HR Leaders

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Lisa Yankie, Chief HR Officer at Odyssey Logistics, to unpack why the future of HR is not just about AI, technology, or transformation. It is about solving the right problems with the right people in the room.
Lisa shares how her own journey, from humble beginnings to leadership across manufacturing, financial services, and mid-sized companies, shaped the way she leads today. Her experience gave her a broader lens on business, resilience, empathy, courage, and the value of taking chances when others open the door.
Most importantly, Lisa explains why HR must stop acting like an afterthought. In her words, human capital is the business. As AI changes work, HR has a bigger role to play as the glue across functions, the challenger of old assumptions, and the function that helps organizations stay human while moving faster.

🎓 In this episode, Lisa discusses:
Why leaders should focus on outcomes, not busy work
How values help teams make better decisions during change
Why human-forward AI matters more than technology-first transformation
How HR can become the glue that connects functions around business problems
Why curiosity, courage, and asking better questions may become the real future skills

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents
Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Ciara Harrington (Barry), Chief People Officer at Skillsoft, to unpack why the shift from jobs to skills is finally becoming real.
Ciara explains why HR can no longer rely only on job architecture, job descriptions, and traditional role design. As AI agents enter the workforce, leaders need to think differently about the unit of work, what skills are needed, and whether that work should be done by a human, an agent, or a combination of both.
Most importantly, Ciara shares how Skillsoft is making skills practical inside the business, from leadership skills and hiring decisions, to nine-box talent reviews, performance conversations, AI adoption, and helping leaders move faster without waiting for the perfect system.

🎓 In this episode, Ciara discusses:
How to think about the unit of work, not just the job title
The five leadership skills Skillsoft is prioritizing during transformation
Why skills are becoming the foundation for human and AI work design
Why leaders need to stop waiting for the perfect skills model before starting
How Skillsoft is embedding skills into hiring, talent reviews, and leadership decisions

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents
Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Björn Axelsson, EVP and CHRO at Sandvik, to unpack how one of Sweden’s largest industrial technology companies is changing the way people think about mining, manufacturing, AI, sustainability, and future talent.
Björn explains why mining is one of the most misunderstood industries in the talent market. Many people still picture it as old-fashioned, unsafe, or disconnected from the future, when in reality Sandvik has been working with autonomous vehicles, connected fleets, electrified equipment, digital mining, software, and AI-powered solutions for years.
Most importantly, Björn shares how Sandvik is building a future-ready workforce by investing in STEM talent, early careers, mining academies, global mobility, employee-led storytelling, AI adoption, and local communities, all while helping customers access the minerals needed for the green transition.

🎓 In this episode, Björn discusses:
Why mining is one of the most misunderstood career paths for young talent
Why employee-led storytelling is helping show the real future of industrial work
How Sandvik uses autonomous vehicles, electrification, and AI across its business
How Sandvik builds talent through 15 mining academies, graduate programs, and leadership pathways
Why STEM talent becomes more interested in mining when they understand its role in the green transition

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist
Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Arun Serikar, VP, HR Technology, Digital Platforms & AI Innovation, Corp Functions at Schneider Electric, to unpack what it really takes to simplify HR technology, scale AI, and build a better employee experience across a global enterprise.
Arun shares how Schneider Electric went from 545 HR applications to 303, reducing tech debt, breaking regional silos, and building stronger governance around the tools, data, and platforms used across the business. He explains why employees are not looking for the “best system”, they are looking for fewer systems that actually work together.
Most importantly, Arun breaks down how Schneider Electric is using AI to move HR from a back-office function to an intelligence layer for the enterprise, from internal chatbots and ticket reduction, to performance review AI assistance, agentic workflows, and a future where employees can complete tasks without jumping between systems.

🎓 In this episode, Arun discusses:
Why employees want fewer systems, not more “best-in-class” tools
How AI is reducing HR tickets and improving employee service at scale
Why Schneider Electric reduced its HR tech stack from 545 applications to 303
Why governance, data quality, and integration matter more than buying more tools
How agentic AI could reshape HR workflows, manager support, and employee experience

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist
Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Marcus Collins, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Professor at University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business, to unpack why culture is the most powerful force shaping human behavior, inside and outside organizations.
Marcus explains why most companies misunderstand culture by reducing it to slogans, rituals, values, or “how we do things around here.” In reality, culture starts with how people think, what they believe, how they make meaning, and what behaviors those shared beliefs produce.
Most importantly, he reveals why the future of work will not be won by technology alone. It will be won by organizations that understand the culture of work, align the front stage and backstage of the business, and build environments where people are truly connected to the beliefs, behaviors, and conviction behind the work.

🎓 In this episode, Marcus discusses:
Why purpose is weaker than conviction
How beliefs shape behaviors inside organizations
Why culture is more than “how we do things around here”
Why the future of work will be cultural, not just technological
How companies accidentally confuse data with real human understanding

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist
Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.