The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

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  330 - A career in pivots: Dean Carter on purpose, play, and taking big swings 17.09.2026 1ч 5мин

  Dean Carter (Best-Selling Author, 4x CHRO, & CEO of Instill)  joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about the career pivots that shaped his life, what Patagonia taught him about purpose and play, and why trusting your gut, taking big swings, and doing the right thing can lead you somewhere better than the plan you originally had.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (12:30) Dean’s Career Story Through Life Pivots(23:20) The Moment Dean Decided to Work in HR(28:45) Choosing His Daughter Over Career and Leaving Fossil(33:40) Choosing Patagonia Over Bigger Career Moves(37:50) Work as Play(39:00) Humility, Simplicity and Living the Patagonia Way(41:40) Dean’s Advice for People Considering a Major Career Pivot(43:20) Showing Up Fully After You Make the Choice(46:30) Making the Best of Any Choice You Make(48:40) Why Big Misses Mean You Are Swinging Hard Enough(50:00) Career Emergence and How the Path Reveals Itself(56:10) Building AI That Saves Jobs Instead of Taking Them(58:25) Career Advice: Think Two Jobs Up, Not One Job Up---- 📬 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.
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  329 - Why Match is tripling down on Gen Z talent: D.V. Williams (Chief People Officer, Match Group) 11.09.2026 53мин

  D.V. Williams, Chief People Officer from Match Group joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why Match is betting on Gen Z talent, how skills are replacing titles as the new currency of work, and how Match is thinking about flexible mentorship and early-career programs.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (10:45) Why Match Is Betting on Gen Z Talent(12:00) Why Product and People Strategy Need to Align(15:20) How Gen Z Thinks About Work Differently(17:00) How Tinder Improved Engagement and Shifted the Internal Culture(18:20) Becoming Product-Led and Consumer-Focused(19:00) Flattening the Org and Getting Doers Closer to Decisions(23:45) Why Tenure and Title Are Outdated Proxies for Value(24:20) Skills as the New Currency of Work(24:45) Rebuilding Mentorship Around Skill Acquisition(25:20) Flexible Mentorship and the “Tinder for Skill Acquisition” Idea(30:15) How Match Is Approaching AI Internally(31:00) Equipping Employees With AI Without Framing It as Headcount Reduction(31:20) Match’s AI Day and Employee-Led Experimentation(34:00) How Dating Apps Are Evolving With AI and IRL Experiences(35:00) Using AI to Help People Show Up More Authentically on Dating Apps(40:15) Match’s Cross-Functional Rotational Program(41:30) Match’s Internship Program: 20,000 Applicants for 26 Roles(43:35) How the 2026 Rotational Program Is Different From Traditional Programs(45:35) Why Curiosity Beyond the Job Description Matters(48:05) Focusing Development on Skill Acquisition, Not the Next Title---- 📬 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.
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  328 - Christy Lake (CAO, Twilio) on designing for a future nobody can see 08.09.2026 55мин

  Christy Lake, Chief Administrative Officer at Twilio, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how AI is changing work, why skills, governance, and human judgment matter more than ever, and how Twilio is thinking about remote-first work, employee experience, and curiosity in the AI era.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about SixFifty🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (11:20) The Hardest Thing on Christy’s Plate as CAO(12:00) Why AI Is the Biggest Transformation Christy Has Seen(13:00) Upskilling, Security, Data and Governance in the AI Era(14:30) Why AI Does Not Have a Clear Playbook Yet(15:25) Why This AI Cycle Comes With So Much Fear(17:30) Building a Skills Infrastructure for the Future of Work(18:15) Tasks, Roles and Where Human Judgment Still Matters(19:15) Twilio’s Three-Horizon View of AI Change(25:00) The Task Construct of Work and AI-Able Work(26:00) Why Existing Companies Still Need Org Design and Change Management(29:00) The Future of Employee Experience and the One Prompt Box(31:15) Why UX Will Matter More in the Future of Work(32:00) Why Companies Should Not Move Too Fast Without Human-in-the-Loop Design(33:40) Why People Still Need to Be Seen, Recognized and Thanked(36:00) Why Twilio Stayed Remote First(38:10) Hiring From Anywhere and Becoming a Net Talent Winner(40:45) Remote-First Companies and AI-First Readiness(42:00) AI Burnout, Remote Work and the Pressure to Do More(44:10) Why AI Upskilling Is Becoming Nights-and-Weekends Work(48:05) Why Constant Change Leaves People Without a Sense of Mastery---- 📬 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.
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  327 - Putting AI agents on the org chart: Becks Port (Chief People Officer, Okta) 04.09.2026 44мин

  Becks Port, Chief People Officer at Okta, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why AI agents should be treated like digital coworkers, how Okta is thinking about agents on the org chart, and what the future of HR, career development, security, and team design could look like as humans work alongside machines.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (07:45) AI Agents as Coworkers and Digital Workers(08:20) Why Agents Need Managers, Accountability and Clear Handoffs(09:00) Which AI Agents Belong on the Org Chart(11:10) Deconstructing and Reconstructing Roles Around AI(13:15) How AI Is Creating New Roles at Okta(15:45) Why Okta Is Adding an Agentic Coach to the Org Chart(18:20) Decision-Making With Human and Agentic Coworkers(19:10) Why Task-Level Granularity Matters for AI Delegation(20:45) Okta’s Head of AI Transformation Role(21:15) Building Agentic Coaches and Onboarding Agents(22:00) Upskilling Employees to Become AI Proficient(23:15) The Future Structure of the People Team(25:00) Coaches, Advisors, Workforce Architects and Embedded Tech Talent(27:10) Why AI Proficiency Is the Safest Career Bet(29:10) Why Graduate Programs and Rotational Programs May Make a Comeback(32:35) Why Getting an Agent on the Org Chart Is a 12-Month Process(34:35) Securing AI Agents, Access and Kill Switches(37:30) Digital Colleagues That Never Sleep(40:05) Why Future Teams May Be Organized Around Processes Instead of Functions---- 📬 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.
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  326 - Never let an LLM do the math on comp. Do this instead. 02.09.2026 59мин

  Clare Bonham (Chief Product Officer) and Sébastien Baehni (CTO) from beqom joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how managers can make better pay and performance decisions, why AI should support but not replace human judgment, and what intentional AI looks like in compensation.----  Downloadable PDF with top takeaways: https://modernpeopleleader.kit.com/episode326 Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report MPL Links:🔗Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (10:45) Why Managers Need Context for Pay and Performance Decisions(11:35) Pay History, Pay Range, Budget and Talent Data(14:40) The Evolving Role of Managers in Compensation Decisions(16:05) The Difference Between Owning the Decision and Just Delivering the Message(17:45) How Managers Should Talk About Pay Constraints With Employees(23:05) Hiding Complexity While Letting Managers Drill Down(25:05) Why People Do Not Want AI Fully Deciding Their Compensation(26:15) Why AI Should Help but Humans Should Stay in Control(29:25) The Three Principles of Intentional AI: Explainable, Collaborative and Controllable(31:45) Why Compensation and Performance Decisions Must Stay Human-Centered(34:10) Auditing the Data, Rules and Models Behind a Pay Decision(36:10) The Three Types of AI in Compensation and Performance(38:45) Why LLMs Should Not Make Compensation Calculations(39:30) Why Compensation Needs Correctness, Not Plausibility(40:35) Moving Comp Teams Away From Spreadsheet-Heavy Work(41:20) Refocusing Comp Professionals on Strategy, Fairness and Incentives(48:05) The Rise of the High-Impact Individual Contributor(50:05) Why Automating Easy Tasks Could Increase Burnout---- 📬 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.
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  325 - The M&A Field Guide for CPOs: Heather Dunn (Chief People Officer, Brex) 28.08.2026 1ч 1мин

  Heather Dunn, Chief People Officer at Brex, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about Brex’s rapid acquisition by Capital One and how Heather led through diligence, communication, and integration.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (20:45) Joining Brex During a Company Pivot(21:20) Brex’s 2024 Year of Transformation(23:20) The January 1 Call: Capital One Acquisition Diligence Begins(25:05) Three Weeks to Diligence, Communications and Announcement(26:30) Late Nights, Diligence Requests and the Pressure to Be Accurate(28:00) Supporting Executives Through the Emotional Weight of the Deal(29:00) Communicating on Behalf of the CEO and Building Trust Across Leadership(32:45) Telling the Company About the Capital One Acquisition(33:35) The Two-Part Communication Plan for Employees(35:30) The Emotional Load People Leaders Carry During Acquisitions(36:35) Diligence, Communication, Retention and Advocating for Yourself(39:50) “Don’t Crush the Butterfly” and Protecting What Makes Brex Special(43:15) How CPOs Should Advocate for Themselves During M&A(45:40) Fairness, Expectations and Protecting the Value of the CPO Role(49:15) Relaunching Brex’s EVP and External Story(50:35) The Story Behind “Be The Founder of Your Career”(53:10) The Foundry and Investing in Future Founders Inside Brex(57:48) Heather’s Superpower Nickname: Chief Truth-Teller Officer---- 📬 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.
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  324 - The GRIT Performance Framework: Patsy Mangan (Chief People Officer, Scribd) 25.08.2026 58мин

  Patsy Mangan joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about Scribd Flex, why flexibility only works when it is paired with clarity and accountability, and why Scribd needed the GRIT Performance framework.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about SixFifty🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (10:00) The Pandemic, Distributed Hiring and the One-Way Door(12:40) Creating Scribd Flex Instead of Choosing a Generic Remote or Hybrid Label(19:05) Learning That Flexibility Alone Does Not Create Connection(20:00) Designing Hub Days Around Concentration of Attendance(22:50) Why Scribd Flex Needed the GRIT Performance System(23:35) Visibility Does Not Equal Performance(24:10) Why Clarity Drives Accountability in Flexible Work(26:35) The Four GRIT Dimensions: Goal-Oriented, Results-Driven, Innovative and Team-Focused(28:10) Giving Employees Ratings Across Each GRIT Dimension(29:00) How Scribd Flex Gives Freedom and GRIT Gives Clarity(34:15) Why Scribd Made Performance More Complex, Not Less(36:05) Calibration, Manager Bias and Making GRIT Fair(38:40) The Next Big Evolution: Becoming AI-Native(40:05) Moving From AI Adoption to Workflow Redesign(41:00) Rethinking Hiring, Career Journeys, Promotions and Performance Standards(42:15) Hiring for Specialty, Not Just Capacity(45:05) Connecting HR Tools to Where Employees Already Work(45:50) Why HR May Need Software Engineers Inside the Function(50:20) Why Human Judgment Becomes More Important as Output Gets Easier(52:38) Career Advice: Learn the Rules, Then Rewrite 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.
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  323 - How ServiceNow's AI heat map answers "what does my job look like in 3 years": Brandon Roberts (SVP Talent Strategy & Workforce Transformation, ServiceNow) 21.08.2026 1ч 2мин

  Brandon Roberts, leader of Talent Strategy and Workforce Transformation at ServiceNow, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how ServiceNow is redesigning HR for the AI era, why every role needs to be mapped for AI impact, and more.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗. Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (09:30) Creating ServiceNow’s Talent Strategy and Workforce Transformation Organization(14:45) How AI Supercharges ServiceNow’s Workflow Platform(21:50) Now Assist and the Productivity Shift in HR Operations(22:55) Why ServiceNow Reinvested AI Productivity Gains Instead of Just Cutting Costs(25:15) How AI Is Changing Software Engineering Roles(29:25) Building an AI Heat Map for Every Role in the Company(35:05) AI Control Tower, Usage Signals and Where to Invest Transformation Resources(36:45) Employee Works and the Agent Orchestration Layer for HR(38:30) Data Agent, Engagement Agent and Real-Time People Insights(41:00) The Reskilling Challenge for HRBPs Using AI-Powered Insights(43:25) People Strategists, People Technologists and People Scientists(47:30) Why Brandon and Jacque Built the ServiceNow AI Transformation Playbook(51:15) Why Companies Are Too Focused on Technology and Not Enough on Skills(52:05) Helping People Step Away From Their Work Identity as Roles Change---- 📬 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.
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  The 3 archetypes of the future people team & Jessica Zwaan's first 4 Months in New Role 18.08.2026 42мин

  Jessica Zwaan joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about her first four months at Leapsome, why HR needs to operate more like a product team, and how AI agents, forward-deployed engineers, and flexible HR systems could reshape the future of people operations.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (11:40) Jessie’s 12-Week Sprint and the “How We HR” Document(13:10) Why The Purpose of Work Changed What Jessie Wanted Next(14:10) Why People Ops Will Change the Most Through AI(15:30) The Three Future Archetypes of People Teams(17:35) Starting With Retros, Problem Statements and Roadmaps(18:15) Launching Transparent Compensation and Leveling(19:10) Building a Dynamic Promotion and Merit Increase Coach(19:30) Why Leapsome Added a Forward-Deployed Engineer to the People Team(20:15) What to Look for in a Forward-Deployed Engineer for HR(22:30) What Surprised Jessie After Joining Leapsome(23:20) Why Founder Fit Matters So Much for People Leaders(31:20) Speed, Urgency and Knowing When to Pull Back(32:25) Why Traditional 30, 60, 90 Day Plans Are Dead(35:10) Bringing Practitioner Credibility Into Product Strategy(37:35) Building HR Agents People Can Trust(39:20) AI-Powered Calibration Pre-Reads and Better Manager Conversations(40:35) The Idea of a Plastic HRIS(41:10) What HR Should and Should Not Vibe Code(42:00) Why HR Deserves Commercial-Grade Tools and Better ROI---- 📬 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.
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  321 - Molly Graham (WorkLife Podcast) on Why Everyone Just Became a Manager 14.08.2026 58мин

  Molly Graham, Host of WorkLife Podcast & Co-Founder of Glue Club and The Guild, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about career emergence, why fear is slowing down AI adoption at work, and why the future of HR will depend on leaders who can create clarity, curiosity, accountability, and better management habits for both people and AI agents.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (05:25) Molly’s Origin Story: Google, Facebook, Quip and Career Emergence(09:30) What Molly Does Today: Helping People Feel Less Alone and More Confident at Work(11:30) Turning Down the Big COO Job That Would Have Made Her Miserable(19:00) Why Fear Is Dominating the Future of Work Conversation(23:49) The Macro Narrative That AI Is Coming for Everyone’s Job(24:32) Why AI-Branded Layoffs Are Damaging the Trust Conversation(25:24) Why the Future Belongs to People Who Approach AI With Curiosity(27:15) Building a Clear Leadership Narrative Around AI(31:28) Creating a Culture of Sharing and Experimentation(32:04) What Facebook Got Right About Blameless Failure(34:36) Why Culture Is Built Through What Leaders Do, Not What They Say(35:20) Why the “Super IC” Conversation Misses the Real Point(36:20) Why Everyone Just Became a Manager(37:05) Managing Agents Requires the Same Skills as Managing Humans(40:06) Why Token Consumption Can Become the New Productivity Theater(41:05) Why No Company Has AI Fully Figured Out(43:39) Lazy Interns: Why AI Slop Is Turning Smart People Into Bad Employees(48:00) Why AI Work Still Requires Human Accountability(49:05) Molly’s Rule: If You Send It, You Own It(50:49) False Productivity and Why the End Result Matters Most(52:04) Career Advice: Learn the Business---- 📬 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.
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  320 - How Moxie's COO built an AI strategy for a people business: Kate Connor, COO, Moxie 10.08.2026 58мин

  Kate Connor, Chief Operating Officer at Moxie Communications Group, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about how Moxie is adopting AI safely, why leaders should automate low-judgment work first, and how to embed AI into the culture without replacing human creativity, judgment, and relationships. ----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about SixFifty🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (19:14) Why AI Strategy Is Different in a People-Powered Agency(20:06) Automating Admin and Low-Judgment Work First(20:51) Using AI to Create More Time for Client Relationships and Storytelling(21:24) Bringing the Team Into the AI Roadmap Through Workshops(24:06) Why Moxie’s AI Approach Starts With Safety(24:35) Building an AI Use Policy With Cybersecurity and CTO Advisors(25:41) Why AI Belongs on the Strategic Roadmap(26:08) Being Transparent With the Team About AI Intentions(26:31) Positioning AI as an Extension of the Team(28:00) Running Team Workshops to Identify What Should Be Automated(29:05) Building Proprietary Tools for Problems Off-the-Shelf Platforms Cannot Solve(30:38) Messaging AI as an Expander, Not a Replacement(32:31) GEO Optimization and the Future of PR(34:07) Monthly AI Hackathons and Learning From the Team(34:43) Why AI Cannot Stay With the Leadership Team(35:22) When to Build Custom AI Tools Instead of Buying Off-the-Shelf(39:08) Culture as the Feeling and Energy People Associate With a Company(39:43) Building People Programs Around Real Business Needs(44:19) Why Moxie Has Strong Retention(48:43) Listening to the Team to Build Better Retention Programs(51:03) Career Advice: Understand What AI Means for Your Job---- 📬 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.
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  319 - The Psych Safety Playbook: Davida Lindsay-Bell (Chief People Officer, Hanna Andersson) 04.08.2026 59мин

  Davida Lindsay-Bell, Chief People Officer at Hanna Andersson, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why AI transformation needs to start with people, how Hanna Andersson operationalized psychological safety, and why trust, learning, and intelligent failure are the foundation for lasting change.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends ReportMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (18:58) Why AI Transformations Are Struggling Right Now(20:10) Why Organizations Need to Start With the Why Before AI(21:14) Building AI With Trust, Experimentation and Learning Out Loud(21:53) Why Cultural Readiness Must Come Before Technical Readiness(22:30) Making Psychological Safety a Priority 35 Days Into the Role(23:03) What Davida Noticed During Her Listening Tour(24:23) Infusing Psychological Safety Into Values and Leadership Expectations(25:17) Shifting From a Nice Organization to a Kind Organization(28:16) Inclusion, Learner, Contributor and Challenger Safety(29:07) Making Culture Measurable Through Calibration Rubrics(30:23) Creating Clarity With Bain’s RAPID Decision-Making Framework(33:00) Why the CEO Relationship and Air Cover Matter First(35:00) Davida’s LORA Framework: Listen, Absorb, Respond, Act(38:41) Why Strategy and Culture Are Not Separate Tracks(39:26) Cultivate Excellence as Hanna Andersson’s Strategic People Pillar(42:25) Amy Edmondson’s The Right Kind of Wrong and the Permission to Fail(45:05) Preventable Failures vs. Intelligent Failures(47:05) Hanna Andersson’s Three-Pronged AI Journey(49:20) How Psychological Safety Supports AI Adoption(52:08) Hanna Andersson’s AI Philosophy: Augmenting Human Judgment to Unleash Creativity---- 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.
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  318 - The #1 Place To Work in The World: Laura Fuentes (CHRO, Hilton) 31.07.2026 1ч

  Laura Fuentes, CHRO at Hilton, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about Hilton’s hospitality mindset, why great leaders should operate like great hosts, and how Hilton scales culture, listening, recognition, and purpose across more than 500,000 team members.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Explore the 2026 ​Deloitte Human Capital Trends Report🔗 Learn more about SixFiftyMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (17:18) Behind the Scenes of the Hospitality Mindset Report(19:21) Reintroducing a More Optimistic Narrative About Work(22:05) Hilton’s Four Culture Pillars: Inclusion, Wellness, Growth and Purpose(22:34) Culture Is the Accumulation of Small Moments(24:54) Leaders Should Think Like Chief Host Officers(25:41) Moving From AI Anxiety to AI Agency(27:56) Why Nuance Does Not Scale Easily Across Global Teams(33:29) Why Leadership Is Energy Management, Not Just Time Management(39:28) Scaling the Systems and the Soul of the Company(41:49) The One Conversation That Sparked Hilton’s Crisis Concierge Program(45:10) Why Hilton’s General Managers Are the Global Leaders the World Needs Now(48:39) The Soul of Hilton: Purposeful, Hospitable, Gritty and Competitive(50:35) Giving Away One Million Room Nights to Medical Professionals(51:12) Helping Furloughed Team Members Find New Jobs During the Pandemic---- 📬 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.
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  What Job Is Your Job Doing (Purpose and Work): Jessica Zwaan 25.07.2026 41мин

  Jessie Zwaan, author of Purpose and Work and Built for People, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about why the old purpose-at-work narrative is breaking, how people relate to work through jobs, careers, and callings, and why HR leaders need to rethink how they build meaning into work.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Learn more about Beqom at beqom.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mplMPL Links:🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.----  (08:05) Why Jessie Wrote Purpose and Work(10:00) The Question That Sparked the Book: What Job Does Your Job Do for You?(15:05) The Three Research Pillars Behind the Book(16:38) Why People Are Questioning Work More Than Ever(18:31) The Rise of Mission Statements, Values Walls and “Changing the World” Messaging(20:07) How AI, Layoffs and Recession Broke the Purpose Narrative(22:47) The Three Job Orientations: Job, Career and Calling(23:43) Why Purpose Alignment Does Not Automatically Mean Higher Performance(24:51) Why Seeing Work as “Just a Job” Can Still Drive High Performance(26:22) Matching Workplace Programs to Employee Purpose Profiles(27:22) How Writing Purpose of Work Changed Jessie as a Person and Leader(34:11) What Holds HR Leaders Back From Changing the Purpose Narrative?(35:08) The Employee Who Thought She Was Broken Because Purpose Did Not Motivate Her(36:03) How False Purpose Narratives Can Silence and Hurt People---- 📬 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.
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  316 - Doing things that don’t scale but actually matter: Daniel Bay, Chief People Officer at Underdog 17.07.2026 56мин

  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.
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  6 M&As Later: What this CPO has Learned (Nichole Viviani, Chief People, Culture & Change Officer at Global Payments) 10.07.2026 57мин

  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 many more.
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  314 - Building HR from Scratch: From Team of 3 to 40: Courtney Kolar (Chief People Officer, Neighborly) 07.07.2026 55мин

  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 and the People Services 2020 roadmap that created the foundation for scale.----  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.
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  313 - The New Power Duo: CHRO + CTO (Sunaina Lobo, Chief People Officer, Omnissa) 03.07.2026 43мин

  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.
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  312 - How an Army General Mobilized a 30,000-Person Company to Build Talent from Within: Patricia Frost, Chief People & Places Officer, Seagate 30.06.2026 1ч 5мин

  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, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.
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  311 - How Mejuri Runs: Operating Model, Biz Reviews & Decision Velocity (Kate Railton, Chief People Officer at Mejuri)  26.06.2026 1ч 6мин

  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.