Episodes
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In today’s episode, I chat with Andrea Herron, Head of People at WebMD, an HR executive leader, published author of "There's an Elephant in Your Office," and host of the award-winning podcast The HR Scoop. Andrea was recently selected as one of Ragan’s Top Women in Wellness and HR, an Agent of Change in American Healthcare Leader magazine, and a Top Leader in DEIB by Mogul. She lives in Portland, OR with her family and french bulldog Norman.
Our conversation began, as many do, with a candid discussion regarding how life is different today than it was in 2020. When the conversation pivoted to mental health, I was eager to learn more.
Prior to her role at WebMD, Andrea was the Vice President, Human Resources at the Oregon Humane Society. Clearly drawn to organizations making a bigger impact in society, I was curious where that inspiration came from. And how it has informed her professional practice.
It was a really fun conversation. I learned a lot. And I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it.
Andrea Herron
Andrea Herron is the Head of People at WebMD, an HR executive leader, published author of "There's an Elephant in Your Office," and host of the award-winning podcast The HR Scoop.
She was recently selected as one of Ragan’s Top Women in Wellness and HR, an Agent of Change in American Healthcare Leader magazine, and a Top Leader in DEIB by Mogul. She lives in Portland, OR with her family and french bulldog Norman.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Jess Weems Thibault, VP of Growth at HireEducation, a talent service firm that supports education and EdTech partners in the Early Childhood, K12, Higher Education, and Workforce sectors.
A former-teacher-turned-marketer, Jess works with industry leaders to strategically grow executive, sales, marketing, and product teams in organizations of all sizes with the goal of providing equitable access to education and economic mobility. Jess spent over a decade working in various nonprofit settings, including as a middle-school science teacher.
I was curious to learn how her unique background influenced her approach to mentoring in the tech and edtech spaces. How she sees technology shaping the future of learning.
It was a really fun conversation. I learned a lot. And I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it.
Jess Weems Thibault
A former-teacher-turned-marketer, Jess Weems Thibault is the VP of Growth at HireEducation, a talent service firm that supports education and EdTech partners in the Early Childhood, K12, Higher Education, and Workforce sectors. She works with industry leaders to strategically grow executive, sales, marketing, and product teams in organizations of all sizes with the goal of providing equitable access to education and economic mobility.
Jess spent over a decade working in various nonprofit settings, including as a middle-school science teacher. She has an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, an MEd in Secondary Science Education, and a BS in Resource Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Jim Stroud. With over a decade of experience in recruitment and sourcing, Jim has consulted for companies such as Microsoft, Google, Siemens, and a host of startup companies. During his tenure with Randstad Sourceright’s Global Head of Sourcing and Recruiting Strategy, he alleviated the sourcing and recruiting headaches of clients worldwide.
Jim has created and sold five online properties, managed an award-winning blog, published a weekly newsletter for jobseekers, a recruiter training magazine and co-hosted a popular technology podcast. Presently, Jim produces content and manages events for SourceCon, the original sourcing conference.
That made him the perfect person to sit down with and chat talent. We began with what change in the talent profession (in the past 3 years) has surprised him most? What’s the most common question he receives from talent leaders today? And with myriad creative projects, including an author of 5 HR related books, producer of the YouTube series - "The Jim Stroud Show," and producer of "The Jim Stroud Podcast" - what inspires him to create contenty after all this time?
It was fun discussion as Jim that went a lot of places. And I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it.
Jim Stroud
With over a decade of experience in recruitment and sourcing, Jim Stroud has consulted for companies such as Microsoft, Google, Siemens, and a host of startup companies. During his tenure with Randstad Sourceright, he alleviated the sourcing and recruiting headaches of Randstad clients worldwide as its Global Head of Sourcing and Recruiting Strategy. Presently, Jim produces content and manages events for SourceCon, the original sourcing conference.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Terrance Cooley, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Special Projects for the United States Air Force "Joint All-Domain C2" R&D Center, steering the agency’s strategic vision, people-first culture, digital security posture and advanced warfighter technology development.
A champion of inclusivity, he shapes high-performance, cross-functional teams that model and inspire a workplace based on trust, curiosity, integrity and excellence.
Which was a great place to begin our discussion. I had an opportunity to ask Terrance about his unique background, from his time as a Wireless Systems Specialist, architecting $73 million in wireless networks for Combat Search & Rescue teams and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, to his time as the VP of Cyber Risk & Compliance for the United States Air Force's largest Active Cyber Defense group, equipping 82 global vulnerability assessments and overseeing the certification of over 700 analysts.
In his role today, Terrance is tasked with outfitting a highly-specialized force that operates in life and death scenarios with very real stakes. And how he thinks about the unique challenges and opportunities of implementing technological innovations alongside cultural change?
It was the latest in what has now become a series of inspiring, enlightening, and engaging chats with Terrance. And I hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it.
Terrance Cooley
Terrance serves as the Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Special Projects for the United States Air Force "Joint All-Domain C2" R&D Center, steering the agency’s strategic vision, people-first culture, digital security posture and advanced warfighter technology development. A champion of inclusivity, he shapes high-performance, cross-functional teams that model and inspire a workplace based on trust, curiosity, integrity and excellence.Terrance cut his teeth as a Wireless Systems Specialist, architecting $73 million in wireless networks for Combat Search & Rescue teams and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies before moving into global IT program management and delivering the world’s first 30-nation Federated Mission Network. He previously served as the VP of Cyber Risk & Compliance for the United States Air Force's largest Active Cyber Defense group, equipping 82 global vulnerability assessments and overseeing the certification of over 700 analysts.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Verdell Walker, a seasoned consumer-oriented content and marketing professional and board director. Verdell is highly regarded by her peers as a thought leader and someone who fosters an inclusive environment, demonstrated by her effectiveness in leading and working collaboratively with teams. She serves on the board of directors of Scholastic, Inc, and has held roles at Spotify, Mattel, and Sesame Workshop - the makers of Sesame Street.
With stints at such iconic brands, a good place for us to start was the tension between legacy and innovation. How did this factor into Verdell’s thinking?
We discussed her enduring legacy at Spotify; developing the brand’s first slate of original kids & family podcasts and garnering nearly 400K listeners less than 5 months after launch! What did she learn taking that journey?
And we closed discussing the future of content. In an era punctuated by AI, how will organic creativity shine through?
Verdell Walker
Verdell Walker is a seasoned consumer-oriented Content and Marketing professional and board director. She has a proven track record of developing and executing innovative strategies that achieve bottom line growth and increase brand value. She is highly regarded by her peers as a thought leader and someone who fosters an inclusive environment, demonstrated by her effectiveness in leading and working collaboratively with teams.
Walker serves on the board of directors of Scholastic, Inc, and has held roles at Spotify, Mattel, and Sesame Workshop. Walker received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Middle Eastern Studies from Trinity College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also holds the CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
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Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Martyn Redstone, Conversational AI & Generative AI Consultant at PPLBOTS. With close to 20 years of recruitment industry experience, and nearly 7 dedicated to the exploration of automation and AI in recruitment, Martyn is a leading thinker at the intersection of talent and technology.
He believes strongly in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to create more efficient, equitable, and enjoyable recruitment processes. And our discussion followed a similar track.
It began with the evolution of recruitment technology over the past two decades, highlighting the pivotal moments or technologies that have reshaped the industry. B Before long we shifted to the role of chatbots and conversational AI - addressing not only the practical uses cases, but also the behavioral psychology influences that ultimately inform the design, ensuring they are intuitive and engaging for users.
Longtime listeners of this show know how passionate I am about how humans interact with and use technology. And Martyn was a perfect sparring partner.
It was another in a line of memorable discussions. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it.
Martyn Redstone
Martyn is a Conversational and Generative AI Ubergeek and all-around recruitment HR tech wizard with over 25 years of experience under his belt. He's spent the last six years diving deep into the world of Conversational AI in recruitment and HR and is the founder of PPBOTS, the the only AI consultancy that is dedicated to the world of Recruitment and HR.
He's been at the forefront of shaping the industry conversation around the future of AI-powered communication and has the degrees and diplomas to prove it. With a background in Computer Science, Martyn is also a member of the UK-based Recruitment and Employment Confederation, but don't let that fool you—he's not your average corporate drone. When he's not busy talking to computers, Martyn loves meeting like-minded professionals who share his passions and interests."LinkedIn
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Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Lydia Di Francesco, CEO & Workplace Wellness Specialist at Fit + Healthy 365. With over a decade of experience in the wellness industry, Lydia's insights into creating a harmonious, productive work environment are invaluable for organizations adjusting to new realities in a post-pandemic world.
We discussed the significant shift in employee wellness programs since 2020. How organizations are now recognizing the critical need for holistic wellness strategies that go beyond physical health, encompassing mental and emotional wellbeing. This shift is not just a trend but a response to a growing understanding of the multifaceted nature of employee wellness.
The positive impacts of effective wellness programs are clear. Lydia shared how organizations with robust wellness initiatives see notable improvements in employee productivity, engagement, and retention. This not only benefits the employees on a personal level but also enhances the overall performance and success of the organization.
And as the recent recipient of the Businesswoman of the Year award in Ottawa, Lydia expressed how this recognition fuels her mission to advocate for workplace wellness. It's a testament to her impactful work and also serves as a platform to further promote the importance of wellness in the corporate world.
It was another in a line of memorable discussions. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it.
Lydia Di Francesco
Lydia Di Francesco is a passionate advocate who has made it her mission to empower individuals to lead more fulfilling, harmonious lives. She is the CEO and Workplace Wellness Specialist at Fit + Healthy 365. Her business provides wellness workshops, leadership training for teams and organizations on how to build a culture of well-being, and the creation of strategic wellness plans and programs.
Lydia has worked in the wellness industry for over 11 years. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences and an MBA from uOttawa and is a Certified Workplace Health and Performance Practitioner. Lydia is a regular TV guest expert and has been published in national and local newspapers and magazines. She was recently named Businesswoman of the Year.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Julius Probst, European Labor Economist at AppCast. A PhD graduate from Lund University in Economic History, Julius brings a unique perspective to the table, combining his knowledge of historical economic patterns with current macroeconomic trends.
Julius starts by sharing his journey, from his early passion for macroeconomics and monetary economics during his bachelor's and master's studies, to his role at Appcast.
The conversation then shifts to the heart of European labor economics. Julius provides an in-depth analysis of current trends, emphasizing how macroeconomic factors such as inflation, GDP growth, and policy decisions influence labor market dynamics. He highlights the importance of demographic variables, drawing connections between population trends and workforce changes, and how these elements are integrated into his economic analyses.
Demographic trends make this an important discussion for those considering the future of organizational talent. What got us here simply won’t get us there as our population rapidly ages.
It was another in a line of memorable discussions. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it.
Julius Probst
Julius Probst is the European labor economist at Appcast. Before that, he was working as economist and application specialist at Macrobond Financial. He did his M. Sc. in Economics with a specialization in macroeconomics and his PhD in Economic History at Lund University in Sweden. During the PhD, he also worked as a researcher for the European Central Bank for half a year.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Tami Rosen, Chief People Officer at Pagaya to explore the ins and outs of HR transformation.
Tami formerly held leadership roles with Goldman Sachs, Apple, and Atlassian. And our discussion was a reunion, of sorts. Tami and I first met during the Global HR Summit in 20202, where she was kind (and brave) enough to join us as one of 60 speakers - in a virtual reality headset.
Our discussion started there, with a look back at the Global HR Summit, as Tami shared her lingering impressions from the event, alongside her insights on the potential of virtual reality technology in HR for large enterprises.
Tami passionately advocates for HR's role as a disruptive and innovative force, capable of not just supporting but actively driving organizational change. And so we took the opportunity to highlight Tami's introduction of the Continuous Learning Cycle (CLC) at Pagaya, a pioneering approach that replaces traditional 360 reviews, focusing on enhancing employee development and productivity.
It was another in a line of memorable discussions. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it.
Tami Rosen
A recognized thought leader, influencer and senior executive in HR, Tami Rosen spent her career transforming the impact of Human Resources as a senior executive for some of the world’s most recognized companies, including Goldman Sachs, Apple, Luminar Technologies, Atlassian, and, most recently, Pagaya, where she currently holds the title of Chief People Officer and leads a dynamic workforce of over 750+ across Israel and the United States.
Tami's visionary perspective goes beyond viewing people as a company's most valuable asset; she sees HR as a disruptive technology and innovative force that drives business operations and capabilities beyond the imaginable. Her forward-thinking approach positions HR as a catalyst for transformative change, shaping the future of organizations.
Embodying a leadership style steeped in inclusivity and innovation, Tami has pioneered groundbreaking initiatives focused on the advancement of underrepresented communities. She established Wall Street's inaugural, award-winning LGBTQ+ Ally Program at Goldman Sachs and designed the framework for Atlassian's 'TEAM Anywhere' program that has redefined remote work paradigms. Her contribution to Pagaya is cemented in the company's foundational value: 'Culture of Learning,' which centralizes learning and education in all aspects of the organization.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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MattMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Enrique Rubio, HR, Tech and Future of Work expert, keynote speaker and founder of Hacking HR, a global learning community at the intersection of future of work, technology, business and organizations, with thousands of members of all over the world. Enrique is also the Head of Global Community at Transform.
Enrique and I have been friends for many years now. We met in the days before the pandemic, and found easy alignment with our shared passion for making a difference.
In the years since, we’ve individually branched out while remaining connected through events, LinkedIn and the occasional video chat. This discussion, like many before it, addresses the future of work and HR’s role in defining it. Though we also explored Enrique’s origin story, including his time in the corporate world, and how HackingHR was formed.
It was another in a line of memorable discussions with a good friend. And I hope you enjoy this as much as we did recording it.
Enrique Rubio
Enrique is an HR, Tech and Future of Work expert, keynote speaker and founder of Hacking HR, a global learning community at the intersection of future of work, technology, business and organizations, with thousands of members of all over the world, and also the Head of Global Community at Transform.
Enrique is one of the top 100 HR global influencers. He was the founder and CEO at Management Consultants, a firmed specialized in Human Resources in Venezuela. Before Management Consultants, Enrique worked in the telecommunications sector as a Senior Project Engineer for Telefonica and several other companies in the early to mid-2000s. Enrique is a guest author in several blogs about innovation, management and human resources. Most recently Enrique worked as an advisor to the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Inter-American Development Bank.
Enrique currently leads Hacking HR, one of the fastest growing communities of HR leaders around the world. Enrique frequently speaks about topics ranging from DEIB, future of work, HR strategy, employee experience, among others, drawing on Hacking HR’s research. Additionally, Enrique designs hundreds of learning programs for the Hacking HR community in the form of events and short-term programs.
Enrique is a Fulbright Scholar, and Electronic Engineer with an Executive Master’s in Public Administration from Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
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Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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MattMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Candace DiCresce, the Senior Director of Safety & Accessibility at Rogers Communications, where she leads a talented team that is driven by a passion for supporting employee safety and well-being.
Candace has over 25 years of experience in occupational health and safety, wellness and well-being, working in consulting with Deloitte, industry at MDS, and the public sector with the Toronto Transit Commission.
Her broad view afforded some incredible insights as we discussed her experiences at Rogers, where her team led the strategic integration of safety, disability management, mental health, wellness, accessibility and accommodation into a holistic function that protects and enriches employee physical and mental well-being.
The walls between work and life have crumbled down. And professionals like Candace ensure what remains is a workplace we all can be proud of.
Candace DiCresce
Candace DiCresce is the Senior Director of Safety & Accessibility at Rogers Communications, where she leads a talented team that is driven by a passion for supporting our employees’ safety and well-being at work and throughout their lives, and for removing barriers.
Candace has over 25 years of experience in safety, well-being, environmental and sustainability problem-solving, working in consulting, industry, and the public sector including at Deloitte, MDS (a global life sciences company), and the Toronto Transit Commission.
At Rogers, she drove strategic integration of safety, disability management, mental health, wellness, accessibility and accommodation into a holistic function that protects and enriches employee physical and mental well-being. She is honoured to serve on the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety’s Council of Governors. In 2018, she was recognized as an Innovator in Workplace Mental Health by DiversityCan Magazine.
Candace holds a B.A.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Toronto, is a proud professional engineer, and is the grateful mother to two weird and wonderful teens.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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MattMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Cole Napper, the Vice President of People Analytics & Product Evangelist for Orgnostic, an innovative people analytics, generative AI, data orchestration, & employee listening platform.
Cole Napper is also the Co-Host of Directionally Correct, a People Analytics Podcast that leverages his 12+ years of rapidly escalating experience building HR centers of excellence from the ground up to scale — with an expert focus on People Analytics.
From analyst to business executive, to podcaster, Cole has looked at people analytics from a number of vantage points. And so it was a great opportunity to get his perspective on how far we’ve come and what we can expect from the likes of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
And we had an opportunity to pick up a conversation - how we transform HR from cost center to profit center - in the latest installment of this theoretical exercise. Longtime listeners of the show know this is dangerous ground for me.
It was far-reaching conversation that covered a number of topics relevant to today’s leaders. And I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did recording it.
Cole Napper
Cole Napper is the Co-Host of Directionally Correct, A People Analytics Podcast with Cole & Scott and owner of Directionally Correct LLC. He is also the Vice President of People Analytics & Product Evangelist for Orgnostic, an innovative people analytics, generative AI, data orchestration, & employee listening platform.
Cole has 12+ years of rapidly escalating experience building HR centers of excellence from the ground up to scale — with an expert focus on People Analytics. He creates competitive advantage using People Analytics for companies big (Texas Instruments, Toyota, PepsiCo) & not-so-big (Orgnostic, Motive, Booster).
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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MattMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Susan Hanold, HR HCM Strategy Executive, Speaker and Board Director, Formerly Vice President, Strategic Advisory Services, encompassing the organization’s talent, DEI and M&A practices for ADP, a Human Capital Management technology organization.
Susa helped ADP establish their first Human Capital Management Consulting practice, working with executives at the likes of Chevron, Oracle, Cisco, Starbucks, Microsoft and Amazon on myriad transformational initiatives. And with her broad view of the market, we discussed the current state of the talent economy, and how organizations are responding to meet the challenge.
We later transitioned to a discussion regarding HR technologies, referencing Susan’s recent article in HR Professional Magazine: “Navigating a Crowded HR Technology Market”, sharing her tips on how to navigate the intricate HR Technology terrain.
It was far-reaching conversation that covered a number of topics relevant to today’s leaders. And I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did recording it.
Susan Hanold
Susan Hanold is one of the Top Women in HR Technology, Founder of Plan Z Solutions, and a renowned talent strategist!
Susan made the leap from HCM Sales executive to Industry Thought Leader, and since 2004, Plan Z Solutions has been a trusted partner, providing invaluable technology and leadership development advice to clients in their HR strategy initiatives. Known as the Talent Doctor, Susan is an exceptional resource for anyone looking to enhance their teams and engagement strategies.
Susan Hanold serves as Vice President for Strategic Advisory Services and is responsible for working with clients to provide strategy, consultation and practical talent management solutions to help drive organizational change. She is a successful change leader with global experience in both the design and implementation of talent initiatives.
Susan Hanold has more than 20 years of results based leadership experience as an executive coach and organization development expert working with corporations to help them develop their talent strategy. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.
Susan Hanold is a graduate of Texas Tech University and holds a Bachelor of Science in Education. She also holds a Master of Science degree and Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Development with a minor in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Susan Hanold
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Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Arthur Petropoulos, Founder & Managing Partner at Hill View Partners, a Providence-based investment firm that specializes in mergers & acquisitions, business sales/exits, and capital advisory services for middle-market and lower middle-market companies.
Arthur founded Hill View Partners in 2016 after a successful tenure on Wall Street as an Investment Banker, Private Equity Investor, and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Development for a high growth Operating Company.
The first half of this 2023 saw M&A activity in the U.S. experience a significant decline in dollar value, falling by 41 percent compared to the same period last year. However, the number of deals decreased by only five percent, according to a recent report from Korn Ferry.
What are the common traps that many business owners fall into during the process of selling or exiting their businesses?
How has the availability of artificial intelligence impacted his strategy?
How does he see this sector evolving over the next 5-10 years?
Arthur was kind enough to stop by and let me pick his brain. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did recording it.
Arthur Petropoulos
Arthur Petropoulos founded Hill View Partners in 2016 after a successful tenure on Wall Street as an Investment Banker, Private Equity Investor, and Head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Development for a high growth Operating Company. Of note, Arthur served as the Co-Head of the Internal Private Equity group at Cantor Fitzgerald / BGC Partners, and was the Director of Corporate Development for a diversified Business Services Company.Arthur works hand in hand with all clients, and has led numerous successful transactions in our sole focus area of Selling/Exiting and Securing Capital/Financing for Privately Held Family, Entrepreneur, and Small Investment Group owned Businesses generating $400k to $4 Million of EBITDA spanning from Software to Diversified Business Services to Distribution/Manufacturing, and all industries in between.
Arthur is a Rhode Island native, having earned his undergraduate Business Degree from Providence College and his Juris Doctorate with a focus of Corporate Transactions and Finance from Roger Williams University School of Law.
Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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MattMatt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, we delve into the world of organizational culture with @Lorne Rubis. From the rinks of the @National Hockey League with the @LA Kings to the digital buzz of the dot-com era, to leading HR functions in financial services at @ATB and in education at @Norquest College, Lorne's professional story is one of developing leaders.
He believes successful organizations are 'People First and Customer Obsessed'. He believes successful leaders are eternally curious. And in weighing the advice he wants to share most with the next generation of HR professionals, Lorne points to the importance of culture.
We discussed why so many organizations get it wrong. And how we fix it.
This was another memorable conversation and I hope you enjoy as much as I did recording it.Lorne Rubis
Lorne Rubis has more than 40 years of culture, leadership and transformation experience in various C Suite roles at organizations
throughout North America and Europe. He currently advises CEOs from start-ups to well established, large corporations in both the private and public sector. He also recently co-founded Belongify (www.belongify.com) to focus on the evolution from inclusion to belonging in organizations.
Lorne held the positions of Chief Evangelist and Chief People Officer with ATB Financial and was instrumental in advancing ATB’s culture, to where it became widely recognized as one of the top companies to work for in North America.
Lorne has held executive positions driving culture and business transformation for a number of companies in the United States, including as an officer of a Fortune 50 company and as Vice President, Operations with the Los Angeles Kings. He has been the CEO of two privately held international companies, is a sought after thought leader, speaker, and cultural strategist.
Lorne is a published author (The Character Triangle) and was awarded the 2018 Ivey School of Business/HRD Magazine Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Human Resource community and advancing the workplace in Canada. In 2020 the HRD Magazine included Lorne in their Global 100 list of top HR Leaders.
Lorne holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and a Master of Science in Industrial and Labour Relations from the University of Oregon. He teaches courses on Culture and HR strategy at the U of Alberta EMBA program and at Harvard’s School of Extension.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Julia Pollak, Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace. Her team uses data from the ZipRecruiter marketplace to measure the health of the US labor market, identify hiring trends, and helping employers and job seekers prepare for the future of work. Their research is frequently cited in leading media outlets, like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR.
In the simplest of terms, in North America there are more people leaving the workforce than joining it.
Every day.
The World Economic Forum’s recent Future of Jobs 2023 report, predicts that between now and 2027, 44% of workers’ core skills will be disrupted. Technology is moving faster than companies can design and scale up their training efforts.
How does an economist see that in the simplest of terms? What advice would she have for employers and job seekers alike? How does the labor market see remote and hybrid work today?
As we collectively navigate the future of work, Julia’s unique perspective provides needed clarity when considering evidence-based strategic decisions. What got us here, won’t get us there.
This was another memorable conversation and I hope you enjoy as much as I did recording it.Julia Pollak
Julia Pollak is Chief Economist at ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace that uses AI-driven smart matching technology to connect millions of businesses and job seekers. She uses data from the ZipRecruiter marketplace to measure the health of the labor market, identify hiring trends, and help employers and job seekers prepare for the future of work.
Her research is frequently cited in leading national outlets, like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NPR.
Prior to working at ZipRecruiter, Julia was an Assistant Policy Analyst at the RAND Corporation and an adjunct economics instructor at Pepperdine University.
Julia holds a B.A. in economics from Harvard and an M.Phil. in policy analysis from Pardee RAND Graduate School. She is a drilling reservist in the U.S. Navy.
Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Bobby Humes, an experienced executive and leadership coach with a wide range of expertise in human resource operations and organizational change strategy. Bobby previously served as chief HR officer for the City of Seattle, providing executive leadership consultation to executive cabinet members and their HR teams.
Bobby’s also a friend. We met during the early days of the pandemic. I messaged him out of the blue to pitch an idea for an HR virtual reality conference. A few months later we collaborated in the metaverse, and have stayed in touch ever since.
Our conversation covered a lot of ground: from Bobby’s background in the armed forces, and ultimately, the transition to public service leadership, to the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives. We closed with a stroll down memory lane, and our times spent together in VR headsets.
It was great to reconnect with a friend. And I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did recording it.Bobby Humes
Bobby is an experienced executive and leadership coach with a wide range of expertise in human resource operations and organizational change strategy. He is known for his presence, discernment, and sense of humor when working with clients.
He creates a supportive space to help them effectively plan, identify barriers, and leverage their values and strengths to optimize their superpowers. Bobby believes in his clients' resilience and capability to achieve their goals with focus, presence, and accountability.Bobby has led change management initiatives throughout his career to enhance HR policy and employee engagement at the enterprise level. Keenly skilled and experienced in developing and supporting dynamic leaders and teams, Bobby previously served as chief HR officer for the City of Seattle, providing executive leadership consultation to executive cabinet members and their HR teams.
As a revered HR professional, Bobby is focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), organizational culture, labor and employee relations, and talent acquisition. He is a sought-after speaker on workplace culture and DEI topics and also serves on several community boards providing leadership for DEI strategies, policies, and programs.LinkedIn
Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Dorie Clark, the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and the award-winning Stand Out, named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine.
She’s one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world according to Thinkers50, was honored as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards, and is one of the Top 5 Communication Professionals in the World, as graded by Global Gurus.
Dorie has always left an impression. Born in Pinehurst, North Carolina, she left high school at age 14 to attend the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted at Mary Baldwin College (now University) in Staunton, Virginia. Going on to teach at a number of prestigious academic institutions, herself - Duke University, Columbia Business School, HEC Paris - Dorie has unique insights on the next generation of business leaders.
Her journey, experiences, and those of her students were the basis of a really fun discussion that covered education, leadership and the timeless lessons that inform success. This was a bucket-list conversation and, one I hope you enjoy as much as I did recording it.Dorie Clark
Dorie Clark helps individuals and companies get their best ideas heard in a crowded, noisy world. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thinkers in the world by Thinkers50.
She was honored as the #1 Communication Coach in the world by the Marshall Goldsmith Leading Global Coaches Awards, and one of the Top 5 Communication Professionals in the World by Global Gurus.
She is a keynote speaker and teaches executive education for Columbia Business School. She is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game, Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of the Year by Inc. magazine.
Clark has been described by the New York Times as an “expert at self-reinvention and helping others make changes in their lives.”
She is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, and you can download her free Long Game Strategic Thinking Self-Assessment
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Katy George, McKinsey’s chief people officer and a leader in the firm’s Operations Practice. In her role, Katy is responsible for McKinsey’s global people functions, including professional development and learning, recruiting, human resources, performance evaluation, and people analytics. She is also a member of the Shareholders Council, the firm’s equivalent of the board of directors, and their 15-person global leadership team.
In recent years, Katy has focused on advanced technology development, adoption and the workforce development necessary to capitalize on innovation. And that was the starting point for a wide-ranging discussion that covered, among other topics, labor economics, global workforce demographics, and the shift to skills.
As organizations and their leaders reevaluate talent strategies that got them this far, Katy’s unique vantage point advances a discussion that puts the employee at the centre and delivers outpaced growth for those who deploy it.
This was another bucket-list conversation and I hope you enjoy as much as I did recording it.
Katy George
Since joining the firm, Katy has partnered with clients on their transformations, including operational performance improvement, operations strategy linked to business strategy, and operating model design.
She has led programs around product launch, manufacturing network configuration and plant performance, end-to-end sourcing and supply chain optimization, and quality system effectiveness. Katy has also worked with companies on digitizing their sales and marketing approaches, as well as their operations, making technology platform decisions, and transforming organization structures.
In recent years, Katy has focused on advanced technology development and adoption, and the workforce development required to capture the value from these new technologies. She coleads McKinsey’s partnership with MxD, a 250-member consortium of leading government academic and corporate organizations. Her industry experience includes work in the pharmaceutical, medical-device, consumer-goods, and aerospace industries. All her work includes a focus on capability building to support sustained performance improvement.
Prior to joining McKinsey, Katy worked as an associate analyst at an economic consulting firm. Her doctoral work focused on production system design and supply chain improvements in assembly industries. Katy works actively with Episcopal Relief & Development, an international relief and development agency.
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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In today’s episode, I chat with Kevin McDonald, Vice President, People Services & Insights for The E.W. Scripps Company. Kevin has over 25 years of experience working with large and mid-market companies in HR operations, technology strategy, vendor governance, implementations, and merger & acquisition integration.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kevin serves as the varsity assistant coach for the girls’ basketball team at Fairfield High School and volunteers as a Show Choir “tech dad”. He also serves on the Fatherhood Committee for the Talbert House and on the board of the Purple Monkey Project.
His varied background was the basis of a really engaging discussion covering much ground. From the impacts of systems thinking and project management to HR digital transformation and the nuances of coaching business professionals and amateur athletes.
We wrap, chatting about the future - for Kevin, his organization, and, more broadly, the HR profession. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did recording it.
Kevin McDonald
With a primary focus on HR technology & service delivery, business process outsourcing governance, and business process transformation, Kevin has spent the last twenty years focused on maximizing the value of his company’s technology and service provider relationships along with significant M&A work helping Scripps through three transformational events in his 16+ years with the company.
Kevin spent the first 11 years of his career in multiple capacities at Fifth Third Bank. He led the development of the Bank’s first benefits open enrollment website in 1997 and was on the core team who implemented the Lawson HRIS. Primarily responsible for core HR, Benefits and Self Service, Kevin also played a key role as an SME for many other work streams.
Kevin has served as the Vice Chair of the HROA Board of Trustees from 2012-2013 and was a founding member of the ADP COS Client Advisory Board. Kevin was also named an HRO Today HRO Practitioner Superstar in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 and currently serves on various advisory boards with OneSource Virtual.
In his personal life, Kevin and his wife, Sandra, along with two daughters, Cameron (23) and Courtney (17) reside in Fairfield, OH.Social links:
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Thinking Inside the Box
Constraints drive innovation. We tackle the most complex issues related to work & culture. And if you enjoy the work we’re doing here, consider giving us a 5-star rating, leaving a comment & subscribing. It ensures you get updated whenever we release new content & really helps amplify our message.
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Matt Burns
Matt Burns is an award-winning executive, social entrepreneur and speaker. He believes in the power of community, simplicity & technology.
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