HR Leaders

20 episodes scanned.

Recent Episodes

1. How SAP Is Preparing Its People for AI: 5 Takeaways for HR

   Nov 3, 2026

   Gina Vargiu-Breuer, SAP's Chief People Officer, discusses the launch of SAP's Talent Engine, a connected talent development system built over about 2.5 years to support the company's AI transformation. She covers how she approached the redesign of SAP's people processes, the role of business leaders in defining skills needs, and the shift toward horizontal, cross-functional teams and an "autonomous enterprise" model. The conversation also touches on measuring transformation success, the continuing importance of human judgment and empathy, and why culture and people work should move in step with technology.

2. How Primark Grows Its Own Leaders: 5 Practical Takeaways for HR

   Oct 22, 2026

   John D. Hadeed, senior vice president of People & Culture for the US at Primark, discusses how the retailer develops frontline colleagues into store manager and senior leadership roles. He covers structured talent conversations, succession planning, protected in-person onboarding and leadership training, and the Zing communications app. The conversation also touches on maintaining a consistent culture and values across countries as the business grows.

3. What Nobody Tells Your CEO: 7 Leadership Lessons for HR

   Oct 15, 2026

   Andrea Petrone, an executive coach, advisor to CEOs, speaker, and author of *Reinvention at the Top*, discusses why the habits that make leaders successful can later hold them back. The conversation covers the isolation of the CEO role, the scarcity of unbiased feedback at the top, and the 'achieved identity' concept that she argues leaders must reexamine at career inflection points. Other topics include the added pressure of AI and economic uncertainty, why CFOs and commercial leaders are more often promoted to CEO than HR leaders, and the value of simplifying complex businesses.

4. 5 Mistakes Every Company Needs to Fix Before Adding Another AI Tool

   Oct 13, 2026

   Sandra Ma, co-founder and CEO of Jovial, and Richard Harrell Jr., co-founder and Chief Design Officer, discuss why workplaces need clarity, consistency, and connection before adding AI or new tools. They describe how unclear ownership, scattered information, and ineffective meetings create friction, and they recommend diagnosing root causes first, using Jovial's short health score assessment. The conversation also covers an example of a CRM rollout that duplicated contacts and required months of cleanup.

5. 5 Ways to Build a Workplace People Don’t Want to Leave

   Oct 8, 2026

   Laura Lawson, Chief People Officer at United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), describes how the Pontiac, Michigan company has built a campus-based workplace culture around its roughly 9,000 employees. The conversation covers on-site amenities, a no-layoff commitment, internal career coaching and transfers, monthly one-on-one "your time" meetings that replace annual reviews, and hiring for attitude and work ethic over degrees. Laura also explains why she believes low-cost creative initiatives can matter more than perks, and why in-person connection is central to UWM's model.

6. How to Move From AI Pilots to Real Business Impact

   Oct 6, 2026

   Bruno Da Sola, Group Chief People Officer at Inetum, discusses how the company moved from isolated AI pilots to enterprise-wide impact by redesigning entire end-to-end workflows rather than individual use cases. He shares how Inetum accelerated its workforce management process from 3 weeks to 5 minutes using AI agents, and explains the critical importance of focusing on high-impact, revenue-generating processes and change management alongside technical implementation.

7. How to Shape Workplace Culture in 2027

   Sep 29, 2026

   Dianna Sparacino, Chief People Officer at Endeavor Health, discusses the integration of four healthcare institutions into a unified system while building intentional shared culture. She covers strategies for honoring organizational heritage while moving forward, supporting frontline leaders, connecting employee and patient experience, and leveraging AI and innovation to improve care delivery and knowledge retention.

8. How to Build an Employee Listening Strategy

   Sep 24, 2026

   Amy Schultz, Chief People Officer at DTE Energy, discusses how to build an employee listening strategy that drives real organizational change. She shares DTE's 14-year journey winning the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award, revealing how shifting engagement ownership from HR to executive leadership created accountability and visibility. The episode explores practical mechanisms for closing feedback loops, embedding listening into business operations, and aligning culture with transformation priorities in a legacy utility navigating AI and industry disruption.

9. 5 Hidden Burnout Risks for High Achievers

   Sep 22, 2026

   Nabeela Elsayed, author of Breaking Burnout, discusses why high achievers struggle with exhaustion even in positive work environments and explores the hidden belief systems driving burnout. The conversation reveals that burnout stems not from toxic workplaces alone, but from deeply ingrained beliefs about success, identity, purpose, and effort—often formed in childhood and reinforced by culture. Elsayed shares practical frameworks for redefining success across life domains, managing workload sustainably, and building support systems to prevent the "stump" mentality of complete self-sacrifice.

10. How EY Is Upskilling 400,000 People for the Age of AI

    Sep 17, 2026

    Simon Brown, Global Learning & Development Leader and Partner at EY, discusses how EY is upskilling 400,000 employees across 150 countries for the AI era. He details EY's AI month initiative, the Agents of Change program featuring Maestro (an AI agent that teaches people to build agents), and the company's learning strategy centered on hands-on experimentation, responsible AI principles, and continuous skill development.