Explore every episode of the podcast People Leader Accelerator Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	Episode 52: Leading with Human Judgment in the Age of AI - with Yue Zhao	22 sept. 2026	00:39:53
What does effective leadership look like when AI expands individual scope, compresses teams and disrupts familiar career paths? Yue Zhao joins the podcast to explore how leaders can navigate this shift without losing sight of human judgment, strong relationships and intentional career choices. The challenge is not simply adopting more technology. Organizations must decide where AI creates genuine leverage, where expertise remains essential and when pressure to consolidate roles risks undermining sustainable performance. At the same time, leaders need to reconsider how people build influence, progress their careers and prepare for less conventional paths. In this episode, Yue discusses: Why mentorship and sponsorship require different approaches to visibility, alignment and reciprocal value How AI could create broader roles and credible senior careers without large people-management responsibilities Why leaders should resist copying productivity benchmarks from elite AI companies What experienced judgment contributes when AI-generated work appears capable but remains flawed or unusable How the head, heart and gut framework reframes leadership as analytical work becomes increasingly automated How reversing self-limiting beliefs can separate internal narratives from genuine structural constraints What leaders should assess before pursuing independent work, from financial runway to a differentiated advantage For HR and People leaders, these shifts have practical implications for career architecture, workforce planning and leadership development. Organizations will need to design roles around complementary strengths, account for the learning costs of broader responsibilities and retain the human capabilities that technology cannot simply confer. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 51: Scaling with Purposeful Urgency - with Matt Hoffman from M13	15 sept. 2026	00:45:44
How can an early-stage company move at exceptional speed without creating the organisational problems that later slow it down? Matt Hoffman, Partner & Head of Talent at M13, joins Andrew and Jess to explore the leadership and people decisions that help companies scale with focus, adaptability and the right level of structure. The central tension is not structure versus freedom. Early-stage organisations need enough discipline to support fair decisions, effective execution and sustainable growth, without importing heavyweight processes designed for mature businesses. Matt brings an investor and operator perspective to finding that balance as the company, leadership team, and nature of work evolve. In this episode, Matt discusses: Why founder adaptability and go-to-market ability matter as technology becomes easier to replicate How leadership requirements change by stage, and why early executive teams may need to evolve What regrettable turnover and inconsistent decisions can reveal before robust people metrics exist Why companies should design the organisation before defining roles and beginning a search When recruiting and people expertise should move in-house, and what to seek in the first hire How AI may automate supervisory work while making coaching and development more important What separates strategic people leadership from following a generic HR checklist The conversation offers a practical view of people strategy as business infrastructure. Strong people leaders preserve essential outcomes and organisational values while adapting roles, processes and operating mechanisms to the company’s present needs. If you are a founder, investor or senior people leader working through rapid growth, flatter structures or the right time to build internal people capability, this episode offers a commercially grounded perspective on scaling without premature complexity. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 50: How HR Can Turn AI Capacity into Business Value - with Joseph Clay	08 sept. 2026	00:41:16
AI is arriving faster than many organizations can absorb it, often with pressure for immediate efficiency gains. Joseph Clay joins Andrew and Jess to examine why this compressed timeline creates a leadership challenge for HR - and why treating AI as another technology rollout risks missing its deeper impact on work, skills, and the operating model. The conversation makes the case for greater discipline: define the organizational problem first, clarify the intended value, and decide how any capacity created will be used. Joseph argues that HR has a larger role to play in this shift, bringing together governance, workforce planning, communication and change management so transformation produces meaningful business outcomes. In this episode, Joseph discusses: Why AI usage and token spend are poor substitutes for organisation-specific value How vendor roadmaps can conflict with organizational priorities and readiness What tactical improvements in talent acquisition reveal about the need to redesign roles Why AI-related savings should be proven before consequential workforce decisions are made How HR can treat transformation as core work rather than an addition to recurring programs What aspiring CHROs need to understand about revenue, financial information and executive decision-making For People leaders, the discussion reframes AI from a race to adopt tools into a test of strategic clarity. It also raises a harder question: if automation returns time to HR, will roles and priorities genuinely change, or will the function simply perform the same work faster? If you are shaping AI strategy, redesigning HR’s contribution or preparing for broader executive responsibility, this conversation offers a practical lens for making technology decisions that stand up commercially. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 49: Accessing Global Talent Without Global Chaos - with Arif Khimani from MobSquad	01 sept. 2026	00:38:40
What does it take to access global talent without creating global chaos? Arif Khimani, President & COO at MobSquad, joins the podcast to explore why workforce geography has become a strategic leadership decision - and why neither office-bound hiring nor unrestricted work from anywhere offers a complete answer. Global workforce planning involves a difficult trade-off. Organisations want broader access to critical skills and greater flexibility, but operating across too many countries and time zones introduces legal, cultural and operational complexity. Arif makes the case for a bounded model built around clear priorities, realistic capabilities and carefully selected markets. In this episode, Arif discusses: How immigration and mobility can help retain valued employees facing visa constraints How international relocation can become a meaningful incentive for high-performing offshore talent Why leaders should test the economics and infrastructure behind AI before making irreversible workforce cuts Why Arif expects AI to increase competition for engineering, cybersecurity and data capabilities What scarce talent considers beyond compensation, including autonomy, development and employer conduct How purposeful gatherings, inclusive hybrid practices and regional hubs can strengthen distributed teams For People leaders, this conversation highlights the operating discipline behind a successful global workforce. Local employment rules, family integration and human connection are not secondary details - they can directly affect employee performance, retention and the organisation’s ability to scale responsibly. If you are making decisions about cross-border hiring, talent mobility, technical workforce planning or hybrid work, this episode offers a practical executive perspective on balancing opportunity with organisational reality. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 48: Designing Better Decisions Under Uncertainty - with Matt Mulford from TRIUM Global Executive MBA	25 août 2026	00:42:35
Why do smart, experienced leaders still make predictable mistakes - and why does knowing about cognitive bias rarely prevent them? In this episode, Matt Mulford, Capstone Project Director at TRIUM Global Executive MBA, explores how leaders can make better decisions under uncertainty by designing stronger decision processes. Matt explains why our minds turn observations into simple causal stories and then search for evidence supporting the first explanation. Under pressure - or when credibility is tied to a particular view - this can quickly become confirmation bias. In this episode, Matt discusses: Why awareness of cognitive biases rarely prevents them How decision hygiene reduces predictable errors Why leaders should delay sharing their preferred interpretation How to match the rigour of a decision process to the stakes Why decision quality and outcome quality are not the same How organisations can distinguish repeatable skill from luck What AI could mean for expertise and workplace learning The conversation also examines how leaders can make better use of the intelligence distributed across their organisations, evaluate performance more fairly and avoid blindly copying the practices of successful companies. If you want to improve the quality of important decisions without pretending uncertainty can be eliminated, you will enjoy this thoughtful and practical conversation. Listen in to learn how to test the first compelling narrative, involve the people closest to the relevant information and assess the decision process separately from the eventual outcome. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 47: Designing HR for Greater Strategic Impact - with Brian Kuchcicki from Visiting Media	18 août 2026	00:46:16
HR’s strategic influence depends not only on what the function delivers, but on how its leaders design the team, systems and personal capacity behind the work. In this episode, Brian Kuchcicki, SVP, People + Culture at Visiting Media, shares a practical approach to creating greater leverage: build a complementary senior team, experiment with AI around genuine employee needs, retain human accountability for every output and develop working practices that reflect how you actually operate. Brian explains why he deliberately built a lean People and Culture team around experienced professionals who can move between strategic and administrative work. Rather than separating higher-level thinking from execution, he wanted colleagues capable of owning work end to end, analysing the outcome and challenging an idea before it reached employees. The conversation explores how trusted internal debate can improve decisions and give a functional leader more capacity to contribute at executive level. The discussion then moves into people-first AI experimentation. Brian shares how initial encouragement helped make AI feel safe to explore without requiring him to match an expert’s technical ability from the outset. He describes using Claude and Claude Code to build an internal Slack assistant from approved HR information, as well as tools his team developed to support severance preparation and help employees compare the personal cost of benefit plans. His central lesson is to begin with a clear employee problem, ask the technology how an idea might be built and improve it iteratively rather than waiting for complete technical fluency. Brian also describes applying this approach during an international acquisition, when joining employees needed information before receiving company email or intranet access. According to Brian, Claude helped him create and translate a branded information website with action instructions and an English-Spanish language option. He also shares how he created a separate manager-facing nine-box tool when the company’s existing performance software did not provide the required functionality. Across both examples, the starting point was not the technology itself, but the experience employees and managers needed. That enthusiasm for AI comes with a firm warning about quality and accountability. Brian recounts building executive-offsite materials through successive AI-generated outputs, only to realise while presenting them that the result was generic, disconnected from the organisation and unusable. His response was to rebuild the work through staged prompting, review and editing. He argues that leaders should manage AI like an assistant: provide context, inspect intermediate work, give feedback and remain accountable for the final product. The episode also examines why verbose, unedited AI output creates a burden for everyone downstream and why distillation should become an explicit organisational expectation. In the closing discussion, Brian advocates learning in formats suited to the individual, gathering useful ideas in manageable increments and proactively seeking informal mentors. He shares that three women became significant unofficial mentors in his own development and emphasises the value of observing, asking questions and requesting access to relevant conversations. His final message for strengthening HR’s credibility is concise: “Understand the business and bring the people thought process to the table.” For senior people leaders, that means understanding the organisation’s commercial model and numbers while contributing a distinctive human perspective - moving HR beyond mandatory activity and towards genuine business partnership. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 46: The HR Career Journey That Came Full Circle (Plus a Look Inside the Latest People Leader Accelerator Cohort)	11 août 2026	00:18:12
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we go behind the curtain on building high-performing organisations with honest conversations between experienced leaders. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. Today, Andrew and Jess offer a look inside the latest People Leader Accelerator cohort before exploring the value of leadership development, professional community, and giving back. The 12th People Leader Accelerator cohort brings together an especially experienced group of People leaders from organizations across the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although they work in different industries and organizational environments, the participants share a desire to operate more strategically and become more effective and influential executives. Andrew and Jess explain how the People Leader Accelerator combines established management research with practical application. Rather than presenting one collection of HR “best practices” as universally correct, the program helps leaders consider how factors such as ownership, organizational structure, business goals, and operating conditions should shape their decisions. They also discuss the longer-term impact of the program. More than 80% of surveyed People Leader Accelerator alumni reported being promoted after completing the program, with an average reported pay increase of almost 30%. The conversation then takes a personal turn as Andrew reflects on the graduate program in Human Resources and Industrial Relations at the University of Illinois, which changed the direction of his life and launched his HR career. After graduating from the program, serving on its alumni board, helping to launch a podcast and speaker series, and later returning as a commencement speaker, Andrew has now come full circle. He is co-teaching the master’s-level course Mastering Business Fundamentals alongside his longtime collaborator and co-author, Brad Harris. In this episode, Andrew and Jess discuss: Who is participating in the 12th People Leader Accelerator cohort Why effective People leadership requires more than following popular HR best practices How management research can be applied thoughtfully within different organizational contexts What six years of alumni outcomes reveal about the impact of leadership development How confidence, executive presence, relationships, and career progression can all form part of that impact What distinguishes a valuable professional community from a large network Why returning to teach at the University of Illinois represents such a meaningful full-circle moment for Andrew Listen for an honest and thoughtful conversation about developing more effective People leaders, creating a genuine professional community, measuring long-term impact, and giving back to the institutions that helped shape our careers. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 45: Speaking the Language of Business as an HR Leader (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in conversation)	04 août 2026	00:09:33
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we go behind the curtain on building high-performing organisations with honest conversations between experienced leaders. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. HR does not earn influence by changing its name, adopting more polished language or reporting the metrics it finds most familiar. It earns influence by solving genuine business problems - and by making the commercial value of that work clear to the stakeholders who matter. In this episode, hosts Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen examine how people leaders can translate HR activity into organisational outcomes, build credibility with executives and connect their work directly to the company’s most important priorities. Andrew and Jess explore why measures such as engagement, attrition and vacancies may only tell part of the story. They suggest that a business leader may ultimately be more concerned with the unfinished work, reduced capacity or lost revenue behind those indicators. Rather than expecting executives to adopt HR’s internal terminology, people leaders can identify the measures their stakeholders already value and use those measures to explain why action is needed. Jess and Andrew also show how shifting from activity-based descriptions to outcome-based narratives can change the way HR work is understood. A leadership-team prioritisation session is not valuable simply because HR facilitated it; its value lies in improving organisational execution and increasing the likelihood that critical work achieves its goals. Similarly, updating an organisation chart becomes more commercially relevant when it is explained as work designed to strengthen accountability, clarify roles and improve decision velocity. The right narrative depends on the strategic concern at hand: if leaders need the organisation to move faster, HR should clearly connect its work to faster communication, decisions and execution. The conversation offers a practical method for setting priorities: work backwards from the business need. Start with the organisation’s most important current objective, determine which capabilities or changes are required to support it, and then draw a direct line to the relevant people work. This helps HR move beyond process completion and demonstrate how its contribution supports execution, accountability, speed and commercial performance. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 44: Building Executive Presence From The Inside Out (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	28 juil. 2026	00:20:48
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we go behind the curtain on building high-performing organisations with honest conversations between experienced leaders. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. Why do capable, confident HR leaders sometimes become approval-seeking “yes people” around the CEO? In this episode, Andrew and Jess examine the habits that can prevent senior HR leaders from becoming credible enterprise executives - and what it takes to move beyond responsiveness, perfectionism and flawless execution toward greater perspective, self-direction and influence. The conversation begins with an experienced CHRO who immediately agrees to plan an executive offsite, only to realise later that they do not understand what the CEO wants from it. Andrew and Jess use this example to explore why authority can trigger a “middle school” version of an otherwise accomplished leader: someone focused on being liked, gaining recognition and proving they can deliver. They unpack three forces that can contribute to this response - real differences in power, a lifetime of learned deference and the perfectionist instinct to accept an assignment and execute it well. For HR leaders, the tension can be particularly acute: they are expected to challenge and advise the CEO while knowing that the same person influences their ratings, compensation, title and continued employment. Andrew and Jess also reframe organisational politics as a leadership reality rather than inherently manipulative behaviour. Political awareness does not require cynicism or unethical conduct. It means recognising the stories, interests and motivations influencing how people respond. Executives may all care about the organisation while prioritising different outcomes, including mission, financial performance, efficiency or people. Instead of assuming bad intent, the hosts encourage listeners to separate assumptions from facts and consider both the story they are telling themselves and the story another stakeholder may be telling themselves. The episode also explores the risks of codifying idealised expectations for executive teams. Clear expectations can be useful, but only when leaders are prepared to model, reinforce and be held accountable to them. Andrew and Jess argue that statements about teamwork, enterprise-first decision-making, values or culture can cause real damage when daily conduct, incentives and decisions contradict them. The lesson is not to abandon aspiration, but to ensure it remains credible and connected to organisational reality. At the centre of the discussion is the transition from high-performing executor to enterprise executive. The qualities that often accelerate an HR career - responsiveness, reliability and consistently strong delivery - can eventually become constraints. At the executive table, leaders cannot simply wait to be told what to do. They need to understand what the business and their peers care about, identify the work that matters and be willing to question, clarify and push back when necessary. This is a thoughtful, practical conversation for senior HR leaders ready to move beyond being excellent functional executors and become more credible, self-directed and commercially grounded enterprise executives. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 43: Culture Is Built One Decision at a Time - with Alex Buder Shapiro	21 juil. 2026	00:41:32
Culture is not an HR programme to impose, preserve or package into a set of aspirational statements. It is a commercially relevant operating system: shaped by founder behaviour, grounded in the realities of the business and made credible through the decisions and behaviours leaders consistently reinforce. In this episode, Alex Buder Shapiro, Head of People at Clay, explores what it takes to build an authentic, distinctive culture in a fast-changing company. She explains why senior People leaders need genuine alignment with founders, why the best culture work begins with ingredients already present in the organisation, and how a strong employee experience can become a meaningful advantage when sought-after candidates have several credible opportunities to consider. The conversation examines two of Clay’s operating principles: “negative maintenance” and “non-attached action.” Alex describes negative maintenance as the quiet, continuous work of leaving things better than you found them. Non-attached action combines movement, momentum and iteration with a willingness to let go of any individual answer or method. Together, these ideas show how precise and distinctive language can make behavioural expectations clearer than familiar but broadly interpreted values terminology. Alex also discusses the importance of turning culture into something employees experience rather than simply read about. She shares Clay’s “Starting Fresh at Clay” onboarding exercise, in which new hires examine assumptions and negative experiences carried from previous workplaces before physically shredding what they have written. The exercise began as a quickly launched worksheet and developed through contributions from employees and other teams - an example of why a useful People practice does not always need to be fully polished before it is tested. From there, the discussion tackles one of the most important questions facing executive teams: who actually owns culture? Alex distinguishes between the top-down responsibility to define and support the organisation’s direction and the bottom-up role employees play in revealing how culture is experienced. The People function enables that environment, but it cannot act as its sole architect. Alex describes the People leader as a “cultural archeologist,” observing how the organisation behaves in real time and articulating those patterns honestly and specifically. The episode also challenges the idea that scaling culture means preserving an early version of the company indefinitely. Alex argues for addressing the organisation’s current chapter: observing what is genuinely breaking, waiting until a problem is specific enough to solve and allowing each stage of growth to develop practices suited to its circumstances. This requires judgement about when to intervene, as well as the confidence not to build solutions for hypothetical future problems that have not yet materialised. Finally, Alex considers how AI-native companies operate at the pace of rapidly changing technology and customer behaviour. She argues that established organisations cannot reproduce this tempo simply by introducing AI tools; they must also examine the assumptions, workflows and behaviours that need to be rewired. In these environments, hiring becomes less about matching a fixed checklist and more about curiosity, adaptability, learning agility and what each candidate can teach the organisation. Listeners will come away with practical questions to apply in their own companies: Are your stated values reflected in recent leadership decisions? Does your cultural language describe observable behaviour? Which parts of your employee experience genuinely distinguish you in the talent market? Could an onboarding slide become a tangible experience? Are you solving a current organisational problem or anticipating one that is not yet defined? And, before entering a leadership meeting, do you know what you will contribute beyond absorbing context? This is a practical, thoughtful conversation for People leaders, founders and executives who want to treat culture as a living business system - one that is authentic to the company, precise enough to guide behaviour and adaptable enough to evolve as the organisation grows. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 42: Harnessing AI for Leadership Development and Organizational Insights - with Ben Perreau of Parafoil	14 juil. 2026	00:42:15
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is Ben Perreau, Founder and CEO of Parafoil. Ben brings a unique perspective shaped by his diverse background spanning journalism with major media brands, digital transformation, consulting, and organisational change. After two decades of uncovering how teams operate and adapt, Ben now leads Parafoil, an AI-powered platform focused on leadership intelligence and cultural insight for modern enterprises. His deep understanding of both behavioural science and technology makes his perspective particularly relevant to experienced people leaders navigating transformation. In this conversation, we discuss the evolving role of leadership development and the emerging opportunities that new technology, especially AI, presents for HR and executive teams. The core theme centres on how people leaders can build real-time, data-backed understanding of organisational culture and leadership effectiveness - while maintaining trust and privacy. Listeners will gain practical insights into measuring and developing leadership behaviours, building a data-informed people strategy, and identifying microcultures within organisations. Ben shares lessons on balancing technology with the irreplaceable value of human judgement, as well as tangible examples that help people leaders upgrade their approach to organisational diagnostics and behaviour change. Discussion highlights: The limitations of traditional surveys and performance cycles in capturing real-time organisational sentiment Applying cognitive science and psycholinguistics to better understand leadership behaviours through language use Privacy, data quality, and the ethical considerations in deploying AI-powered tools for people analytics Using aggregate conversational data to inform leadership development and cultural transformation strategies The importance of identifying and learning from high-performing team rituals and microcultures Differentiating between individual and enterprise-level insights, and why preserving privacy results in more truthful data Practical ways technology can supplement (not replace) human judgement in diagnosing organisational needs Metrics and real-world examples on how to assess and demonstrate ROI for leadership and culture programmes This conversation provides a clear-eyed look at how technology is transforming leadership development. Ben's experience underscores that while AI offers new ways to observe culture and behaviours at speed and scale, the value of human connection, context, and judgement is only increasing. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 41: AI Adoption, ROI and Governance (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	07 juil. 2026	00:19:27
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we go behind the curtain on building high-performing organisations with honest conversations between experienced leaders. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. This discussion centres on the realities and nuances of AI adoption in organisations, exploring not only the opportunities but also the pitfalls and unintended consequences. Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen examine how leaders can balance innovation with intentionality, ensuring that new tools drive business value rather than distraction or wasted investment. Discussion highlights: The risk of adopting AI for its own sake, versus focusing on clear use cases and business value Why tracking token usage alone is a flawed metric for measuring AI impact Lessons from other workplace tools like PowerPoint and Excel - the challenge of quantifying true utility The concept of “financial gravity” and how incentives and costs shape behaviour and culture Real-world examples of setting practical guardrails and prompts to manage AI usage Emerging tools that monitor not only AI output but the work process itself for compliance and skill-building Reflections on AI’s potential as both a productivity booster and a source of distraction The importance of the Four Cs - clarity, communication, consistency, consequences - in guiding teams and AI systems Organisational risks like “AI apocalypse” from uncontrolled proliferation and the need for shared context and documentation Building operational resilience by planning for handoffs, tool ownership, and system dependencies Collectively, this conversation sheds light on the real challenges leaders face as they integrate new technologies into their organisations. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 40: Building Outstanding HR Teams and Board Relationships - with Anna Binder	30 juin 2026	00:42:01
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is Anna Binder, a seasoned HR executive, board member, and investor. With a career that spans leadership roles at startups and global technology companies such as Asana and MuleSoft, Anna offers a nuanced perspective on scaling teams, navigating organisational change, and shaping the board-level agenda. Her experience as both operator and board member allows her to see leadership and organisational effectiveness through multiple lenses, making her guidance particularly relevant for senior HR leaders and executives. In this episode, we unpack the realities of building a sustainable career in HR leadership while driving business outcomes in dynamic environments. Anna shares her journey leading the People function through significant growth stages, including IPOs and global expansion, and the lessons learned about aligning people strategy with business objectives. The conversation also explores the evolving role of the Chief People Officer, the relationship with boards, and the leadership implications of AI and technology shifts in the workplace. Listeners will come away with straightforward, actionable insights on how to increase their impact as people leaders. Anna delivers hard-earned advice on navigating board dynamics, managing burnout, building outstanding teams, and prioritising ruthlessly through periods of rapid change. Her reflections also provide valuable guidance for those looking to accelerate their HR careers and build deeper credibility with executive teams. Discussion highlights: Key differences in perspective between board members and executive operators, and how people leaders can adapt communication accordingly The importance of understanding the individual priorities of board members to build productive relationships and influence decision-making How to focus on outcomes rather than outputs when preparing board materials or engaging senior stakeholders Approaches for broadening the Chief People Officer remit - including forming People and Culture Committees - even in smaller or early-stage companies Strategies to avoid burnout, including aligning work to clear priorities and building exceptional teams Lessons on ruthless prioritisation during periods of team gaps and high organisational demand The shift in the People function’s role in the context of AI and technology transformation - and why leading, not just partnering, is critical Advice on developing as a business-minded HR leader, including the value of looking beyond conventional HR sources for insight and growth Taken together, this conversation offers a candid and practical exploration of what it means to lead at the intersection of people and business success. Anna’s reflections shine a light on the habits and mindsets that help HR executives thrive across growth stages, work effectively with boards, and drive meaningful impact in their organisations. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 39: Building Trust and Driving Change as an HR Leader - with L. David Kingsley	23 juin 2026	00:43:51
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is L. David Kingsley, Chief People Officer at Illumio. With a background spanning management consulting, HR leadership in public and scale-up technology companies, and service as a Navy Reserve intelligence officer, David brings a disciplined, mission-driven perspective to people leadership. His experience working with founder-led startups, large enterprises, and fast-growing teams gives him a valuable lens on the intersection of organisational strategy and human dynamics. In this conversation, we focus on what it means to be of service as a people leader and how to navigate complex change in today’s business environment. David shares lessons from large-scale organisational transformation, the evolution of the HR function, and how leaders can position themselves as critical enablers and trusted advisors to their business. The discussion addresses both the timeless challenges and new realities facing people leaders, especially around technology shifts and alignment with business priorities. Listeners will take away practical strategies for career growth, frameworks for stakeholder management, and clear guidance on building credibility with business leaders. David unpacks the importance of curiosity, business fluency, and continual learning, and offers concrete examples of how HR teams can deliver value in organisations navigating significant change. This episode is particularly relevant for people leaders looking to accelerate their impact and develop the mindsets required to succeed in senior HR and executive roles. Discussion highlights: David’s career journey from management consulting to Chief People Officer and the lessons learned along the way How to balance service to the company, team, and self - adapted from naval leadership principles The evolving role of HR from necessary support to trusted advisor in the business Practical ways people leaders can build credibility by learning the language of the business and aligning with commercial outcomes Approaches to adopting and experimenting with AI as an HR team, and considerations on when to build, buy, or adopt new technologies Navigating vendor negotiations amidst rapid technological change and understanding the true costs of AI adoption The critical role of curiosity for career advancement and problem-solving in people leadership Why clarifying personal purpose and values is essential for long-term growth as an HR leader Managing unarticulated expectations and building effective relationships with CEOs and other business leaders This conversation provides a grounded, experience-based look at the challenges and opportunities for people leaders in dynamic organisations. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 38: Increasing HR Impact by Aligning People Analytics with Business Strategy - with Cole Napper	16 juin 2026	00:42:27
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore the realities of leadership and organizational effectiveness. Our guest today is Cole Napper, the first Chief People Intelligence Officer at HRBench and a recognized leader in people analytics, workforce intelligence, and evidence-based HR strategy. He is the creator of the People Intelligence Manifesto, founder of Directionally Correct, LLC, and host of one of the world's leading people analytics podcasts and newsletters. Cole also leads the Data Driven HR Academy, a practitioner-led program that equips HR leaders and people analytics professionals with the skills to operate at the intersection of data, AI, strategy, and decision-making. Throughout his career, Cole has helped organizations transform how they use people intelligence to make better business decisions. His experience spans major global companies including FedEx, Texas Instruments, Toyota, PepsiCo, and Grainger, as well as venture-backed startups such as Motive, Booster, and Orgnostic. He previously served as Vice President of Research and Workforce Intelligence at Lightcast and has become a sought-after advisor, speaker, and consultant on the future of people analytics. Holding both a Ph.D. and M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Cole combines academic rigor with extensive real-world experience. In this conversation, we focus on the evolving landscape of people analytics and the growing expectations for HR functions to contribute directly to business outcomes. The discussion goes beyond dashboards and reporting, examining how people leaders can integrate analytics, workforce intelligence, and behavioral science to drive meaningful organizational change. Listeners will come away with practical ideas for making HR data more relevant to executive decision-making and board-level discussions. Cole shares insights on shifting from traditional metrics to actionable intelligence, building business acumen as an HR leader, and aligning people insights with the core priorities of the business. This episode is particularly valuable for those seeking to increase their impact as strategic partners within their organizations. Discussion highlights: Why people analytics is now an organizational necessity rather than a luxury or speciality The convergence of analytics, workforce planning, talent intelligence, and behavioural science functions Common pitfalls in HR reporting and how to tie people metrics directly to financial and business outcomes The importance of developing business acumen within HR and understanding how the business makes money Rethinking traditional HR metrics and focusing on measures that drive executive action Balancing employee, contractor, and technology spend for true workforce productivity The role of accounting nuances (such as capex vs opex) in workforce-related decision making Practical approaches for people analytics across different organizational archetypes, from early-stage startups to major enterprises How people leaders can move from reporting on outcomes to providing actionable recommendations Key advice for HR leaders looking to accelerate their careers and build influence Cole's perspective offers a candid look at how people leaders can move beyond traditional HR practices to become essential contributors to business performance. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 37: Prioritization Frameworks To Help People Leaders Drive Organizational Success (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	09 juin 2026	00:35:37
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we examine the realities of building effective organizations and leading through complexity. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. The central theme of this discussion is prioritization - how leaders distinguish between what is urgent and what is truly important, and how to maintain focus on the highest-impact work amid continual demands. They explore how people leaders, executives, and founders can clarify organizational priorities, structure their time, and avoid getting lost in day-to-day tasks at the expense of longer-term, strategic goals. Discussion highlights: Why traditional to-do lists are inadequate for the demands of executive leadership roles The critical importance of calendar blocking and turning priorities into dedicated time Frameworks for prioritization, including leveraging the Eisenhower Matrix and the “Leverage, Neutral, Overhead” model The distinction between urgency and importance, and why leaders often conflate the two Practical approaches for managing “sand” tasks versus “big rocks” in daily schedules How to ground people team strategies in direct conversations with business leaders, not just HR best practices Techniques for expectation management and building alignment across the leadership team Challenges unique to HR leaders, including balancing stakeholder requests with high-impact organizational needs This conversation offers a grounded view of the leadership challenges that come with growth and complexity. The insights shared will help people leaders avoid getting sidetracked by low-impact activity, encourage better alignment between HR and business strategy, and support effective prioritization in demanding environments. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 36: Navigating Rapid Change and Innovation in People Leadership with - AJ Thomas	02 juin 2026	00:28:25
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we examine what it genuinely takes to lead, scale, and evolve effective organisations. Our guest for this episode is AJ Thomas, an accomplished executive with a remarkable track record across talent, HR operations, business strategy, and the early-stage venture ecosystem. Having served in pivotal roles at Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory (Google X) and as a founder and general partner at an early-stage venture firm, AJ Thomas brings a rich, multidisciplinary perspective to the evolving world of people leadership. AJ Thomas’s hands-on experience spans leading global talent initiatives, designing organisational culture, and advising both startups and established enterprises as they navigate innovation and change. This conversation focuses on the vital role of experimentation, curiosity, and first principles thinking in shaping effective HR leadership. Against a backdrop of technological transformation, including the rising influence of generative AI, we dig into how people leaders can remain grounded in the human aspects of their roles while effectively driving innovation and business outcomes. Discussion highlights: Navigating a non-linear career path and the value of being a “super learner” The power of experimentation in HR and why learning from failed experiments is critical How to design experiments with clear objectives, “kill criteria,” and real business impact in mind The importance of challenging the status quo by first getting deeply curious about it Integrating people strategy with AI and technology-driven change, without losing sight of human outcomes Lessons from applying rapid testing and iteration in high-stakes environments like Google X Why starting with the business goal - and not just the solution - drives more meaningful change Practical frameworks for aligning HR initiatives to measurable organisational outcomes The courage it takes to unsell ideas and prioritise what will truly support business and people growth This episode offers candid insight into the leadership qualities and practical tools needed to guide organisations through uncertainty and change. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 35: AI Meets HR - How OpenAI’s People Innovation Labs Are Simplifying Workflows - with Dylan Vassallo	26 mai 2026	00:42:20
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is Dylan Vassallo, an engineering leader at OpenAI, where he leads the People Innovation Labs team. Dylan brings a unique blend of technical expertise and a deep passion for people operations, having previously held impactful roles at Khan Academy and Stripe. His background in both engineering management and HR innovation gives him a distinctive perspective on how cutting-edge technology can empower and transform people teams. In this conversation, we discuss the strategic and practical considerations behind building internal tools for people teams at scale. Dylan shares how OpenAI balances the decision to build versus buy people systems, the importance of simplifying employee workflows, and how AI is enabling new levels of efficiency and impact for people operations. The episode delves into the nuances of aligning technology, culture, and operational realities as organisations expand rapidly. Listeners will come away with actionable insights on optimising people processes, fostering a culture of experimentation, and navigating the trade-offs of introducing new technologies within HR. Dylan also shares tips on how HR leaders can adopt a builder’s mindset, pilot solutions, and partner effectively with engineering teams, even in resource-constrained environments. Discussion highlights: Why OpenAI created a dedicated People Innovation Labs team to address organisational challenges during periods of hypergrowth Balancing “build vs. buy” decisions and creating user-friendly layers on top of complex HR systems The importance of simplifying employee experiences by curating paved paths through HR workflows How to assess when an organisation is ready for custom internal tools based on operational complexity and compliance demands The role of cross-functional collaboration with security, legal, and other stakeholders when implementing people technology Common pitfalls in rolling out HR tech, including the need for strong operational support and sustainable adoption Encouraging a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and iterative improvement within HR teams Practical strategies for fostering a mindset of continuous learning and career growth in people leadership This conversation is a grounded exploration of how technology and people strategy intersect as organisations grow. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 34 - Navigating AI-Driven Efficiency and Headcount Impacts for HR Leaders (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	19 mai 2026	00:26:28
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. In this episode, we take a break from the traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, they dive into their own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. This episode centres on the real impact of artificial intelligence on productivity, headcount, and organizational structure. Andrew and Jess discuss how recent technology-driven layoffs in major companies, the drive for efficiency in tech and high-growth environments, and the practicalities of leveraging AI tools are reshaping management practices and leadership demands. They examine whether the wave of workforce reductions is truly about AI-driven efficiency or if other factors, such as investor pressure and post-pandemic organizational changes, also play a critical role. Discussion highlights: The current wave of tech layoffs and whether AI is the real cause or a convenient narrative How leaders can approach organizational “flattening” and wider spans of control with caution The unique challenges and risks of managing large numbers of direct reports Investor and board pressures shaping productivity and technology adoption in HR The pitfalls of pursuing AI for its own sake rather than solving specific business problems Key factors to consider before replacing complex systems with AI or no/low-code solutions The importance of evaluating the complexity and sensitivity of business processes before deciding whether to build or buy solutions Practical strategies for team leaders to identify use cases, measure ROI, and avoid common technology traps Taken together, this conversation delivers a thoughtful look at what it takes to lead organizations through waves of change, especially as AI and new technology reshape job roles and leadership responsibilities. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 33: From Employment Lawyer to Chief People Officer - with Guissu Baier from GoFundMe	12 mai 2026	00:42:48
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we dive into what it truly means to lead teams and build effective organisations. Our guest today is Guissu Baier, Chief People Officer at GoFundMe. With a diverse background as both an employment attorney and people executive, Guissu brings unique perspective from her time at Visa, Instacart, venture capital firm General Catalyst, and as a co-founder of The People Collective. Her experience spanning high-growth startups, large enterprises, and investor advisory roles gives her uncommon insight into the challenges and opportunities people leaders face as organisations evolve. In this conversation, we examine the real-world complexities of leadership development, the evolving role of people leaders, and the nuances of career growth in HR. The episode explores the contrast between operating roles and advisory positions, offers a candid look at working with stakeholders like legal and investors, and highlights the decisions that matter most as organisations scale or adapt. Discussion highlights: Guissu’s unconventional career progression from employment law to Chief People Officer Building partnerships between HR and legal teams, including practical tips for reducing friction Determining when organisations need in-house employment counsel and the variables that affect hiring decisions Lessons learned from moving between in-house HR leadership, consulting, and venture capital advisory work Common missteps founders make when hiring their first people leaders and how to clarify people team roles Why pattern recognition helps but doesn’t replace context-specific judgement in talent decisions Navigating personal career transitions - what to look for in your next operating or advisory role Taken together, this conversation offers grounded insight into the multifaceted nature of HR leadership. Guissu shares practical lessons on building impactful partnerships, making the right career decisions, and focusing on the outcomes that matter most for your organisation and your own growth. People leaders who want to deepen their influence, whether inside fast-scaling companies or in investor advisory roles, will find plenty to reflect on and apply. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 32: Navigating Change and Building Influence as an HR Leader - with Teresa Lilly	05 mai 2026	00:46:40
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to accelerate careers and build high-performing organizations. Our guest today is Teresa Lilly, an experienced HR leader and fractional CPO who has navigated the people leadership landscape across the US and Australia. With over a decade spent scaling tech startups from early to growth stages, advising founders, and now helping multiple organizations as a consultant and interim executive, Teresa Lilly offers a candid perspective on the practical realities of change leadership, executive relationships, and adapting people strategy to diverse business contexts. In this episode, we focus on the leadership challenges of managing organizational change, aligning HR and business strategy, and building the relationship between people leaders and CEOs. Teresa Lilly shares lessons from change-heavy environments, the impact of local employment regulations, and what she wishes more HR professionals understood about their own influence. Listeners will gain a wealth of practical insights on navigating organizational transitions, building credibility with executive teams, and stepping into consulting or fractional leadership roles. Teresa Lilly provides grounded advice on influencing company direction, managing personal values amid business pressures, and making the leap from in-house operator to advisory roles. Discussion highlights: How a non-traditional background and international move shaped Teresa Lilly’s approach to people leadership The emotional and relational costs of sustained organizational change - and how leaders can address them Practical strategies for planning and communicating major changes, such as CEO transitions The critical role of managers in helping teams process and adapt during change Why the HR-CEO relationship is pivotal, and techniques to “stress test” alignment early in a new role Recognizing when values and beliefs between HR and leadership are too misaligned to reconcile The realities of moving from in-house roles to fractional or consulting work, including building trust and managing context-switching How to structure fractional CPO work across multiple clients without losing effectiveness The trade-offs between flexibility, influence, and workload as a consultant versus an in-house HR leader Key differences between US and Australian startup ecosystems, particularly regulatory impacts on people practices Advice on how to build career growth, credibility, and influence - regardless of organizational context The importance of understanding your business and speaking its language as a people leader This conversation offers a nuanced, experience-based look into the trade-offs and decisions people leaders face when managing organizational transitions and shaping people strategy. Teresa Lilly’s insights into executive relationships, practical change management, and the realities of consulting are relevant for HR leaders, founders, and executives alike. Whether you are scaling a startup, considering a shift to advisory work, or navigating the unique challenges of your region’s ecosystem, the lessons here provide actionable guidance and candid reflection for your leadership journey. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 31: Navigating Talent Advisory and Executive Search Across Europe - with Puren Ucar	28 avr. 2026	00:32:50
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is Puren Ucar, one of Europe’s original venture capital talent partners, and now an independent advisor working closely with founders and VC firms across the UK and Europe. With a background in executive search and years spent building out talent functions for leading venture firms, Puren brings a unique, insider’s view of both the operational and strategic sides of scaling leadership teams inside high-growth companies. In this episode, we explore the evolution of the talent function within VC-backed organisations, the shift from talent acquisition to advisory, and the practical realities of supporting founders as they scale teams and navigate critical leadership hires. We also examine how emerging tools like AI are influencing executive search and networking, and delve into the personal side of working closely with ambitious founders. Listeners will gain practical, candid insight into what it takes to build and support executive teams—from diagnosing organisational needs, to coaching founders through decision-making, to leveraging frameworks that balance business needs with human dynamics. Leaders will also hear about effective approaches to founder advisory, common misconceptions in hiring, and lessons for building trust with both founders and boards. Discussion highlights: Shifting from embedded executive talent acquisition to strategic talent advisory for portfolio companies Building frameworks and playbooks that help diagnose organisational challenges and guide leadership hiring The importance of starting every search by clarifying the true capability needs of the business Tactics for engaging founders deeply in the search and selection process—including bespoke scorecards and benchmarking conversations Addressing the emotional and psychological elements underlying leadership hiring decisions How leadership traits valued in the UK or Western Europe may differ from those prioritised in Eastern European contexts The impact of AI tools on sourcing and networking—what changes and what remains uniquely human Trends in using psychometric assessments within VC-backed organisations and their alternatives “IC” work at the executive level—why hands-on curiosity and continued learning are increasingly valued alongside traditional management skills How AI fluency is influencing the composition and nurturing of today’s executive networks Why founder alignment, safe spaces, and clear role boundaries are essential for successful C-level searches Practical advice for people leaders: prioritising hands-on learning, leveraging peer insights, and building a network that adapts to changing organisational needs This conversation sheds light on the realities of building and advising executive teams in high-growth environments, where business strategy and people dynamics intersect. For senior people leaders and founders, the insights shared here offer both tactical takeaways and a reminder that effective leadership is as much about human connection as it is about frameworks and process. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 30: How Hypergrowth Companies Balance Speed And Talent Quality - with Maryanne Caughey and Charles Guillemet from Lovable	21 avr. 2026	00:48:12
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guests today are Maryanne Caughey, Head of People at Lovable, and Charles Guillemet, Head of Recruiting at Lovable. Between them, they bring decades of experience leading people and talent functions at world-class technology organisations, including Google, Dropbox, Notion, Meta, Neuralink, and Gusto. Their perspective is highly relevant for leaders building teams at the intersection of culture, talent strategy, and breakthrough technology. This episode centers on the realities and challenges of building organisational culture, systems, and talent processes in an environment defined by hypergrowth and rapid technological change. Jess Yuen, Andrew Bartlow, Maryanne Caughey, and Charles Guillemet discuss how Lovable, a leading AI-native company, scales its team and leadership practices while navigating intense competition and a fast-moving market. Listeners will walk away with grounded insights into what it means to operationalize people strategy for speed without sacrificing trust, quality, or culture. The conversation unpacks practical approaches to hiring, compensation, decision-making, and performance management, as well as the core leadership habits required to succeed in dynamic, founder-led environments. Discussion highlights: The impact of founder involvement and talent obsession on early hiring and culture formation Why Lovable prioritizes “systems over heroics” to enable both speed and quality in people processes Practical approaches to removing compensation as a barrier and building trust through transparent pay structures The value of direct culture diagnosis and the importance of understanding founder DNA when shaping talent strategy How high-growth companies balance the need to unlearn past habits and adapt to new organisational contexts Examples of rapid decision-making, such as evolving location strategy and the willingness to reverse previously “irreversible” choices Early implementation of scalable HR and recruiting systems, often years ahead of company age The reality of work intensity and the deliberate setting of expectations with candidates and employees Approaches to performance management that decouple compensation from reviews to favor shipping and growth How AI is integrated into talent and operations, and what “AI fluency” looks like for hiring and career growth Rethinking headcount planning and prioritisation in a context of uncertainty and rapid change The interplay between high trust, direct feedback, and the ability to course-correct quickly as an organisation This conversation offers practical, experience-driven guidance for senior HR and business leaders looking to build high-performance organisations in uncertain and fast-moving markets. Maryanne Caughey and Charles Guillemet share not just frameworks, but also lived experience scaling teams where stakes are high, expectations are explicit, and learning cycles are short. For leaders navigating similar environments, there is much here to reflect on, whether you are building your first systems, rethinking people strategy for the AI era, or working to harmonise trust, culture, and operational excellence. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 29: Empowering Technical Leaders Through Effective Coaching Strategies - with Kevin Rice	14 avr. 2026	00:41:58
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we explore what it really takes to build high-performing organisations. Our guest today is Kevin Rice, an executive coach who previously led product and engineering teams through rapid growth at companies like Airbnb. Drawing on a background that bridges hands-on technical management and leadership coaching, Kevin now partners with heads of product, heads of engineering, and CEOs, helping leaders evolve as their organisations scale. With experience developing people processes in high-growth environments and supporting leaders through changing responsibilities, Kevin brings a unique perspective to supporting both leadership and people teams. This episode centres on the evolving challenges faced by technical leaders, particularly as their teams expand and the demands of scale intensify. We discuss the tension between technical expertise and people management, how leaders can determine where their time and focus are most valuable, and the critical partnership between HR and technical functions as companies evolve. Discussion highlights: Why technical leaders often face distinct scaling challenges as their teams become the largest in the company The trap of comparing leadership roles to external models rather than identifying what the company uniquely needs Practical frameworks for leaders to prioritise responsibilities based on position, skills, context, and passion How high growth in technical functions drives early development of people processes such as levelling and performance rubrics The value of 360 feedback for surfacing hidden or unspoken development needs Navigating the “brilliant but difficult” leader dynamic and the importance of coaching readiness Critical distinctions between coaching for growth and coaching as part of performance management Setting clear performance expectations as a prerequisite for successful coaching engagements The importance of engaging coaching proactively during major leadership transitions or team scale Structuring effective collaboration and information flows between HR, direct managers, and external coaches Measuring the ROI of executive coaching and the leverage of investing in leadership capability Five hidden obstacles to scaling teams, including role drift, decision bottlenecks, shared mental models, process avoidance, and tenured employee resistance Taken together, this discussion offers a practical roadmap for people leaders working alongside technical executives in dynamic, scaling environments. The episode surfaces both the hidden pitfalls and proven tools for accelerating leadership growth, structuring effective partnerships with HR, and ensuring that coaching has a measurable and lasting impact. For those supporting technical talent or navigating rapid organisational change, these insights offer valuable guidance for developing high-performing teams and resilient leadership. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 28: Bridging Academic Insights and Business Practice - with Brad Harris from HEC Paris	07 avr. 2026	00:36:56
In this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, we welcome Brad Harris, Professor of Management and Human Resources and Associate Dean at HEC Paris. Brad brings an exceptional blend of academic rigour and deep practical experience, having taught, researched, and consulted across several continents. As a co-author of Scaling for Success and one of the core faculty members in the People Leader Accelerator program, his perspective is especially relevant for executives shaping organisational effectiveness and people strategy. Brad’s background bridges academic research with on-the-ground leadership, advisory, and program delivery for high-growth companies. His understanding of team dynamics, leadership development, and organisational behaviour equips him to pinpoint the real challenges people leaders encounter, including those intrinsic to scaling teams, driving alignment, and navigating executive decisions. This episode centres on the realities of building and leading high-performing teams. The discussion dives into what leaders consistently get wrong about teamwork, the critical design elements of effective teams, and the essential (but often misunderstood) balance between clarity, empowerment, and control. Brad and the hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow, unpack the “messy middle” where most organisations and leaders operate and share tangible approaches for aligning people and business priorities. Listeners will gain actionable insights into diagnosing team effectiveness, optimising goal setting for clarity and alignment, and approaching empowerment in complex environments. Brad’s advice is grounded in research but always tailored to the practical realities of leadership, offering new ways for people leaders to support executives, make better trade-offs, and accelerate their own impact. Discussion highlights: Why HEC Paris is a leading business school and how global experience shapes HR and leadership practice The origins of Scaling for Success and the development of People Leader Accelerator Realities of partnership and collaboration between business and academia Bridging the academic-practice gap: why thoughtful, evidence-based leadership is essential and practical Common myths about teamwork and the overlooked importance of team design versus “feel-good” factors Understanding and balancing the “collaboration tax” with collaboration gains in teams Leadership archetypes: the “prophet” versus the “mule driver” and the dangers of extremes How complexity and context should determine leadership style and team decision-making Practical frameworks for increasing team clarity, alignment, and effectiveness Why effective goal setting requires meaningful trade-offs, not just standard outcomes like “increase revenue” The two-sided problem of empowerment and the challenges leaders face when letting go Strategies for HR leaders to align with CEOs and drive purposeful conversations about priorities and personal growth This conversation offers people leaders a grounded look at what it actually takes to foster effective teams and drive organisational performance. Brad’s practical frameworks and coaching stories clarify how leaders can apply academic insights without overcomplicating their approach - and why clear alignment and the right strategic bets matter most. For HR executives, founders, and those supporting high-growth businesses, these lessons offer actionable prompts to elevate leadership, influence strategy, and empower teams. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 27: Transforming HR Through Community and Innovation - with Stephen Huerta from the Modern People Leader Podcast	31 mars 2026	00:44:24
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, the show where we dive into the realities of building effective organisations and accelerating the careers of people leaders. Our guest today is Stephen Huerta, co-founder of The Modern People Leader Podcast, founder of Huertonomics, and an experienced HR entrepreneur. With a career spanning HR consulting, corporate roles at Goldman Sachs, and multiple ventures in HR tech and media, Stephen brings a seasoned perspective about both the operational and strategic sides of people leadership. His work as a podcaster and advisor has connected him with hundreds of leaders across startups, scaling companies, and enterprise organisations, making him uniquely positioned to comment on the evolving landscape of HR, leadership, and organisational culture. In this conversation, we explore how HR leaders can expand their impact, adapt to shifting trends in people strategy, and navigate the challenges of building meaningful community - both within organisations and across the wider HR ecosystem. We discuss the practicalities of career development, entrepreneurship in HR, and why community-driven approaches are reshaping how leaders learn, build networks, and make decisions. Listeners will gain actionable insights on advancing their own leadership careers, building engaging workplace cultures, and responding strategically to new challenges such as AI adoption and shifting stakeholder expectations. Stephen’s candid reflections offer guidance for people leaders looking to grow their network, refine their skills, and exert greater influence inside their organisations. Discussion highlights: The accidental career path into HR - and why curiosity drives lasting impact Lessons learnt from corporate HR and entrepreneurial ventures in services, SaaS, and media The origin story of The Modern People Leader podcast and its evolution from a side project to a thriving community Why communication and PR skills are increasingly essential for HR executives Observations on how remote-first and AI-forward companies are shaping new operating models for people functions How HR leaders can synthesise market trends and adapt to evolving organisational needs The importance of intentional event design in fostering meaningful professional connections What makes Modern People Leader live events distinct from traditional HR conferences Strategic advice for HR tech founders on go-to-market challenges, including the critical role of peer communities How vendor outreach has shifted - with buying decisions now driven by trusted HR networks rather than cold calls Making tech stack decisions: frameworks for assessing buy, build, borrow, and bot options Practical tips on upskilling, reskilling, and building a network for career acceleration This episode offers a grounded look at the realities of navigating an HR career, expanding your influence, and adapting to new forms of organisational and community leadership. Stephen’s experience highlights both the power of network and the urgency of embracing new skills in today’s environment. For senior HR leaders and executives, the discussion provides a roadmap for cultivating professional connections, making strategic decisions, and investing in your own career growth. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 26: HR Career Growth Through Mentorship and Networking - with Maggie Ruvoldt	24 mars 2026	00:43:12
Welcome to the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we dive deep into the realities of building and leading high-impact organisations. Our guest today is Maggie Ruvoldt, an experienced CHRO and executive with over 30 years spanning HR, business operations, and advisory roles. Maggie’s career features significant time in education and healthcare, from building HR teams at early-stage startups to managing global people operations in billion-dollar companies. Her perspective is particularly relevant to people leaders seeking to bridge the gap between HR and business, evolve their own careers, and contribute meaningfully as both leaders and mentors. In this episode, we explore the interplay between HR and business strategy, challenging traditional career path thinking and examining what it means to truly partner with the business. Maggie shares hard-earned lessons from her own “careen, not a career” trajectory, including how she navigated between business and functional roles, developed a personal board of directors, and cultivated the confidence to take on stretch assignments and difficult conversations. Listeners will gain practical frameworks for career development, tools for networking intentionally, and actionable advice for influencing senior leaders and opening doors to new opportunities. Maggie offers grounded insights on seeing HR through the lens of business impact, building relationships across and beyond the function, and the critical importance of sponsors, mentors, and connectors for sustained career growth. Discussion highlights: • Seeing HR as a business function: why understanding the broader business context is essential for HR leaders • The “careen, not a career” approach: embracing non-linear paths and focusing on growth over rigid career planning • Taking stretch assignments and leveraging fear as a signal for learning and growth • How to open doors between HR and business roles—and why advocating for yourself matters • Structuring conversations with executives to align your skills with organisational needs • The strategic value of developing both sponsors and mentors, and how each supports career acceleration • Building a personal board of directors and finding your “pump-up” person for confidence and support • Practical tactics for intentional networking, including the “20-minute meeting” strategy • Systematising relationship management to become a super connector, even as an introvert • Giving and receiving difficult feedback: skill-building for tough conversations with senior leaders • Understanding and leveraging second-degree connections (“weak ties”) for opportunity and growth • The importance of diversity of thought and lived experience in mentorship relationships Taken together, this episode offers an honest and practical look at career development, influence, and the human side of organisational leadership. Maggie’s journey illustrates that impact often comes from stretching outside your comfort zone, building intentional relationships inside and outside your function, and always keeping the broader organisational context in view. For HR executives and senior leaders shaping their own careers and teams, her advice is immediately applicable—and grounded in genuine experience. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 25: What Private Equity Looks for in Top HR Leaders - with John K. Anderson	17 mars 2026	00:35:25
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we delve into the real-world challenges of building organisations that deliver sustained performance. Our guest today is John K. Anderson, Managing Director at ZRG. With a career spanning more than two decades as a head of HR and now as a leading search partner for HR executives, John brings a unique perspective on both the operational and executive recruitment sides of people leadership. His work with CEOs, investors, and boards across industries has given him a front-row seat to how leadership expectations are evolving for today’s people leaders. In this conversation, we focus on the evolving expectations for HR leaders, particularly those working with investor-backed and growing companies. John shares his experiences and observations on what distinguishes high-impact HR executives in private equity compared to venture-backed contexts, how value creation is defined, and why being adept at business strategy is essential for modern people leaders. Listeners will gain actionable advice on preparing for executive search processes, positioning themselves for senior opportunities, and translating HR impact into business results. The episode also explores practical career development steps, the real value of certifications and advanced degrees, and how to build relationships with search partners and executives. Discussion highlights: Key differences in what private equity and venture investors expect from HR leaders Why value creation and direct business impact now outweigh process or experience credentials The growing importance of data fluency and the ability to articulate HR’s impact in financial terms How culture is increasingly treated as a business strategy linked to revenue and talent outcomes The board’s rising expectations for CHROs to provide strategic insight on compensation, retention, and operational systems Practical advice for candidates to prepare for executive search processes, including what to underplay and what to emphasise Why concise, business-focused communication is essential when interviewing for senior HR roles The importance of building a network and being open to exploratory conversations with executive search partners Career development strategies beyond external job changes—gaining depth, cross-functional experience, and board exposure Insights on the value of advanced degrees and certifications for aspiring CPOs and HR executives The power of peer learning communities and cross-industry networks for people leaders’ growth This conversation is a pragmatic look at the shifting landscape for HR executives. John’s insights highlight the increasing integration of business and people strategy, the need for clear impact stories, and the critical difference that proactive learning and networking can make for leadership careers. For people leaders thinking about their next step or seeking to maximise their contribution, John’s perspective offers useful direction and reassurance that the function’s influence is only set to grow. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 24: How Zapier Reached 97% AI Adoption and What HR and Business Leaders Can Learn - with Brandon Sammut	10 mars 2026	00:42:02
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Brandon Sammut, Chief People and AI Transformation Officer at Zapier. Brandon’s professional journey spans education, recruiting, HR leadership, and technology. He joined us to talk about what it takes to lead people teams at the intersection of automation, AI, and human potential, and how Zapier has become a model for integrating AI across business functions. In this episode, Brandon walks us through his unconventional career, from working with first-generation college students and Teach For America to building people teams in tech companies. We dig into how Zapier achieved industry-leading AI adoption, the frameworks and workflows powering transformation, and practical ways any HR leader can start leveraging automation and artificial intelligence right now. We discuss: Brandon’s path from education and nonprofit recruiting to leadership in tech and HR The rationale behind Zapier’s unique Chief People and AI Transformation Officer title How Zapier’s “code red” moment drove a company-wide shift to AI adoption Practical steps taken to achieve 97% AI usage across the organization Zapier’s AI Transformation Framework and how it shapes impact The importance of clear policies and integrating AI into existing workflows Use cases and open-source automation playbooks from Zapier’s people team Keeping humans accountable and in the loop for critical talent decisions Managing automation and workflow continuity when employees exit Resources and tactical advice for HR leaders to accelerate their own AI learning Why structured onboarding and assessment around AI fluency is now core at Zapier Lessons for people leaders on how to model creative experimentation and building-first mindsets Brandon offers actionable insights for HR and people leaders navigating AI adoption, designing new workflows, or seeking inspiration for driving meaningful business transformation. This episode provides concrete tools and reflections for anyone aiming to deepen their impact in talent and technology. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 23: Exploring Leadership Through the Lens of Workplace Fun (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	03 mars 2026	00:16:14
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. In this episode, we take a break from our traditional guest interviews and invite you into an informal conversation between us as hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow. Instead of sharing the spotlight with a guest, we dive into our own lived experiences and perspectives as people leaders, exploring what leadership, culture, and authenticity look like in practice. We unpack a surprisingly spicy topic - costumes in the workplace. Is it ever appropriate for leaders (or anyone, really) to wear costumes to the office, whether for Halloween or a holiday party? We find ourselves on different ends of the spectrum, each drawing from our backgrounds at established corporations, professional services, and high-growth startups. We discuss: How workplace culture and industry influence what’s “acceptable” at work, from costumes to holiday pajamas to even going shoeless in the office The balancing act of authenticity and executive presence, including how age, background, and early-career experiences shape our choices What it means for HR and people leaders to be “culture stewards” - is it about fun, rigor, or both? The tension between delight and professionalism: what do employees and customers expect in different environments? Navigating the challenges of fitting into company culture without losing yourself, especially as a head of people or HR leader When and how people leaders can (and should) influence culture versus adapt to it This conversation offers a window into our thinking about culture, expectations, and leadership style - and how leaders at all stages can question and shape the unwritten rules of workplace behavior. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 22: Our Thinking on HR Conferences and Communities (Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow in Conversation)	24 févr. 2026	00:17:35
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Today, we’re taking a more informal approach as we (hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow) sit down together for a candid conversation about conferences, professional communities, and how people leaders choose where to invest their limited time and attention. There’s no guest this episode - just real talk between two experienced leaders reflecting on the value of industry events, how to build a supportive network, and finding the right mix of learning, connection, and ROI. In this episode, Jess and Andrew share practical insights for people leaders weighing conference invitations, considering new communities, or just wanting to make more intentional decisions about professional development. We discuss their approaches to vetting events, setting goals for participation, and balancing networking with learning -along with some favorite hacks and honest critiques of the HR conference landscape. We discuss: How Jess and Andrew decide which conferences and communities are truly worth attending - and how they get the most from those experiences Reflections on mainstay events like Transform, SHRM, and newer, more intimate gatherings. The challenge of “vendor-heavy” conferences and strategies to avoid email overload after attending Why networking and authentic personal connections often outweigh formal sessions and panels The difference between large “broad but shallow” events and small “narrow but deep” communities - and why you may only have bandwidth for a select few of each Thoughts on how to set clear goals to maximize the ROI of time and money spent at conferences Tips for filtering conference email spam and managing your follow-up efficiently The importance of intention and selectivity when seeking out professional development as a people leader This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how two seasoned HR leaders think about professional growth, relationship-building, and the realities of staying current in an ever-evolving field. If you’re debating which conference to attend, which community to join, or how to make better use of your learning and networking time, you’ll leave with actionable ideas and honest perspective. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 21: From Consultant to Five-Time Chief People Officer - with Jevan Soo Lenox	17 févr. 2026	00:35:29
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Jevan Soo Lenox, a seasoned Chief People Officer whose career spans industries from fintech and food & beverage to e-commerce and biotech, currently at an AI-first enterprise organization. Jevan joins us for an honest conversation on building longevity in the CPO role, navigating transitions, and developing resilience as a senior people leader. In this episode, Jevan shares how his early experience at McKinsey and in Asia’s dynamic growth markets shaped his curiosity for people and organizations. We explore his frameworks for career decision-making, the importance of courage and professional distance, and what shifts as you lead across different business contexts. Drawing from his experience at companies like Square, Blue Bottle Coffee, Minted, WRITER, and more, Jevan offers practical advice for people leaders looking to grow and sustain their impact. We discuss: Jevan’s career path from consulting to multiple CPO roles across varying industries and company sizes The simple, practical rubric he uses to decide when to stay or move on: impact, learning, and enjoyment Navigating burnout and creating boundaries as a senior HR leader Building, maintaining, and valuing executive-level peer relationships How to interview and critically assess CEOs and leadership teams before joining The value of courage in delivering tough feedback and the importance of framing it with care and intent Managing the emotional demands of the CPO role, and finding ways to “detox” from organizational stress What’s different about working at an AI-first company and the organizational implications of democratized managerial skills Recommended resources for developing a growth mindset and deepening business acumen as a people leader This conversation is full of candid perspectives for HR leaders at any stage - whether you’re exploring your first executive role or looking to stay resilient and impactful over the long term. Jevan’s approach to pattern recognition, authentic relationships, and business-centric HR offers actionable takeaways for anyone invested in shaping organizational culture and strategy. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 20: Lessons in International People Leadership and Organizational Change - with Kelli Koschmann	10 févr. 2026	00:43:03
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Kelli Koschmann, an experienced Chief People Officer who has led global teams at organizations such as Center City, Showpad, and SRAM, and is now an executive coach and founder of the consultancy Walking Palm. Kelli joined us for a practical and honest conversation about leading complex HR transformations, navigating founder transitions, and building cultural alignment in international businesses. In this episode, Kelli shares her journey from falling in love with HR during her undergraduate studies to stepping into top people leadership roles at companies scaling across continents. We examine what it means to steer organizational change while supporting both employees and leadership through times of uncertainty and expansion. We discuss: Kelli’s career path, from discovering HR in college to leading global people teams and launching her own coaching and consulting practice The dynamics of establishing and operating dual headquarters across continents, including US and Belgium Navigating founder transitions and executive hiring, and the HR leader’s role in communicating and supporting these changes Practical steps for evolving organizational culture and redefining company values with broad stakeholder input Approaches for decision-making in multicultural executive teams, including tools for clarifying roles and driving consensus Building rituals and communication practices for globally distributed leadership teams The realities and challenges of cascading communication versus direct leadership messages How to balance global alignment with local needs in HR practices and benefits Creating safe avenues for employee feedback and the pros and cons of anonymous channels Kelli’s approach to coaching leaders, fostering resilience, and finding clarity while navigating organizational complexity This discussion is packed with actionable insights for people leaders steering growth, culture shifts, or cross-border teams. Kelli’s experiences offer grounded advice on enabling high performance, prioritizing stakeholder value, and building the networks of support every HR leader needs. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 19: Leadership Lessons From a Tech Founder Turned Executive Coach - with Adam Weber	03 févr. 2026	00:36:49
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Adam Weber, a tech founder, executive coach, and former Chief People Officer, who joins us for a thoughtful conversation on executive development, building high-performing teams, and navigating the emotional demands of people leadership. Adam’s career journey spans founding and selling tech startups, leading culture transformation at 15Five as Chief Evangelist, and today, guiding executives and founders through the complexities of leadership and team dynamics. In this episode, Adam discusses his transition from entrepreneur to coach, the patterns he’s observed across high-growth organizations, and practical strategies for executives aiming to scale their impact while maintaining personal well-being. Drawing on rich experience with executive teams, Adam breaks down the leadership lessons featured in his recent ebook and shares actionable advice for people leaders at every stage. We discuss: Adam’s early career explorations, path to tech entrepreneurship, and how coaching transformed his approach to leadership The common challenges faced by chief people officers and the journey from being a fixer to an organizational architect Why developing a clear personal and professional vision is critical for executives and how Adam facilitates this process for his clients Tactics for context switching and staying at the right altitude as a leader, especially in high-pressure executive team environments The importance of psychological safety and trust on executive teams, and how Adam structures coaching sessions to build these foundations Setting boundaries and managing the emotional labor that comes with people leadership roles How to help executives track their energy, prevent burnout, and create sustainable success The evolving role of HR in shaping culture, leveraging management, and preparing organizations for the future of work Adam's recommendations on high-leverage resources and cultivating a leadership mantra for resilience and growth This episode offers clear-eyed perspective on the realities and rewards of senior people leadership, with practical frameworks to help you support your teams and yourself. If you’re navigating executive team dynamics, culture building, or looking to deepen your capacity as a leader, you’ll find valuable takeaways in our conversation with Adam. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 18: Building a Strong People Function in an Early-Stage Startup - with Keshar Sheridan	27 janv. 2026	00:41:57
Our guest today is Keshar Sheridan, a seasoned people leader with deep experience in the startup and health tech space. Keshar has spent more than a decade building HR foundations at organizations ranging from early-stage startups to high-growth companies like Hired, Oscar Health, Galileo, Headway, Growth Therapy, and now Tulea Health, where she serves as the first and only people leader at an 11-person team. In this episode, we dive into the practical realities of being a team of one, what it means to join and scale an HR function at the foundational stage, and how to evaluate companies and CEOs when considering your next leadership opportunity. Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow explore with Keshar how early people leaders can set themselves and their organizations up for long-term success, and what it takes to create leverage, influence culture, and build strong leadership relationships from day one. We discuss: What HR looks like at a pre-20-person startup, including balancing tactical operations with strategic planning How to prioritize foundational people programs during the earliest stages of company growth The signals CEOs give when they value the people function, and why bringing in HR early matters Frameworks for deciding when and why to hire your first people leader, covering variables like growth rate, cultural aspirations, and industry context How to assess CEO and organizational fit in the interview process, including why and how to speak with board members or investors Key questions to ask about business models, go-to-market plans, and long-term company goals—even when answers are still forming The importance of mentorship, how to cultivate mentoring relationships organically, and why maintenance matters Strategies for developing trust and alignment with founder-CEOs, especially when feedback and structure may be lacking Why documentation matters as a solo HR leader, and how to build leverage for yourself and future team members Practical productivity tools Keshar uses to stay effective and efficient as a team of one This conversation is full of actionable insights for people leaders at early-stage companies, or anyone considering how to assess fit and make an impact as the first HR hire. Keshar shares concrete advice on building relationships, structuring your work, and trusting your own expertise—even when the playbook is still being written. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 17: How HR Leaders Use Storytelling to Build Alignment and Momentum - with Robin P. Zander	20 janv. 2026	00:41:48
Our guest today is Robin P. Zander, founder of Zander Media, entrepreneur, and long-time contributor to the People Leader Accelerator’s early story and brand. With a diverse background ranging from the arts and business ownership to organizational storytelling, Robin Zander brings a unique perspective on the intersection of narrative, leadership, and HR. In this episode, we explore how storytelling can shape organizational alignment, drive engagement, and elevate the business impact of people leaders. Together with Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen, Robin discusses how leaders can develop authentic stories that foster clarity, build coalitions, and help teams move forward - while remaining true to their core values and aspirations. We discuss: Robin’s eclectic career path, from acrobat and café owner to media agency founder What makes a story memorable and effective, including practical storytelling frameworks such as the four-part structure The importance of authenticity and when to reveal personal vulnerability as a leader How people leaders can collaborate with marketing to shape employer brand messaging that is both true and aspirational Why HR storytelling needs to repel and attract - moving away from corporate “vanilla” to foster real connections The impact of AI-generated content on organizational storytelling and what still makes stories truly resonate in a human way Practical approaches for HR leaders to build stronger narratives and practice storytelling in everyday settings Lessons learned from setbacks, team building, and the ongoing challenges of leadership at any scale This episode offers concrete tips and relatable examples for people leaders looking to embed storytelling into daily leadership practice, align their teams around shared purpose, and drive culture in a way that endures through change. Robin Zander’s experience underscores the value of practicing storytelling, owning your narrative, and using story as a strategic tool. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 16: A Non-Traditional Path to People Leadership - with Ryanmae McAvoy-Pepin	13 janv. 2026	00:31:50
Our guest today is Ryanmae McAvoy-Pepin, Vice President of People Operations at Blackthorn, a SaaS company specializing in Salesforce-native event management software. Ryanmae has built a career that crosses industries from veterinary practices to the ski slopes, before settling into the tech sector, where she’s now recognized for her transparency, candor, and practical approach to HR leadership. In this episode, we dig into Ryanmae’s nontraditional career arc, her philosophy on executive presence, and how she leverages authenticity to drive effective people programs at scale. We explore how Ryanmae’s drive to keep learning has shaped her career moves, why she initially turned down her recent promotion, and what it takes to build real trust with executive teams and individual employees. We also discuss how she navigates hard trade-offs around benefits, organizational change, and her commitment to keeping HR genuinely human - especially in high-growth startup environments. We discuss: Ryanmae’s path from veterinary practice management and admin work to SaaS people leader How the People Leader Accelerator and Startup Experts communities supported key career transitions The value of transparency, healthy debate, and “hot takes” in HR and executive conversations Strategies for communicating across functions and building deep trust with a CEO and executive peers Lessons learned from saying “no” to a promotion, battling imposter syndrome, and eventually stepping into top HR leadership Practical approaches for understanding your business, learning from every function, and driving influence as a strategic people leader Humanizing HR: how to support employees through difficult moments like healthcare changes, layoffs, and personal challenges Why quitting can be a positive sign of agency and mutual respect between employees and organizations Ryanmae’s favorite HR learning resources, including Smart Brevity and the power of community networks This episode is filled with candid reflections, practical advice, and actionable takeaways for people leaders in startups and growing organizations. If you’re curious about accelerating your own HR career, advocating for yourself, or building relationships that drive impact, you’ll find real-world lessons you can use right away. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 15: How HR Tech and AI Are Redefining Organizational Growth - with Eugene Lee	06 janv. 2026	00:39:58
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Eugene Lee, who joins us for an insightful conversation on investing in HR technology, the evolving responsibilities of people leaders, and how AI is transforming organizations. Eugene’s background spans M&A investment banking, operational leadership at Yahoo, Google, and Pinterest, and his current work as a venture investor at OMERS, focusing deeply on early-stage enterprise and HR tech companies. In this episode, Eugene shares his perspective as both an operator and investor. We explore the intersection of people strategy and business impact, what investors look for in high-growth companies, and how today’s HR leaders can increase their influence by embracing innovation, especially AI. We discuss: What makes HR tech an attractive and evolving investment area The shift from digitization to AI-enabled judgment and automation in HR systems How people leaders are moving into roles such as AI transformation officers The impact of AI on upskilling, workforce productivity, and company culture What HR leaders can expect from board interactions at venture-backed companies Key outcomes and metrics that matter to investors at Series A, B, and C stages Why building business acumen and data fluency increases strategic impact for people leaders The similarities between business operations and people leadership in cross-functional environments Advice on networking and building AI literacy to accelerate your HR career This episode offers practical insights for people leaders at all stages, especially those in tech or VC-backed companies looking to advance their understanding of the investment landscape, shape company culture, and become true strategic partners to their executive teams. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 14: How to Build Power and Likability in Leadership - with Kate Mason	30 déc. 2025	00:50:13
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Kate Mason, executive communications coach and author of the fascinating new book, Powerfully Likable. Kate’s career has spanned global tech companies and high-stakes startup environments, supporting leaders to communicate with impact. She brings together expertise in communications, coaching, and competitive debate to help professionals navigate the delicate balance of authority and warmth required to lead effectively. In this episode, we dig into the central question so many HR and people leaders face: Do I need to choose between being powerful or likable to be effective in my role? Drawing from her book, career experiences, and coaching practice, Kate reveals how we can transcend this false binary, communicate more authentically, and deploy strategic warmth without sacrificing authority. We discuss: Kate’s unique journey from world champion debater and big tech communications leader to executive coach The genesis and message of Powerfully Likable: Why “power versus likability” is a false choice for leaders How cultural context and company norms shape the way we communicate—including what it means to show warmth, when to use smiles strategically, and ways to ask directly without apologizing Practical techniques for HR professionals to deliver decisions, hold authority, and maintain relational currency Patterns of deference and the pitfalls of downplaying expertise to seek likability The impact of likability in the era of AI, remote work, and polarizing politics Leveraging curiosity and calm as powerful tools for navigating difficult conversations and building influence How to handle fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses in stressful workplace dynamics Scripts, strategies, and mindset shifts for showing up with confidence—especially in environments where power imbalances exist Kate’s top recommended resources for learning and honing your communications skills For those looking to strengthen their leadership presence and maximize impact within their organizations, Kate’s insights are both actionable and thought-provoking. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 13: Cultural Psychology At Work And What It Takes To Build Trust Across Borders - with Debbie Ko	23 déc. 2025	01:03:19
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Debbie Ko, a US-born cultural psychologist now based in Singapore, whose career journey has traversed academia and tech in global environments. Debbie’s expertise bridges social psychology, cultural dynamics, and real-world application for business and people leaders. She publishes the popular blog, PsykoBabble, where she explores behavioral science in organizations and the psychological roots of workplace challenges. As Senior Research Manager, APAC and SEA Consumer and Marketing Insights at Google, Debbie directs research strategy for the SEA region. Her job is to take complex human data and turn it into a clear path forward. In this episode, we sit down with Debbie to explore culture beyond HR and the practical implications of cultural psychology when working across geographies, generations, and organizational boundaries. We dive into frameworks for understanding team friction, the evolving “psychological contract” between employers and employees, and how technology, especially AI, is impacting communication, feedback, and team trust. We discuss: What cultural psychology is and why it matters for leaders in global and multi-cultural organizations Erin Meyer’s Culture Map framework and how workshops help teams identify and resolve hidden sources of friction Real examples of culture clashes, from grading participation in American classrooms to meeting silence in East Asian settings The impact of high-context versus low-context cultures on communication styles, conflict, and trust-building - especially over video and chat How seemingly small details (like punctuality or emojis) can drive misunderstanding, misinterpretation, and even offense in cross-cultural teams The power and challenges of surfacing and aligning on “psychological contracts” - the unwritten expectations that shape loyalty, productivity, and burnout Organizational culture through the lens of mergers, acquisitions, and generational shifts, and the role of clear, explicit agreements Surprising research on AI adoption, including why many employees accept feedback more easily from machines than humans, and how prompt psychology shapes AI responses Best practices for encouraging AI adoption and responsible usage within distributed teams Actionable advice on clarifying expectations, building trust, and leading diverse teams with empathy and cultural curiosity This episode is packed with grounded insights for anyone involved in people leadership, especially those working with distributed, cross-functional, or multi-cultural teams. Debbie’s stories and frameworks offer practical strategies for building more resilient, connected, and effective organizations. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 12: Scaling People and Culture Across Borders In Hypergrowth Companies - with Daniel Illes	16 déc. 2025	00:41:13
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Daniel Illes, who joined us for an in-depth discussion on career transitions, scaling high-growth organizations, and the realities of global people leadership. Daniel’s journey has taken him from New York-qualified lawyer to startup operator, people leader, and currently, a Venture Capital operator at Atomico, supporting founders across Europe on all things people, culture, and leadership. In this episode, Daniel shares candid reflections on working at companies like Lyft, WeWork, and Vinted - each with their own explosive growth stories and operational challenges. We explore his approach to navigating major career pivots, what it takes to build and lead teams at scale, and how deep business acumen can help people leaders become true strategic partners. We discuss: Daniel’s unique career path through law, operations, HR, and venture capital Lessons from scaling Lyft, WeWork, and Vinted through periods of rapid growth Cultural complexity in European organizations and how that shapes leadership and HR programs Building global benefit policies, including approaches to parental leave across multiple countries What changes when leading small teams versus large, cross-functional HR organizations The value of first principles thinking versus “best practices” and when to challenge playbooks How structured learning and formal business education can elevate a career in HR Practical advice for HR leaders looking to become more AI-curious and drive innovation This conversation is filled with insights for those navigating high-growth environments, making big career moves, or looking for ways to deepen their impact as people leaders - especially across borders and cultures. Daniel’s experience offers concrete takeaways on how empathy, business fluency, and adaptability help people leaders thrive. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 11: The Journey From Operations To People Leadership In Hospitality - Jamie Thorpe	09 déc. 2025	00:40:50
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Jamie Thorpe, SVP, People at Pursuit, joining hosts Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow for a candid conversation about leading people functions in hospitality and attraction-based organizations. Jamie brings over twelve years of HR experience covering restaurant operations, corporate HR, and high-growth environments, with prior roles at Sonic Drive-In, Taco Bueno, and Alamo Drafthouse. In this episode, we explore Jamie’s career path from frontline operations to HR leadership, including lessons learned about authenticity, vulnerability, and strategic partnership at the executive level. Jamie shares insights into the distinctive challenges and opportunities of supporting hourly workforces and transitioning organizations through acquisitions and growth. We discuss: The unique transition from operations to HR and how persistence and networking shaped Jamie’s career trajectory How to approach a new people leadership role with effective assessment, relationship-building, and transformation Comparing public company HR leadership with private equity and privately held organizations The importance of longer-term strategic planning, carving out “thinking time,” and involving peers in working sessions Hourly workforce realities - compensation, housing, training access, and employee experience The practical impacts of technology, AI adoption, and external economic shifts on HR strategy The value of learning from mentors, formal programs, and targeted professional development Jamie’s “spicy take” on performance reviews and why she believes impact comes from building manager capability rather than process alone Whether you work with hourly teams or exempt staff, lead in hospitality or tech, or are considering your next step in people operations, you’ll find Jamie’s reflections and tactical advice immediately relevant. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 10: Business First HR Meets AI for Modern People Leadership - with Q Hamirani	02 déc. 2025	00:47:41
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. Our guest today is Q Hamirani, a seasoned Chief People Officer whose unconventional career journey - from electrical engineering and finance to leading HR at companies like Airbnb and High Level - has influenced how he thinks about building effective people teams and driving business outcomes. Hosted by executive coach Jess Yuen and PLA co-founder Andrew Bartlow, we dig into practical, honest conversations about what it takes to lead modern organizations and drive impact at scale. In this episode, Q shares his pathway from engineering and FP&A into people leadership, including the pivotal role that understanding finance, business strategy, and human-centered problem solving has played in his approach as a people leader. We explore how people leaders can work more closely with CFOs and cross-functional teams, translating HR initiatives into the language of business value. Q also takes us inside his hands-on experimentation with AI tools and describes tangible ways his team has used automation to enable growth, streamline HR, and unlock new organizational capacity. We also discuss: How early career experiences in finance and FP&A can give HR leaders a business edge Why translating people programs into the language of business outcomes matters Approaches for building trust and credibility with senior leaders across disciplines Practical examples of using AI to automate compensation planning and drive communication at scale How AI can break down traditional HR silos and change the way teams are structured The potential impact of AI on the future of HR and business support functions What it looks like to move from managing metrics to enabling business success How to cultivate curiosity and cross-functional agility as a modern people leader Links: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/hamirani Website: www.hamirani.com Whether you’re in your first HR role or leading people at a fast-growing company, this conversation is filled with actionable insights on bridging the gap between people and business, scaling impact with technology, and thinking ahead in a changing world. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 9: The Lightspeed People Trends Report	25 nov. 2025	00:39:45
Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Luke Beseda, Talent Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, returning for a timely discussion about the annual Lightspeed People Trends Report. With nearly 170 venture-backed companies participating, this year’s survey delivers practical insights into how AI, hiring, and workplace productivity are transforming the landscape for people leaders and founders alike. We explore: How the adoption of AI tools is measurably boosting productivity across both technical and non-technical teams The evolving role of AI proficiency in technical hiring, and how only a small percentage of startups currently mandate it The impact of AI on workforce planning, recruiting, and talent acquisition, including the shift toward using AI for candidate sourcing and operational processes Challenges in candidate assessment, from deepfakes to the growing need for in-person interviews at remote organizations Trends in job displacement, especially for junior roles, and what this means for the next generation of talent Changes in attrition patterns—why non-regrettable (managed) departures are outpacing voluntary exits in growth-stage tech companies The latest numbers on merit budgets, how compensation decisions are being made amid a focus on efficiency, and why most companies are standardizing increases across teams Throughout the conversation, Luke Besada shares his team’s practical takeaways, including the importance of hands-on AI experimentation for HR professionals and concrete steps people leaders can take to adapt to these shifts. If you’re curious about how real-world companies are using data and new tools to navigate headcount decisions, drive performance, and future-proof talent strategies, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 8: How Creativity and Curiosity Shape Better People Leaders - with Marie Szuts	18 nov. 2025	00:45:23
Welcome to another episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we get practical about leadership, culture, and building organizations that work. Our guest today is Marie Szuts: executive coach, consultant, and co-director of the People Leader Accelerator. Marie brings a unique, multifaceted background, including early career experience in food journalism, entrepreneurship in education technology, and transformative leadership roles at high-growth startups like Figma. Marie shares her career journey, lessons learned from leading through hypergrowth, and insights on what it means to carve a non-linear path in people leadership. In this conversation, we explore the real-world challenges of scaling a company, the human side of working alongside founder CEOs, and the realities of moving into executive coaching and consulting. Marie Szuts also opens up about learning to experiment with new career directions, the role creativity plays in leadership, and how she now works with leaders facing major transitions. We discuss: The winding path from editorial work and medieval history to people leadership roles What it’s like to join Figma at employee #48 and navigate 10x organizational growth Building trust and influence with first-time founder CEOs and the lessons learned along the way Strategies for deciding what to focus on during periods of rapid change and organizational chaos Balancing ambition, rest, and the realities of personal sustainability as a leader The transition from in-house HR roles to executive coaching and consulting, and the challenges of building a portfolio career Honest advice for HR professionals considering the leap to consulting Why being a “colander, not a sponge” is key for people leaders Practical tactics for experimenting with career transitions while maintaining financial and personal well-being If you’re thinking about how to accelerate your career, embrace new challenges, or explore coaching and consulting, this conversation offers clear-eyed, actionable perspectives from a leader who’s walked the path. For show notes, bonus resources, and more, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 7: Transforming Talent Strategy in Venture Capital and Startup Ecosystems - with Luke Beseda	11 nov. 2025	00:52:46
Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Luke Beseda, longtime Talent Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, joining hosts Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow for an in-depth conversation about the evolving world of venture capital, the changing expectations of talent partners, and how HR professionals can best navigate their relationships with investors. In this episode, we explore the inner workings of VC platform and talent teams, lift the curtain on how these roles add value to both the firm and its portfolio, and share practical advice for people leaders in venture-backed environments. Luke offers candid insights from more than a decade at Lightspeed, sharing what’s changed and what remains constant in supporting founders and organizations through rapid growth and change. We discuss: How the role of the venture talent partner has evolved and what their work looks like day to day The unique challenges (and opportunities) of supporting hundreds of portfolio companies at once What HR and talent leaders should know about working effectively with their VC’s platform team How platform teams measure impact and success within a venture firm The real story behind “carry” and how compensation works for operating partners in VC Practical guidance for those interested in breaking into a talent partner or platform role The importance of internal influence, storytelling, and proactivity in both operational and advisory roles Why understanding your business’s full context is critical for people leaders Lessons from running founder and CEO development programs within a venture portfolio The value of peer networks and curiosity for ongoing HR and leadership development Whether you’re thinking about a career on the “other side of the table” or just want to be savvier in working with your investors, you’ll find plenty of actionable advice and clear-eyed perspective in this episode. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 6: Accelerating Leadership Impact and Career Growth - with Michelle Wagner	04 nov. 2025	00:40:41
Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Michelle Wagner, a seasoned executive and current Talent Partner at Playground Global. Hosted by executive coach Jess Yuen and People Leader Accelerator co-founder Andrew Bartlow, this episode takes us through Michelle’s remarkable career journey, as she reflects on her path from accidental HR leader to CEO, and now to her unique role working with founders and early-stage companies in venture capital. We dig into pivotal moments that shaped Michelle’s approach to leadership and the people function, including her transition to CEO during a time of crisis and her insights from supporting deep-tech startups. Michelle openly shares the lessons she’s learned about navigating ambiguity, building strategic partnerships, and developing the confidence to take on new challenges—often before feeling fully ready. We also explore: The story behind creative benefits like house cleaning and how listening to others sparks new policy ideas What it’s really like to be a Talent Partner in a VC firm, and how founders and HR leaders can effectively leverage this relationship Strategies for building trust and clarity as a support partner to both CEOs and People leaders Lessons Michelle took from her CEO experience, especially around managing board relationships and leading through uncertainty Her approach to identifying and amplifying the strengths of others, and why context matters in developing talent How curiosity and a passion for learning new industries has guided Michelle’s career shifts Advice for mid-career HR professionals on accelerating growth, taking initiative, and seeking out challenges Whether you’re navigating your own leadership pivot, interested in the intersection of people, business, and venture, or looking for practical strategies to increase your impact, you’ll find actionable insights in this conversation. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 5: Unlocking High Performance in People, Process, & VC Partnerships - with Heather Doshay	28 oct. 2025	00:48:40
Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Heather Doshay, the founder of Waypoint Works. Heather joins our hosts, Jess Yuen and Andrew Bartlow, for a thoughtful conversation about her unique journey across tech, VC talent leadership, and organizational development. Heather shares her insider perspective on the evolving role of VC talent partners, what it’s really like to support hundreds of startup leadership teams, and the lessons she’s carried forward into launching her own independent consultancy. Together, we explore the intersection of people strategy, business fundamentals, and the importance of choosing roles and partners, where you can both thrive and have impact. We discuss: The role of VC talent partners and how in-house HR leaders can work with them Building HR foundations for early-stage, high-growth companies and reducing organizational debt Navigating sensitive conversations with founders and investors, and practicing discretion as a people leader Candid advice on seeking and evaluating jobs for mission, business strength, and alignment with founders Heather’s career highlights at Webflow, including scaling through hypergrowth and remote-first challenges Practical frameworks for prioritizing HR initiatives - balancing big infrastructure improvements with quick wins Strategies for developing empathy and influence as an HR leader, especially when working closely with CEOs The pros and cons of formal HR education and alternative paths for professional growth How to leverage AI as an HR practitioner, using technology thoughtfully for writing and process improvement How community and peer networks can accelerate your effectiveness as a people leader Heather also announces her new venture, Waypoint Works, and shares her philosophy for building impact through advisory, coaching, and facilitation. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 4: The Power of Business Alignment in HR Career Success - with Melanie Naranjo	22 oct. 2025	00:48:42
Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Melanie Naranjo, Chief People Officer at Ethena, joining hosts Andrew Bartlow and Jess Yuen for a candid conversation about the real skills, mindset shifts, and strategies needed to accelerate a people leader’s impact at the executive table. In this episode, we explore Melanie’s career journey from her start in HR to her transition into leading people teams at high-growth startups. Melanie shares honest insights about the challenges of stepping into a Chief People Officer role, including what it takes to earn trust, develop true business acumen, and move beyond the traditional boundaries of HR. We talk openly about how people leaders can build authentic partnerships with CEOs and other executives, what it means to align work with the priorities that drive organizational success, and how to navigate the discomfort of not knowing all the answers. Melanie also discusses the importance of agency, proactive self-development, and balancing employee advocacy with commercial realities. We also discuss: The backstory of Melanie’s move to Ethena and her leap from VP to CPO Why great HR leaders learn to speak the language of business and finance How to listen for what your CEO and leadership team truly care about Lessons on earning respect and influence as the youngest or only diverse voice at the table The power of asking for direct feedback, and building your own learning opportunities How to balance empathy for employees with business priorities Real talk about “bringing your whole self to work” - and when that doesn’t feel right Melanie’s approach to challenging conversations and dissenting opinions, including leading with kindness and curiosity Practical advice on finding role models, diversifying your learning sources, and staying open to being wrong Whether you’re a first-time people leader or a seasoned executive, this episode offers honest reflections and tangible tools for deepening your impact and navigating the real challenges of C-suite HR leadership. Contact Information: Melanie Naranjo: Ethena and on LinkedIn About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com
	Episode 3: How Executive Search Is Evolving For HR Leaders In Startups & Scaleups - with Brad Warga and Ben Dewar	22 oct. 2025	00:52:48
In this episode, host Jess Yuen and co-founder Andrew Bartlow are joined by executive search experts Brad Warga (Heidrick & Struggles) and Ben Dewar (NU Advisory Partners) for an in-depth conversation about executive search in human resources within tech companies. Brad and Ben share their extensive insights into hiring Chief People Officers and senior HR talent, covering changes in candidate profiles, evolving business needs, and what today’s market truly values in HR leaders. Key Topics & Discussion Highlights: Meet Brad Warga and Ben Dewar, seasoned executive search professionals with unique perspectives on late-stage enterprise and early-stage venture-backed HR hiring. How the talent market for HR executives is evolving, especially for Chief People Officers in tech and private equity. The growing demand for HR leaders who combine business acumen with functional depth and how candidate requirements have shifted post-pandemic. Insights on how companies are tackling the AI talent war, including strategies for recruiting the elusive “$100 million AI engineer.” The realities behind HR job titles - Head of People, VP, Chief People Officer - and what actually matters when it comes to level and impact. Trends in compensation and equity for senior HR roles, how executive search firms guide clients through sticker shock, and the importance of data in negotiations. The rising expectation for in-office work and the impact of location requirements on the talent pool. Practical advice for HR professionals hoping to accelerate their careers, including where to develop the business skills that modern leaders need. How to get on the radar of top executive search firms, and why cultivating long-term relationships with recruiters benefits your career in the long run. Whether you’re leading an HR function or aspiring to your first C-level role in people leadership, this episode offers practical insights for navigating the current landscape of executive HR talent. Contact Information: Brad Warga: Heidrick & Struggles and on LinkedIn Ben Dewar: NU Advisory Partners and on LinkedIn About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen \| jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow \| peopleleaderaccelerator.com

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