In this episode, Terry Reed, senior vice president of talent and leadership development at Comfort Systems, a leading mechanical and electrical firm, shares his insights on addressing the country’s critical shortage in skilled trade workers, plus his strategies for attracting women to the industry, and the need for in-house training programs. Reed also shared his experiences on building workplace culture and diversity, as well as the impact of technology like AI on the workforce.

Anita Martin built her HR career on three pillars: fairness, consistency, and transparency. In this episode, Martin shares her strategy for leading organizational change at the Houston Texans and offers tips on how to achieve employee buy-in, the importance of succession planning, and strategic patience.

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the current state of the U.S. labor market—and where it’s headed in 2025—with SHRM senior labor economist Justin Ladner. Discover key insights and potential paths forward for the worker shortage, inflation, and more.

How does an organization create an “outrageously extraordinary” culture? SharkNinja’s chief people officer Elizabeth Norberg sits down with the president of Gap International, Bob Rothman, to discuss their formula for success. They also share tips for navigating change, building executive alignment, and the role of the HR executive in building company culture. Listen until the end to hear some rapid fire questions.

In this week’s episode of the People + Strategy podcast, Marjorie Powell, the CHRO at AARP, shares her insights into managing HR at one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the U.S. She also explains how AI is being used to enhance member engagement and how to realize the strategic value of the 50-and-older workforce.

In this special episode, we're recording live at the SHRM Executive Network's 2024 Visionaries Summit in Austin, Texas. Tune in for key takeaways from our Executive Network of CHROs. Learn what's top of mind for HR leaders and which insights they plan to bring back to their organizations.

In this episode, Dawn Zier, former CEO of Nutrisystem and current executive coach, discusses the vital role that organizational culture plays in company turnarounds and in the boardroom. She explains the evolving role of boards of directors in today's workplace and why some boardroom norms have reached their expiration dates. Zier is also the editor of The Directors Roundtable, a regular department in our quarterly People + Strategy Journal.

From Starbucks barista to executive, Paul Johnson’s career journey has taken many paths. Today, he is VP of People and Culture and Chief Diversity Officer for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. In this episode of People and Strategy, Johnson shares his insights on redefining traditional leadership paradigms, the role of continuous learning, and the differences between HR roles in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

What was your entry point into the workforce? In this episode of People and Strategy, Denny’s SVP of HR and CLO Fasika Melaku discusses how the service industry tends to be that first door to employment. She reflects on her experience as an immigrant, working in the hospitality industry, and creating employee development programs at Denny's.

Increasing access to care among underserved populations can advance health equity. In this episode of People and Strategy, Boston Scientific’s vice president of HR and global chief diversity officer Camille Chang Gilmore discusses the medical technology company’s Close the Gap Health Equity Initiative, tying inclusion goals to measurable outcomes, her tips for successful leadership, and more.

An organization’s workplace culture represents an opportunity to align with the communities it serves. In this episode of People and Strategy, DeRetta Rhodes, chief culture officer at the Atlanta Braves discusses how to enhance workplace culture — from the importance of giving employees a voice to how community involvement can create a sense of belonging.

Using data-driven insights can help create higher performing teams. In this episode of People and Strategy, Wendy Miller, chief people officer at McKinsey & Company, discusses the power of people analytics to help HR executives and business leaders solve problems, AI’s potential impact, and more.

The first 90 to 180 days are critical to a new leader’s success, and they often benefit from executive coaching during this transitional period. In this episode of People and Strategy, Christine Mixan, talent planning lead at General Motors, shares her STEPS model for coaching leaders through transitions. She also shares the ROIs associated with executive coaching, how long coaching should last, and more.

While working as a practicing lawyer, Nathalie Grenache landed on a career in HR “completely by accident” after a teammate requested her legal assistance with an expat employee’s immigration status. Grenache now serves as the Senior VP of People and Culture at Sanofi, a Paris-based global pharmaceutical company. She is based in Boston and is responsible for providing strategic HR leadership to Sanofi’s North American operations and Global Specialty Care. In this episode of People and...

Betty Thompson got her start in HR as an entry-level employee at IBM when she had to turn to the department to navigate a difficult personnel situation. Now, as Chief People Officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, she oversees all aspects of talent for the firm's more than 36,000 employees across the globe. In this episode of People and Strategy, Thompson speaks with host Mo Fathelbab on how necessary changes in education, diversity and inclusion, and civility will shape the next decade’s workforce.

Rhonda Morris, Vice President and CHRO of Chevron Corporation, describes her 31-year career with the company as non-traditional and “portfolio-esque” in the sense that she’s held a number of non-HR roles that have included marketing, running a P&L and working outside the U.S. In this episode of People and Strategy, Morris joins host Mo Fathelbab to discuss topics including the development of strong corporate culture, bringing mental health support to the workplace, as well as how she has...

In the fall of 2015, Betsy Rodriguez was the CHRO of the University of Missouri when the university president announced his sudden resignation on national television. The university needed to provide a rapid response to the unfolding scenario, and the board turned to Rodriguez for guidance and advice, highlighting the CHRO’s critical role in navigating executive transitions. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Mo Fathelbab speaks with Rodriguez about the valuable lessons she has...

After realizing that a career in investment banking wasn’t for her, Julie Lodge-Jarrett went to a career fair in Detroit to stand in a long line, wondering if she could talk to someone about a job at Ford Motor Company. She landed in HR, and after a multi-decade career at Ford, she accepted an offer to become Chief People and Purpose Officer at DICK’s Sporting Goods in 2019. In this episode of People and Strategy, Lodge-Jarrett joins host Mo Fathelbab to discuss topics including how DICK’s...

AI is changing not only the nature of work, but also the approaches needed for effective human-centric change management related to this revolutionary technology. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Mo Fathelbab speaks with Nichol Bradford, SHRM’s executive in residence for AI and HI enablement to discuss topics including concerns about AI-related layoffs, how HR departments will evolve in the age of AI, and and achieving buy-in from senior leadership and employees on AI initiatives...

After being hired as senior vice president of human resources at Capital Group in 1998, Andrea Gill had to go on maternity leave just four days into her new role, but Capital assured her “We are a long-term focused company.” 25 years later and having risen to Capital’s chief human resources officer, it’s an alignment of values between Gill and the organization that has helped shape her career. In this episode of People and Strategy, Gill joins host Tony Lee to discuss the maturing of...

Following a career that began with an HR generalist role at IBM, Calvin Crosslin now serves as both Chief Diversity Officer at Lenovo and President of the Lenovo Foundation. In his role, Crosslin drives the corporate vision, goals, strategies, and performance metrics for Lenovo's Global Diversity and Inclusion Office, which supports more than 63,000 employees from 60 countries around the world. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Tony Lee speaks with Crosslin on topics including the...

After a career of HR leadership positions that have included leading the Victoria’s Secret brand through an organizational transformation, Andre Joyner began a new role as CHRO at JCPenney in 2021. In this episode of People and Strategy, Joyner joins host Tony Lee to discuss how JCPenney is navigating talent shortages, the company’s commitment to hiring and supporting diverse talent, and the nuances of an AI future.

Following an eclectic series of roles at Walmart, WPP and Accenture, Jacqui Canney is now Chief People Officer at IT systems provider ServiceNow, where she leads talent strategies for more than 20,000 employees. In this episode of People and Strategy, Canney speaks with host Tony Lee about how generative AI is impacting HR, how to leverage Inclusion, Equity and Diversity (IE&D) as a business strategy, and her advice for those pursuing the C-suite.