The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR
The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR features interviews with CHROs, Chief People Officers, and other work experts. They share what's working, what's not, and how they've gotten to where they're at in their careers.
Episodes
313 - The New Power Duo: CHRO + CTO (Sunaina Lobo, Chief People Officer, Omnissa)
Sunaina Lobo, Chief People Officer at Omnissa, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why the HR-IT partnership is becoming critical in the AI era, how Omnissa is approaching AI transformation with a small but mighty team, and what it takes to build an AI-first culture while maintaining trust and engagement.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBo
312 - How an Army General Mobilized a 30,000-Person Company to Build Talent from Within: Patricia Frost, Chief People & Places Officer, Seagate
Patricia Frost, Chief People and Places Officer at Seagate, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her military-to-CPO journey, how Seagate built Talent Link to unlock internal mobility, and what it looks like to democratize AI across a global workforce.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 20
311 - How Mejuri Runs: Operating Model, Biz Reviews & Decision Velocity (Kate Railton, Chief People Officer at Mejuri)
Kate Railton, Chief People Officer at Mejuri, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how Mejuri transitioned from e-commerce into retail, why they've decided to flatten the organization, and the business review cadences and operating model that allow them to move faster.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (0
310 - Rethinking the Manager Role & Career Growth (CPOs of Yelp, Zapier, & Time Doctor @ Running Remote)
Daniel moderated a live panel at Running Remote 2026 with Carmen Amara (Yelp), Brandon Sammut (Zapier), and Vinícius Coelho (Time Doctor) to discuss how AI is reshaping leadership, management, and career growth. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 Deloitte Human Capital Tre
309 - Why AI Should Give Us Time Back, Not More Work: Ray'n Terry (Chief People Officer, MOO)
Ray'n Terry, Chief People Officer at MOO, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss why AI should create more space for humanity at work instead of simply increasing productivity. We talked about balancing business performance with employee wellbeing, rethinking performance management in an AI-powered world, and why leaders must intentionally help people reclaim time, creativity, and co
308 - Lean Into the White Space: Amy Reichanadter (Chief People Officer, Databricks)
Amy Reichanadter, Chief People Officer at Databricks, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss her upskilling journey throughout her career, creating consumer-grade employee experiences, and leading through rapid technological change. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl---- (07:28) Long-Term Career Growth and the Value of Staying Power(10:35) Why Continu
How Does AI Make Employees Feel? (What Medium's Data Says): Cameron Price, Head of People & Talent at Medium
Cameron Price, Head of People & Talent at Medium, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss how people teams can lead AI change management through trust, curiosity, and human-centered design. We talked about AI fluency, balancing innovation with authenticity, measuring employee sentiment around AI adoption, and why humans-first leadership matters more than ever. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Bo
306 - Breaking Down the HR-Finance Gap: Nir Leibovich (Intuit QuickBooks Workforce)
Nir Leibovich, Product Executive at QuickBooks Workforce, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss why HR and finance teams struggle when data lives in silos and how unified systems create better business decisions. Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode306---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Ti
305 - HR Alone Can't Create High Performance: Amy Schwartz, Head of Global HR at Wiz
Amy Schwartz, Chief People Officer at Wiz, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why HR alone can't create a high-performance culture, why relationships and influence matter more than HR systems, and why "picking up the trash" - a leadership philosophy she picked up working in casinos - has stuck with her ever since.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf a
304 - What Actually Being People-First Looks Like: Laura Tomaino (Chief People Officer, Glooko)
Laura Tomaino, Chief People Officer at Glooko, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why “People-First” leadership feels harder in 2026 and what it actually looks like to live up to that today.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (08:51) Building HR from Scratch a
303 - Directed Innovation: How to Point AI at Something That Actually Matters (Jevan Lenox, Chief People Officer, Writer)
Jevan Lenox, Chief People Officer at Writer, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why AI adoption alone is not enough, how companies can use “directed innovation” to drive real business outcomes with AI, and what high performance looks like in the AI era.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗
302 - Are we ready for AI Coaching?
Kirsten Moorefield, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder at Cloverleaf, Sarika Lamont, CPO at Vidyard, and Sarah Royer, Sr. Manager of People Ops at Nirvana Insurance, joined us on The Modern People Leader for a live discussion on AI coaching. We talked about what AI coaching actually means today, building these tools in-house versus buying, and why career growth will never be a perfect checkli
301 - There's No “Right Answer” Anymore in HR: Jevan Lenox (Chief People Officer, Writer) & Cara Brennan Allamano (Founder, People Tech Partners)
Cara Brennan Allamano (Founder of PeopleTech Partners and former Chief People Officer at Lattice) and Jevan Lenox (Chief People Officer at Writer) joined Stephen at Fix Healthcare Live. They talked about the growing pressure on HR leaders and why modern people leaders need to rethink how they operate in a rapidly changing world.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 Deloitte Human Capital Trends
300 - Supporting Parents: AVP of Global Benefits & Well-being at Merck + CEO of Wellthy
Lindsay Jurist-Rosner, Co-Founder and CEO of Wellthy, and Stephan Dolling, AVP of Global Benefits & Well-being at Merck, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the rising pressures facing working families and what companies can do to support their employees that are caregivers.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks P
299 - AMA with Jessica Zwaan on Org Design & Metrics
Jessica Zwaan, VP People Strategy & Operations at Leapsome and author of Built For People, joined us for another MPL Build AMA. This time we talked about how to redesign your People team if you're running your team like a product team, why metrics like internal promotion retention matter more than traditional HR KPIs, and more.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 Deloitte Human Capital
298 - How to Stop Managing from Memory: Amin Palizban (Co-founder & CEO, Topicflow)
Amin Palizban, Co-Founder & CEO of TopicFlow, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why managers are at a breaking point, how AI is transforming performance management, and what it takes to build AI-native people products that actually support managers in real time.---- Get the AI for Performance Management Toolkit: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/aiforperformanceSponsor L
The Emotional Load of Today’s CPO (MPL Live Toronto): CPOs of Mejuri, 1Password, & TouchBistro
In this live episode of The Modern People Leader recorded in Toronto, the crew reflects on the evolving role of HR leaders amid rising AI pressure, shifting expectations, and increasing emotional load. They unpack real-time challenges around strategy clarity, leadership trust, and how people teams must adapt to stay effective in a rapidly changing world. Our guests for this episode:- Kate Railton,
296 - Rethinking How we Pay People: James Seechurn (Author of 'What Pay Costs’ & ‘Nothing Left to Take Away’
James Seechurn, Author of ‘What Pay Costs’ and ‘Nothing Left to Take Away’, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about why traditional “pay for performance” systems often fail—both because individual performance is hard to measure in knowledge work and because incentives don’t actually drive better outcomes. We also explored a new definition of performance centered on innovation, and ho
295 - Workplace Dread, Gen Z, & Leaving Your "Heart Print": Claude Silver (Chief Heart Officer, VaynerX)
Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why workplace dread is increasing in today’s environment, what Claude has learned from Gen Z employees, and how leaders can leave their “heart print” on the people they work with.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL L
294 - AI Is Turning HR into Builders: Zachary Parris (AI x Talent @ Google)
Zachary Parris, who’s re-imagining talent development for the AI era at Google, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how AI is turning HR leaders into builders, why product thinking is replacing traditional HR programs, and how anyone can now create impactful tools without a technical background. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn mor
293 - How Sutter Health Reduced Attrition by 40% Across 60k Employees: Deborah Yount, CHRO at Sutter Health
Deborah Yount, CHRO at Sutter Health, joined us on The Modern People Leader to share her journey from finance to leading HR at one of the largest healthcare systems in the U.S. We discussed how Sutter reduced turnover by nearly 40%, built a culture of leadership accountability, and scaled employee experience and development across 60,000+ employees.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at he
292 - Why the CIO-CPO Duo Is a Force Multiplier for Companies
Eva Majercsik (Chief People Officer) and Trevor Schulze (CIO) at Genesys joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how AI is reshaping how humans and machines work together, why CIO and CPO partnerships are more important than ever, and how to lead a human-centered AI transformation across the organization. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Lea
291 - HR Practitioner Turned Founder (On Thinking Like a CEO): Amit Rapaport (Co-Founder & CEO, Compete)
Amit Rapaport, Co-Founder & CEO of Compete, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why most HR metrics don’t matter to your CEO, how to think like a CEO when looking at workforce data, and more.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/5-hr-rulesSponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL
290 - Working for a Visionary Founder & The Great Talent Transfer: Beth Ley (Chief People Officer, Kendra Scott)
Beth Ley, Chief People Officer at Kendra Scott, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to build the number one workplace for women, the “Great Talent Transfer” and Beth’s vision for internal talent mobility, and what it’s like to work with a visionary founder.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl---- (09:10
289 - How to build an HR consulting business (And Scale to $500K Fast)
Matt McFarlane, Founder of FNDN, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how to build a successful HR consulting business, why niching down and strong branding matter, and how to create sustainable growth through content, community, and a portfolio career.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗
288 - It’s Not a Benefits Problem. It’s a Behavior Problem
Most benefits strategies fail for one simple reason: employees don’t know how to use them. Matt Scovil, Co-Founder and CEO of Medefy, joined us to break down why confusing benefits lead to higher healthcare costs, why behavior change is the real unlock, and how HR teams can turn benefits from a cost center into something employees actually use.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://mod
287 - How This CEO–CPO Duo Is Preparing Their Organization for the AI Era: Alex Coonce & Patrick Quigley (Sidecar Health
Alex Coonce (Chief People Officer) and Patrick Quigley (CEO) from Sidecar Health joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about building a strong CEO–CPO partnership, why culture must scale before headcount does, and how companies can become AI-native while staying transparent with employees.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode287Sponsor Lin
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Great Leave Experience
Kim Smith from Tilt joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how personalized leave support creates a better employee experience, what managers and HR teams often miss during leave transitions, and how to build a modern leave process that balances compliance, communication, and care.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode286Sponsor Links:
3 Frameworks to Build a Winning People Strategy (In Your First 90 Days): Melissa Theiss (Head of People Ops, Kit)
Melissa Theiss, Head of People Ops at Kit, joined us on The Modern People Leader to break down how HR leaders can build real business acumen using practical frameworks like Track-Racehorse-Jockey, her PeopleOps maturity diagnostic, and a 90-in-90 listening tour. We also walked through how to turn employee feedback into an actionable backlog and use it to shape a people strategy that supports the b
MPL Build AMA: So You’re People Ops as a Product Curious? (Jessica Zwaan)
Jessica Zwaan joined us on The Modern People Leader for MPL Build’s first-ever AMA, alongside Jalene Vandermey-Jackson from Workleap. We talked about what traditional HR mindsets must be let go to become builders, how to collect lightweight employee feedback to help build the right products, and more.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode284Sponsor Li
283 - The Five Frictions Framework for AI Adoption: Diane Sadowski-Joseph (Co-Founder, Clarinet)
Diane Sadowski-Joseph, Co-Founder of Clarinet, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why most AI adoption stalls at “talking the talk,” how to choose the right AI use cases using the “trifecta” and the Five Frictions framework, and how “click cutters” can unlock compounding gains by removing cognitive and workflow friction.---- Here’s everything Diane referenced: https://modernpe
282 - The Career Tradeoffs No One Talks About: Liz Bronson (VP People, Skimmer)
Liz Bronson, VP of People at Skimmer, joined us on The Modern People Leader to talk about intentionally “flatlining” her career for a period of time to prioritize parenting. ---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode282Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/A
Wise’s 5-Step Playbook for Building Culture Across Borders: Isabel Naidoo (Chief People Officer, Wise)
Isabel Naidoo, Chief People Officer at Wise, joined us on The Modern People Leader to share how Wise builds a cohesive employee experience across global offices while still honoring local identity. ---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode281Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AI🔗 Learn mor
280 - Being Async-First, Building an AI Ops Squad, & the “Embarrassing V1 Method”: Chase Warrington (Doist)
Chase Warrington, Head of Operations at Doist, joined us on The Modern People Leader to break down how async-first work enables faster decision-making, stronger culture, and scalable operations. We talked about building trust without offices, the systems and rituals behind Doist’s execution velocity, and why async workflows are foundational to effective AI adoption.---- Downloadable PDF with top
279 - Inside Viva’s Award-Winning AI Transformation: Jani Sanguino (Head of People, Viva)
Jani Sanguino joined us on The Modern People Leader to share how Viva built an award-winning, manager-led AI transformation. We talked about the three AI competencies they prioritized, their 13-week manager-led learning path, and the most impactful use cases for their business.---- Go deeper on Viva's AI Journey in Roundtable with Jani (only 10 seats): execviva.com/mplDownloadable PDF with to
278 - Why MPL Live Austin Felt Different
We recapped MPL Live Austin with attendees Cindy Lopez (Senior Director, People & Culture, Pattern Bioscience) and Marlene Arroyo (Founder, Peoplecraft).---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode278Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Nava Benefits🔗 Check out AirMasonMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build
277 - Vanguard CHRO on Driving Change in a 20k+ Person Org: Jon Couture (CHRO, Vanguard)
Jon Couture, CHRO at Vanguard, joined The Modern People Leader to share how Vanguard is balancing 50 years of legacy with the next 50 years of change. ---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode277Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AI🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go
276 - How Vidyard’s CPO Built an AI Career Coach: Sarika Lamont, Chief People Officer at Vidyard
In this episode of The Modern People Leader, Sarika Lamont, Chief People Officer at Vidyard, joins us to unpack her non-traditional journey into HR and how AI is reshaping the role of People teams. She shared practical AI use cases from onboarding automation to AI coaching, along with the mindset shifts HR leaders must make to lead change rather than fear it. ---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaw
Build: The Employee Base Audit with Jessica Zwaan & Pete Fader (Incompass Labs)
Peter Fader and Jessica Zwaan joined The Modern People Leader to explore how customer-based audit principles can be applied to employees.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode275Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop🔗 Take Clarinet’s AI Readiness Snapshot MPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:53) M
274 - Kirthi Mani (Chief People Officer, CliftonLarsonAllen) on Joy Fueling Performance
Kirthi Mani, Chief People Officer at CLA, joins The Modern People Leader to explore why joy is a true competitive advantage and how people-first leadership drives sustainable performance. ---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode274Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AIMPL Links:🔗 Go sign u
273 - Pat Lencioni on Trust, Burnout, and Finding Your Working Genius
Pat Lencioni, founder of The Table Group and bestselling author behind The Five Dysfunctions of a Team and The 6 Types of Working Genius, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about his origin story in organizational health, how Working Genius helps leaders prevent burnout by designing teams around strengths, and how HR leaders can build trust and stay grounded as AI reshapes work.----
272 - 3 HR Leaders Demo What They’ve Built with AI (Zapier, Vercel, Workleap)
Brandon Sammut (Chief People and AI Transformation Officer at Zapier), Jenny Molyneaux (VP of People, Vercel), and Valerie Gobeil (Head of Talent Management, Workleap) joined us for a live session on how HR teams are actually using AI today. We talked about how to get organizations AI-ready, avoid “AI debt,” make smarter build vs buy decisions, and we walked through live demos of AI-powered perfor
271 - How 100-Year-Old Company (Synchrony Financial) Runs Like a Startup: DJ Casto (CHRO)
DJ Casto joined us on The Modern People Leader to share how Synchrony is co-designing the future of work with employees.We talked about active listening at scale, building trust by being great not perfect, rethinking leadership for a flexible workforce, and why treating the employee experience like a product creates real business impact.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopl
270 - Escape the HR Busywork Trap: Melanie Naranjo (Chief People Officer, Ethena) & Taylor McLemore (COO, Tilt)
Taylor and Melanie joined The Modern People Leader to unpack how HR teams can get out from under compliance chaos and admin overload to focus on business impact.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode270Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (06:
269 - Hybrid Teams = People + Agents: Jessica Swank (Chief People Officer, Box)
Jessica Swank, Chief People Officer at Box, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about building an "org brain", preparing managers to lead teams of humans plus agents, avoiding agent sprawl and tech debt, and why every people leader needs to start experimenting with AI personally to stay ahead.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episo
268 - The Blueprint for a Modern HR Team: Kit Krugman (SVP, People & Culture, Foursquare)
We dug into Foursquare’s North Stars of vibrancy and velocity, applying design thinking to the people function, and their team-based performance model.---- Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode268Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about TopicFlow.🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.Other Links Men
267 - BNY’s Big Bet on Early Careers — and How They Built 15K Agents & 100 Digital Employees: Shannon Hobbs (Chief People Officer, BNY)
Shannon Hobbs, Chief People Officer at BNY, joined us to unpack how the bank is scaling its early-career pipeline, flattening org design, and running a culture-first transformation.We discussed BNY’s in-house AI hub “Eliza” (99% employee certification, 15k+ agents, 100 digital employees), plus practical advice for CHROs on building AI capability safely and at scale.---- How BNY is betting big on e
266 - Work is the Product: Luke O'Mahoney (Founder & Creator, Sapienˣ)
Luke O’Mahoney, Founder & Creator of Sapienˣ, joined The Modern People Leader.We talked about the three emerging models of product-led HR, Agile theater, and how an enterprise company phased its shift to product-led HR.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about TopicFlow.🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (06:23) Luke’s early
265 - The 4 Pillars of a Distributed Operating Model: Darren Murph (Future of Work Consultant)
Darren Murph, a leading voice on distributed work and former leader at GitLab, Zillow, and Andela returned to the show.We dug into the remote first maturity scale, the four-pillar operating model (knowledge, project, self, performance), and how to build an “org brain.”---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about TopicFlow.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (04
264 - HR buys healthcare for half of America, but the system’s broken — here’s how to “moneyball” it
Brandon Weber, Co-founder & CEO of Nava Benefits, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about why benefits have become the second-largest company expense — and how HR can “moneyball” their healthcare spend, cut down on benefits-related admin work, and deliver better employee outcomes through the emerging “alt marketplace.”---- Nava Links:🔗 Learn more about Nava.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your t
263 - This Chief People Officer Redesigned HR Around Workflows: Andrew Golden (Chief People Officer, RetailNext)
Andrew Golden, Chief People Officer at RetailNext, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about how he’s driving transformation, why HR and IT must partner more closely, the power of building lightweight AI solutions in-house, and why he’s optimistic about the future of people teams.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.MPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL
262 - LVMH CHRO on Culture & AI: Gena Smith (CHRO, LVMH North America)
Gena Smith, CHRO at LVMH North America, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how she sparked an AI transformation across 75 LVMH brands, why HR should lead AI change management, and how to reframe AI adoption as a cultural and creative advantage.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (05:07) Gena’s Car
261 - AI Confessions: What HR Leaders Really Think (Recorded Live at HR Tech)
What happens when you put a mic in front of HR leaders and ask them for their unfiltered takes on AI?In this episode, Daniel and Stephen recap their trip to HR Tech — where they recorded 12 quick-hit “AI Confessions” from folks they met on the conference room floor. From agentic workflows and custom GPT chaos to the real blockers slowing down AI adoption, this one’s packed with candid insights fro
260 - What we learned from MPL Live New York City
Angela Crossman, Hernan Chiosso, and Jean-Luc Charles joined us to debrief the “Yellow Pod” conversation from MPL Live NYC and what the group is actually doing with AI at work. We covered opportunities vs blockers, “AI as coach” guardrails, why HR should own enablement, actionable next steps, and predictions for the AI-powered workplace.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena. 🔗 Book a qui
259 - Omni’s CHRO on Building Culture That Sticks: Joy Rothschild (CHRO, Omni Hotels & Resorts)
Joy Rothschild, Chief Human Resources Officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts, joined us on The Modern People Leader. ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (05:21) Joy’s origin story: from hospitality ops to finding a home in HR(07:48) Early career breaks, sponsorship, and a philosophy of giving people a chance(09:59) Layoff, comeback call, and step
Build - How to stress-test your business case with Jessica Zwaan
Jessica Zwaan joins MPL Build to show HR leaders how to craft business cases that CEOs actually approve, using BLUF, the So What test, and clear links to revenue and savings. We walk through conservative projections, objection handling, and a live role-play on adopting a performance platform in today’s fiscally skeptical environment.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.🔗 Request a demo
257 - Decoupling performance from compensation: Kim Minnick (Code Traveller HR)
Kim Minnick, Founder of Code Traveller HR, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We dug into why performance reviews often fail, how companies can decouple performance from compensation, creative ways to reward employees beyond pay, and the importance of transparency, choice, and designing programs that reflect company values.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.🔗 Request a demo of Work
256 - Leading Through Layoffs & Constant Change (Mita Mallick, Shelby Garrison, & Kelly Lohr)
This episode of The Modern People Leader dives into the realities of leading through constant change, featuring guests Mita Mallick, Shelby Garrison, and Kelly Lohr. We discussed how HR leaders can navigate layoffs with transparency and humanity, the importance of supporting both exiting and remaining employees, and how to build resilience and adaptability into workplace culture.---- Sponsor Links
255 - DEI’s New Reality: Yemi Akisanya (Head of Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion, Axon)
Yemi Akisanya, Head of JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) at Axon, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how the DEI conversation is evolving post-2020, why quotas are being replaced with performance-aligned strategies, and how Axon is making inclusion measurable and mission-critical.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Lin
Build - “AI Abstinence” & Why Your HR Team Needs an AI Fair Use Policy
Jessica Zwaan, Author of Built for People & COO at Talentful, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about AI adoption in HR, from policy design to hands-on building. We explored the “Wild West” of AI use, tool selection, overcoming the stigma of ‘cheating,’ and practical frameworks like the 4Bs (Bot, Build, Borrow, Buy) to guide adoption and innovation.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a
253 - The AI Vendor Checklist Every HR Leader Needs: Pilar Muner (VP of People & Talent, ChartHop)
Pilar Muner, VP of People & Talent at ChartHop, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We covered:- Why fractional work isn’t always the burnout cure-all it’s made out to be-How ChartHop is using AI to power HR workflows in-house- The AI vendor checklist every HR leader needs — what to ask, what to watch for, and how to cut through the hypeIf you’re evaluating AI tools for your people team, thi
252 - What HR can do about revenue problems & flipping the HR pyramid: JooBee Yeow (Learngility)
JooBee Yeow joined us on The Modern People Leader to talk about why HR must stop overfunctioning and start diagnosing real business problems—especially when revenue is on the line. We discussed how HR leaders can step out of their silo, challenge assumptions, influence revenue growth, and flip the HR pyramid to prioritize high-impact, strategic work.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.
251 - The CHRO’s Toughest Chapter Yet & What HR Brings to the Boardroom: Tiffany Stevenson (Former CPO @ WeightWatchers & Patreon)
Tiffany Stevenson, former Chief People Officer at WeightWatchers and Patreon, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about this being the CHROs toughest chapter yet, how AI is reshaping HR, and what HR brings to the boardroom.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (09:35) Tiffany’s career story: Fr
250 - In the age of AI, managers are still the glue: Priscila Bala (CEO, LifeLabs Learning)
Priscila Bala, CEO of LifeLabs Learning, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We explored how AI is transforming learning, the enduring role of middle management, and why the most impactful leadership skills are more human than ever.---- Resources Mentioned:🔗 Sign up for LifeLabs Learning’s Culture Club.Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗
249 - AI’s First Cuts Are SaaS Tools: Jenny Molyneaux (VP People, Vercel)
Jenny Molyneaux, VP of People at Vercel, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about why AI is replacing HR tech spend before headcount, how Vercel’s people team is building custom AI tools to replace expensive SaaS products, and what HR leaders can do to start building with AI today.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get your free 30-day Synthesia account.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy
248 - How to make in-person time count
Geanne Weaver-Hepler (Director of EX, Charlie Health), Allison Vendt (VP, People Ops & Head of EX at Dropbox), Nick Freeman (Co-CEO, Marco), and Brian Elliott (CEO, Work Forward) joined us to talk about what’s broken with employee connection—and how to fix it. We explored practical frameworks for offsites, hybrid team building, and creating meaningful connection moments across distributed work
Build - The three ELTV formulas every HR leader should know: Jessica Zwaan (Author, Built For People & COO, Talentful)
Jessica Zwaan, COO at Whereby, joined us again on The Modern People Leader for a deep dive into Employee Lifetime Value (ELTV). We explored how HR leaders can adapt marketing-style metrics like LTV to CAC for talent, the different ways to calculate it, and how the process itself can reshape how People teams think about value, cost, and impact.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.🔗 Get y
246 - How New York Life Is Using AI to Transform Careers: Joanne Rodgers (CHRO, New York Life)
Joanne Rodgers, CHRO of New York Life, joined us on The Modern People Leader to share how her 30-year journey at the company led her from securities regulation to the C-suite. We talked about the DNA of New York Life’s culture, how they’re rolling out AI tools company-wide, and why HR must lead the charge in this era of transformation.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.🔗 Get your free
245 - The Leave Experience Is a Culture Test
Jennifer Henderson (CEO, Tilt), Jessica Winder (SVP People, CoLab Software), Allison Whalen (CEO, Parentaly), and Justin Clifford (CEO, Bereave) joined us to talk about what most companies get wrong when it comes to employee leave. We discussed parental and bereavement leave through a human lens—from compliance and continuity to return-to-work strategies and performance review pitfalls.---- 🔗 Go d
244 – Why IT Reports to HR & Learning the Language of AI: Kahina Ouerdane (Chief People Officer, Workleap)
Kahina Ouerdane, Chief People Officer at Workleap, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about her journey from international human rights law to tech, how software is the new workplace, why AI is forcing a rethinking of learning and org design, and more.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.🔗 Get your free 30-day Synthesia account.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New Y
243 - Rethinking Org Design in the AI Era: Alex Buder Shapiro, Chief People Officer at Jasper
Alex Buder Shapiro, Chief People Officer at Jasper, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about how AI is reshaping organizational design, the shift from early-career jobs to early-career talent, and how HR teams can lead through experimentation and workflow innovation.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your tick
242 - Eliza Jackson (Chief People & Administrative Officer, ButcherBox)
Eliza Jackson, Chief People and Administrative Officer at ButcherBox, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how operational excellence can protect and scale company culture, how her team built a "work in service of" mindset, and how ButcherBox is using AI agents to unlock capacity—not replace people.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.🔗 Get in contact with th
Build - The What, Why, & How of Creating an Employee Journey Map: Joris Luijke (CEO, Pyn) & Jessica Zwaan (Author, Built for People)
Jessica Zwaan and Joris Luijke joined us to break down the what, why, and how to create an employee journey map. We talked about why People teams should be designing for moments and not just processes, why journey mapping should start small, and why 80% of employee moments fall flat.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.
240 - Why HR should own the workflows & not just the workforce: Thomas Forstner, VP of People and Talent at Juro
Thomas Forstner, VP of People and Talent at Juro, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about building an AI-native company, why HR should own workflows not just the workforce, and how people teams must evolve from playbook followers to visionary architects of the modern org.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Get your free 30
239 - Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot): The growing trust gap at work
Helen Russell, Chief People Officer at HubSpot, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how HubSpot is fostering an AI-first culture, why belonging is so important right now, and what HR leaders can do to move fast without losing their humanity.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get your free 30-day Synthesia account.🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL
238 - The Art of Business Partnering: Lenke Taylor (Chief People Officer, Personio)
Lenke Taylor joined us on The Modern People Leader to talk about her path from engineering to HR, and what it means to be a true business partner. We discussed how HR can lead alongside CEOs and CFOs, building high-impact teams, and how working in Europe has shaped her leadership approach.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy
237 - Performance expectations have shifted: Danny Guillory (Chief People Officer, Glassdoor), Lisa Anne Logan (Chief of Staff, People, Asana), Dashini Jeyathurai (Head of Talent Development at Gusto)
We were joined by people leaders from Glassdoor, Asana, and Gusto. We talked about the fragmented burnout and how it’s hitting people differently, how performance expectations have shifted in the last 6-12 months, and more.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----
Build - The Metrics That Actually Matter in HR: Jessica Zwaan (Author, Built For People)
Jessica Zwaan joined us again to unpack the metrics that actually matter in HR today. We talked about the three buckets of metrics every People Leader should use, why the RANS test is a better way to measure engagement, and the one metric to rule them all (ELTV:CAC). ---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Go book your next offsite with Marco Experiences.🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.🔗 Request a dem
235 - 3 principles this Head of People swears by to build high-impact teams – Frieda Möcker (Head of People & Culture, Sastrify)
Frieda Möcker, Head of People & Culture at Sastrify, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the first steps she took to treat HR more like a product, how her team does sprint planning, and why she prefers “NCTs” over OKRs.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.🔗 Go book your next offsite with Marco Experiences.🔗 Get in contact with the Career Sandwich team.MPL Links:🔗
MPL Live SF: HR is the glue holding everything together right now
Tiffany Stevenson (Former CPO, WeightWatchers), Jennifer Rettig (CPO, Pendo.io), and Kelli Dragovich (4x CHRO & Co-host of HR Heretics), joined us for MPL Live in San Francisco.We talked about the pressure HR leaders are under, what CEOs are really thinking, and how we can reimagine performance with simpler systems, clearer expectations, and more human conversations.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Go boo
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