café on the New Age Manager was hosted at IIM Bangalore on 20th February 2026, bringing together industry leaders, faculty, and HR professionals for a dynamic half-day dialogue on the evolving nature of managerial roles. The event kicked off with an opening address by Sitaraman Shankar, CEO, IIMBx, who underscored the urgency of reimagining early-career pathways and leadership readiness. A strategic insights session by Dr. G. Shainesh explored shifting market expectations and digital transformation, followed by the keynote by Dr. Vasanthi Srinivasan that used an interactive Mentimeter flow to surface participant reflections on changing capabilities and the pressures new managers face. The highlight was the World of Work Café, where rotating discussions across large enterprises, scaling ventures and founder-led MSMEs enabled candid exchanges on roles, competencies and developmental needs, including what technology can enhance and what remains uniquely human. The conclave concluded with the session led by Dr. Gopal Mahapatra, Chairperson and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area of IIMB, on ‘The New Age Manager’ and closing remarks that reinforced the need to invest not only in skills, but also in judgement, resilience and ethical grounding. The event successfully created a reflective yet forward-looking space for HR leaders to rethink capability building for the next generation of managers.
