People and Strategy

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

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

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 Strategy, Grenache joins host Mo Fathelbab to discuss topics including what HR leaders in the U.S. can learn from the rest of the world about diversity and inclusion, the importance of viewing talent acquisition as a function that stretches beyond HR, her thoughts on the future of succession planning, and much more.Episode transcriptFollow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

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

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 leveraged her lifelong love of handwritten letters to engage Chevron’s employees.Episode transcriptFollow People and Strategy wherever you listen to podcasts; rate and review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.Learn more about the SHRM Executive Network.

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 transcriptFollow 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 transcriptFollow 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 transcriptFollow 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