Cross-Functional Leadership: How HR, L&D, and Safety teams can work together to build psychologically healthy, safe and high-performing workplaces

Arthur Papagiannis, CEO & Founder of AP Psychology & Consulting Services, sits down with Michael Knight, People Director at Woolworths Group, for an important conversation on how cross-functional leadership (HR, L&D, and Safety teams) is reshaping the future of workplace psychological health and safety. 

This engaging session explores how forward-thinking organisations are moving away from silos - approaching psychological health and safety through a unified lens to drive sustainable impact and success.

3 Key Learnings:

1. The role cross-functional leadership - HR, L&D and Safety plays to elevate psychological health and safety- improving work design, culture and leadership practices
2. Embedding psychological health and safety by taking an integrated approach across the employee lifecycle
3. Leading culture change in high-risk and complex environments- improving employee advocacy, engagement, and safety

About Michael

Michael’s knowledge and experience in Human Resources (HR) spans more than 20 years across South Africa and Australia. He has experience in the FMCG and retail sectors in both generalist HR and specialist roles, with an emphasis on employee relations and organisation development. Michael has extensive experience as a trusted advisor to senior executives. He is known for his ability to enable transformation and culture change, and for shaping talent strategies and roadmaps. In his role as the People Director for a number of business units across Woolworths Group, Michael is passionate about having a positive and sustainable impact on business and people outcomes.

Michael is responsible for a team of People partnering experts who suppor 20,000 team members across Primary Connect (Woolworths Supply Chain), Big W, WMP, and W360. Prior to joining Woolworths Group, Michael held key roles with Unilever, Goodman Fielder, and Staples. He has a Bachelor of Art (Honours) and is accredited in a number of tools, including the Life Styles Inventory (LSI). He has completed a company director’s course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and served on the Board of the not-for-profit organisation, Enactus. In 2015, he was named as an Australian Financial Review (AFR) Young Executive of the Year.