How Will HR Change in the AI Era? Three Practitioners Discuss the Future of Human Resources – Speakers Announced for HR Craft Night Vol.50 "NEXT" Session 2 – August 20, 2026

United Recruitment Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yuki Hayakawa; Securities Code: 2497), a consolidated subsidiary of United Co., Ltd., announces that speakers for Session 2, "How Will HR Change with AI," at HR Craft Night Vol.50 "NEXT" to be held on Thursday, August 20, 2026, have been confirmed.

At this milestone 50th event, following Session 1 "The Future of HR," a panel discussion titled "How Will HR Change with AI" will be held as Session 2.

For Session 2, three practitioners leading HR and organizational development at rapidly growing companies while engaging with AI, technology, and the future of HR—Tomoaki Shikano, Executive Officer and CHRO at MyBest Inc.; Yoritaka Handa, Director at Exa Enterprise AI Inc.; and Yasuhisa Katsuramura, Specialist Officer and Head of HR at PeopleX Inc.—will take the stage. They will discuss how HR functions such as recruitment, development, evaluation, and organizational operations will change with AI, and what roles HR should play in the AI era. These three leaders, standing at the forefront of change, will share their insights as practitioners.

Taking Connections to the Next Stage

"HR Craft Night" has been an offline networking event since 2022, exclusively for corporate HR professionals, themed around "building connections over sushi and craft beer." It brings together HR professionals across companies and positions to gather, learn honestly, and build relationships.

HR Craft Night Vol.50 "NEXT," marking its 50th edition, will be held on a large scale as a commemorative event to launch the next chapter of HR Craft Night, building on past encounters and dialogues while welcoming new participants.

The event will include a retrospective of the past 50 sessions, special sessions featuring guest speakers active in the HR industry, and networking among participants.

About Session 2 "How Will HR Change with AI"

The second panel discussion, Session 2, will explore how the evolution of AI is transforming the HR field, under the theme "How Will HR Change with AI."

With the growing adoption of generative AI and AI agents, the potential for AI application is expanding across many HR functions—such as building connections with candidates, crafting outreach messages, interview preparation, organizing performance data, onboarding, talent placement, and visualizing organizational health.

However, simply introducing AI does not automatically increase HR’s value. We must consider how to distinguish between tasks suitable for AI and those requiring human judgment. While leveraging data and technology, how can we unlock the potential of people and organizations? The AI era demands more fundamental questions from HR than ever before.

This session will deeply explore the role of HR in the AI era, changes in HR operations, and the perspectives required of HR professionals moving forward, featuring three leaders who have driven organizational transformation and business growth.

Planned discussion topics include:

- How will recruitment, development, evaluation, and placement change with AI?

- What HR tasks should be delegated to AI, and which should remain with humans?

- How will the skills and roles required of HR professionals evolve in the AI era?

- How can HR take on a more strategic role through AI adoption?

- As technology advances, what aspects of "humanity" should HR focus on?

This session will explore the future of HR at the intersection of technology and human potential.

About Session 2 "How Will HR Change with AI"

Tomoaki Shikano

MyBest Inc.

Executive Officer, CHRO, and Head of HR

Joined RECRUIT Holdings in 2014. After serving as regional manager for recruitment services, he moved to the business strategy division, leading operational improvements, corporate strategy development, and new service launches. Later transferred to HR, where as Head of HR Strategy, he oversaw recruitment, employer branding, and talent development. He led annual hiring of around 400 people and built organizational foundations in a company that rapidly expanded from 300 to approximately 1,200 employees, with annual revenue reaching 50 billion yen.

In May 2021, joined MyBest Inc., a LINE Yahoo Group company, as Executive Officer, CHRO, and Head of HR, overseeing all HR functions including labor management. At the company, which has around 250 employees in a growth phase, he is driving organizational foundation building. He has conducted over 10,000 interviews in total.

Yoritaka Handa

Exa Enterprise AI Inc.

Director

Graduated from Keio University. Joined Benesse Corporation in 2010, working in marketing and business development. Moved to Recruit Holdings in 2015, leading domestic and international tech recruitment projects, including mid-career hiring, establishing development hubs following Indeed’s PMI, and hiring local leaders for overseas subsidiaries. Joined ExaWizards in 2018 as HR lead, supporting rapid organizational growth and contributing to the company being ranked No.1 in Japan in LinkedIn’s "Top Startups 2019." He was also awarded MVP in HR by LinkedIn Japan the same year. Appointed Executive Officer in April 2022, and currently serves as Director and Head of Business Development at Exa Enterprise AI.

Yasuhisa Katsuramura

PeopleX Inc.

Specialist Officer, Head of HR

Joined a human resources company as a new graduate, holding roles including Sales Manager and New Business Development. Contributed to a Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime listing, then served as VP of HR, overseeing recruitment, HR planning, and organizational development. After joining a startup, he served as CHRO overseeing all HR functions, and as an Executive Officer leading business development and media management, driving major fundraising and subsidiary establishment. After a sabbatical, he joined PeopleX in June 2024. Having served as director of a joint venture with a listed company and Head of the President’s Office, he currently oversees all HR functions as a Specialist Officer while also holding multiple roles in product development and AX consulting.

Event Overview

Event Name

HR Craft Night Vol.50 "NEXT"

Date and Time

Thursday, August 20, 2026, 19:30–22:00

Venue

United Co., Ltd. Office, MFPR Shibuya Building, 1-2-5 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (Map)

Target Participants

HR and personnel professionals, HR managers, CHROs, HRBPs, and those involved in recruitment, organizational development, and talent development

Expected Number of Participants

Approximately 100–150

Participation Fee

3,000 JPY [Introduction Discount] Enter the full name of the referrer in the "Referrer Name" field on the application form to receive a 1,000 JPY discount for both the referrer and the referred.

Registration URL

https://share.hsforms.com/177uwxCQ8Ty6psP3VmMjjuAddsox

[Introduction Discount]

Enter the full name of the referrer in the "Referrer Name" field on the application form to receive a 1,000 JPY discount for both the referrer and the referred.