The TechWolf Podcast

Preethi Gowda, Global People Insights Lead who blends skills with knowledge and ability. Mike Manning, VP of HR Data & Innovation who ties talent data to P&L and task-level measurement. They spar over whether skills or tasks should drive talent work. They debate measurement pitfalls, SIPOC-driven decision making, AI’s role, and cases where data saved millions and cut attrition.

Josh Newman, VP of Workforce Skills at ServiceNow, builds dynamic 'Talent Signature' data to predict readiness and link skills to business outcomes. He talks about making HR more human with AI. He explains pulling talent via moments that matter, identifying forward-deployed engineers through adjacencies, and why task-level intelligence beats blanket skills validation.

Most organizations are pouring millions into AI tools while their actual workforce strategy remains stuck in 2010. We talk about "efficiency," but we’re failing to measure the return on investment or the impact on the people actually doing the work. In this episode, Frank and Patrick from KennedyFitch break down why the "efficiency trap" is a race to the bottom and how HR leaders must shift from managing headcounts to architecting organizational capabilities.Timestamped Topics01:06 – The AI Metrics Gap: Addressing whether board-level AI objectives are enterprise-wide or just "siloed in HR and IT." 03:51 – "Not yet": Frank’s direct take on why companies haven't actually updated their scorecards for the GenAI era. 06:33 – The Human Quotient: Why the return on investment (ROI) for technology is lagging behind the speed of adoption. 08:26 – The Next-Gen CHRO Search: How the leadership profile is shifting toward "digital dexterity" and strategy execution. 11:39 – Evidence-Based HR: Why the new breed of CHRO must move past being a "jack of all trades" to become a data-driven architect. 15:45 – The Skepticism Trap: Why HR leaders often reject skills data because it isn't properly contextualized with business growth. 17:54 – Cracking the SWM Nut: A systematic breakdown of Strategic Workforce Management—from demand mapping to supply analysis. 20:15 – The Demand Struggle: Why identifying "workforce demand" is the hardest part of the strategy (and why tools can't do it for you). 24:59 – Beyond Headcount: Moving the conversation from "size and FTEs" to organizational capabilities and leadership types. 29:04 – Stop Copying Benchmarks: Patrick’s warning against "social influence" and why you should build your own practice instead of testing what others do. 32:20 – "The Heat of the Moment": Why the value of an HR roadmap is only proven during a crisis or major shift, not two years later. 34:59 – Task Intelligence vs. Hype: Moving from high-level "AI will automate 20% of work" to granular, actionable employee-level data. 38:45 – The "Co-Pilot" Philosophy: Positioning AI as a partner to navigate complexity rather than a tool for simple replacement. 41:15 – The Three-Signal Filter: Balancing the Voice of the Business, the Voice of the Market, and the Voice of the Employee. 44:10 – Deducting Complexity: The final mandate for CHROs to provide vision and direction in an "intense world of complexity."

Most organizations are "dabbling" with AI while the technology's capability doubles every four months. Jordana Kammerud (Experienced F500 CHRO) and Mik Wornoo (Co-founder, TechWolf) argue that we’ve reached a turning point: the "Oppenheimer moment" of workforce transformation, where HR must either step up as a business strategist or watch the organization succumb to the weight of outdated role-based systems. This episode breaks down the three horizons of work intelligence and how to build a trust-based "all-access pass" to the CEO's agenda.In this episode, we discuss:00:00 – The Fortune 500 Perspective: Introducing Jordana Kammerud.01:04 – Why Skills Strategies Failed (Until Now): Moving past legacy systems that "died under their own weight."03:43 – The End of Role-Based Talent Management: Why traditional job architectures are no longer viable in 2026.04:14 – The "Go Deep" Mandate for CHROs: Why leaders must personally master AI tools to shepherd transformation.05:42 – Exponential Acceleration: Understanding the shift from AI doubling every 7 months to every 4 months.07:04 – The Early Adopter Program: Co-creating the future of workforce intelligence with TechWolf.08:23 – The "Secret Sauce" of CEO Trust: How data-driven insights solidify the CHRO-CEO bond.12:14 – The "All-Access Pass": Defining the CHRO as a business leader first, functional expert second.14:52 – HR’s Oppenheimer Moment: Facing the reality of 50% displacement in early careers.18:03 – Maintaining Humanity at Scale: Balancing "synthetic empathy" with real-world human judgment.22:09 – From Black Coffee to Million Permutations: Reimagining career pathing through a "rich tapestry" of skills.26:15 – The Three Horizons of Work Intelligence: A tactical framework for present and future AI ROI.30:19 – Squelching vs. Cultivating Curiosity: How to protect innovation in an automated workforce.33:54 – The Boardroom Question: "Is the caliber of our workforce better or worse than last quarter?"36:49 – The Closing Question: Jordana’s query for the next global HR leader.

Lisa Brockman, Talent Director at Genesys, returns to prove that skills-based transformation isn't a multi-year "maybe"—it’s a 60-day "must". After launching an AI-driven pilot to 2,000 employees in November, Genesys saw 75% of users validate their skills almost immediately.But they aren't stopping at data collection. In this episode, Lisa reveals why Genesys is making AI-specific goals mandatory for every single employee starting this February. She breaks down the shift from manual, static spreadsheets to a dynamic "Data Presence" where opportunities now find the employees. This is the blueprint for moving past the "manual trap" and building a workforce that is actually ready for the AI era.

Most organizations spend 18 months building manual skill taxonomies only to realize the data was stale before it was even finished. Lisa Brockman (Talent Management Director at Genesys) realized that if employees don’t trust the data, they won’t use the marketplace, leaving leadership to hire externally for skills they likely already own. In this PART 1 episode with Lisa, we break down how to move from "manual and messy" to a scalable, AI-driven skills strategy that actually fuels internal mobility.The Breakdown01:51 – The 18-month mistake: Why manual skill mapping isn't scalable.03:04 – AI Mindset: Shifting from "nice-to-have" to "must-have" for AI readiness.05:22 – The "So What?" Factor: Connecting skills to gigs, roles, and learning.07:44 – Why Workday Skills Cloud needs a "clean fuel" source to drive Career Hub adoption.09:30 – Change Management: Why HR can’t push this alone.

Most companies are using AI to do the same boring work faster. They’re chasing "efficiency" while completely ignoring the fact that the work itself needs to be redesigned. Jan Duthoo (CRO, SAP SuccessFactors) joins us to explain why your business case for skills is likely too small, why L’Oreal and Safran used the exact same technology for opposite reasons, and how to stop "boiling the ocean" with HR tech.Timestamps:04:12 – Why SAP’s own revenue grew when they stopped "selling and forgetting."08:45 – The L’Oreal Paradox: Using skills to decrease internal mobility.12:30 – The Business Case: Moving from "efficiency" to "work redesign."18:15 – Why your HR project needs to fail faster (and smaller).22:40 – The "Car on Steroids": How SAP and TechWolf actually fit together.28:05 – The COVID Moment: Can CHROs reclaim their seat at the executive table?

Most organizations buy the software and hope the culture follows. Advent Health did the exact opposite. Marquita and Mary Beth spent two years building a "culture of curiosity" before flipping the switch on their technology. In this live episode from Workday Rising, they break down why skills have a five-year shelf life and how to move your workforce from "episodic learning" to a dynamic, self-driven engine.Episode Highlights02:15 – The 9 critical skills for the 2030 workforce.06:40 – Why the "shelf life" of a skill is shorter than you think.11:20 – "Pull" vs. "Push": Moving away from mandatory training.18:45 – The Psychological Safety gap: Why employees hide their weaknesses.24:10 – The ROI of curiosity in a healthcare talent shortage.

Is your workforce plan looking in the rear-view mirror, or is it predicting your next market win? Rob Etheridge, Group Head of Workforce Strategy at HSBC, argues that most organizations are drowning in "use cases" while missing the bigger picture: future competitive advantage. In this episode, Rob reveals why he rejected the "4,000 skills" taxonomy, why buying more HR tech won't solve your talent gap, and how HSBC is building a "Blueprint" to secure its future.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – 01:22 | Setting the stage01:22 – 03:33 | Why skills-based workforce planning actually matters03:33 – 06:29 | Business triggers for HSBC’s skills-led transformation06:29 – 11:40 | From abstract concept to actionable blueprint11:40 – 16:59 | Why HSBC partnered with TechWolf16:59 – 23:53 | Early wins: taxonomy, pilots & proof points23:53 – 27:32 | Choosing the right pilot area27:32 – 30:11 | Storytelling and stakeholder buy-in30:11 – 32:19 | Looking one year ahead32:19 – 33:27 | Rob’s question for the next guest

In this episode of the TechWolf Podcast, Julius Schelstraete sits down with Diane Gherson, former CHRO of IBM and current independent director at TechWolf. From her vantage point as one of the most influential HR leaders of the past decade, Diane shares a candid, strategic, and urgent message for HR executives navigating AI, workforce intelligence, and the shift to skills-based organizations.Diane recounts IBM’s pioneering journey toward AI-inferred skills and internal mobility, explains why today’s moment mirrors the historic shift triggered by Frederick Winslow Taylor, and warns that without intentional leadership, AI could push organizations toward a dehumanized, assembly-line model of white-collar work. This episode offers clarity, challenge, and concrete direction for any leader shaping the future of talent.00:08 — Welcome + introducing Diane Gherson02:00 — Uniquely human skills vs. durable skills: what truly matters05:20 — IBM’s journey to AI-inferred skills and internal mobility09:45 — Why Diane joined the TechWolf board12:10 — The “Frederick Winslow Taylor moment”: history repeats with AI17:00 — The rise of AI-serving jobs (annotators, auditors, trainers)20:30 — HR’s urgent role: redesigning work before AI redesigns it23:45 — Reality check: entry-level roles down 50% since 201926:00 — How HR can zoom out and align with business value creation29:20 — Skills as a board-level metric: assessing workforce caliber33:00 — How Diane keeps up with AI and HR trends (and who she follows)35:10 — Diane’s question for the next guest, Lisa BrockmanKey TakeawaysSkills ≠ the whole story — durable human capabilities like context-setting, situational awareness, and organizational intuition remain irreplaceable.IBM’s early skill-based model proved the value: AI-inferred skills fueled mobility, training, and strategic workforce planning long before the market caught up.We’re entering a “Frederick Winslow Taylor moment” — AI could standardize white-collar work the way scientific management standardized the assembly line.HR must lead system-level redesign — not just productivity gains, but sustainable talent ecosystems, career pathways, and future leadership pipelines.Entry-level talent is already under pressure — openings are at 50% of 2019 levels; HR must address this before long-term capability erodes.Boards now expect clarity on “caliber of workforce” — skills data is becoming a board-level strategic metric.