People and Strategy

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 learned during her career related to managing C-suite transitions - both well-planned and sudden – and other insights from her time as an HR executive. Episode transcript Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

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 promotes civility in a retail environment, and the organization’s use of “dialogue circles” to encourage healthy debate and discussion among team members. Episode transcript Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

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 at your organization. Episode transcript Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

After being hired as senior vice president of human resources at Capital Group in 1998, Andrea Gill had to go on maternity leave just five 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 inclusion, equity & diversity initiatives, the case for a measured approach to AI, and remote work. Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network. Episode transcript

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 transformative power of diversity initiatives, measuring the ROI of diversity training programs, and the importance of personalized approaches to understand and drive both employee retention and engagement. Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network. Episode transcript

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. Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network. Episode transcript

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, leveraging Inclusion, Equity and Diversity (IE&D) as a business strategy, and her advice for those pursuing the C-suite. Episode transcript

In a career with previous roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hewlett Packard, and BHP, talent management has always proved both a passion, and a key aspect of Suzan McDaniel’s responsibilities. In this episode of People and Strategy, McDaniel speaks with host Tony Lee about the breadth of her current role as Chief Human Resources Office at Edward Jones, advice for aspiring CHROs, and her take on the most important talent-related issue HR leaders should be thinking about this year and beyond. Episode transcript Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

After starting in IT as a systems engineer, Ginni Rometty began a career at IBM, where she climbed the corporate ladder to become the first woman CEO in IBM’s history. In this episode of People and Strategy, recorded live at SHRM23 in Las Vegas, Rometty joins host Tony Lee on stage to reflect on her experiences, career journey, and lessons learned that inspired her to write Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World, a memoir about “how to do hard things, but to do them in a good way”. Follow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Apple Podcasts. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by Safeguard Global. Episode transcript

Adam Bryant is the senior managing director of the ExCo Group, and author of the new book The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership. A self-described “insight junkie” driven by content that prompts new understanding of people, organizations, and the world at large, these interests effectively fueled his 30+ year career as a journalist, as well as his Corner Office series at the New York Times, where he interviewed more than 500 CEOs. In this episode of People and Strategy, Bryant joins host Tony Lee to discuss topics including the self-examination necessary for people managers considering senior leadership roles, the traps leaders can fall into, and some of the most surprising answers CEOs have given in response to the question, “How do you hire?” Follow wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Apple Podcasts. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by Safeguard Global. Episode transcript

Paul Falcone served in a range of senior HR roles at Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, Time Warner, and City of Hope Medical Center; he's now a bestselling author, conference speaker, and columnist for shrm.org. In this episode of People and Strategy, Falcone speaks with host Tony Lee about the keys to success for effective HR leadership, and how adopting a leadership mindset of gratitude spurs alignment and motivation within organizations. Follow wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Apple Podcasts. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by Safeguard Global. Episode transcript

Elizabeth Chrane led OneDigital’s marketing division for seven years before becoming the organization's Chief People Officer. In this episode of People and Strategy, Chrane speaks with host Tony Lee about the natural progression from Senior Vice President of Marketing to CHRO, measuring cultural effectiveness, and the importance of treating your employees like your customers to shape employee engagement. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by ADP. Episode transcript

After joining PepsiCo in 1990, Andrea Ferrara is now the organization’s CHRO of North American Beverages and Nutrition at PepsiCo. In this episode of People and Strategy, Ferrarra speaks with host Tony Lee on advice for pursuing the C-suite, HR’s role as the “conscience of culture”, and her favorite PepsiCo products. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by ADP. Episode transcript

John Ferguson, SHRM-CP, is both a motorsports fan and the CHRO at NASCAR. In this episode of People and Strategy, he joins host Tony Lee to reflect on the intersection between NASCAR’s 75th anniversary as a sport, and his “always forward” approach to talent acquisition and retention by expanding employee representation and development at the organization. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by ADP. Episode transcript

Employers’ ongoing challenges in sourcing quality talent for their organizations highlights the importance of identifying and utilizing processes that reliably attract desirable employees. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Tony Lee speaks with Peter Cappelli, George W. Taylor Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, on how to determine what will and won’t work for your organization’s people strategy. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by ADP. Episode transcript

Cara McNulty followed a career in population health science, always driven by awareness that everything people do, including work, is tied to their health. Now, as president of behavioral health and mental well-being at CVS Health, she spearheads the development of CVS Health and Aetna's mental health programs, products and capabilities. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Tony Lee speaks with McNulty on topics that include the importance of prioritizing mental health awareness among the workforce, training managers to help employees dealing with mental health challenges and the connection between mental health and employee disengagement. Episode transcript

Organizations intuitively look to graduate business schools as a funnel for job-ready candidates, especially in light of widespread talent shortages. However, forces such as the post-COVID workplace and new generational values are actively shaping what goes into a graduate business educational experience. In this episode of People and Strategy, host Tony Lee speaks with Alex Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, about the demand for a different kind of MBA experience that is both remote and premised on meaningful engagement, corporate social responsibility, and purpose-driven careers. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by ADP. Episode transcript

Cardinal Health CHRO Ola Snow doesn’t think there’s a secret formula or a right path for becoming a chief people executive, but she does credit her broad range of experience and roles at Cardinal Health that have included both different types of customers and business models. In this episode of People and Strategy, Snow joins host Tony Lee to discuss topics including the new importance of organizational listening as key to succeeding in competitive talent landscapes and reframing perspectives on hybrid/remote work. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by BambooHR. Episode transcript

Don Robertson is Northwestern Mutual’s chief human resources officer. He says his career in HR “just kind of happened,” but he also acknowledges how his background in finance, business and sales helped make him a great fit. In this episode of People and Strategy, Robertson speaks with host Tony Lee on topics that include his business-forward approach to HR, how Northwestern Mutual’s identity as a purpose-driven organization drives their recruiting, and the expanding role of the CHRO. This episode of People and Strategy is sponsored by BambooHR. Episode transcript

Chris Rackow was both a special agent in the FBI and a Navy SEAL. Today, he’s vice president for global security and resilience services at Google, as well as and president of the board of directors for the International Security Management Association (ISMA). In this episode of People and Strategy, Rackow speaks with host Tony Lee on the growing role of CHROs in corporate security, overlooked methods to prevent phishing and ransomware attacks and how the rapid expansion of remote work is impacting security and safety. This episode is sponsored by Mystery. Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network. Episode Transcript