The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR 276 - How Vidyard’s CPO Built an AI Career Coach: Sarika Lamont, Chief People Officer at Vidyard
Jan 16, 2026
Sarika Lamont, Chief People Officer at Vidyard, brings her non-traditional journey into HR to the forefront. She discusses how AI is redefining talent processes, particularly in onboarding and coaching. Sarika emphasizes grassroots AI adoption to alleviate fear within HR teams. With practical insights, she shares results from automated onboarding, achieving impressive completion rates. Finally, she unveils Kinley, an innovative AI coach designed to empower employees in their self-development journey.
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From Sales Minivan To People Leader
- Sarika traced her path from Philip Morris sales through consulting and startups into strategic talent roles that evolved into HR leadership.
- She created internal programs (mobility, career frameworks, LMS) to prove value and earn a VP role before moving into tech and Vidyard.
AI Changes Product-Market Fit
- Layering AI into legacy SaaS creates product-market-fit and technical-debt challenges that AI-native startups avoid.
- Companies must rethink value propositions because AI changes what customers consider "need to have" versus "nice to have."
Launch AI With A Pilot And Rituals
- Start AI adoption by demonstrating a concrete pilot and metrics, not a top-down mandate that terrifies people.
- Use company rituals and open office hours to build curiosity, answer fears, and create grassroots adoption.