Why Most New HR Leaders Fail in Their First 90 Days

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Sarah Stary, Vice President Global Head of People and Organisation and Internal Communications at Swisslog Healthcare. Sarah breaks down what it really takes to lead transformation in a complex global business. She explains why standardizing the basics, especially onboarding and recruiting, became a high-impact priority, how her team built global consistency with local nuance, and why too many leaders still get distracted by innovation before fixing the fundamentals.Sarah also shares a more important leadership lesson. Do not rush to prove your value in the first 90 days. Instead, she argues that credibility is built by listening, traveling, understanding culture, and making changes that fit the business you are actually in, not the one you just left. The conversation also explores clear communication, trust-building, team autonomy, shared services, AI adoption, and culture integration inside the broader KUKA group.🎓 In this episode, Sarah discusses: Why new HR leaders lose credibility when they move too fast before understanding culture How clear communication, in-person trust-building, and local dialogue accelerated buy-in for change How to balance global process consistency with local market realities, customs, and business needs Why standardizing onboarding and recruiting created outsized impact across a fragmented global organization How Swisslog Healthcare is thinking about shared services, AI adoption, product capability building, and values integration with KUKA🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Frederic Patitucci, Chief People & Culture Officer at Philip Morris International, to unpack how one of the world’s largest organizations is transforming both its business model and its workforce capabilities at the same time.Frederic explains how PMI’s bold shift toward a smoke-free future forced the company to rethink its operating model, moving from a single-product cigarette business to a complex multi-category innovation company spanning consumer technology, healthcare, and new consumer experiences.He shares how this transformation required new skills, new operating structures, and a completely redefined company culture, including codifying the PMI DNA and embedding it directly into hiring, performance management, leadership development, and everyday decision-making.Most importantly, Frederic reveals why the future of HR lies in managing skills instead of jobs, preparing employees for the skills that are rising, and helping people avoid career dead ends before disruption makes those roles obsolete.🎓 In this episode, Frederic discusses:Why managing skills is becoming more important than managing jobsHow organizations can prepare employees for future skills before disruption hitsWhy culture had to be codified to integrate thousands of new leaders joining the organizationHow PMI embedded its cultural values directly into hiring, performance, and leadership systemsHow PMI is transforming from a traditional cigarette company into a smoke-free innovation companySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Andre Heinz, Chief People and Culture Officer at Celonis, to unpack what HR leadership really looks like inside a company scaling at rocket speed.Andre explains why growth has no mercy in fast scaling organizations, and why HR must constantly think two to three years ahead while still managing the intense operational demands of today. He shares how Celonis went from 800 to over 3,500 employees, and what it takes to build systems, culture, and talent strategies that actually scale with that kind of speed.Most importantly, he breaks down why HR must act as the guardian of organizational health, protecting the cultural DNA of the company while ensuring talent quality, operational efficiency, and leadership maturity keep pace with the speed of growth.🎓 In this episode, Andre discusses:Why HR must act as the guardian of organizational healthWhat it takes to scale systems without losing startup agilityHow to maintain a high talent bar during hypergrowth hiringWhy fast scaling companies must think two to three years aheadHow Celonis scaled from 800 to 3,500 employees without losing its culture🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Carlo Steenvoorden, EVP HR People Services, Analytics & HR AI at KPN, to unpack how a 100+ year old telecom company is moving from legacy HR systems to a fully conversational AI powered employee experience.Carlo explains why KPN made a bold decision to declare that the future of HR interactions is conversational, with systems pushed to the back end and one intelligent interface in front. He shares how reducing human led HR queries from €15–20 per case to cents per prompt unlocked both massive efficiency gains and a better employee experience.Most importantly, he breaks down the real transformation behind the technology, from rebuilding HR team capabilities, to adopting product thinking, to deciding where AI belongs and where humans must stay firmly in the loop.🎓 In this episode, Carlo discusses:Why in-house AI development accelerated transformationHow hyper personalized learning replaces one size fits all trainingHow HR query costs dropped from €15–20 to cents per interactionWhy 25–35% of the HR team had to be renewed to move fast enoughHow KPN shifted from legacy HR screens to a single conversational interface🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Ilja Bitterling, VP Skills Intelligence & Performance Management at Deutsche Telekom, to unpack how large organizations can finally make skills data usable, trusted, and decision ready.Ilja explains why skills intelligence is not about inventories, but about creating a shared language that connects workforce decisions, performance outcomes, and future readiness. He breaks down how Deutsche Telekom moves from fragmented skill signals to clear, comparable insights leaders can actually act on.Most importantly, he shares why performance management and skills cannot live apart anymore, and how organizations that connect them move faster, allocate talent better, and avoid betting the future on outdated role assumptions.🎓 In this episode, Ilja discusses:Why fragmented skill data slows workforce readinessWhat it takes to make skills credible at enterprise scaleHow shared skill language improves mobility and planningWhy skills intelligence must support decisions, not documentationHow Deutsche Telekom connects skills and performance, not just roles🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Vincent Lecerf, Executive Vice President, Human Resources at Orange, to unpack how purpose, diversity, and skills become real business levers inside a fast moving telecom and technology environment.Vincent explains why serving communities is not brand marketing, it’s an operating model, from safer phones for children to digital education for seniors, and why HR must integrate DEI directly into strategy, governance, and incentives, not treat it as a side initiative.Most importantly, he shares how skills expiration, inclusive leadership, and AI acceleration are forcing CHROs to rethink reskilling cycles, leadership accountability, and how change happens with people, not to them.🎓 In this episode, Vincent discusses:How diverse teams drive innovation and inclusive AIHow Orange embeds DEI directly into business strategy and incentivesHow AI acceleration changes HR’s role from policy owner to skills architect Why skills expire in three years, not decades, and what HR must do about itWhy community service and inclusion strengthen brand trust and performance🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Vincent Dupuis, Vice President HR Digital & AI at Airbus, to unpack how organizations should decide what to automate, what to augment, and what must be protected as AI reshapes work at scale.Vincent explains why augmentation, not replacement, is the real story of AI at work, using powerful analogies to show how AI should extend human capability, not hollow it out. He breaks down how Airbus thinks about freeing people from low value tasks, while deliberately protecting deep expertise, critical thinking, and safety critical knowledge.Most importantly, he shares why ethical governance, human in the loop learning, and robust knowledge roots are non negotiable in environments where quality, trust, and safety define success.🎓 In this episode, Vincent discusses:How automation should free time for higher value human workWhy augmentation beats replacement as the dominant AI modelHow Airbus embeds ethical AI governance before access is grantedWhy protecting deep expertise and critical thinking is essential for safetyHow Airbus decides which work should be augmented, automated, or protected🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Jayney Howson, SVP Global Workforce Skills & Talent Readiness at ServiceNow , to unpack why “talent readiness” has become a burning platform for companies trying to keep pace with AI, platform adoption, and customer transformation. Jayney shares how ServiceNow builds skills for both its 28,000 employees and the millions of practitioners who power ServiceNow implementations inside the world’s largest enterprises, including 85% of the Fortune 500.She explains how ServiceNow built ServiceNow University, an AI powered, hyper personalized learning platform designed around the concept of the “University of You”, where every learner’s journey adapts to their context, their role, their skills, and their career aspirations. Jayney breaks down why minimum viable duration, skills profiles, and embedded learning experiences are replacing traditional course catalogs, and why democratizing training (including making it free) unlocks capability at global scale.Most importantly, she shares why transparency, trust, and psychological safety matter more than ever as skills shift, roles evolve, and automation changes the nature of work, and why, if we do this right, the future of work becomes more human, not less.🎓 In this episode, Jayney discusses:How to embed learning into the flow of work and the flow of careerWhy democratizing training creates global talent pipelines at scaleHow ServiceNow University personalizes learning through AI and skills dataWhy learning must shift to minimum viable duration and assessment led experiencesWhy talent readiness became a burning platform for ServiceNow internally and externally🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with David Sperl, Head of HR for Advanced Visualization Solutions at GE HealthCare, to unpack how HR earns real business credibility by shipping outcomes, not PowerPoints, inside a heavily regulated, science driven environment.David explains why AI literacy must move from theory to hands-on practice, how microlearning and shared baseline tools help drive adoption, and why leadership advocacy is essential to scale change across technical, clinical, and commercial teams. He breaks down GE HealthCare’s four stages of AI adoption, how communities of practice create demand pull, and why unlearning outdated mental models is now harder than learning new ones.Most importantly, he shares why user experience and friction removal are the real unlocks for AI in HR and business, and why the future of change isn’t “change management”, it’s change agility.🎓 In this episode, David discusses:What HR learns sitting inside a complex, regulated product lifecycleWhy HR must understand the product, customer, and clinical contextWhy feedback loops beat annual talent cycles in innovation environmentsHow role clarity unlocks productivity across scientific and commercial teamsHow to build talent systems that match the speed of innovation, not bureaucracy🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Kristen A. Pressner, Global Head of People & Culture at Roche, to unpack why neurodiversity may be the single biggest untapped advantage in the post-AI workplace.Kristen explains why most organisations are sitting on “free upside”, talented people already inside the business who are not thriving because work was designed for one type of brain. She shares why only ~25% of employees feel psychologically safe, and why the line manager is the biggest determinant of whether neurodivergent employees thrive or merely survive.Most importantly, she reframes neurodiversity away from labels and diagnoses, and toward practical, human questions, how do you work best, what gives you energy, and what conditions help you shine, and why asking those questions changes performance, engagement, and learning at scale.🎓 In this episode, Kristen discusses:Why creating brain-friendly environments is “free upside” in a post-AI worldWhy interest, urgency, and novelty, not importance, drive action for many peopleThe role of line managers as the single biggest differentiator in employee thrivingWhy neurodiversity is not about diagnosis, but about how brains process motivation, focus, and energyHow workplaces accidentally label potential as laziness when they misunderstand neurodivergent behavior🙏‍ Thank you to our series partner - atlas copilotMeet the AI-native adaptive learning platform that builds the course, teaches the skill, and proves the impact, while work is happening, not weeks later → https://www.atlascopilot.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.