The Edge of Work

Note : This is a replay of one of our most popular episodes from this year Dani Johnson is the Co-Founder and Principal Analyst at RedThread Research. During this conversation, Dani shares some of her observations and insights from some of her recent conversations and research on the topic of L&D Strategy, the shifting role L&D has within organizations and the implications for learning and...

Note: This is a replay of one of the most popular episodes of 2025 Conor Grennan is the Dean of Students at NYU Stern and the Co-Founder and CEO of AI Mindset, an AI consulting firm. In this episode, Conor shares his insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, leadership, and talent development.  With a unique perspective from both academia and the corporate world, he discu...

Note: This is a replay episode of one of our most popular episodes of 2025 In this solo episode of The Edge of Work podcast, host Al Dea introduces a new approach to leadership: becoming developers of talent. Al explores how managers and leaders can embrace their roles in fostering employee growth and development in the day-to-day workflow, beyond formal training programs. By offering practical st...

Note: This is a replay episode of one of the most popular episodes from the past year Charlene Li is an Entrepreneur, Consultant, Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker. As a longtime expert in studying emerging technologies and their impacts on society, business and leadership, Charlene has a keen eye for what’s new and next and it’s implications for business. In this episode, Charlene shares he...

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work , Al Dea unpacks a critical skill for today’s workplace: cultivating influence. Whether you're leading a bold change initiative or simply trying to align your team around a shared goal, your ability to influence others—without formal authority—is essential. Drawing from his experience as a facilitator and consultant, Al shares a practical framework of...

Maya Razon drives Learning & Leadership Development at the Google School for Leaders. In this episode of The Edge of Work , Maya shares how her team designs transformative learning experiences for Google’s global leaders. She explores how the “inner game” of leadership, physical space, and AI integration are reshaping how leaders learn and grow in a rapidly changing world. From leveraging neur...

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work , host Al Dea explores how leadership development can evolve in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Drawing from his keynote presentations and conversations with talent and business leaders, Al shares now is the time to reimagine how we think about leadership development in a rapidly changing world of work. During this episode, Al offers 4 principles for ho...

In this month’s “Work in Progress” segment, Al Dea is joined by Steve Hunt and Phil Kirschner to unpack three timely topics related to the intersection of talent and the workplace: Moderna’s decision to merge HR and IT, an experiment AI + teamwork experiment from P&G, and whether AI is wiping out the first rung of the career ladder. Together, they explore the implications of AI on job design,...

Ruth Hickin is the Vice President of Workforce Innovation at Salesforce. In this episode, Ruth unpacks her team's efforts around digital labor, and shares how her team is preparing Salesforce’s workforce for the age of AI by investing in internal talent through skilling, career mobility, and human-centered design. During our conversation, Ruth provides the philosophy behind Career Connect, an...

In this episode, The Edge of Work Podcast host Al Dea provides an informal recap of his time at ATD ICE ‘25 in Washington D.C. During this episode, Al covers the basics of ATD ICE, some of the programming and content themes, highlights from the expo floor and vendors, and some of his reflections from the conversations he had with talent and learning leaders. Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.co...

Kweilin Ellingrud is a Director of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and leads Diversity and Inclusion for McKinsey globally. She is also a senior partner at McKinsey and co-author of The Broken Rung:   When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It , a  book on the challenges women face in career advancement. In this episode, Kweilin joins the podcast to discus...

Carole Bennett is the Vice President of Talent Management and Development at Sutter Health. In this episode, Carole shares her journey in leading large-scale talent strategy across a major healthcare system. She unpacks how Sutter Health is investing in internal mobility, leadership development, and workforce planning to meet both immediate and long-term needs. Carole also discusses the importance...

Eric Wong is an Organizational Effectiveness Leader at Adobe, where he oversees executive coaching, leads org development efforts, and facilitates leadership development programs. During this conversation Eric shares lessons from his journey across the leadership development industry, including startups, consulting, and corporate leadership, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Adobe has bui...

Samantha Simmons is the Chief People & Internal Operations Officer for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). In this episode, Sam shares how the LPGA is navigating growth, performance, and culture in a rapidly changing world of sports and work.  During this conversation, Samantha shared the people org’s strategic priorities and why their team is scaling impact, how the LPGA is inves...

Jim Rowan is a Principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and the Head of the Artificial Intelligence Practice, where he leads the firm’s AI strategy across client services, alliances, innovation, and internal transformation. During this conversation, Jim shares his thoughts on the current and future state of Artificial Intelligence in the enterprise. He shares insights from Deloitte’s State of Generati...

Ty Beasley is the Chief Talent Officer at RSM, a leading professional services firm. During this conversation, Al and Ty spend time exploring the evolving world of talent management in professional services.  Ty shares stories from his early career and offers insights into RSM’s approach to talent strategy—covering internal mobility, performance growth, and the role of skills in employee developme...

Kelly Jones is the Chief People Officer at Cisco, where she is shaping the future of work and redefining HR in the age of AI. In this episode, Kelly shares insights from her recent blog post on the four transformative trends shaping HR in 2025, including hyper-personalized employee experiences, continuous learning, soft skills as power skills, and well-being as a business imperative.  During this...

Heather Dunn is the Chief People Officer at Brex, a modern day financial platform. In this conversation, Heather shares her insights from participating at Transform on the "Next Gen Leader" panel and how Brex is rethinking leadership development, prioritizing mindsets over traditional skill rubrics.  During this conversation, Heather shares the company’s shift toward simplification, diff...

Tina Gupta is the SVP of Talent Management at New York Life Insurance Company, where she leads efforts to transform how employees develop and grow within the organization. In this episode of The Edge of Work , Tina shares insights into New York Life’s ongoing transformation and the role of talent in driving change. She discusses the company’s Career Hub initiative, which leverages AI to help emplo...

Brian Elliott is the CEO of Work Forward and an expert in the workplace strategy space. In this conversation, Brian shares insights from his work with organizations on flexible work, the ongoing return-to-office debate, and how trust impacts productivity and adoption of generative AI.  We also explore how companies are intentionally designing in-person gatherings and why aligning on outcomes—not j...

Betsy Summers is a Principal Research Analyst at Forrester Research, covering HR and the future of work. In this episode, Betsy joins host Al Dea to explore the rapidly evolving workplace landscape, from AI’s impact on jobs to the shifting role of HR as a strategic driver of business success. They discuss the challenges HR leaders face in adapting to AI, the growing demand for leadership and manag...

Jenny Wood is a former Google Executive and the author of Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It . In this episode, Jenny shares her inspiring journey of launching the groundbreaking "Own Your Career" initiative at Google, a movement that empowered thousands of employees to take charge of their professional paths.  During the conversation, Jenny shares some key career advice fro...

This week, we are live in Las Vegas with 4,000 other professionals across the HR and people ecosystem at the Transform Conference. In this episode, we share two of our interviews with leaders across the HR Ecosystem to find out what’s on their mind and what’s going on in the world of work. Listen in to this conversation to hear perspectives from Kyle Forrest (Principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP) an...

In this special episode of The Edge of Work , host Al Dea launches a new segment called Work in Progress . In this episode, he is joined by returning guests Shonna Waters and Angela Cheng-Cimini to explore the intersection of AI and leadership development. Together, they discuss the latest research and insights on how AI is shaping leadership, the challenges of adoption, and the opportunities it p...

David Burkus is a Leadership and Teamwork expert, keynote speaker, and author of Best Team Ever. During this conversation, David shares key insights from his book Best Team Ever on what makes teams thrive in today's workplace. We explore the science behind high-performing teams, the critical role of psychological safety, and why work is increasingly about collaboration. Plus, David breaks dow...