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People and Strategy

People and Strategy

SHRM 138 Episodes Oct 13, 2026

People and Strategy is a podcast from the SHRM Executive Network that features in-depth conversations with HR executives and people leaders. It aims to advance the field of human resources by providing engagement and thought leadership to senior executives. The podcast covers topics related to HR strategy, leadership, and organizational development.

Episodes

Top Takeaways from Visionaries 2026: Live from Indianapolis
Top Takeaways from Visionaries 2026: Live from Indianapolis Oct 13, 2026 387 In this special episode, we’re recapping highlights from the SHRM Executive Network’s 2026 Visionaries Summit in Indianapolis. Hear directly from industry leaders, chief people officers, and senior HR leaders about their biggest takeaways from the event, what’s top of mind for them right now, and the ideas they’re bringing back to their organizations.  Couldn’t make it to Visionaries this ye
Beyond the Resume: Rethinking How Leaders Assess Talent
Beyond the Resume: Rethinking How Leaders Assess Talent Oct 2, 2026 1721 What if the best candidate isn’t the one with the strongest resume, but the one who can actually demonstrate the skills the job requires?  In this episode of People + Strategy, Mo Fathelbab sits down with Namrata Kamdar, co-founder and COO, and Abhishek Shah, founder and CEO of Testlify, to explore how organizations can rethink hiring around skills, evidence, and job-relevant assessments. Ka
Leading With Creativity and Intuition in the Age of AI
Leading With Creativity and Intuition in the Age of AI Sep 21, 2026 2713 In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Natalie Nixon, CEO and founder of Figure 8 Thinking, and author of The Creativity Leap, to explore how leaders can harness creativity and intuition to drive business results. She emphasizes that amplifying human capabilities is critical in navigating an era of AI. Nixon also shares practical techniques, including question storming and doodle s
Is The Future of Work Fractional?
Is The Future of Work Fractional? Sep 3, 2026 2265 How do top organizations solve their toughest leadership challenges when full-time resources are scarce? Some companies are relying on fractional c-suite leaders, seasoned executives who have opted to lend their expertise to companies on a contract basis rather than work full-time for one company.   In a special recording with a live audience for SHRM’s podcast, People + Strategy, fract
The Path from HR to the Boardroom
The Path from HR to the Boardroom Aug 21, 2026 2330 What does it take for HR leaders to earn a seat in the boardroom? For executives looking to make the move, understanding how to stand out as a board-ready candidate is critical in an increasingly competitive landscape.     In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Debra Boggs, CEO of D&S Executive Career Management, to explore the path from HR to the boardroom. Boggs
The ROI of AI: How HR Leaders Are Using AI as a Value-Add
The ROI of AI: How HR Leaders Are Using AI as a Value-Add Aug 7, 2026 2943 What does it take for organizations to turn AI investments into measurable business results? As companies navigate rapid technological change, HR leaders are increasingly using AI to drive efficiency, improve decision-making, and create more strategic impact across the enterprise. These findings can be used to provide HR’s value-add across the c-suite — from conversations with the CFO to the CEO.&
Benefits Under Pressure: How HR Leaders Are Rethinking Total Rewards in 2026
Benefits Under Pressure: How HR Leaders Are Rethinking Total Rewards in 2026 Jul 24, 2026 2385 In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Kathryn Mayer, content specialist at SHRM, to discuss how employee benefits are evolving in 2026. Drawing on her extensive experience reporting on total rewards, Mayer explores how rising healthcare costs, economic uncertainty, and shifting workforce priorities are prompting organizations to rethink their benefits strategie
Defining Leadership: An Intergenerational Panel of HR Leaders
Defining Leadership: An Intergenerational Panel of HR Leaders Jul 10, 2026 2804 HR leaders are reexamining what effective leadership truly means in a rapidly transforming world — particularly as generational differences reshape expectations for how leadership is defined, practiced, and communicated in today’s workplace. This is going to become more important than ever, given the fact that the U.S. labor force demographics are shifting. The fastest-growing segment of the U.S.
Before You Quit: What 20 Years at Kellogg Taught This Executive
Before You Quit: What 20 Years at Kellogg Taught This Executive Jun 12, 2026 2057 In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Kris Bahner, senior advisor for Mars Snacking and former chief global corporate affairs officer at Kellanova, to explore the state of employee retention in 2026. Drawing on a 35-year career with two decades with Kellogg and Kellanova, Bahner shares why staying can be a powerful career strategy in an era defined by job hopping. She explains how
A Former Spy Shares HR's Critical Role in Workplace Security
A Former Spy Shares HR's Critical Role in Workplace Security May 29, 2026 1937 In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Shawnee Delaney, founder and CEO of Vaillance Group and a decorated former clandestine operations officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Delaney shares why HR leaders are the most underutilized intelligence asset in any organization. She explains her career journey from conducting human intelligence operations in combat zones to b
Tailoring HR Strategy: A CPO's Role in Fashioning C-Suite Success
Tailoring HR Strategy: A CPO's Role in Fashioning C-Suite Success May 15, 2026 1981 In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Jamie Durling, regional Chief People Officer for luxury goods organizations such as Dolce & Gabbana and Moncler. Durling challenges the idea that HR is still earning its seat at the table. Instead, he argues that the opportunity lies in how HR leaders use that seat to orchestrate strategy, operations, and financial performance — especially thr
The New Reality: Legally Compliant I&D for HR
The New Reality: Legally Compliant I&D for HR May 1, 2026 2058 This special episode of the People + Strategy podcast features host Carolynn Johnson, president of SHRM CEO Action, in conversation with Annette Tyman, partner at Seyfarth Shaw and chair of the firm’s People Analytics practice group. Together, they unpack what inclusion and diversity (I&D) compliance really looks like in today’s shifting legal landscape. As scrutiny intensifies and expectations ev

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