What happens when one executive combines legal expertise with human resources leadership? Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, reveals the powerful advantages of his dual role in this fascinating conversation. Leading both legal and HR departments for a global phosphate company with 1,500 employees worldwide, Joshua leverages his unique position to provide comprehensive solutions that traditional, siloed departme...
Jul 09, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 832
Bob Goodwin welcomes Gena Smith, North American CHRO for luxury powerhouse LVMH, for a masterclass in leadership development and cultivating excellence across iconic brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany. Gena shares her unexpected journey from small-town Texas to leading human resources for one of the world's most prestigious luxury groups. A pivotal study abroad experience in Greece awakened her passion for people and culture, establishing a personal benchmark that guided her ...
Jul 07, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 831
Imagine a world where job candidates arrive with an ironclad guarantee that they can apply the skills listed on their resumes. That's the vision shared by Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, a company that’s redefining career readiness through AI-powered, skill-based learning. Dan and his team just announced the acquisition of tilr.com , a leading learning management and credentialing platform. Together, they’re building what they call the first guaranteed career-readiness solution for...
Jul 02, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 830
Yesterday at the 2025 SHRM Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund named Brian Moynihan, CEO at Bank of America as this year’s Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner. Brian Peckrill , Executive Director of the McGowan Fund, presented the award and praised Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner Brian Moynihan's commitment to ethical leadership. With this honor, Brian Moynihan joins an esteemed group of past recipients, including Prudential Financial CEO...
Jul 01, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 829
"AI is not going to replace workers – it's going to create super workers." This powerful insight from Lila Nazef, VP of Sales and Marketing North America at Neocase and attendee at this week's SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, sets the tone for a fascinating exploration of how artificial intelligence is transforming HR service delivery while addressing common concerns about this rapidly evolving technology. The conversation delves into the most pressing worries HR professionals express about AI i...
Jun 30, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 828
What happens when 19 million jobs face potential displacement from automation and AI? And why aren't half of all workers using AI at all? Dr. James Atkinson, Vice President of Thought Leadership at SHRM, uncovers these startling insights and more in our illuminating conversation about workplace transformation. Fresh from celebrating his one-year anniversary at SHRM after an impressive 11-year tenure in HR research at Gartner, Dr. Atkinson separates AI hype from reality. While headlines focus on ...
Jun 30, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 827
What makes a truly effective CHRO in today's complex business landscape? Chelle O'Keefe, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Associa , brings refreshing clarity to this question through her remarkable journey from psychology graduate to C-suite leader. The power of Chelle's approach lies in her unique perspective: despite never taking a formal business class, she's mastered the executive suite by focusing on the fundamental thread connecting all her work—understanding huma...
Jun 27, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 826
Your next hire could be a deepfake. Identity fraud in employment has exploded, with a 30% increase in 2025 alone and experts predicting one in four candidates will use some form of deepfake technology by 2028. This isn't just resume padding—it's a sophisticated attack on your organization. Joelle Smith , President of First Advantage Corporation , reveals how the convergence of massive data breaches, advanced AI, and remote work has created a perfect storm for employment fraud. Foreign actors are...
Jun 25, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 825
The U.S. faces a talent crisis with millions of skilled candidates overlooked due to outdated hiring practices. The SHRM Foundation's Center for a Skills-First Future aims to bridge this gap by transforming how employers approach talent acquisition. In this HRchat conversation with Bill Banham , SHRM Foundation President Wendi Safstrom reveals why skills-first hiring has moved to the forefront of strategic thinking for forward-looking organizations. "Talent is America's greatest asset," she expl...
Jun 23, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 824
The gap between casual ChatGPT users and organizations with massive AI teams seems unbridgeable for most departments. But what about that middle ground where small teams can leverage AI effectively without specialized expertise? Dr. Tim Scarfe , CEO of Machine Learning Street Talk, discusses practical AI implementation for smaller organizations with hosts Pauline James and David Creelman in this HRchat conversation. Running a sophisticated content production operation with just 15 team members a...
Jun 18, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 823
What does it mean when a Vice President, Global Talent Acquisition declares "recruiting is broken" ? Jenn Cunningham of Pearson doesn't just diagnose the problem – she offers a vision for how artificial intelligence can bring the human element back to hiring. Drawing from her fascinating career journey from McDonald's store manager to leading global talent acquisition at a major education company, Jenn explains that traditional recruitment has been failing candidates, recruiters, and businesses ...
Jun 17, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 822
The boundary between professional and personal life has never been more blurred. As Dr. Alexander Lovell, Research Director at the O.C. Tanner Institute , reveals in this compelling episode, employees worldwide are increasingly operating in " survival mode " rather than thriving at work, and the consequences extend far beyond productivity metrics. Alex introduces guest host Dr. Bill Howatt to the " Survival Continuum ", a framework that maps the journey from mere survival to genuine thriving. Th...
Jun 13, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 821
In a world increasingly dominated by AI-powered recruiting tools, the human touch of employee referrals might just be your organization's secret weapon. Mike Stafiej , CEO and founder of ERIN, joins Bill Banham on the HRchat Show to reveal how properly implemented employee referral programs drive five times more hires while cutting turnover in half. " Employee referrals is not a new concept ," Mike acknowledges, " but if you grab your average employee and say, 'Hey, do you know how much you can ...
Jun 11, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 820
Meet the woman who understands how robots think and more importantly, how we think about them. Professor Kerstin Fischer brings over 20 years of research expertise to this fascinating exploration of human-robot interaction and what it means for our workplaces. The conversation delves into a critical distinction most of us miss: the power of embodiment. While we're all getting comfortable with screen-based AI like ChatGPT, Kirsten reveals why physical robots fundamentally change our response to a...
Jun 09, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 819
What does it take to create a unified culture when your team spans 50 countries and includes thousands of employees? Sue Quackenbush , Chief People Officer at Dynatrace, reveals the secret sauce behind their "real vibes, real people" approach that keeps their global workforce connected. With 33% of Dynatrace's 4,000+ employees working fully remotely and the rest following a hybrid model, Sue explains how they've turned geographical dispersion into a strength. Their innovative Remote Connect Club...
Jun 03, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 818
In this episode, Bill Banham talks with Marina Farthouat, the new Vice President, People at Oyster - the global employment platform that enables companies to hire, pay, and care for distributed teams. Marina brings a refreshing perspective to the HRchat Show about transforming workplace norms through remote and distributed teams. Drawing from her diverse background spanning investment banking to startups, Marina shares why her most connected workplace experiences have consistently been in remote...
May 27, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 817
Curtis Vincent, CHRO at The Estate Registry, offers a fascinating look at how digital estate management is transforming employee benefits packages and addressing a critical gap in financial wellness programs. The days of the fireproof lockbox stuffed with important papers are long behind us. As Curtis explains, modern employees lead increasingly complex digital lives with countless online accounts and digital assets that require organization and protection. Legacy Now provides a secure, intuitiv...
May 21, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 816
In this episode of the HRchat Show, Bill Banham talks with Douglas Leach about the upcoming Disrupt London and HR Analytics Summits. Doug's journey to founding the HR Analytics Summit reads like a masterclass in entrepreneurial resilience. Launching his venture in October 2019 - mere months before a global pandemic would shut down in-person events worldwide - Doug faced what seemed like insurmountable challenges. But as he reveals in this captivating conversation, what initially appeared disastr...
May 19, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 815
Ever wondered what makes the Association for Talent Development (ATD) a key player in the world of HR and professional development? This episode pulls back the curtain as Bill Banham talks with Mallory Flynn, Content Manager for Career Development, Organization Development, and Talent Management Communities at ATD. Mallory walks us through three game-changing conferences on the horizon. First, ATD International Conference & Expo in Washington DC (May 18-21), where thousands of learning profe...
May 18, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 814
Ever wondered what Formula One racing and career websites have in common? More than you might think, according to Bryan Adams, CEO and founder of Happydance, who recently joined Bill Banham on the HRchat Show to discuss an innovative new campaign that's bringing F1-inspired competition to the talent acquisition space. The " Careers Site Grand Prix " pits career websites against each other, measuring their performance in speed, accessibility, and SEO – creating an F1-style leaderboard complete wi...
May 15, 2025•25 min•Season 1Ep. 813
The workplace has fundamentally transformed, dramatically increasing the emotional demands on leaders at all levels. From managing virtual teams to navigating workforce polarization, today's leaders face unprecedented challenges that require a new set of emotional skills to thrive. Executive coach and leadership strategist Dina Denham-Smith joins Bob Goodwin to discuss her new book, "Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work," revealing how emotions serve as critical data for eff...
May 14, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 812
What makes an HR conference truly exceptional? According to veteran attendee Jackye Clayton , it's the willingness to tackle tough issues while maintaining a human-centered approach - precisely what sets Workhuman Live apart from the crowd. In this conversation with HRchat host Bill Banham, Jackye shares her enthusiasm for the upcoming Workhuman Live 2025 in Colorado . As a frequent attendee who ranks it among her top five HR conferences, Clayton offers unique insights into what makes this event...
May 11, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 811
What happens when artificial intelligence meets human connection in the workplace? Jesse Harriott , Executive Director of Workhuman iQ, reveals a groundbreaking approach to workplace analytics that's transforming how organizations understand their people and culture. Dive into the Human Intelligence 2025 release from Workhuman, which leverages recognition data to uncover hidden insights about skills, leadership, and collaboration. While traditional HR technologies focus on operational metrics li...
May 09, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 810
The human element of HR technology is often overlooked in favor of features and functions but, as our latest HRchat episode reveals, successful HCM technology implementation hinges on strategic alignment with business goals and effective change management. Jacqueline Kuhn and Priscilla Redd Sparrow , two of the four authors of the newly updated second edition of HRchitect’s Guide to HCM Technology: What You Need to Know Before Your Next HCM Technology Purchase , share crucial insights that chall...
May 07, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 809
In this special episode, Jackye Clayton joins Bill Banham to preview UNLEASH America 2025, an event she describes as offering key solutions to the most pressing workplace challenges. UNLEASH AMERICA Conference & Exhibition , one of the fastest-growing HR event in the world, is a place where global HR Leaders come to do business and discover inspirational stories that change ways organizations think about HR and innovation. Jackye's passion for improving work experiences shines through as she...
May 05, 2025•9 min•Season 1Ep. 808
Navigating workplace anxiety during turbulent times requires leaders who understand both the science behind effective communication and the practical steps needed to create psychological safety. Kirsten I’Anson , Vice President of People and Culture at Community Savings Credit Union , delivers masterful insights on leadership approaches that calm rather than inflame tensions during political and economic instability. Kirsten advocates for a leadership style that acknowledges societal anxieties w...
Apr 29, 2025•27 min•Season 1Ep. 807
Ever wonder why traditional hiring processes fail so often? In this eye-opening conversation, The Predictive Index's Chief People Officer Jackie Dube reveals how data-driven talent optimization transformed their approach to finding and developing exceptional talent. Jackie shares the compelling evolution of PI's interview process with host Bob Goodwin . She explains how their behavioral assessments help identify which candidates will thrive in specific roles without using them as rigid filters. ...
Apr 24, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 806
In this episode of the HRchat show, Bill Banham is joined by David Hayden. David has a background in L&D, organisation design, recruitment and lean engineering. David says has seen his profession move from traditional training functions to multi-digital approaches to learning and development. David has contributed to CIPD content on L&D, including podcasts, research reports, factsheets, and member learning resources. He was employed by the CIPD for 10 years. He is also the co-author of t...
Apr 22, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 805
What does it take to transform HR while navigating uncertainty? Mary Faulkner, Principal at IA, returns to the HR Chat Show to share powerful insights on sustainable transformation, strategic HR, and creating adaptable organizations. Mary 's journey from aspiring stunt car driver to HR transformation expert began with a passion for statistics and continuous improvement. Her unique "build vs. maintain" philosophy emphasizes the importance of questioning the status quo without changing for change'...
Apr 16, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 804
What happens when a 7-year-old's innocent question about smartphones forces us to confront our own digital habits? Technology expert Alexander Bell joins Bill Banham on the HRchat Show to share the powerful moment that transformed his relationship with technology and launched his mission to help others reclaim control over their digital lives. Alex draws from over two decades of experience working with global brands like Google and IBM to provide practical insights on building what he calls "att...
Apr 10, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 803
