NHS HR chief Clare Chapman gave a keynote speech to health service professionals at the conference yesterday.
She dispensed with the lectern straight away and strode confidently around the stage, setting out her vision and priorities for the NHS workforce to a packed auditorium at the ICC in Birmingham.
Key messages were to do with improving services for patients, connecting more with staff and personal leadership - what Chapman called being "internally coherent".
She drew on her previous experience as personnel director at Tesco, though not as much as in previous presentations as to be accused of focusing on the past.
She also espoused the business acumen of ex-GE chief executive Jack Welch, otherwise known as "Neutron Jack", for his reputation for firing underperforming managers and axing thousands of staff.
I sensed some slightly uncomfortable shifting in seats as hundreds of HR professionals wondered whether Chapman might adopt the same tactics in the NHS.
She admitted that her job at Tesco was "starting to feel a long time ago", (it's less than a year since she left) which gives a little insight into how big and all-consuming the job at hand is.
But she said she took the job because she wanted to do something that was important to her. Borrowing from Tony Blair, she felt HR professionals had "the hand of history" on their shoulders and could make a real difference in the service.
I thought it was a pretty impressive performance and delegates clearly agreed - she received long and loud applause.
Now let's see whether those in the audience can turn words into action.
