HR Voices

Can a neurodiversity hiring program open you up to “reverse discrimination” claims—and how do you respond if it does? In this HR Voices episode, Rebecca Taylor is joined by Paula Nuzzi, CHRO at Tartar Gate, LLC, to unpack a fictional but highly realistic case: a tech company modifies interviews, mentorship, and accommodations to better hire candidates with autism and ADHD—then faces a complaint fr...

Summary Politics at work isn’t new—but post‑election spikes in tension can stall teams and swamp HR. Angela Shaw, SVP of Talent at Amplify Credit Union, unpacks a practical, defensible approach to political polarization at work—without blanket bans that create more risk. She explains why strong HR starts by separating beliefs (which you can’t control) from behaviors (which you must), and how to eq...

Summary AI is racing ahead—but how do you bring a 40k+ global workforce along without losing the human connection? Girish Ganesan, Chief People Officer at S&P Global, shares how his team is redesigning work around skills and tasks while keeping “humanity as the multiplier.” He outlines three macro challenges—pace of change vs. org readiness, the shift from roles to skills, and maintaining conn...

About this episode 🎙️ Handling Viral Misconduct: Due Process, Deepfakes, and Franchisee Realities Summary When a customer films a frontline worker spewing racist slurs and the clip explodes online, how do you protect your brand without abandoning due process?  Amrita Bhaumik, VP of HR at Team Car Care—the largest Jiffy Lube franchisee—shares a clear, defensible playbook for high-stakes, high-speed...

Summary What should HR do when a former employee posts about culture after signing a settlement with a non-disparagement clause—sue, ignore, or investigate? Jens H Jensen, Vice President of People & Culture at Echo Americas, brings a global HR lens to a real-world “social media retaliation” scenario (Sue v. Bevins). He breaks down why “being right” legally can still be wrong for brand and busi...

Summary What happens when an AI hiring tool is accused of discrimination—and your brand, hiring engine, and employee trust are all on the line? In this episode, Rebecca Taylor sits down with Kristen Duckett, Chief Human Resources Officer at WorldStrides, to dissect the Mobley v. Workday case and what it means for HR leaders using AI in talent selection. With a background in executive recruiting an...

Summary AI is accelerating everything—but speed without clarity creates noise. Clark Jessop, Senior Vice President of HR at US Bank and HR lead for the company’s digital, data & AI, and product teams, shares how he helps leaders manage acceleration without losing focus. He explains why discernment is the defining human skill in the AI age, how to simplify decision flows and clarify decision ri...

Summary How do you keep a fast-growing, always-in-motion workforce informed, aligned, and delivering standout service—while adding a new aircraft every month? Jeff Weber, Chief People Officer at Breeze Airways, shares how the airline is scaling a people-first culture across a distributed, frontline operation. Founded during COVID by David Neumann, Breeze targets underserved airports with a “seriou...

Summary In a farm-to-door, 24/7 operation, how do you keep 2,500 people aligned, motivated, and truly high-performing? Claire Ko, Chief People Officer at FreshDirect—the pioneer of online grocery delivery—shares how her lean people team supports a complex, tech-enabled business spanning production, logistics, merchandising, and corporate functions. Claire offers a view inside FreshDirect’s direct...

Summary What happens when a designer leads HR? Michael Bodziner, Co–Chief Human Resources Officer at Gensler—the global architecture and design firm with 56 offices and 6,400 people—shares how a 40-year career from intern to studio director to CHRO shaped a people-first approach that boosts retention and performance. Michael explains how he translated retail customer-experience thinking into an em...

Summary How do you keep a largely frontline workforce engaged across 135 dealerships and 12 states—while embracing the rise of side hustles? Jules Gianneschi, Chief Human Resources Officer at America’s Car‑Mart (a publicly traded, integrated auto sales and finance company based in Rogers, AR), shares how her team builds a purpose-led culture around a clear mission: keeping customers on the road. J...

Summary When politics and technology collide with your mission, how do you keep people engaged and moving forward? Elizabeth Mattila, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), shares how a 1,000-person, global NGO sustains morale, builds true employee voice, and modernizes talent practices. Elizabeth explains EDF’s science-driven, bipartisan approach to advocac...

Integrating at Scale: Associa’s CHRO on Culture, Identity, and Bottom‑Up AI Summary How do you integrate 16 acquisitions at once without losing the soul of each local business? Chelle O’Keefe, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Associa—the largest property and community management company in North America—shares a practical playbook for scaling culture while honoring loc...

Onsite-First HR: Fortis Fire & Safety’s CPO on Transparency, Incentives, and Practical AI Summary How do you build trust and clarity for a largely frontline, onsite workforce amid inflation pressures and AI-fueled change? Stephanie Roseman, Chief People Officer at Fortis Fire & Safety—a national provider of fire suppression, alarms, and integrated security—shares a practical playbook. She...

Care for Caregivers: Bright Star Care’s CXO on Community, Consistency, and AI in Hiring Summary How do you build connection and consistency for a largely solo, non-desk workforce? Heather Bresick-Smith, Chief Experience Officer at Bright Star Care (formerly CHRO), shares how the home healthcare franchisor is reshaping employee experience across 13–14k caregivers through community, clear lanes of o...

Scaling Through Change: SolarWinds’ People Leader on Functional HRBPs, Sales Talent, and AI-Driven Performance Summary What does it take to steer a 25-year-old tech company through going private while raising the performance bar? David Hanrahan, SVP of People Success at SolarWinds, shares how his team is navigating culture integration with a data-driven parent company, reorganizing HR for impact,...

AI-Native HR: Omnissa’s CPO on Hyper-Personalization, Skills Intelligence, and Human Connection Summary How can HR lead AI adoption without losing the human core of work? Sunaina Lobo, Chief People Officer at Omnissa—an AI-driven digital workforce platform carved out of VMware—shares how she’s building a modern “hire-to-retire” experience just six weeks into the role. Sunaina explains why people t...

Human-First Employee Relations: Greystar’s Director on Multi-State Investigations, AI, and Trust Summary How do you lead fair, fast, and human investigations across dozens of jurisdictions—with California in the mix—and still keep people at the center? Andrea Brunet, Director of Employee Relations at Greystar, supports 2,400 employees across multiple states for the global real estate leader. She s...

Ignite Our Heartbeat: IMG Academy’s CPO on Hybrid Culture, Burnout, and Purpose-Driven HR Summary When half your workforce is on a Florida campus and half is fully remote, how do you sustain one culture, prevent burnout, and support growth in a world of constant change? Lisa Strasman, Chief People Operations Officer at IMG Academy and former President of NCSA (acquired by IMG Academy), shares how...

Intentional Culture at CoBank: CHRO Debulina Bose on Mission-First HR and AI with Empathy Summary How do you unify a national, largely exempt workforce while navigating AI and rapid growth? Debulina Bose, Chief Human Resources Officer at CoBank, shares how a mission-first approach—serving rural America and strengthening food security—drives hiring, development, and culture across 1,400 associates....

Steady in the Storm: TPI’s CPO on Leading HR Through Chapter 11 with Transparency and Trust Summary When your company files Chapter 11, HR becomes the steady hand the business needs. Deane Ilukowicz, Chief People Officer at TPI Composites—the world’s largest industrial manufacturer of wind turbine blades—shares how she’s guided a nearly 10,000-person, global workforce through restructuring with cl...

Catch It at a Simmer: BambooHR’s Vanessa Brulotte on Employee Relations, Clear Communication, and AI in HR Summary When employees only reach HR at “eruption,” it’s already too late. Vanessa Brulotte, Employee Relations Partner at BambooHR, shares how to build a trusted, centralized ER function that catches issues at a simmer—so leaders and employees can collaborate toward resolution instead of cri...

Empathy at Scale: Perforce’s CPO on AI, Authentic Hiring, and Leading Individuals Summary When change is constant and AI is rewriting work, how do you create clarity, safety, and performance for a global workforce? Kristin Gaarder, Chief People Officer at Perforce Software (2,000 employees across 30+ countries), shares how her team supports technologists navigating rapid transformation, geopolitic...

Reinventing a 150‑Year‑Old Startup: Toshiba’s CHRO on Influence, COEs, and AI Summary How do you modernize a century-old manufacturer under private equity—while unifying fragmented HR teams and systems? Jason Richard Desentz, Chief Human Resources Officer for Toshiba in the Americas, breaks down what it really takes to lead transformation at scale. With roots in Detroit automotive and training in...

From Reorg to Results: Snap Finance’s CHRO on Org Design, AI Adoption, and the People Strategy Edge Summary If your org chart changes but execution doesn’t, you’re missing the “connective tissue.” Todd Mayhew, Chief Human Resources Officer at Snap Finance, shares how he’s guiding a fintech at an inflection point—from a transaction-based model to a consumer platform—by aligning structure, process,...