We’re joined by Brad Wilson , Senior HR Leader, Speaker, and Author of “Good Works.” Brad shares why culture must be built around kindness and purpose — not control — and how leaders can make (or break) engagement at scale. Key Takeaways: (03:47) Leading with kindness creates more productive and engaged work environments. (07:21) Most employees lack engagement due to unclear purpose and poor leadership. (09:07) Purpose-driven professionals take initiative, stay longer, and drive better results. ...
Jul 23, 2025•33 min•Season 2Ep. 41
We’re joined by Jaime Gabriel , Executive HR Leader and Talent Strategist, formerly of AMEX and Altice . She shares practical lessons from leading HR at major enterprises and offers a fresh approach to hiring, feedback, and team dynamics. Key Takeaways: (04:44) Programs succeed if designed around how employees will use them. (07:40) Teams function better when leaders model the standards they expect. (10:45) Every company communicates its reputation, whether it intends to or not. (13:20) Messages...
Jul 16, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 40
We’re joined by Mandy Monk , Executive Director and Chief People Officer at The People AdvisERs, whose career began in engineering and technology leadership before transitioning into people strategy. Mandy shares how her systems-based approach shapes the way she identifies, develops, and scales talent. From rethinking hiring practices to integrating AI and reimagining what a career path can look like, Mandy offers fresh insight for anyone serious about building high-performing teams in modern or...
Jul 09, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 39
In this episode of the inaugural episode of this mini-series, Oz Rashid sits down with Matt Gorman , Chief Revenue Officer of MSH , and Corey Bernis , Vice President, Talent Solutions at MSH , for an unfiltered conversation on what it really takes to build high-performing teams. They reflect on the early days of MSH, the evolution of company culture, and the delicate balance between trust, accountability, and psychological safety. This is a raw look into how leadership thinks about hiring, integ...
Jul 02, 2025•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 38
On this episode, we’re joined by Shashank Shekhar , Founder and CEO of InstaMortgage , a category-defining fintech company in the mortgage industry. Shashank shares his remarkable journey from arriving in the US with no network or software background to building a thriving, award-winning business during a financial crisis. He opens up about hiring missteps, how to build a high-performance culture without micromanagement, and the future of work with AI-driven teams. He also discusses the importan...
Jun 25, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 37
We’re joined by Monique Manso , Chief Revenue Officer of Essence Ventures. Monique shares her journey through corporate media, her return to Essence, and how purpose and performance drive her leadership today. She explains how hiring for care, not just capability, shapes her team, and why transparency and human connection are at the heart of every role she fills. We also dive into how brands must act with intention to authentically serve today’s multicultural audiences, and why Monique believes ...
Jun 18, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 36
On this episode, we’re joined by Catherine Mitchell , Senior Vice President of InnovAge and a seasoned healthcare operator with a passion for building teams that lead with empathy, adaptability, and purpose. Catherine shares how her early personal experiences shaped her leadership style, and why hiring for story and transferable skills often leads to better outcomes. Catherine and Oz discuss how to build resilient healthcare cultures, the importance of non-linear thinking in hiring, and how AI m...
Jun 11, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 35
On this episode, Oz Rashid talks with Jose Siade , Chief Product Officer and Co-Founder of TechWisp , and former SVP of Product at LPL Financial. Jose unpacks what it really means to build product-market fit, shares battle-tested lessons from running product in traditional and emerging markets, and explains why hiring for motivation, not just qualifications, leads to lasting team impact. From structuring MVPs to navigating startup constraints, this conversation is packed with valuable insights f...
Jun 04, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 34
On this episode, host Oz Rashid talks to Ari Murray , Chief Growth Officer of Sharma Brands and Creator of Go-to-Millions and Workweek . Ari shares how an unconventional journey shaped her unique lens on hiring, growth, and personal branding. She explains what makes a candidate stand out (hint: it’s not the résumé), why energy and curiosity matter more than polish, and how one cold email changed everything. From building a newsletter read by tens of thousands to helping scale D2C brands behind t...
May 28, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 33
On this episode, we’re joined by Victoria Pelletier , Vice President of Enterprise Transformation at Kyndryl , who stepped into a COO role at 24 and never looked back. A former child actor, TEDx speaker, and branding expert, Victoria shares how her journey from “Iron Maiden” to “whole-human leader” reshaped how she hires, leads, and shows up authentically. From building resilient teams to embracing emotional intelligence, her insights offer a powerful blueprint for anyone hiring or leading in to...
May 21, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 32
As Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer of ADT , Tim Rains brings a blend of urgency, discipline, and mission-driven leadership to the table. He and Oz discuss how a strong culture of accountability drives better hires, why structured interviews uncover top candidates, and how mentorship programs and cross-functional experience shape long-term success. Tim also shares lessons from his time at Microsoft, Amazon, and T-Mobile, including how mentorship circles and leadership princi...
May 14, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 31
In this episode of Hire Learning, Oz sits down with Chris Knight—founder of Chris Knight Coaching and a former nonprofit executive turned executive coach—to talk about building better teams, smarter hiring, and how to lead with curiosity.Chris brings 15+ years of leadership experience to the conversation and shares why mental fitness is the key to unlocking high-performance leadership. From his nonprofit days to launching his coaching practice, Chris has worked with leaders through inflection po...
May 07, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Judith Kaltschmitt, Chief Marketing Officer for Moët Hennessy (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), to explore what it takes to build world-class teams inside one of the most iconic luxury brand portfolios in the world.With over a decade of experience at Procter & Gamble and a passion for brand transformation, Judith shares how she hires for potential over pedigree—and why curiosity, attitude, and strategic thinking matter more than resu...
Apr 30, 2025•41 min•Season 2Ep. 29
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz sits down with Ira Birns, Executive Vice President and CFO at World Fuel Services—a Fortune 100 company and one of South Florida’s most respected global brands. With nearly 40 years of financial and leadership experience, Ira unpacks what most hiring managers get wrong when building teams—and why ignoring your “must-haves” in favor of “giving someone a chance” can be a costly mistake. From growing up in New York and starting as a paperboy to leading global f...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 28
AI is changing everything—and no one understands that better than Jyot Singh, founder and CEO of RTS Labs. In this episode of Hire Learning, Jyot joins Oz Rashid to share how he pivoted his entire business to lead the AI revolution—and why he believes artificial intelligence will disrupt industries faster than electricity or the internet ever did. Jyot also opens up about his unlikely entrepreneurial journey, the power of relationships, and what it really takes to build a high-performing team in...
Apr 16, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In this episode of Hire Learning, Oz welcomes Dr. Rob Bogosian — faculty at George Washington University, founder of RvB Associates, and expert in executive development, culture transformation, and CEO succession planning. Dr. Bogosian has spent decades helping major organizations develop the next generation of leadership. In this episode, he unpacks what truly sets high-performing CEOs apart, how to build cultures of voice (not silence), and the real reasons so many companies miss what’s right ...
Apr 09, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In this episode of Hire Learning , host Oz Rashid sits down with Lin Cherry , a powerhouse executive with experience as Chief Legal Officer and Chief People Officer in fast-growing tech and media companies. From her early days at MySpace to building high-impact legal and HR teams at Wiseline, Lin shares a career filled with bold transitions, leadership insights, and instinct-led decision-making. 🔥 Topics Covered: The surprising connection between legal strategy and people leadership What she le...
Apr 03, 2025•42 min•Season 2Ep. 25
In this episode of Hire Learning , host Oz Rashid sits down with Andrew Tidwell , Chief Human Resources Officer at Wineshipping , to discuss what it takes to build high-performing teams. Andrew shares his unique hiring philosophy — prioritizing culture fit over experience — and why that approach is crucial for long-term success. From unforgettable interview moments to insights on improving the candidate experience , Andrew reveals what companies often get wrong when attracting top talent. He als...
Mar 26, 2025•44 min•Season 2Ep. 24
In this episode of Hire Learning , host Oz Rashid sits down with Skyler Mattson , CEO of Wongdoody , to discuss her incredible 20+ year journey from assistant account executive to global CEO. Skyler shares how Wongdoody transformed from a traditional ad agency into a cutting-edge digital experience company, and what it took to successfully integrate with tech giant Infosys. 🔍 Key Takeaways: ⏲️ [00:02:10] - The surprising origin story behind the name “Wongdoody” and how it breaks the ice ⏲️ [00:...
Mar 19, 2025•46 min•Season 2Ep. 23
In this episode of Hire Learning , host Oz Rashid sits down with Michael Fowler , former CIO of Florida Power & Light (FPL), to discuss his incredible career journey, lessons in leadership, and what retirement really looks like for a lifelong innovator. Michael shares insights from his time leading large-scale tech transformations, his approach to building high-performing teams, and why empathy is his #1 hiring trait. He also reveals the unconventional interview question that helps him spot ...
Mar 12, 2025•43 min•Season 2Ep. 22
AI is changing the game—but most companies are playing by the wrong rules. In this episode of Hire Learning , host Oz Rashid sits down with Sol Rashidi , one of the world’s leading AI and data experts, to break down why businesses aren’t ready for AI—and how they can fix it. Sol has done it all—she’s been a Chief Data & AI Officer at Fortune 100 companies, an Amazon tech exec, and a 10-time patent holder . She’s been in the trenches, building AI strategies long before it was mainstream. And ...
Mar 06, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 21
🚀 How do you scale a company from startup to $40M+ by putting employees first? Sherry Deutschmann, Founder & CEO of BrainTrust, did exactly that. She turned her people-first philosophy into an unstoppable business model—one that led to a massive exit and a $14M investor payout . Now, she's on a mission to help female founders break barriers and scale their businesses. In this episode, Sherry shares: ✅ The power of profit-sharing and why her janitor made as much in bonuses as her CFO ✅ Why o...
Feb 26, 2025•54 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Is AI making better hiring decisions than humans ? Or is human judgment still king ? In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Martin Robatti , a top HR and engineering leader at BNY Mellon , to break down how AI is transforming talent acquisition , why data-driven hiring beats gut instinct , and the hidden cost of bad hiring decisions . 🚀 Key topics include: ✅ Can AI outperform human intuition in hiring? ✅ How BNY Mellon is using AI to revolutionize HR ✅ The biggest hiring mi...
Feb 19, 2025•47 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Most companies get HR completely wrong—and it’s costing them millions. In this episode of Hire Learning , Lorna Hagen (Chief People Officer & Executive Coach) reveals how to align people strategy with business objectives to drive profitability, productivity, and engagement. Lorna has transformed HR at major brands like Namely, Ann Taylor, and iHeartMedia, and now she’s helping CEOs and executive teams turn HR into a profit center—not just a cost center. Oz and Lorna dive into: ✅ The CFO’s Be...
Feb 12, 2025•49 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Lily Benjamin, an expert in organizational optimization, talent strategy, and leadership development, to uncover the hidden flaws in hiring processes that drive top candidates away. Lily shares her fascinating career journey—from Cardiothoracic ICU nurse to HR executive in Fortune 500 companies—and the lessons she’s learned about leadership, culture, and hiring along the way. 🚀 Key Takeaways from This Episode: 🔹 Why the way companies ...
Feb 05, 2025•56 min•Season 2Ep. 17
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Meghan Wilkinson, Oracle's former VP of Strategic Client Groups (now at PwC), to explore the leadership qualities that drive success in high-stakes industries. Meghan shares her unconventional journey from event planning to telecom leadership, insights on managing multimillion-dollar client accounts, and her take on what it means to be a "quarterback" for her team. What you’ll learn: 🔹 How to build confidence and find your voice as a l...
Jan 29, 2025•45 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Lori Marcus, a marketing visionary and boardroom powerhouse. From her immigrant roots to leading iconic brands like PepsiCo, Keurig, and Peloton, Lori shares how channelling strengths—not fixing every weakness—was her game-changer. As a Band of Sisters co-founder, she dives into dismantling gender bias, fostering inclusive workplaces, and what it really takes to excel in today’s corporate world. 🔹 Timestamps : 00:00 - Intro & Lori’...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 15
What happens when a seasoned CEO decides to go head-to-head with a tech giant? Meet Derek Steer , the founder of Superframe and former CEO of Mode Analytics, who is taking on Salesforce in the CRM space with a bold vision for a simpler, smarter future. In this episode, Derek shares his fascinating journey through tech leadership, the lessons he’s learned from building and scaling startups, and his take on hiring talent that truly fits. From a hilarious job interview story that taught him a game-...
Jan 15, 2025•59 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Chris Boever , CEO of Stryve Foods and one of the most accomplished leaders in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. With a track record of creating over $5 billion in market cap growth , Chris shares the leadership philosophy that’s powered his success: Be an ACE — a mindset built on Attitude, Choices, and Effort . From humble beginnings working at a Wisconsin country club at age 12 to leading iconic brands like Birds Eye and dri...
Jan 08, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 13
At 15 years old , Lee Bushell was selling Calvin Klein shirts out of his brother's car. Now, he’s the founder and CEO of Bushell Investment Group , a company that thrives on buying “ugly businesses”—the unsexy, overlooked small businesses that still hold immense potential. In this episode of Hire Learning , Oz Rashid sits down with Lee to explore his philosophy of turning underappreciated businesses into cash-generating assets, why he targets distressed or succession-less companies , and what he...
Dec 26, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 12
