The Human Element | CHRO & HR Leadership Podcast
AI is reshaping leadership, strategy, and the very role of HR. In each episode, host Barb Bidan explores how AI drives innovation and leadership in HR with actionable insights for the future of work. The podcast is brought to you by Harper, Wisq's always-on AI HR Generalist.
Episodes
Raising the capability bar for OTG's $140M airport leaders
SummaryAlan House, Chief People Officer at OTG Concessions Management, runs HR for a hospitality business with more than 350 restaurant and retail locations in North American airports and more than 5,000 crew members. Some of those airport operations are $100 million-plus businesses on their own, which is why his current work is about raising the capability bar for the leaders who run the
Real change vs. imagined emergencies: Syntax's approach to HR
SummaryDessalen Wood has led people teams across retail, entertainment, and HR tech, from Disney Stores, Hudson's Bay, Reitmans, and Cineplex to CPO of ThoughtExchange, and now serves as Global Chief People Officer at Syntax, where she leads people strategy for 3,000 employees across 15 countries. On The Human Element, she and host Barb Bidan dig into how CHROs can separate real change fr
AI readiness starts with business acumen at OnPoint Group
On The Human Element, Barb Bidan sits down with Dana Kellerman, Chief Human Resources Officer at OnPoint Group, for a practitioner's take on what AI readiness in HR actually requires. Dana spent more than fifteen years at GE, became a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, held COO and CHRO responsibilities at the same time at Adirondack Health and Frontier Psychiatry, and was recruited to OnP
How Illumio got its whole people team using AI
SummaryWhat actually changes when AI arrives in HR, and what stays exactly the same? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan talks with L. David Kingsley, Chief People Officer at Illumio, whose career began implementing PeopleSoft from CD-ROMs at Accenture before leading people functions at MuleSoft, Alteryx, Intercom, and Salesforce. David explains why there has never been
Why Sweetwater treats AI like an Iron Man suit, not a replacement
SummaryHow does a company whose entire business model is built on human relationships decide what to do with AI? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Jeff Ostermann, Chief People and Culture Officer at Sweetwater, the largest online musical instrument and audio equipment retailer in the US. Jeff shares how Sweetwater drew an uncompromising line around the h
Data and Humanity Were Never in Tension
SummaryHow do you build a culture with both high psychological safety and high accountability? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan talks with Maura Stevenson, Chief Human Resources Officer at MedVet, about her 20-year case that data and humanity were never in tension. Maura built Starbucks' people analytics function from scratch in 2004, connected people data to restaura
AI Readiness Is a Culture Problem Before It's a Skill Problem
SummaryWhat does it actually take to make a workforce AI ready? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Miki Virtue, VP of Human Resources, to unpack why AI readiness is a culture problem before it is a skill problem (Miki's views and opinions are not associated with the company she works for, this episode represents herself alone). Miki shares why AI rewards
Where the Hard Line Sits Between AI and Human Judgment
SummaryWhere exactly should the line sit between AI and human judgment? Emilie Schmitz, Chief Human Resources Officer at Ryze Claim Solutions, joins host Barb Bidan to answer that question inside a business built entirely on judgment calls. Ryze handles claims across auto, trucking, construction, and catastrophe response, and it holds one hard line: AI can support documentation, data gath
The Two Monday-Morning Conversations That Make HR Matter
SummaryWhat if the biggest thing holding HR back is the profession itself? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with David Alsop, Chief Human Resources Officer at Ultradent Products and co-author of Making HR Matter, to talk about building HR that actually drives the business. David shares how 13 years in sales at Kraft Heinz shaped his business first approach t
If You Can Write a Job Description, You Can Build an AI Agent
SummaryWhat if the skill set for building AI agents is one HR has had all along? Kyle Roed, CHRO at CPM Holdings, joins host Barb Bidan to make the case that agentic AI is an HR function, not an IT project. Kyle shares the hackathon moment that convinced him instructing an AI agent is the same discipline as writing a job description, why "AI is the next email" and the tech-belongs-to-IT a
The More AI Evolves, the More Your Humanity Matters
SummaryWhat happens when a compliance-minded HR veteran who has seen the inside of more than 50 companies takes on workforce planning for an almost entirely frontline, cross-border workforce right as AI rewrites the rules? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Dawn Stastny, Chief Human Resources Officer at BelPak, the packaging company formed when Coregistic
HR in the age of AI: Eliminate, then elevate
SummaryJens Hovgaard Jensen, Vice President of People and Culture at ECCO Americas, joins host Barb Bidan on The Human Element for a candid conversation about HR's future in the age of AI. Drawing on a career built from turnarounds and carve-outs at Maersk, Girteka Logistics, and ECCO, plus ten years as an officer in the Royal Danish Life Guards, Jens makes a provocative case: HR should a
AI is an accelerant, not destination
SummaryRJ Jadhav, Vice President of Human Resources at Lumen Technologies, joins host Barb Bidan to reframe how HR leaders should think about AI, transformation, and the role of their function. RJ has spent his career inside the most transformative companies in tech — fifteen years at Microsoft, the hypergrowth years at Google Cloud, and now at Lumen, where he's helping rewire a legacy ne
Teach a man to fish: HR AI adoption strategy that sticks
SummaryOn The Human Element, Barb Bidan talks with Jennifer Erfurth, Global Head of HR at the cybersecurity company OPSWAT, about what it actually takes to run an AI-first people function rather than just talk about one. Jennifer canceled a planned Workday rollout, built AI agents on top of BambooHR, rewrote her employer value proposition to lead with AI, and kept her human HR team in pla
AI Governance is a relationship, not a document
SummaryOn The Human Element, Barb Bidan sits down with Joshua Horenstein, who runs both the HR and legal functions at Innophos. Joshua argues that AI governance fails on the org chart, not in the policy document. He walks through his manufacturing-pilot mindset for rolling out AI, names the two reasonable worst cases most HR leaders aren't watching for, and explains why the friction betwe
AI Can Fake Identity. It Can't Fake Humanity
DescriptionIn December 2024, Christine Aldrich's recruiting team caught their first deepfake candidate. Twelve months later, nearly 1 in 6 applicants at Pindrop shows signs of data manipulation — and every HR leader Christine knows has a story.In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Christine Aldrich, Chief People Officer at Pindrop (the company building ident
How to Onboard Your AI the Right Way
SummaryOn The Human Element, Barb Bidan talks with Q Hamirani, Chief People Officer at HighLevel, about treating AI as a teammate you onboard rather than a tool you install. Q draws on building people functions at Airbnb, Paper, and now a 2,000-person fully remote AI company to argue that the real constraint on AI adoption is human cognitive capacity, not technology. He shares how he trai
When Doing Great HR Work Isn't Enough
SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Chief People Officer John Foster (Tala) makes the case that the biggest risk for HR leaders isn't doing bad work — it's doing great work that the organization isn't ready to receive. John shares the framework he calls scratch OD, his argument for why AI won't fix performance management but will replace it, and the career moment when a boss told
The Moments That Make or Break Your HR Function
SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Barb talks with Heather Oxley, CHRO at Perficient, about what it looks like to run HR for a firm whose entire business is helping other companies transform. Heather walks through three areas where she's deploying AI across the talent life cycle: project staffing, learning and development, and recruiting. Her central argument is that the value o
Why AI Adoption Stalls When Trust Runs Out
SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Barb Bidan sits down with Azurée S. Montoute-Lewis, Global Chief People Officer at Burson, to discuss what it actually takes to move AI from pilot programs to organization-wide adoption. Azurée argues that the organizations succeeding at AI adoption aren't moving the fastest. They're the ones who built a foundation of trust before deploying too
How One Survey Fixed Three Issues in a Single Week Using AI
SummaryA new hire fills out their 90-day survey and says they're not getting meaningful time with their manager. Instead of filing it away for a quarterly review, Bradford Wilkins pulls the data—and within ten seconds, AI shows him that the manager is spending nearly 50% of their time on pre-sales activities that aren't even part of their job.Within a week, the team is redesigning job res
How to Drive AI Adoption Inside a Global Company
SummaryIn a regulated, data-rich industry like insurance, speed isn't the goal—credibility is.In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Elizabeth McSavaney, Chief People Officer at Zurich Canada, for a grounded conversation about what it actually looks like to drive AI adoption at scale inside a global enterprise. Liz leads people strategy for a company that alr
Why Humans Are the Real Bottleneck to Workforce Transformation — Not AI
SummaryAI is already inside 75% of companies—and 100% of people are using it—but only 10% actually know how. So what's really standing between organizations and meaningful AI transformation? According to Amanda Scott, it's not the technology. It's us. In this episode, Barb Bidan sits down with Amanda Scott, CEO of North America Talent Solutions at AON and a PhD candidate researching AI's
HR Leaders Are Hiding Behind AI — Here's Why
SummaryWhat happens when you've actually built AI into hospitality at the scale of 7,000 employees and millions of guests—not theorized about it on LinkedIn? In this episode, Barb Bidan sits down with Ani Nazaryan, Chief People Officer at The Siegel Group and Amazing Brands, for a refreshingly practical conversation about where AI belongs in HR and where it absolutely doesn't. Ani built h
From Inbox Chaos to Intelligent HR: TMS’s CPO on AI Chatbots, Goal-First Reviews, and HR’s Pull Power
SummaryIf your HR team is buried in inbox requests, you’re leaving no time for the moments that truly need a human touch. Preet Michelson, Chief People Officer at TMS and Morgan Street Holdings, shares how she’s using AI to modernize global HR operations across 44+ countries—without losing the human element.A former CPA at KPMG who later moved into commercialization, Preet brings a busine
Human-First AI in Healthcare: Guardrails, Frontline Wins, and HR’s New Playbook
Human-First AI in Healthcare: Guardrails, Frontline Wins, and HR's New PlaybookHow do you make AI feel human-first in a mission-driven, frontline environment? Ashley Ridgeway-Washington—CEO and Principal Advisor at Leverage Group and former CHRO at JPS Health Network—shares a leadership-led approach to AI that elevates patient care by improving the employee experience. A rare blend of HR
From Purpose to AI Workers: CCC’s CHRO on Scaling AI Without Losing Humanity
From Purpose to AI Workers: CCC's CHRO on Scaling AI Without Losing HumanityIf you're embedding AI "everywhere," how do you move fast without losing your human center—or burning out your leaders? Christy Harris, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at CCC Intelligent Solutions, shares how the 45-year-old, $1B+ AI-powered SaaS company is modernizing the auto claims ecosystem while transfo
Caring for Caregivers: Stony Brook’s CHRO on Compensation, Culture, and Practical AI
SummaryHow do you build a people strategy for a high-trust, high-stakes environment where your “customers” are caregivers?Colette Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer at Stony Brook University Hospital, shares how her team centers HR on mission, fixes pay with data, and uses practical AI to return time to human moments. With strong alignment from CEO Carol Gomes, Colette led a compensatio
Human-Centered AI in HR: EDF’s CHRO on Deepfakes and Keeping Hiring Human
SummaryIn mission-driven organizations, trust isn’t optional—so how do you adopt AI without losing the human element or opening new risks?Elizabeth Mattila, Chief Human Resources Officer at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), shares a pragmatic playbook for using AI in HR while protecting culture, candidates, and company data. From her first “wow” moment with ChatGPT to today’s realities—de
Reimagining Work with AI: Brunswick’s CHRO on Onboarding, Service Ops, and HR Governance
SummaryHow do you embed AI into HR across a complex, manufacturing-led enterprise without losing momentum, or quality?Jill Wrobel, Chief Human Resources Officer at Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray), shares how her team is turning survey insights (“we have too much work”) into structured pilots and end-to-end redesigns.Jill explains why HR must pair quick wins—
Start with the Work: Learn Behavioral’s CPO on HR‑Led AI, Fluency, and the “Magic Wand” Method
SummaryBuying the shiniest AI won’t transform your org—redesigning the work will.Maggie Ruvoldt, Chief People Officer at Learn Behavioral, a national leader in ABA therapy for children and young adults with autism, lays out a practical, people-first blueprint for AI adoption that HR should lead.She reframes success away from headcount cuts and toward real operating gains—think shipped aut
AI in a Regulated World: Eversana’s CHRO on Project Windex, TA Automation, and Governance
In this episode of The Human Element, Fred Skinner, Chief Human Resources Officer at Eversana, shares a playbook from life sciences commercialization, where compliance and speed must coexist. He explains “Project Windex,” the company’s multi-year effort to clean data to create a more trustworthy AI. Fred details where they started and how AI in HR is changing the game.He also covers gover
People-First AI in HR: SPS Commerce’s CHRO on Co‑Creation, Workday, and Coaching at Scale
SummaryHow do you accelerate AI without losing the human element?Erica Koenig, Chief Human Resources Officer at SPS Commerce—the leader in supply chain cloud solutions—shares how her team is co-creating an AI-enabled future with employees while staying grounded in values and customer impact.Erica explains why curiosity, adaptability, and critical thinking are the leadership capabilities t
Unlocking Productivity with Purpose: How Unleashed Brand's CPO is Building an AI-Ready
SummaryWhat does it take to build a culture that embraces AI without fear?In this episode of The Human Element, Barb sits down with Diane Sanford, Chief People Officer at Unleashed Brands, the franchise platform behind Urban Air, Snapology, and The Little Gym. With over 25 years of HR leadership experience, Diane shares how she’s guiding her organization through a new era of AI adoption a
Keeping It Human: Sanford Health’s CHRO on AI Self‑Service, Guardrails, and Power Skills
SummaryIf your workforce runs 24/7, employees can’t wait until business hours for answers. DJ Campbell, Vice President and Chief HR Officer at Sanford Health (Bismarck market), shares how to use AI self-service to cut friction for a 60,000-employee system while keeping the experience human.He outlines what must be true before greenlighting tools—readiness, education, and myth-busting—and
Trust-First AI in HR: Acelero Learning’s CPO on Listening at Scale, Hiring with Heart, and Personalized L&D
SummaryWhat if the real power of AI in HR isn’t automation—but trust? Angela Briggs-Page, Chief People Officer at Acelero Learning and a Head Start alum, shares how her team uses AI to elevate human-centered practices across a mission-driven, early childhood education workforce.She explains how AI transforms thousands of open-ended survey comments into timely insight—capturing tone, emoti
From Bots to Better Care: Right at Home’s CHRO on AI, Matching, and Mobile-First HR
SummaryHow do you keep “human” at the center of HR while scaling a high-volume, frontline workforce?Dana Rutland, Chief Human Resources Officer at Right at Home, shares how her team supports a nationwide senior home care franchise network by pairing human judgment with AI for speed and scale.With experience across telecom and manufacturing, Dana brings a pragmatic lens to franchise HR—spa
Rethinking HR for AI: Product Mindset, Data Readiness, and Always‑On Support
SummaryAI isn’t just automating HR, it’s forcing a full rethink of how the function is designed and delivered.In this episode, Jarlath Doherty, seasoned HR leader with roles at Squarespace, LinkedIn, and Yahoo and former Chief People Officer at a data intelligence company shares how to evolve from a traditional HRBP/COE model to a product-led, AI-powered people function.Drawing on a deep
AI-Ready HR: Zapier’s CPO on 80% Ticket Deflection, AI Fluency, and the Triple Win
SummaryHow do you turn AI from buzzword to business value inside HR—without losing the human?Brandon Sammut, Chief People Officer at Zapier and former educator, shares a practical blueprint for AI-enabled people operations. He explains how his team now auto-resolves over 80% of frontline HR inquiries with high CSAT, freeing talent for higher-impact work while improving speed and quality.B
Practical AI for HR: Toshiba’s CHRO on ROI, Pilots, and Platform Discipline
SummaryFeeling pressure to “do AI” but unsure where to start without creating tech bloat?Jason Desentz, Chief Human Resources Officer at Toshiba Americas, breaks down a pragmatic, ROI-first path for AI in HR.Known for transforming underperforming units and leading large-scale workforce change, Jason shares two nonnegotiables for any AI rollout: low-to-no disruption to the business and a m
Beyond the Hype: Cooper Standard’s CHRO on AI’s Real ROI, Leadership Levels, and Business-First HR
SummaryTrying to separate AI signal from noise in HR?Larry Ott, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Cooper Standard, shares a pragmatic blueprint for using AI to create business value without buying into cure-all promises.With four decades in the automotive industry, Larry explains why AI’s impact depends on your HR operating model, how to anchor talent transformati
Organizational Intelligence: Remko Verhuel (Wrike) on Human + AI Collaboration
AI is constantly changing how work is defined and how HR strategy evolves in modern organizations. How do you differentiate between artificial and human intelligence in the workplace? In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Remko Verheul, the Vice President and Head of People at Wrike. Remko shares the blueprint Wrike promotes: human intelligence plus AI equal
Reimagining HR with AI:From Recruiting to Performance Management
AI is rapidly transforming how HR teams operate, shifting the function from reactive support to strategic leadership. In this first episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with David Hanrahan, SVP of People Success at SolarWinds, to explore how AI in HR is reshaping modern HR strategy and HR operations, from recruiting and employee support to performance management and lea
