HRchat Podcast

In this episode, Bill Banham sits down with Q Hamirani, Chief People Officer at HighLevel, one of the fastest-growing remote-first SaaS platforms serving agencies and consultants worldwide. With 1,600+ employees spread across the globe and 1,000 new hires added in a single year, HighLevel’s meteoric rise demands a People strategy that can scale without losing its soul. As the company’s cultural ar...

Change rarely fails because the software didn’t ship. It fails because people didn’t shift. In this episode, Bill Bnaham sits down with Richard Page-Brown , a veteran program and change practitioner, to map a clear path from big intentions to sustained behavior change. Using the ADKAR model as our backbone, we move step by step through awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, and reinforcement, tran...

In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, Bill Banham is joined by Craig Saxby, HR Solutions Director at Morson Talent. Craig is a recruitment leader passionate about building high-performing teams and helping HR leaders navigate complex people and talent challenges. At Morson, he partners with Chief People Officers, HR Directors, and Talent Leaders to design and deliver strategic solutions—spanning...

In this special episode of the HRchat Podcast, we preview the 2025 HR Tech Conference in fabulous Las Vegas! Bill Banham's guest is Katie Achille , Managing Partner at The Devon Group, and an award-winning communications pro. Katie is deeply embedded in the planning and communications behind the HR Tech Conference in Las Vegas, happening September 16–18. HR Tech Conference, one of the world’s...

The technological landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, and AI stands at the forefront of this transformation. But how can HR professionals and business leaders navigate this new terrain effectively? Dr. Keith Duggar, CTO of X-Ray and co-host of Machine Learning Street Talk, brings clarity to this complex topic through a lens shaped by his fascinating career trajectory. From his roots in chemi...

Maureen Brown joins the HRchat Podcast to reveal why employee voice isn't just another corporate buzzword—it's the untapped resource transforming workplace culture and employer branding across industries. As founder of Sullivan Brown Resourcing Partners and MySay, Maureen brings 16+ years of recruitment expertise to this conversation about why companies struggle to truly hear their emplo...

What happens when engineering principles meet people strategy? Sara Andrews , Chief People Officer at Ecovyst , brings this powerful combination to the HRchat Show, revealing how her background as an engineer transformed her approach to human resources leadership. Looking toward her upcoming presentation "HR as a Shockwave: From Compliance to Competitive Edge" at DisruptHR Birmingham , S...

In this episode, Christina Luconi, dubbed "the original people innovator," takes host Bill Banham on a fascinating journey through her pioneering career in transforming how fast-growing companies approach their most valuable asset - their people. With refreshing candor and hard-earned wisdom, she reveals how she's helped multiple tech startups scale from dozens to thousands of emplo...

Frontline recruitment isn’t just hiring at scale—it’s an entirely different discipline from traditional corporate hiring. In this episode of the HRchat Show, Fountain CEO Sean Behr pulls back the curtain on the unique challenges of recruiting hourly workers and shares strategies that help employers keep pace in an increasingly competitive market. Unlike corporate hiring, where companies may only n...

Shakil Butt never planned to leave his comfortable 20-year finance career for HR leadership. What began as a three-month interim assignment transformed into a passionate pursuit that would redefine his understanding of strategic people management and earn him recognition as one of the UK's most influential HR leaders. Bringing his finance background to HR gave Shakil a unique advantage. &quot...

Kim Chaumillon believes HR leaders must champion AI adoption from the inside out. "HR goes first" isn't just her mantra—it's the foundation of effective organizational transformation. Drawing from 30 years of global HR experience, Kim reveals how she's reimagining traditional people practices through AI implementation at two different organizations where she serves as frac...

The recruitment landscape is transforming at breakneck speed, with business models that once lasted decades now becoming obsolete in just a few years. How can talent leaders navigate this change while maintaining the essential human elements that technology can't replace? Recruitment veteran and Disrupt Manchester speaker Ian Knowlson draws on his 40+ years of experience to illuminate the pat...

What makes a leader truly memorable? According to Bobby Umar, one of Inc Magazine's top 100 leadership speakers globally, it's the courage to tell authentic stories that showcase vulnerability and build genuine human connections. Bobby joins the HRchat Show to share his expertise on storytelling as a leadership superpower that transforms personal brands and organizational cultures. Drawi...

When was the last time your organization conducted an employee engagement survey? If it was more than a few months ago, you're likely making decisions based on outdated information. As Karina Young, VP People at 15Five, points out in this episode, "Think about who you were a year ago. You might have had a whole different set of needs, wants, desires, hopes than you do right now." Th...

What happens when you combine cutting-edge technology with a more human approach to airline service? Jeff Weber, Chief People Officer at Breeze Airways, reveals the fascinating intersection of high-tech innovation and high-touch customer experience in this engaging conversation about the future of work in the aviation industry. Jeff , who joined Breeze after successful HR leadership roles at forwa...

What happens when you combine archaeological curiosity with data science expertise? You get Mark Lawrence's fascinating approach to HR analytics.  In this conversation, Mark shares his unconventional career journey from aspiring Indiana Jones to Head of Analytics and Reporting at Deloitte, revealing how his fundamental desire to understand why things work the way they do connects these seemin...

Ever considered a career in scaffolding? Most haven't, but Paul Napper is on a mission to change that perception. As the Head of Training and Education at NASC ( National Access and Scaffolding Confederation ), Paul joins Bill Banham on the HRchat Show to reveal how this overlooked industry offers diverse career pathways and impressive earning potential. "There are people I know earning...

The days of mandatory office attendance are (mostly) behind us, but how do you maintain a vibrant workplace culture when your team is scattered across 15+ countries? In this conversation, Dessalen Wood, Chief People Officer at Syntax, reveals the company's innovative approach to workplace flexibility that's become their competitive advantage. Drawing from 25 years of experience across re...

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Carrie Bates isn't just celebrating over a decade of sobriety—she's revolutionizing how workplaces approach addiction recovery. As Director of Strategic Growth and Advocacy at Caron Treatment Centers , Carrie brings a powerful dual perspective to the conversation on substance dependence in professional environments. Over 26 million Americans report strugg...

The future of workforce efficiency is skills-based, and organizations that fail to make this pivot risk being left behind. Shrikant Pattathil, President and CTO of Harbinger Group, joins Bill Banham to unpack why skill proficiency has become a critical metric for organizational success in today's hyper-personalized, hyper-automated workplace. Shrikant reveals that companies implementing skill...

What happens when one executive combines legal expertise with human resources leadership? Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, reveals the powerful advantages of his dual role in this fascinating conversation. Leading both legal and HR departments for a global phosphate company with 1,500 employees worldwide, Joshu...

Bob Goodwin welcomes Gena Smith, North American CHRO for luxury powerhouse LVMH, for a masterclass in leadership development and cultivating excellence across iconic brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany. Gena shares her unexpected journey from small-town Texas to leading human resources for one of the world's most prestigious luxury groups. A pivotal study abroad experience...

Imagine a world where job candidates arrive with an ironclad guarantee that they can apply the skills listed on their resumes. That's the vision shared by Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, a company that’s redefining career readiness through AI-powered, skill-based learning. Dan and his team just announced the acquisition of tilr.com , a leading learning management and credentiali...

Yesterday at the 2025 SHRM Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund named Brian Moynihan, CEO at Bank of America as this year’s Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner. Brian Peckrill , Executive Director of the McGowan Fund, presented the award and praised Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner Brian Moynihan's commitment to ethical leadership. With...

"AI is not going to replace workers – it's going to create super workers." This powerful insight from Lila Nazef, VP of Sales and Marketing North America at Neocase and attendee at this week's SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, sets the tone for a fascinating exploration of how artificial intelligence is transforming HR service delivery while addressing common concerns about this...