The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

Daniel Bay, Chief People Officer at Underdog, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why HR teams in hypergrowth should stop copying big-company playbooks, how Underdog invests deeply in manager coaching, and why impact matters more than activity.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (13:32) The Misconception About Hypergrowth HR(14:42) Why Startups Should Not Copy Google, Meta or Big-Company HR Playbooks(17:08) Pick One or Two Things That Do Not Scale But Actually Matter(18:24) Why World-Class Managers Are the Biggest Unlock at Underdog(20:49) The Case for Giving Every Manager a Coach(29:17) Rethinking One-Size-Fits-All Performance Processes(33:39) Running HR Like a Political Campaign(36:38) Why Impact Matters More Than Activity(40:26) Why the People Team Should Never Become a Drag on the Business(42:19) The Simple Test: Will Employees Actually Want to Do This?(44:21) Rethinking Overly Structured Interview Processes(49:33) Why Daniel Would Not Hire a Traditional HR Leader Today(52:22) Why Thinking Differently Is HR’s Competitive Edge in the Age of AI---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

Nichole Viviani, Chief People, Culture and Change Officer at Global Payments, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why culture makes or breaks M&A, how Global Payments aligned 27,000 people through “goals before roles,” and why leaders need to over-communicate through uncertainty.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Workforce at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (04:27) Nichole’s Career Journey: From Commercial Leadership to HR & Change(09:10) The Global Payments Merger & Combining Leadership Teams in Five Months(13:36) Why Culture Makes or Breaks M&A(14:53) Why Transformation Should Never Have a Start and End Date(17:10) How to Keep What Made an Acquired Company Special(20:42) Why Culture Is So Often Misunderstood During M&A(24:11) Turning Company Values Into Behaviors and Non-Negotiables(25:06) Why Truly Uniting Two Cultures Can Take Three Years(27:42) Behind the Scenes of Global Payments’ Welcome Day(32:46) “Goals Before Roles”: Creating Focus Before the Org Structure Is Final(35:08) How 98% of 27,000 Employees Got Goals During Uncertainty(37:12) Focus on What You Can Control During Major Change(38:14) Don’t Make Assumptions: Ask Questions and Stay Curious(41:56) Building Momentum Through Tracking, Monitoring & Pulse Checks(43:57) Turning an Uphill Marathon Into Achievable Sprints(44:38) Managing Team Energy Through Psychological Safety(48:03) How to Rally People and Protect Morale During Constant Uncertainty(50:54) “In the Absence of a Narrative, People Will Find Their Own”---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and man

Courtney Kolar, Chief People Officer at Neighborly, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how she helped build an HR function from a three-person team into a 40-person people organization, the People Services 2020 roadmap that created the foundation for scale, and why every company should operate as if it needs to be IPO ready.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (03:20) Courtney’s Career Journey: From Kohl’s Store Management to HR(09:27) Neighborly’s Growth: From 600 Employees and 9 Brands to 1,600 and 28(12:43) Walking Into a Three-Person HR Team & Seeing the Blank Slate(15:17) How the People Organization Grew to 40 Across HR, Comms & Facilities(19:20) People Services 2020: The Four-Year Roadmap to Transform HR(21:48) Building the Foundation: Going Digital, Organizing Policies & Adding Systems(23:07) Manager Training, Change Management & the Resistance to More Structure(26:06) The M&A People Integration Playbook: Inventory, Trust & Culture(30:40) What Came After 2020: Pandemic Pivots & the Next Phase of the HR Roadmap(34:52) What People Services 2030 Could Look Like in the Age of AI(37:56) Reimagining Job Architecture for a Changing Workforce(41:18) Why Every Company Should Operate Like It Needs to Be IPO Ready(44:01) Courtney’s Personal Readiness Plan for the Next Stage of Leadership---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (05:56) Sunaina’s Global Journey Across Eight Countries(07:49) From Aspiring Jazz Singer to HR Leader(09:47) The Power of Sponsors Over Mentors(12:00) What Omnissa Does and Its AI-Driven Digital Work Platform(13:03) Why the HR-IT Partnership Is the New Strategic Alliance(15:39) Leading AI Transformation with HR and R&D Together(19:32) How Omnissa’s AI Leadership Team Operates(22:54) The “Small But Mighty” AI Transformation Team(24:44) Early AI Wins Across Product, Marketing, and People Teams(25:46) The Rise of Employees Who Reinvent Their Own Roles(27:40) Lessons Learned from Omnissa’s AI Transformation Journey(31:31) Building AI Fluency Across the Organization(34:24) Overcoming Fear and Building Trust Around AI Adoption(38:22) Why Thoughtful AI Rollouts Matter More Than Speed(40:44) Reimagining Performance Management with AI(43:10) Looking Ahead: Omnissa’s People Experience Strategy(45:14) Development Days, Manager Excellence & Employee Growth(46:40) Creating a Global Culture with Local Relevance(46:57) The Return of Employee Engagement and Listening Programs ---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (07:25) Patricia’s story: four generations of military service(10:39) Transitioning from the military to civilian leadership(19:45) Applying military team development principles to HR(23:19) The internal mobility gap Patricia discovered at Seagate(24:37) Building Career Discovery, now Talent Link, with Gloat(26:16) Using AI to make the most of internal talent(29:29) Shifting from “my team” to “Seagate’s talent”(32:08) Training managers not to hold back internal talent(34:28) Seagate’s company-wide AI implementation strategy(41:17) Seagate’s AI Council, AI Collective, and AI Champions(43:26) CEO-mandated transformational initiatives and BHAGs(47:05) Creating an agent management system(48:01) Redesigning jobs without replacing people(49:40) Why AI agents won’t sit on Seagate’s org chart(52:35) What it means to redesign job roles and workflows(53:14) Seagate’s full job architecture review with Cobrainer(55:08) Skills taxonomy and planning for future talent needs(56:16) Why engineers are embracing job architecture---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer,

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.----  (08:00) Kate’s Origin Story: Psychology, Sociology & Finding HR(13:00) Joining Mejuri and Building People Ops from the Ground Up(15:15) Why Founder-Led Businesses Are Addictive(16:40) What Mejuri Does: Fine Jewelry for Everyday Celebration(20:00) Mejuri’s Shift From E-Commerce to Retail(34:00) Why Mejuri Flattened the Organization(35:00) Diagnosing Decision Velocity, Clarity & Top-Heavy Management(37:00) Span of Control, Broader Scopes & Founder Access(39:00) Managing Employee Perception During Org Flattening(42:00) Strategic Memo Writing and Business Reviews(44:00) What Goes Into Mejuri’s Memo Template(45:00) Training Leaders to Write Clear Strategic Narratives(46:00) The Lasting Impact of Operating Cadences(48:00) Mejuri’s Weekly, Monthly & Quarterly Business Review Rhythm(50:00) How People Ops Connects to Strategic Pillars(51:00) People QBRs, Retail Metrics & Org Health Signals(55:00) The Amazon-Inspired Operating System Behind Mejuri’s Reviews(58:00) HR Metrics CEOs and ELTs Actually Care About(59:00) Tier One vs. Tier Two People Metrics(01:01:00) The “So What?” Behind HR Reporting---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (05:07) Talent Development and Why Managing Is Getting Harder(07:09) Employee Clarity, Engagement, and Organizational Alignment(08:29) AI Adoption, Skill Building, and Employee Expectations(10:01) Zapier’s AI Journey: From Hackathons to Business Impact(12:43) Moving Beyond AI Adoption to Strategic Outcomes(13:36) Building AI Functions and Faster Decision-Making(15:21) Yelp’s AI Strategy and Operationalizing AI Across the Business(18:43) How AI Is Changing the Role of Managers(19:30) The Future Manager: More Scale, More Development, or More Building?(22:29) Leadership, Talent Growth, and Manager Evolution(24:36) Fewer Management Roles and New Career Paths(25:28) Leadership Beyond People Management(28:53) Executive-Level Individual Contributors and AI-Enabled Roles(29:42) Flattening Organizations and Growing Without Promotions(32:05) The Challenge of Career Development in Flat Organizations(35:01) New AI-Native Roles and the Rise of AI Automation Engineers(38:30) Helping Employees Grow Through Lateral Development(40:47) Final Advice: Rethinking Leadership and Career Growth(44:15) Audience Q&A Begins(44:54) Developing Future Leaders Who May Leave the Company(47:29) Keeping Management Layers Lean Without Overloading Managers(49:10) Should AI Agents Receive Performance Reviews?(50:45) Why Zapier Created the AI Automation Engineer Role(52:04) Does Managing AI Mean Everyone Becomes a Manager?(53:57) The Future of Early-Career Talent in an AI World---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 <a

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 connection.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Workforce at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl----  (05:12) Ray'n's Career Journey and Moving from the U.S. to London(10:05) Joining Moo and Choosing the Right Leadership Opportunity(12:25) The Interview That Almost Went Wrong(14:18) Vulnerability, Resilience, and Leadership Self-Awareness(16:05) Opening Moo’s South Africa Office and Scaling Globally(17:28) Why Strong Culture Changes the Role of a CPO(18:10) AI, Humanity, and Giving People Time Back(20:08) The Washing Machine Story and Lessons for AI Adoption(21:55) Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Human Connection in an AI Era(24:05) Why Leaders Must Intentionally Reclaim Time(26:10) Fighting the Culture of Filling Every Minute with Work(26:52) Moo’s Experiment: Reinvesting Free Time Into Personal Wellbeing(28:15) The ROI of AI: Better Humans, Not Just More Productivity(30:20) Leadership, Employee Engagement, and Human Performance(31:05) Can HR Still Make Work Better?(32:15) Why Human Impact Often Happens Behind the Scenes(34:15) Moo’s AI Survey and Understanding Employee Sentiment(35:20) Speed vs. Quality: What Employees Are Experiencing(36:40) Leadership Responsibility in High-Pressure Environments(38:20) AI’s Impact on Productivity and Workday Design(39:05) Recognition, Performance, and AI-Assisted Work(40:35) Rethinking Performance Reviews in an AI World(42:10) Why Traditional Performance Management May Need Reinvention(44:00) Balancing Compliance, Governance, and Modern Talent Practices(46:45) Leadership, Humanity, and High Performance Can Coexist(49:45) Clear Expectations, Feedback, and Human-Centered Leadership(51:20) Productivity, Flexibility, and Managing Outcomes Instead of Time(52:30) Rapid Fire: Advice for New HR Professionals ---- 📬 <a href="https://www.modernpeopleleader.com/newsletter" target="_blank" rel

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 Continuous Learning Matters for Modern HR Leaders(13:11) The Builder Mindset: AI, Leadership, and Hands-On Learning(16:08) How Databricks Uses AI Internally Across HR(17:37) Upskilling in the AI Era and Accelerated Learning Loops(19:10) Building AI Readiness: From Baseline Knowledge to Power Users(20:59) Identifying AI Champions and Future Talent(23:18) Databricks’ AI Transformation Journey and Early Use Cases(26:08) Prioritizing HR Automation and Building AI-Native Processes(28:39) AI Transformation as a Full-Time Organizational Effort(30:18) Consumer-Grade AI Experiences for Employees(33:19) Building HR Agents and Delivering Instant Employee Support(36:42) Product Design Lessons from Consumer Technology(39:29) Creating a North Star for AI Transformation(42:26) AI, Critical Thinking, and the Future of Learning(45:17) Learning Resources, Podcasts, and Professional Development(47:39) Does AI Free Creative Capacity or Reduce Critical Thinking?(50:08) Reimagining the HR Function Through AI(51:47) Why AI Skills Are Becoming Essential for Every Employee ---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report----  (06:22) Cameron’s Career Story and Journey Into People Leadership(07:20) From Poetry Degree to Startups and Customer Support(08:18) Building Teams Across San Francisco, Dubai, and the Philippines(09:10) Growing Through Recruiting, HR, and Leadership at Medium(10:05) Biggest Lessons Becoming Head of People(11:20) What Medium Does and Why Human Content Matters(12:50) Content Businesses, AI, and Why These Times Feel Different(14:10) Medium’s AI Journey: Observation to Transformation(15:40) AI as Change Management, Not Just Tool Adoption(17:05) Humans First: Medium’s Values and AI Philosophy(18:45) What Humans First Actually Looks Like in Practice(20:05) Knowing When Not to Use AI(21:15) Balancing Human Creativity with AI Capabilities(22:10) Creating AI Policies Without Top-Down Control(24:00) Experimentation Culture and Building AI Guidelines(25:20) AI as a Capability Expander, Not a Content Machine(26:35) AI Fluency Expectations and Behavior-Based Frameworks(28:15) Why Judgment Matters More Than Tool Usage(29:00) Building an AI Culture Without Centralized Control(30:10) The Role of Managers in AI Adoption(31:10) Using AI to Make Management More Effective(32:10) Rolling Out AI Fluency Expectations Through Managers(34:10) Addressing AI Skeptics and Resistance to Adoption(36:05) Staying Curious While Managing AI Concerns(37:30) AI Skills, Career Development, and Job Market Realities(39:15) Why AI Won’t Replace You, But AI Fluency Might Matter(40:00) Development Responsibility and Proactive Learning(42:10) Measuring AI Sentiment Instead of AI Spend(43:10) AI Brain Fry and Managing the Pace of Change(44:40) What Happens If AI Tools Disappear Tomorrow?(45:30) Designi

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 Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Workforce at QuickBooks.com/workforce----  (06:34) Nir’s Entrepreneurial Journey: Builder Mindset and Solving Problems(15:12) HR’s Admin Burden and Why the Function Still Feels Broken(17:23) Why HR and Business Teams Operate in Silos(20:08) Why HR Teams Must Understand the Business to Support People Better(21:17) Why Finance and HR Alignment Matters More Than Ever(22:29) The Problem with Separate Systems and Separate Data Sources(23:18) Construction Industry Example: Real-Time Workforce Data in Action(26:11) Why Unified Systems Create Better Business Decisions(26:34) The Spreadsheet Problem: Finance vs HR Source of Truth(28:22) Moving Beyond Parallel Processes and Building Shared Metrics(34:00) AI, Unified Data & Better Business Recommendations(35:02) AI Use Cases and Why Unified Workforce Data Changes Everything(36:18) Employee Trust, Sensitive Data & Responsible AI Adoption(38:16) The Two Biggest Barriers to AI Adoption: Value and Trust(40:00) Using AI to Become Better Managers and People Leaders(42:25) How Close Are We to the Future of AI-Powered Workforce Decisions?---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (07:02) Amy’s Career Story: From Casinos to Chief People Officer(10:01) Life in Vegas and Leadership Lessons Outside the Strip(11:40) What Wiz Does and Joining a Hypergrowth Company(12:33) Google Acquisition and Joining the Google Cloud Family(13:42) Why HR Alone Cannot Create High Performance(16:11) HR Systems Aren’t the Work, Influence Is(18:01) High Performance Obsession and Getting the Fundamentals Right(19:53) Why Leadership Shapes Culture More Than HR Programs(21:00) The Limits of HR Ownership and Building Executive Influence(22:25) Breaking Out of Traditional HR Thinking(24:10) The MVP Mindset and Reallocating Time to What Matters(25:15) Introducing “Pick Up the Trash” Leadership Philosophy(29:33) What Picking Up the Trash Looks Like at Wiz(31:45) HRBP Expectations and Operating Principles for Teams(34:25) Future-Proofing HR: MVP Thinking and Operational Excellence(37:08) Burnout, Humanity, and Why EQ Still Matters(41:08) People Ops as Product and Design Thinking for HR Teams(45:08) Avoiding Rip-and-Replace Change Management(47:10) Starting Small: Bringing Product Thinking into HR Teams(49:17) Rapid Fire Questions Begin(50:05) Career Advice: Pick Up the Trash(51:30) Team Superpower: The Beacon(52:42) Performance Questions Every Leader Should Ask(53:36) Dream Guests, Molly Graham, and Operator Mindsets ---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn</p

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 at HealthEdge & Scaling Through Growth(11:12) Joining Glooko & Leading People Across Seven Countries(13:03) What Glooko Does & Supporting Diabetes Care Globally(13:39) Joining Before a $100M Series F & Building a New Leadership Team(15:15) Why “People-First” Leadership Feels Harder in Today’s World(16:56) The Real Meaning of Being People-First in HR(19:22) Why HR Leadership Can Feel Lonely & the Need for Real Conversations(21:20) The Four Drivers of Employee Experience: Connection, Growth, Recognition & Alignment(25:54) Why Mission Alignment & Business Transparency Matter(28:08) Bringing Remote Teams Together Through Global Company Events(29:09) How to Stay People-First Even on a Tight Budget(32:02) Tough Leadership Decisions, Benefits Changes & Listening to Employees(36:06) AI Anxiety, Flattening Organizations & the Future of Work(38:24) Why Laura Is Optimistic About AI & Workforce Change(42:40) How Employees at Glooko Feel About AI Adoption(46:36) Curiosity Over Fear: What Makes Teams Thrive During Change(48:15) Why Curious People Beat “Brilliant Jerks” Every Time(51:28) Hiring for Curiosity, Passion & Human-Centered Thinking(55:20) AI’s Future in Healthcare & Managing Massive Health Data Responsibly ---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many

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🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mplMPL Links:🔗Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (06:23) Reinventing McKinsey’s Hiring Process Across North America(07:21) Moving to Asia-Pacific & Falling in Love with the People Path(08:22) Leaving Consulting for High-Growth Companies(09:03) Lessons From Square, Blue Bottle Coffee & Founder-Led Companies(10:08) Why Blue Bottle Coffee Changed Jevan’s Perspective on Leadership(12:55) What Writer Actually Does Explained in Plain Language(14:40) The Disconnect Between AI Adoption & Real Business Outcomes(16:10) Why AI Fluency Alone Does Not Create Business Value(17:34) Why the Best AI Strategies Combine Bottom-Up & Top-Down Leadership(20:06) AI’s Next Phase: Growth, Scale & Expanding the Business(21:40) Marketing Personalization, AI Agents & Customer Experience at Scale(23:35) Stephen’s CTO Experiments & Building AI Systems for MPL(27:10) Directed Innovation vs “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom”(29:30) From AI Adoption Metrics to Real Organizational Outcomes(31:05) Why AI Leaderboards Can Create the Wrong Behaviors(32:22) Understanding AI Workflows, Iteration & Knowledge Sharing(33:28) Positive Deviance & Finding High-Impact AI Use Cases(36:10) AI Virality, Peer Learning & Spreading Better Workflows(38:12) What High Performance Looks Like in the AI Era(39:45) Why “AI-Pilled” Employees Become Force Multipliers(41:18) System Thinking, Career Growth & Reinventing Performance(42:05) Daniel’s AI Sales Bot & Reinventing Enterprise Sales Workflows(43:18) Why Traditional Change Management No Longer Works(44:15) “There Is No Final Answer in HR Anymore”(45:20) AI as a Creative Thought Partner & Expanding Imagination(46:08) AI, Productivity & Unlocking Strategic Thinking Time(47:20) The “Maslow’s Hierarchy” of AI Value Creation(48:10) The Rise of AI Managers & Automated Leadership Structures(50:32) AI’s Impact on Early Career Talent & New Grads(52:02) Why Adaptability Will Matter More Than Specialization(

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 checklist.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (08:53) What AI Coaching Actually Means Today(10:47) The AI Coaching Definition Problem & Human Coach Misconceptions(12:01) Why AI Cannot Replace Human Relationships at Work(13:54) AI as an Enabler for Better Manager Conversations(15:05) Teaching Employees to Own Their Career Growth(16:18) Building AI Tools for Managers, Coaching & Performance Conversations(18:08) Connecting HR Systems, Context & Employee Data Together(20:02) Sarah’s Approach to Building AI Coaching Skills in Claude(22:01) Buying vs. Building AI Coaching Tools Internally(24:05) Kinfolk, AI Employees & Workflow Automation at Vidyard(27:00) Claude Skills, AI Coaching Gems & Legal Guardrails(29:47) Why HR Teams Should Start Small & Experiment Fast(31:00) What Makes an AI Coaching Tool Actually Valuable(32:14) Why Daily Coaching & Relationship Context Matter Most(34:11) The Importance of Personalized Coaching in the Flow of Work(36:01) Cloverleaf’s MCP Approach & Integrating Behavioral Data(37:12) Why Managers Struggle With Coaching Conversations(38:04) HR’s AI Adoption Problem & Fear of Falling Behind(40:07) Sarika’s Approach to AI Change Management at Vidyard(42:02) Making AI Adoption Fun, Human & Transparent(44:04) Focus Fridai, AI Enablement & Experimentation Culture(45:12) Why AI Skills Are Becoming Mandatory for Employees(46:09) Sarah on Creating Space for HR Teams to Build With AI(47:53) HR Professionals as Builders & Full-Stack Problem Solvers(48:49) AI Ethics, Compliance Risks & Responsible AI Coaching(50:28) Balancing AI Pressure From CEOs While Protecting Employees(51:15) Q&A: How Employees Are Actually Using AI Coaches(52:43) Career Growth, Self-Ownership & the Limits of AI Guidance(55:09) Why Career Growth Will Never Be a Checklist---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊

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 Report🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (03:00) How the CPO Role Is Transforming in Real Time(04:00) COVID’s Lasting Impact on Employee Expectations and Healthcare(05:00) Why Healthcare Became an Emotional Workplace Issue(06:00) The Tension Between Rising Costs and Better Employee Support(07:00) The Shift From an Employee-Powered Market to an Employer-First Economy(08:00) Why Modern CPOs Are Starting to Look More Like COOs(10:00) Business Acumen, Operating Acumen, and the New Expectations for HR(11:00) Why Traditional Benefits Systems Are Falling Behind(12:00) AI’s Rapid Growth and What It Means for HR Leadership(13:00) How AI Is Democratizing Technology for People Teams(15:00) Why Judgment and Expertise Still Matter in the AI Era(16:00) The Case for Strategic Partners Over Building Everything In-House(17:00) Scaling Better Employee Experiences Through AI Systems(19:00) HR Leaders as Major Buyers of Healthcare(20:00) The Ethical Weight of Benefits Decisions(21:00) Why CPOs Need Innovative Healthcare Partners(22:00) Making Hard Trade-Offs With Integrity(23:00) Why Healthcare Innovation Feels Risky for Finance Leaders(26:00) Cara’s Advice: Stay Educated on Emerging Healthcare Innovation(27:00) Jevan’s Advice: Stop Searching for “The Answer”(28:00) Why the Future of HR Requires Constant Iteration(29:00) Community, Partners, and Navigating Uncertainty ---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 <a href="https://www.linkedin.co

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 Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (06:00) HR’s Expanding Role in Healthcare & Family Support(08:00) The Rising Cost of Childcare & Caregiving Challenges(10:00) Layoffs, Workplace Pressure & The “Sandwich Generation”(11:00) How Employee Expectations Changed Post-COVID(13:00) Merck’s Philosophy on Supporting Working Families(15:00) What Real Employee Support Looks Like in Practice(17:00) Flexibility, Compassionate Time & Supporting Diverse Workforces(18:00) The Importance of Benefits Communication & Employee Awareness(20:00) Simplifying Access to Benefits Through Journey Mapping(22:00) Most Popular Benefits at Merck: Backup Care, Flexibility & Concierge Support(24:00) Why Backup Care Peaks During School Breaks(25:00) Senior Care, Pet Care & New Caregiving Trends(26:00) Why Managers Need Better Support & Empathy Training(28:00) What Great Managers Do During Caregiving Crises(30:00) Building a Workplace Culture Rooted in Flexibility & Trust(31:00) The $70 Billion Childcare Disruption Problem(32:00) How COVID Changed Merck’s Backup Care Strategy(34:00) Why Fast, Flexible Care Solutions Matter Most(35:00) The Future of Backup Care & AI-Powered Matching(38:00) Why Employees Don’t Engage With Benefits Programs(39:00) Simplicity vs Specificity in Benefits Communication(41:00) Keeping Benefits Top-of-Mind Before Employees Need Them(42:00) Using Employee Testimonials to Normalize Caregiving(45:00) Why Modern Workplaces Need to Normalize Care Conversations(46:00) Real Stories of Caregiving Support During Crisis Moments(48:00) Helping Employees Through Dementia Care & COVID Emergencies(49:00) Navigating Grief, Medical Debt & End-of-Life Care Support(51:00) Building the Business Case for Caregiving Benefits(53:00) Productivity, Flexibility & the ROI of Caregiving Support(55:00) Why Caregiving Is an Economic Issu

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 Trends Report🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (06:00) Building Internal AI Tools: From Non-Technical to Product Thinking(09:00) The HR Paradox: More Strategic Power, More Emotional Pressure(12:00) Why Most Employees Don’t Understand Company Strategy(15:00) The Real Problem Isn’t AI — It’s Communication and Leadership(19:00) How the CPO Role Changed After COVID and AI Acceleration(22:00) Short-Term vs Medium-Term Thinking in High-Speed Organizations(25:00) Trust, Transparency, and Decision-Making in Uncertain Environments(27:00) Why Scaling HR Strategy Is Harder in Established Companies(29:00) The Death of Traditional Career Paths and Org Hierarchies(32:00) Why the CPO Role Is Still Misunderstood at the Executive Level(34:00) Saying No: The Most Underrated Skill in HR Leadership(36:00) HumanOps vs Strategic Work: Where HR Should Actually Focus(38:00) Aligning AI Strategy with Business Outcomes (Not Just Tools)(40:00) The “So What?” Framework for Driving Real Impact(44:00) Why Most Companies Are Building the Wrong AI Stack(45:00) AI as a Product Advantage: Driving Strategy Through Use Case(46:00) When AI Adoption Becomes Non-Negotiable for Employees(48:00) Why Long-Term Planning Is Dead (and What Replaces It)(49:00) Rethinking Headcount: Hiring vs Rebuilding Roles with AI(52:00) Where AI Will Actually Replace Work in HR(54:00) Stop Thinking Roles — Start Thinking Workflows(55:00) Rebuilding Teams for Human + AI Collaboration(58:00) The End of the SaaS Hiring Playbook(59:00) New Metric That Matters: Revenue per Employee(01:01:00) The Risk of “AI Tech Debt” from Poor Implementation(01:02:00) Why Every Company Will Face AI Pressure Soon(01:03:00) HR as Crisis Management: The Reality of the Role(01:05:00) If HR Isn’t in the Room Early, You’ve Already Lost Influence---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps</strong

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 Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (03:33) Amin’s Career Journey: From Engineer to CEO of TopicFlow(07:32) Early Exposure to Performance Management Tools and Market Gap(10:05) AI’s Impact on Productivity and Internal Workflows (MPL 2.0)(12:36) Why Managers Are Burnt Out and the “Code Red” Situation(16:30) The Real Problem: Poor Manager Training and Promotion Practices(21:34) Why Traditional L&D and HR Tools Are No Longer Effective(24:21) What Real Manager Support Looks Like in the AI Era(26:49) Coaching vs Performance Reviews: Why They Should Be Separate(29:15) Why AI Coaching Can Be More Effective Than Human Coaching(34:38) The Increasing Span of Control and Manager Workload Challenges(36:02) Why Performance Reviews Are Still Not Data-Driven(40:01) What Data Sources Actually Matter for Better Reviews(46:15) Transcript Data as “Corporate Gold” and Cultural Shift Challenges(52:05) From Asking AI to Ambient Intelligence and Proactive Coaching(56:39) Personalized AI Coaching and the “Scale to One” Future---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Hel

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, Chief People Officer @ Mejuri- Katya Laviolette, Chief People Officer @ 1Password- Jenny Do Forno, Chief People Officer @ TouchBistro----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforceMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (06:00) Building with AI: Creating Tools Without Engineering Background(08:00) Internal Tools & Using AI to Solve Operational Problems(10:00) Framing the Conversation: State of HR & Growing Expectations(12:00) Poll Results Breakdown: Why HR Leaders Feel Split(14:00) Strategy Misalignment: The Real Organizational Problem(17:00) Communication Gaps & Repeating Strategy Effectively(18:00) The Emotional Load on HR Leaders Today(19:00) How the CPO Role Has Evolved Since COVID(21:00) Speed of Change & Constant Decision-Making Pressure(23:00) Balancing Short-Term vs Medium-Term Thinking in HR(25:00) Transparency, Trust & Decision-Making in Organizations(27:00) Managing Complexity in Large vs Growing Companies(29:00) The Future of Career Paths & Organizational Design(31:00) Challenges in Advising Employees on Career Growth(32:00) Misunderstandings About the CPO Role(34:00) Saying No & Avoiding the “Catch-All” HR Trap(35:00) HR Is Not the Therapist: Redefining Responsibilities(36:00) HumanOps vs PeopleOps: Where HR Should Focus(38:00) Aligning AI Strategy with Business Strategy(41:00) Practical Framework: Building Strategy with “So What?”(44:00) AI as a Business Driver vs Just a Tool(46:00) Enforcing AI Adoption & Organizational Expectations(47:00) Iterating Strategy Across Different Employee Groups(48:00) Q&A Begins: AI Replacing Roles & Team Structur

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 how companies can unlock it by creating the conditions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness instead of relying on compensation levers.---Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Payroll at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Cloverleaf at cloverleaf.me/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (04:24) Claude’s Career Story: From Athlete to Chief Heart Officer(10:54) What VaynerX Does: Modern Marketing and Creative Ecosystem(13:13) Building a Learning Culture and Developing People Internally(15:51) Why Workplace Dread Is Increasing in Today’s Environment(18:16) The Importance of Self-Awareness and Emotional Control(20:30) Supporting Teams Without Having All the Answers as a Leader(20:56) What Claude Has Learned from Gen Z Employees(23:06) The Challenge of Patience and Career Growth Expectations(24:42) Why Relationships Matter More Than Ever at Work(26:51) The Impact of COVID and Isolation on Younger Generations(29:23) Overcoming Workplace Dread Through Action and Learning(31:51) Paying It Forward and Supporting Others in Their Growth(33:38) What It Means to Leave a “Heartprint” at Work(35:17) Emotional Optimism, Bravery, and Efficiency Explained---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (08:39) Zach’s Career Story(13:56) The Shift into AI Product Building and Internal Tool Creation(14:29) Zach’s New Role at Google and Product-Driven HR(16:07) What People Get Wrong About Google Today(18:26) How HR Used to Operate vs. How AI Is Changing Everything(20:21) Early Skepticism Around Product-Led HR(22:00) The Breakthrough Moment: Building an AI Agent in Days(25:09) Shifting from Programs to Products in HR(25:53) New Skills Required: Problem Statements and Deep Focus Work(28:20) Example: Driving Product Adoption Through Onboarding Design(30:39) How User Research Changes in a Product-Led HR Model(32:30) Expanding Inputs: From Surveys to Real User Interaction and Feedback---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (05:18) Deborah’s Career Journey: From Finance to CHRO(08:15) Transition to Global Roles & Multinational Experience(10:31) Why Healthcare: Mission-Driven Work & Impact on Lives(11:21) Scale of Sutter Health: 60,000 Employees & Growing Network(14:57) Mission, Patient Experience, and Workforce Impact(16:22) Reducing Turnover from 18% to 9.8%: Key Results(17:46) Where to Start: Leadership, Culture & Employee Listening(19:06) Unique Challenges in Healthcare Workforce Experience(20:55) Differences from Tech: Purpose-Driven Work in Healthcare(22:00) “Power of One”: Bringing Thousands of Employees Together(24:32) Biggest Levers Behind Turnover Reduction(25:19) Fixing Early Attrition: Onboarding & Manager Enablement(27:40) Creating Career Pathways & Employee Growth Opportunities(28:00) Building a Development-for-All Strategy at Scale(30:52) Embedding Career Conversations Across the Organization(32:57) Leadership Modeling & Scaling Development Plans(33:35) HR Tech Stack, AI Integration & Learning Platforms---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (06:37) Shift from CFO Partnerships to CIO-CPO Collaboration(08:23) Evolution of the CHRO Role & Seat at the Table(12:26) The Changing Nature of Work & Culture Transformation(14:42) Why Collapsing CIO + CPO Roles is the Wrong Take(16:51) The Power of CIO-CPO Partnership as a Force Multiplier(17:49) How Eva & Trevor Actually Work Together Day-to-Day(21:34) Rethinking Org Design, Bots, and Workforce Structure(22:49) Redefining Success: KPIs, Incentives & AI Impact(25:26) Why AI Transformation is Not One-Size-Fits-All(26:24) From Strategy to Execution: Driving Cultural Adoption(27:07) “AI Unlocked” & Building AI Literacy Across the Company(29:33) Why You Shouldn’t “Boil the Ocean” with AI(31:48) AI Hype, FOMO & Leadership Pressure(32:06) Creating Psychological Safety & Responsible AI Adoption(35:33) What’s Actually Realistic in the Next 2 Years of AI(36:43) Human-Centered AI & Employees Owning Their Role Evolution(38:35) Will Everyone Become AI Power Users?(40:23) The Viral “AI Doomsday” Narrative vs Reality(42:46) The Massive Reskilling Challenge Ahead(43:34) Job Destruction vs Job Evolution & Creation(47:12) Why Curiosity & Growth Mindset Will Define Winners(47:54) The Most Important Skills: Curiosity, Judgment, Empathy(49:18) Abundance Mindset: AI Creates More Opportunity(51:15) Managing Fear, Emotional Load & AI Anxiety(52:58) Why Every CPO Needs a Strong CIO Partnership---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guest

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 Build.----  (08:31) What Compete Does: AI Workforce Optimization Explained Simply(11:17) Why Most HR Metrics Don’t Matter to CEOs(14:47) Connecting Workforce Data to Business Outcomes and Revenue(17:34) Hiring Inefficiencies and the Hidden Cost of Poor Talent Decisions(18:03) Early Career Mistake: Reporting Data Without Strategic Context(21:30) From Executor to Strategic Business Partner in HR(22:33) Transitioning from HR Practitioner to Startup CEO(24:59) The Reality of Entrepreneurship: Feedback, Pressure, and Growth(27:14) Lessons from First-Time Founder Experiences and Challenges(29:03) How HR Leaders Can Think Like Their CEO(31:33) Aligning HR Metrics with Business Goals (Break-Even Example)(35:29) Upskilling, AI, and Driving Business Impact Through HR(37:24) Identifying High-Impact Employees and Productivity Signals(39:51) How AI Transforms Workforce Analytics(41:45) Human-in-the-Loop AI and Telling Better Data Stories(45:02) Security, Privacy, and Handling Sensitive Workforce Data---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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) What Kendra Scott Stands For Beyond Jewelry(11:36) The “Great Talent Transfer” and Beth’s Vision for Internal Talent Mobility(14:33) How Beth Operationalizes Big Talent Ideas with Skills Inventory and Technology(17:31) Surprising Skills Discoveries and Unlocking Hidden Talent Across the Business(19:38) What “Head Scratcher” Meetings Are and How They Surface Important Issues(22:34) Helping Leaders Navigate Pressure, Change, and Economic Uncertainty(25:12) Why Leadership and Management Are Different and How Beth Leads Through Change(29:56) Fear, Loss, and Doubt: The Emotional Reality of Organizational Change(30:23) What Beth Has Learned Working with Kendra Scott’s New CEO(32:38) Beth’s Advice for People Facing Career Uncertainty and Reinvention(36:15) What It’s Like to Work with a Visionary Founder Like Kendra Scott(39:43) How Big Ideas Get Operationalized at Kendra Scott(41:30) Kendra Scott’s Commitment to Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership(45:48) Beth’s Bigger Vision for Mentorship, Legacy, and Expanding Impact(47:12) Beth’s View on the Future of Retail, Human Connection, and Transformation---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (05:07) Matt’s Career Story: From In-House HR to Founder of FNDN(08:03) Why Compensation Became Matt’s Core Focus Area(11:34) Taking the Leap: Leaving In-House and Starting from Scratch(12:09) Early Validation: Talking to Customers Before Selling(15:59) Finding a Niche: From Broad HR to Focused Compensation Services(17:19) The Importance of Customer Research and Feedback Loops(20:17) Building a Brand That Stands Out in HR Consulting(23:51) First Clients: How Matt Landed His Initial Work Without Cold Outreach(27:09) Using LinkedIn and Content to Build Trust and Generate Inbound Leads(30:00) Pricing Your Services: From Salary Goals to Hourly Rates(36:49) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Charging What You’re Worth(41:18) The Challenges of Going Solo: Isolation and Losing Team Dynamics(43:04) The First Invoice Moment and Early Wins as a Founder(44:58) Reflecting on Growth: Building a Business and Lifestyle by Design(48:22) From Consulting to a Portfolio Career: Expanding Beyond Time-for-Money(50:28) Launching a Podcast and Newsletter as Growth Channels(52:26) Creating Startup People Summit: Building Community and Events(54:20) Lessons from Running Events and Building in Public(56:44) Brand Playbook: Intentionality, Consistency, and Differentiation(01:01:31) Where to Find Matt and His Work---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot),

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://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode288Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl----  (09:18) Matt’s Origin Story(14:03) Why Health Benefits Are So Hard for Employees to Understand(19:47) How Benefits Complexity Exploded Over the Last 5 to 10 Years(25:07) What HR Leaders Should Do When Benefits Costs Feel Out of Control(32:58) How Medefy Discovered What Employees Actually Want from Benefits Support(37:21) The Biggest Pitfalls Employers Make in Benefits Design and Communication(42:04) How Preventive Care Incentives Can Dramatically Lower Healthcare Costs(43:17) What Real Savings Can Look Like When Employees Use Benefits Better(44:57) Where Benefits, Personalization, and AI Are Headed Next(54:20) One Action HR Leaders Can Take Right Now to Start Fixing the Problem(57:13) Rapid Fire: Advice for Someone Starting Their Career Today---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 Links:🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl----  (06:17) How Alex joined Sidecar Health and the early hiring story(10:46) What Sidecar Health does and how their healthcare model works(16:52) The CEO–CPO partnership and how they built trust working together(17:57) Early disagreements, culture decisions, and navigating leadership dynamics during COVID(20:35) How Patrick’s expectations of the CPO role evolved beyond traditional HR(25:27) Frameworks for understanding the business: market, business model, and leadership dynamics(28:54) Decision-making: when the CPO leads vs. when the CEO steps in(31:32) Building a culture of ownership: “give speeding tickets, not permission slips”(32:25) Navigating uncertainty and employee trust during constant change(34:51) Leading the “people business” alongside the company business(39:53 Leadership changes and how to bring teams along during major org shifts(42:43) Managing leadership transitions and the “Olympic team” mindset for executives(46:43) AI strategy and preparing the organization for the AI era(48:24) Building an AI-native culture through experimentation and tool adoption(50:33) Why AI adoption was driven culturally through the people team, not just engineering(52:30) Operating lean: scaling a company without adding as much headcount(55:03) Rethinking career growth when management roles are fewer in the AI era(56:31) Curiosity, experimentation, and the future of AI adoption in organizations---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen R

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:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.(05:43) Kim’s Career Story: How Her Own Leave Experience Led Her into Leave Management(10:16) Life on a Two-Person People Team at Tilt(11:02) What Tilt Actually Does: Explaining Leave Administration in Plain Language(12:26) Why Great Leave Experiences Need to Be Personalized, Not Checklist-Based(16:29) The Two Types of Employees Who Show Up During Leave(18:35) What Employees Should Ask Their Manager Before Going on Leave(25:14) A Step-by-Step Walkthrough of Designing a Great Leave Experience(31:15) Kim Reflects on Her Own Leave Experience While Working at Tilt(34:46) Why Knowledge Transfer and Coverage Planning Matter So Much Before Leave(36:15) Why HR Often Resists Personalized Leave Support and How to Rethink It(39:51) How Kim and Janisa Designed the Employee Leave Experience at Tilt(41:59) The “Rule of Five” for Helping Employees Re-enter After Leave(44:30) Balancing Tech and Human Support in Modern Leave Management(47:11) How AI Can Help HR Teams Manage Leave More Effectively---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 business first while staying people-centric.----  Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode285Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  Timestamps:(06:51) Melissa’s career path(10:16)Melissa’s work outside Kit and her newsletter, The Business of People(11:45) what Kit does and how MPL uses it(14:50) “How does the business make money?”(15:20) Track-Racehorse-Jockey and how VCs evaluate a business(15:34) Track: market context and competitive landscape(17:56) Racehorse: business model and revenue engine (product-led growth, pricing, AI credits)(19:17) Jockey: leadership team signals and what to assess(20:18) Coaching HR leaders through business jargon and discomfort(22:59) Learning business acumen: newsletters, courses, and choosing an industry you care about(25:21) PeopleOps maturity diagnostic and how it works(25:44) The PeopleOps maturity score, priorities, and avoiding “too much process too early”(29:14) Example areas: compensation philosophy, interview structure, compliance, global workforce basics(31:13) How Melissa built the diagnostic over time(34:05) How often to re-run the diagnostic and keep improving over quarters(37:49) Managing feedback like a product backlog(44:38) Listening tours and what leaders uncover that surveys miss(48:44) The “90 and 90” listening tour structure, questions, and how to scale it past 100+ employees(53:33) Honesty in 1:1s and the value of quieter, thoughtful feedback(54:24) Building a cohesive people strategy from the three inputs(55:27) Weighting trade-offs and why “people-first” can fail if the business is not healthy---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 <a href="htt

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 Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AI🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/fivefrictionsSponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AIMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:08) Diane’s career story and path to founding Clarinet(14:43) Why AI shows up in every episode and the “why companies are stuck” question(15:58) Why AI adoption feels hard despite tool abundance (DIY, bandwidth, readiness)(21:46) The “trifecta” criteria for identifying a good use case(27:39) An example of a bad AI use case: what broke and why it was abandoned(36:25) The “Five Frictions” framework and where to start(42:50) Example 1: time-to-hire goal and candidate feedback GPT workflow(47:03) Example 2: exec reporting and “hyper-personalized” dashboard pushes(52:39) “Click cutters” and how to find them---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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/AIMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (08:30) From teaching to HR: early roles, mentor, and learning the business(10:54) VMware era: growth, recruiting focus, and family move to Austin(11:55) Consulting chapter: building “Liz Bronson Consulting” and supporting startups(13:18) COVID shift: reevaluating priorities and deciding “it’s my turn”(15:12) Landing at Skimmer: growth, doubling, and why it is working(20:53) Intentional career “flatlining” for parenting and how she made it work(24:52) The “do it all” myth: stress, trade-offs, and household coping strategies(30:57) The career trade-offs no one talks about(32:14) Negotiating the partnership reset with her husband and what changed post-2020(41:49) The “must-have list” and choosing roles that fit life stages(45:08) The job-search grind after a reset, protecting mental health, and rebuilding momentum(48:27) Building a caregiver-friendly workplace, parental leave returns, and flexibility in practice(51:13) Influencing leaders, the business case, and the “why” behind policies and RTO mandates(55:36) Career advice for HR leaders, understanding the business, and becoming a stronger partner---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (05:23) Isabel’s Career Story and Path to Wise(10:54) Shift to Culture and the Global Playbook Topic(11:58) Why Wise Needs a Global Footprint: Customer Proximity and Regulation(13:27) Designing a Seamless Employee Experience Across Locations(14:27) Global Consistency vs Local Identity in Workplace Design(16:38) How Wise Creates an Irresistible Office Experience(19:22) Measuring Culture vs Driving Business Outcomes(21:47) Product Operating Model and Avoiding “HR Theatre”(23:05) Rituals That Maintain Mission Focus During Growth(24:31) Company Calls, Demos, and Ownership Through Equity(25:26) Quarterly Planning Rituals and Open Participation(27:38) Observable Signals of Culture and Employee Pride(28:25) AI and How It Changes Talent Strategy at Wise(28:58) Three Focus Areas: AI Usage, Building AI Skills, and Leading AI Teams(32:32) Measuring AI Impact Beyond Usage and Where to Start(35:22) Prerequisites for AI: Data and Operating Model(37:05) Choosing Use Cases, Human-in-the-Loop, and Reinforcing Human Skills(39:33) In-Person Connection and What Sets Strong Cultures Apart(40:34) Value of Community Learning in AI and HR Networks(43:22) Collaboration Model, Flexible Work, and Benefits That Support Performance(45:43) Sabbaticals and Work-From-Anywhere Policies(47:24) AI Use Case Example: Feedback Coach and Scaling Support(48:48) Innovation at Wise: Hiring for Excellence and Practicing Feedback---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené B

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 takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode280Sponsor Links:🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AI🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Go deeper on Viva's AI Journey in Roundtable with Jani (only 10 seats)MPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:30) Chase’s Origin Story(11:15) What Doist Does: Productivity Tools, Todoist, and Async-First Principles(14:45) Why Async Work Changes How Leaders Think, Decide, and Scale(17:28) Independent Decision-Making as a Non-Negotiable at Doist(20:44) The Doist Operating System: Squads, Quarterly Cycles, and Decision Frameworks(23:17) Rituals That Power Execution: Async Standups, Demos, Retros, and Dashboards(26:30) Communication as Infrastructure: Async Guidelines, Transparency, and Trust(30:45) How Async Enables Better AI Adoption and an Organizational “Brain”(33:44) Inside Doist’s AI Ops Squad: Redesigning Planning, Search, and Workflows with AI(38:17) Vibe Coding, Non-Engineers, and the Rise of AI-Enabled Builders(47:22) Partnering with Head of People Nadia Vatalidis and Scaling People Systems(53:30) The Biggest Misconception About Remote and Async Culture---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode279----Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Wellthy at wellthy.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AI🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (06:03) Jani’s Path Into People Ops(09:28) What Music Taught Her About Org Design(12:55) Why Viva Went All-In on AI(13:46) Winning the Zapier Award(17:32) Viva’s AI Adoption Strategy(19:31) 3 AI Competencies: Prompting, Automation, Business Acumen(22:09) The 13-Week Manager-Led Learning Path(23:35) Picking Use Cases and Measuring ROI(26:46) Handling Resistance and Fear(30:16) Explorer to Builder to Multiplier(32:42) Viva Ambassador Program and Content GPTs(37:29) People Ops Slack Bots: Fixie and Aura(40:04) TA Dashboard Using Lovable(41:45) EAs Helping Clients Adopt AI(43:14) What They’d Change Next Time(45:18) AI Debt and Automation Pitfalls---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dav

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.---- (09:04) Cindy background, why she attended, and what felt different about the event experience(10:57) Marlene background, why she returned, and what she valued from 2024 to 2025(16:14) Cindy’s take on Innovation Hall (missed Day 1, but feedback from others and Day 2 vendor conversations)(18:05) Marlene’s take on Innovation Hall: vendor conversations shifting from “AI can” to workflow integration(19:11) Bingo gamification: origin, how it worked, and what it enabled(21:11) Programming integration: how Day 1 was structured alongside the Innovation Hall(22:53) Day 1 highlights(25:49) Day 2 highlights(34:36) Key learnings from the week---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 sign up for MPL Build.---- (04:35) Jon Couture’s Career Story: Air Force Firefighter to CHRO (08:16) Vanguard Culture: Stability, Performance & Long-Tenure Talent (10:16) New CEO from Outside: Preserving Culture While Driving Change (12:38) The Paradox of Theseus: Evolving Vanguard Without Losing Its Soul (14:52) CHRO–CEO Alignment & Translating Strategy Into People Priorities (20:00) Enterprise Priorities: Advice, Wealth Management & Democratization (24:29) AI as a Productivity Engine for Clients and Crew (26:48) Balancing 50 Years of Legacy With the Next 50 Years of Change (27:33) Repositioning HR: Enabling How Work Gets Done (31:48) Strategic Workforce Planning & Task-Level Work Design (36:24) Agile HR, MVP Thinking & Avoiding Over-Documentation Traps (39:14) Building Trust in AI Adoption & Change Management (44:01) Satisfaction = Expectations ÷ Actuals: Managing Change Realistically (45:50) Leadership Development at Scale: ELDP & Leadership Experience (50:16) Rethinking Learning: From Content Consumption to Skill Mastery (53:21) Middle Management: Investing in Effectiveness, Not Flattening (56:00) The Time Dividend: Productivity as a Path to Better Training---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien

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 takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode276Sponsor Links:🔗 Take Clarinet’s AI Readiness Snapshot🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AIMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (08:20) Sarika’s career origin story and non-linear path into People leadership(15:06) Transition from traditional roles into strategic talent leadership(27:14) AI product evolution and challenges of layering AI into existing platforms(29:41) AI change management and leadership mindset shifts(32:01) Grassroots AI adoption and building excitement without fear(36:05) Fear, resistance, and why HR teams struggle with AI adoption(43:07) HR as a strategic driver in AI transformation(46:20) Onboarding as the first AI workflow use case(48:50) Automation outcomes, manager enablement, and measurable impact(52:44) Lessons learned from AI-powered onboarding transformation(54:33) AI coaching as the next frontier in HR---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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) Marketing Concepts Crossing into HR(11:18) Employee Lifetime Value and the Marketing–HR Crossover(13:01) Customer-Based Audit Explained in Plain Language(16:23) What Actually Goes Into a Customer-Based Audit(18:07) Cross-Sectional vs. Cohort Analysis: How Customers (and Employees) Change(21:21) Bad Revenue, Bad Customers, and Growth Tradeoffs(23:04) The Limits of Surveys and Why Context Matters(26:54) Cohort Analysis and Why Averages Mislead Decision-Making(30:39) Data Challenges in HR and What You Need to Start an Employee Audit(34:20) Translating Customer Metrics to Employee Performance(37:42) Incentive-Compatible Peer Feedback and Performance Signal(40:06) What an Employee-Based Audit Actually Produces(44:25) Turning Audit Insights into Actionable HR Decisions(47:39) What an Employee-Based Audit Book Would Cover(49:19) The Future of Work if Employee Audits Become Standard---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 up for MPL Build.---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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.----  Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode273Sponsor Links:🔗 Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗 Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AIMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (06:30) Pat’s origin story: why he started doing organizational health work(15:06) What Pat has changed his mind on over time (patience vs immediate confrontation)(16:24) Trust + “Five Dysfunctions” discussion (why absence of trust breaks everything)(19:54) What sparked the “6 types of Working Genius” model(24:50) Burnout comes from doing draining work too long, not just “working hard”(29:19) The “Yeti mug vs hole in the cup” analogy (genius, competency, frustration)(39:25) CEO burnout cycle: suffering for others vs martyrdom, and designing coverage for what you don’t have(42:49) Using Working Genius for teams and hiring (cover gaps; hire for needed “genius,” not title)(47:30) Pat’s take on AI: different “types” of AI + the dignity of work and the human touch(52:53) 5–10 year outlook: job disruption, and using Working Genius to stay adaptable across industries (54:09) Trust in an AI era: fear, headcount signals, and how leaders rebuild trust (57:55) Leadership style + authenticity: lead from who you are, name strengths/weaknesses openly---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 performance reviews, hiring workflows, interview coaching, engagement insights, and more.----  Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode272Sponsor Links:🔗Try Viva’s $950 one-month trial at execviva.com/mpl🔗Try AskChartHop at ChartHop.com/AIMPL Links:🔗Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (08:46) Brandon on organizational readiness: leadership, talent, and culture as the real prerequisites for AI transformation(11:25) Brandon’s three-part impact framework for AI work: efficiency, quality, and employee experience(12:58) Jenny introduces “AI debt” and the phases of the AI journey from initial adoption to deeper productivity gains(14:41) Building internal AI enablers and “chief vibe coders” on the people team to help others ship and scale AI solutions(17:22) Zooming out to AI tech stacks: build vs buy vs “bot” and how HR should think about existing tools and new platforms(18:29) Valerie on activating AI already inside your HR stack and creating an HR data agent with a custom GPT(23:00) Transition to demo day: exploring what is actually possible with AI in HR right now(24:38) Valerie Demo 1: Using AI to spin up 360 performance review cycles, questions, and value-based sections in minutes(29:31) Valerie Demo 2: AI-assisted manager reviews that aggregate self reviews, peer feedback, goals, recognition, and Slack activity(32:16) Jenny Demo 1: Slack analytics leaderboard to gamify “working in public” and reduce DMs on the people team(35:15) Jenny Demo 2: Interview quality coach that analyzes BrightHire transcripts and slacks structured feedback to interviewers(37:41) Jenny Demo 3: Custom GPT in the CEO’s voice to keep outreach and employer brand messaging on tone across teams(39:11) Brandon Demo 1: AI-powered hiring plans that generate JDs, rubrics, interview guides, and Slack hiring channels via Zapier Canvas(48:25) Brandon Demo 2: Alumni engagement and LinkedIn recommendation agents that keep him connected to former teammates(52:00) Valerie Demo 3: Turning engagement survey comments into themes, actions, and board-ready executive summaries---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 </stro

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://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode271Sponsor 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.---- (06:16) DJ’s Origin Story: From First-Gen College Student to CHRO at Synchrony(11:19) What Synchrony Does: Credit Access, Health & Wellness, and Major Retail Partners(14:12) Co-Designing the Future of Work & Adopting an MVP Mindset in HR(18:27) Active Listening as the Operating System for People Programs(29:10) Scaling Listening: Pulse Surveys, Roundtables, ERGs, Wellness Coaches and On-Site Therapists(35:14) Avoiding the “Send One Email” Trap and Communicating 20 Different Ways(38:48) Great, Not Perfect: Building Trust, Prioritizing Requests, and Saying No Openly(44:51) Synchrony’s Hybrid “Way of Working” and Redesigning Leadership for Flexibility(51:48) Rethinking Performance, Onboarding, and Culture Centers in a Hybrid World---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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.---- (06:00) — The problem statement: HR buried in admin, Q4 pressure, need for practical fixes(07:25)— Taylor on leave management as the high-stakes admin vortex and why great leave drives retention(10:18) — Melanie on overwork vs impact: earn respect through outcomes, not hours(14:08) — Reframing service: self-service, business-first questions, and saying “look it up” kindly(20:32) — Horror Story 1: Mexico-beach FMLA backfire and what the law actually allows(22:19) — Horror Story 2: CEO’s mis-sent inappropriate email and culture trust fallout(24:56) — Horror Story 3: Walk-by performance ratings in open cubes(27:42) — Taylor’s fix: design for simplicity in leave policies and automate approvals(28:57) — Melanie’s fix: make time your asset; test-outs, policy bots, AI course builder(33:47) — Q&A: “Minimum training hours” requirements and assigning only what’s legally needed(37:04) — Feeling “behind on AI”: why most teams are weeks, not years, behind(39:07) — Q&A---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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/episode269Sponsor Links:🔗 Start a one-month trial with Viva for $950.🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (09:24) The GenAI Shift and What It Means To Become an AI-First Company(11:07) Box’s Three Pillars for AI in People and Communities: Optimize, Elevate, Amplify(13:25) Rethinking Roles, Skills, and Job Architecture in an AI-Driven World(16:17) Who Leads the AI Transformation: HR, IT, or a Cross-Functional AI Council(20:32) People Strategy in an AI-First World: Talent, Skills, and Leadership Expectations(23:55) Hackathons, AI Certification, and Box’s Step-by-Step AI People Roadmap(32:44) Leading Hybrid Human Plus Agent Teams and Rethinking Manager Responsibilities(37:20) Coaching, Feedback, and Performance Expectations for AI Agents(38:36) OKRs for Agents, Agent Sprawl, and Governance of Digital Employees(42:29) Tech Debt, Agentic Debt, and How People Teams Decide What To Build, Buy, or Wait On(47:47) The People Team Tech Stack: Build, Buy, Borrow, Bot in Practice at Box(49:10) Practical Advice for HR Leaders Just Starting Their AI Journey---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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 Mentioned:🔗 Kit’s blog on why culture starts with performance ---- (13:04) Kit’s story(24:18) Why rebrand HR to People at Foursquare(25:25) Naming, value proposition, and aligning the people team to business goals(28:26) North Stars: “vibrancy + velocity,” big rocks vs prototypes, new engagement survey(33:11) People function as a product: design thinking, journey mapping, cross-functional experience team(39:09) First major bet: performance philosophy(41:35) Team-based performance model and measurement alignment(42:31) Transition to ONA focus(43:50) ONA background(47:30) Flattening org and team effectiveness coaching to support the model(49:07) Tying behaviors to leadership principles, career matrix, and team-based recognition(50:55) Research basis for high-performing teams vs teams of high performers(54:23) Metrics: measuring velocity (+43%), tradeoffs on coaching/feedback, new interventions(56:29) Theme of focus: advice for overwhelmed people leaders---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.</

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 early talent (PDF): https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode267Sponsor Links:🔗 Talk to the team at Ethena.🔗 Learn more about TopicFlow.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live Austin.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:31) Shannon’s career journey to CPO (Citigroup/Smith Barney → Morgan Stanley → JPMorgan → American Century → GEICO → BNY)(10:36) Advice to aspiring CPOs: say yes to high-need roles; build varied skill sets(12:59) BNY in 30 seconds: “the bank of banks,” custody/clearing and client solutions(13:40) Why early careers matter now; meeting talent where they are(16:03) Scaling analysts: 500 → 1,000 → 2,000; investing despite headcount scrutiny(19:12) Timeline why this is notable(43:33) Bottom-up tactics: sandboxing, storytelling, shared language(44:12) Legal as early adopter; multi-touch education to reduce fear(45:56) From “Excel fluency” to “AI fluency” as the new baseline(46:48) Who builds agents? Personal vs. production; step-by-step path(47:47) Idea intake → AI hub priorit