Burnout, Breakthroughs, and Building People-First Teams: Career Lessons and Growth with Cindy Gordon

On this episode of Pathfinders, we are joined by the one and only Cindy Gordon, Chief People Officer at Madison Energy Infrastructure. Cindy takes us on a wild, thoughtful, and inspiring career journey that includes wanting to be a dump truck driver, a fashion designer, AND a pro wrestler. (Yes, a triple threat if there ever was one.)

Cindy shares how she navigated her career using curiosity, courage, and a willingness to follow what felt interesting, even when the path wasn’t linear. From studying psychology, nutrition, and zoology, to building her career at McKinsey over 15 years across roles in HR, recruiting, and professional development, Cindy crafted her own map by chasing what lit her up.

We dig into how she transitioned from consulting into leadership at startups like Oscar Health and Policygenius, before starting her own consulting practice. Now, as the first-ever CPO at Madison Energy Infrastructure, she’s building a people-first function from the ground up.

Cindy shares practical advice on building your personal board of advisors, battling burnout before it beats you, and the importance of asking for help; not as a sign of weakness but as a tool for growth. She drops wisdom on the power of reflection, proactive networking, and how even small wins can create big impact.

Oh, and she’s also on an eternal quest for the world’s best chocolate chip cookie, croissant, and Neapolitan pizza. (New Yorkers, you’ll want to take notes!)