Talent All-Stars

"Aggressive listening." "Favorite self." "Bionic leadership." Claire Macintyre, SVP & Chief People Officer at Sam’s Club, uses several memorable metaphors in this fascinating conversation about technology, culture, and leading people through rapid (and sometimes scary) change. ​​She shares why the best HR leaders are equal parts manager and mentor—and how to build a people strategy that doesn’t ju...

The best talent acquisition leaders don’t just get great people in the door—they motivate them to “think like owners”. That’s been the mantra for Claire Berkley during her time as Head of Talent Acquisition at Poshmark–a leading fashion resale marketplace that’s navigated an IPO, acquisition, and major market shifts. In this episode, Claire shares her journey from Division I soccer player to agenc...

What if you could spot team members getting ready to leave—before they even say a word? At Amdocs, Employment Practice Lead Victoria Myers built exactly that: an early warning system that flags flight risks—driving a 45% internal mobility rate and making internal hiring faster and smarter. In this episode, Victoria shares how she made it happen, plus: The surprising perk Gen-Z is demanding from em...

Great leaders don’t just walk in and start making changes—they listen, learn, and then lead. Jason Desentz, Chief Human Resources Officer at Toshiba America, has built a career on this principle. From consulting to leading HR at major corporations, he has mastered the balance between business impact and cultural legacy. In this episode, Jason shares how he navigates massive organizational shifts,...

What’s Vanguard’s secret talent acquisition superpower? Turning their mission into an irresistible recruiting pitch. Tiffany Haley , Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Vanguard, shares why the best recruiters are those who genuinely believe in what they're selling.   In this episode, Tiffany explains how she coaches her team to leverage empathy, passion, and storytelling—transforming them into t...

When scaling a global tech giant like Intel, talent isn't just important—it's mission critical. Cindi Harper , VP of Human Resources, Talent Planning, and Acquisition at Intel, learned this firsthand when a plant manager gave her a career-defining wake-up call: Without the right people in place, he warned her… the entire operation grinds to a halt. In this episode, Cindi shares how she went from h...

Can you break traditional management structures and still drive exceptional results? Steve O'Brien, SVP of People Solutions at Syneos Health, proves it's possible with his innovative "decoder ring" approach to talent leadership—managing 25 direct reports without a single scheduled one-on-one meeting. In this episode, Steve explains how he balances efficiency with employee engagement, why decision-...

Today’s Talent All-Star was recently on the other side of the talent acquisition table, and he came away from that experience with some shocking insights. Jay Olson, Director of Global Talent Acquisition at Medtronic, had spent years perfecting the art of hiring. But recently, his time as a candidate gave him an entirely new perspective. Which led him to rethink his entire strategy as he settles i...

Ready for the remarkable story of a talent all-star who rose from cleaner to C-level leader… in the very same office? Bettina Deynes, Global CHRO at Carnival Corporation, leads a 160,000-person team in one of the world’s most dynamic industries. In this episode, she shares her incredible journey from janitor to HR executive, the importance of self-learning, and how she champions HR as a strategic...

Want to build a world-class team? Start by thinking like a business leader. Melanie Steinbach has led talent teams for several major brands—McDonald’s, Cameo, and now MasterClass—and she knows that talent strategy goes well beyond the common perception of HR. In this episode, Melanie shares how she aligns hiring decisions with business growth, the compensation mistake most companies make, and why...

How do you turn a retention crisis into a talent acquisition triumph? Scott Sell, Mercy’s Chief Talent Acquisition Officer, unpacks the strategies that helped this Midwest healthcare leader slash turnover and attract mission-aligned talent. Discover why Mercy prioritizes candidate experience as fiercely as patient care—and how their bold shift from “quantity to quality” created a pipeline of compa...

Recruiting in healthcare is extremely competitive – but with the right strategy, it’s possible to stand out from the crowd. In this episode, Yvette Hansen, Director of Talent Acquisition at Baylor Scott & White Health, shares how her team bought back 10,000 hours by automating key steps, allowing recruiters to focus on sourcing top talent. Yvette also shares: A simple way to capture employee stori...

What happens when your strategic plan meets an unpredictable reality?   Rose Sheehan, Chief People Officer at Hartford HealthCare, knows all about pivoting under pressure. From leading her team through COVID-19 to addressing the Great Resignation, Rose has built a dynamic HR function focused on agility, innovation, and purpose. In this episode, Rose reveals the strategies behind her success, inclu...

When Jacquie Liddell stepped into her new role as VP of Talent Acquisition at Mass General Brigham, she had no idea her first day would coincide with the start of Massachusetts' COVID-19 lockdown.   Instead of a typical onboarding experience, she was thrust into the heart of a healthcare crisis – and forced to quickly staff a field hospital, hire nurses at lightning speed, and streamline lengthy o...

COVID-19 completely rewrote the recruiting rules – especially in the restaurant and retail sectors. So how can hospitality companies adapt and thrive, post-pandemic?   Today, you’ll learn the playbook used by Marci Sigmund, VP of Talent Acquisition at Cracker Barrel, whose team hires up to 100,000 team members per year. Marci shares: How she’s combating turnover across more than 650 stores How to...

What are the keys to attracting and retaining top-notch talent in a highly competitive, demanding industry?   We put that question to Lashonda Bighaus, VP of Talent Acquisition at AccentCare – a leading provider of hospice, personal, and home care with 30,000 employees nationwide. In this episode, Lashonda shares her journey from staffing agency recruiter to leading a 50-person talent acquisition...

What key themes emerge when you talk to some of the best and brightest talent leaders working today? Join host Dave Travers as he highlights our guests’ most valuable insights in this special “Best Of” episode.   Featuring clips from top talent leaders at companies like eBay, FedEx, and Nike, Dave distills four key lessons to elevate your talent strategy heading into 2025. You’ll learn: How busine...

How do you create a talent culture that scales with your business growth? Katie Czerepak, Head of Talent for Bain Capital’s Tech Opportunities Team, shares insights from her experience helping dozens of fast-growing teams source and develop talent. You’ll learn how she came to embrace a career in HR after initially resisting it, how she approaches conversations with CEOs, and why she’s such a big...

How do you build a meaningful career in talent acquisition? For Paula Radloff, former VP of Talent Acquisition at Nike and Starbucks, it’s all about picking your spots and making bold moves. In this episode, Paula reveals the career-defining lessons she’s learned while leading talent teams at some of the world’s most iconic brands.   Paula also shares: Creating positive candidate experiences as co...

Great recruiting goes beyond numbers—it's about quality, relationships, and delivering value for both the business and candidates. But how do you build a recruitment process that achieves all three? Becky McCullough, VP of Talent Acquisition & Mobility at HubSpot, shares her approach to measuring recruiter performance, improving the candidate experience, and driving efficient, high-quality hiring...

When you’re a top executive at a company that moves 2% of the world’s GDP, talent is never far from your mind. Brie Carere is the Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at FedEx, and she joins Talent All-Stars for a wide-ranging conversation about talent acquisition, culture, change management, and more. You’ll learn how FedEx’s leadership navigated hiring amid COVID-19, the “Purple P...

What’s the secret to bridging the gap between talent acquisition, HR business partners, and company leadership? According to Kelly Culler, VP of Talent Acquisition and Senior Business HR Partner at Northwestern Mutual, it’s all about walking a mile in each other’s shoes. In this episode, Kelly shares how she’s been able to successfully navigate TA and HR roles, and what she’s learned about empathy...

Zapier’s team is made up of more than 700 people across 42 countries. Yet the company has built a strong, distinctive culture and a nimble workforce that can adapt to shifting business needs. So how do they do it? Zapier Chief People Officer Brandon Sammut joins us to answer those questions, plus:   The “4 B’s” Zapier uses to acquire new capabilities How they redeployed team members internally dur...

So much of business success comes down to aligning the right people with a healthy company culture. But what does that actually look like in practice? In this episode, Blake Irving reveals how he was able to accomplish that combination of feats as CEO of GoDaddy. You’ll learn the strategies he used to establish trust, attract top hires, and drive business growth. Blake also talks about: What makes...

In the race for talent, speed is key. But how do you move quickly while still maintaining a warm, welcoming candidate experience? Kris Dunn, Marriott International’s SVP of Global Talent Acquisition, knows a thing or two about striking that balance. In this episode, Kris shares his blueprint for landing top talent (within hours of receiving their applications!) in a hyper-competitive global market...