Strategy beats panic when work changes this fast. We sit down with Karla Eidem, North American Regional Managing Director at the Project Management Institute, to explore how HR can turn AI disruption into a springboard for skills, execution, and meaningful outcomes. From facts over fear to practical, lightweight tools, we walk through the moves that help teams adapt with less noise and more impact.
Karla breaks down the PMI Talent Triangle—power skills, ways of working, and business acumen—and shows why these capabilities now matter across every HR function. We dig into skills-based hiring, internal mobility, and creating early-career on-ramps when routine tasks are automated. If you’ve ever run a “meeting for everyone with no one accountable,” you’ll get immediate value from simple project tools like a team register, a sharp charter, and a clear cadence that turns ambition into action.
We also tackle the tough questions about AI: where it helps, where it can’t, and how HR should evaluate tools to truly capture value. Karla shares field stories, including leading a COVID-19 vaccine rollout, to illustrate how project management provides structure in ambiguity. Plus, we highlight insights from her SHRM session and extend an invitation to stay connected with PMI’s global community through year-round learning and networking, including the annual PMI Global Summit.
If you’re ready to shift from operations to strategic leadership, this conversation offers a practical playbook. Subscribe, share this episode with your team, and leave a review with the one skill you’re prioritizing next—we’ll feature our favorites in a future show.
Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast
The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.
Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.
Episode Transcript
Welcome to the HR Chat Show, one of the world's
most downloaded and sharedpodcasts designed for HR pros,
talent execs, tech enthusiasts,and business leaders.
For hundreds more episodes andwhat's new in the world of work,
subscribe to the show, follow uson social media, and visit
hrgazette.com.
SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
Welcome to another episode of the HR Chat Pod.
Hello, listeners.
This is your host today, BillBannham.
And in this episode, we're goingto explore how HR leaders can
prepare their workforces for arapidly evolving future shaped
by AI automation and constanttransformation.
Joining me on the show today isnone other than the amazing
(00:47):
Carla Idom, North AmericanRegional Managing Director at
the Project ManagementInstitute, also known as PMI,
the world's leading authority onproject, program and portfolio
management.
Since 1969, PMI has been helpingmillions of professionals and
organizations deliver resultsthrough better project
(01:08):
execution.
From the renowned PMPcertification to global learning
networks, PMI has becomesynonymous with turning ideas
into impact.
And Carla is passionate abouthelping HR and business leaders
understand that projectmanagement isn't just for
project managers, actually.
In fact, it's foundational tosuccess and transformation
(01:30):
across every function, includinghuman resources.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
I am doing great.
Thanks for having me, Bill.
How are you?
SPEAKER_03 (01:42):
I am good.
I am good as we record thistoday.
Otherwise, I'm good, Carla.
And I'm excited for this chat.
So um beyond beyond myreintroduction just a moment
ago, why don't we start by uh byhelping our listeners who are
less familiar with PMI?
Can you give can you give theman overview of the organization
(02:06):
and its mission?
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
Absolutely, Bill.
Thanks again.
Uh PMI, uh, as you mentioned, isthe leading authority in project
management.
And we are dedicated tosupporting and elevating the
profession.
Our purpose is to maximizeproject success, to elevate our
world.
And we do this through ourglobal or gold standard
(02:29):
certifications.
We've got career-long learningand development tools and
resources.
And of course, at the center ofit all is our community.
We've got over 1.8 millioncertified professionals around
the globe and local chapters,over 300 of them around the
world.
In North America, we have 133local chapters in the US, 18 in
(02:53):
Canada, and one in theCaribbean, and over half a
million certification holders.
So it's a giant community thatis there to support the
profession and the journey ofeach uh project professional.
SPEAKER_02 (03:07):
Thanks for listening to this episode of the HR Chat
Podcast.
If you enjoy the audio contentwe produce, you'll love our
articles on the HR Gazette.
Learn more at hrgazette.com.
And now back to the show.
SPEAKER_03 (03:23):
All right, rock and roll.
Thank you very much.
So obviously the world of workis evolving faster than ever.
From your perspective, Carla,when it comes to what you guys
are seeing at PMI.
How are how are tech shifts,especially AI, changing what
organizations need from theirpeople?
SPEAKER_00 (03:42):
At PMI, we are seeing that businesses face
rapid transformation, whetherit's digital transformation or
AI, and of course, we've goteconomic shifts.
And with that, uh, organizationswill need talent that can adapt.
With these new business modelsand uh emerging technologies,
they're evolving faster thantraditional education systems
(04:06):
can keep up.
And that's why there is anopportunity for uh organizations
to focus on skills.
And this is where HR can be atthe center of it, where they can
build more resilient andfuture-ready workforces,
improving internal mobility andretention, and of course,
ultimately aligning talentdevelopment with organizational
(04:28):
strategy and innovation.
SPEAKER_03 (04:31):
Excellent.
Regular listeners of this show,Carla, will know that I am a bit
of a cynic when it comes to AIand its impact on the world of
work, specifically lots of typesof jobs, but maybe I am wrong.
I hope so.
Uh recently we heard predictionsfrom Amazon and JP Morgan
leaders about job losses andskill shortages tied to
(04:54):
artificial intelligence.
In your opinion, what do thesestatements tell us about the
urgency for human resources toact now?
SPEAKER_00 (05:02):
I think there are many people that are joining you
with a type of curiosity orsometimes even fear of the
unknown.
But what we at PMI evenencourage our own project
professionals is that you it ishard to understand what's truly
happening without the facts.
So we have to stay facts overfear.
(05:23):
And if you are not learning whatAI can bring and how it can make
our project professionalsbetter, faster in what they do,
because it automates, it canpotentially automate or remove
some of this routine tasks sothat people can focus on the
more complex uh problem-solvingopportunities, then everyone
(05:48):
really needs to see the value ofopskilling and reskilling.
It's those that don't understandor even try to understand what
AI can do, can be left behind.
I think that's that's the we gotto do some myth busting, I
believe.
And I share that same kind ofcuriosity with you.
And this is not the first timethat we've had this kind of
(06:08):
shift in technology.
I mean, back in the early 2000sis when the Y2K happened, and a
lot of organizations did a lotof preparations to make sure
that they are ready.
So, with that same mindset ofbeing ready, um, gathering the
information, the facts, toensure that we are uh keeping up
with the trends and and what AIcan bring and understanding the
(06:31):
value of it, I think that's wewere we are going to be better
positioned in in uh havingskills in our teams continue to
be elevated.
And the the jobs that uh requirea lot of navigating through
complexity and ambiguity, that'swhere where the the human and
(06:53):
the loop definitely comes intoplay, right?
Those are the things that cannotbe automated or will be hard to
be to be automated.
SPEAKER_03 (07:02):
Completely agree with what you just said there
towards the end about thecomplexity piece.
Uh just a quick follow-up toyour answer there.
What about the more uh inaverted commerce, the the more
simple jobs, um the lower skilljobs, uh particularly here?
I'm thinking about entry-levelworkers.
How on earth do they enter thejob market today if lots of
(07:23):
those uh lower skill jobs, thethe the tasks that don't require
lots of um lots of knowledgebuilt up over a over a career,
um, how do they get a foot inthe door?
SPEAKER_00 (07:35):
That's a fair question.
I often get asked that questionanyway, within the community.
Um, and oftentimes I I what Itry to advise our upcoming
leaders or those that areentering the workforce for the
first time is we might beforgetting the opportunity to
network.
I think beyond the skills, yourcommunity, the people that can
(07:59):
vouch for your power skills oryour communication skills, your
ability to work with otherpeople, that's equally
important.
And that's why at PMI, we havesomething what we call the
talent triangle.
So there's three legs of thattriangle, and one of them is the
power skills.
And like I said, examples ofthose would be the human
(08:20):
components or what we call thecommunication, collaborative
leaderships, you know, strategicthinking.
And then you have the technicalside of it or the ways of
working, and then the last bitwould be business acumen.
If you're new to the industry, Ithink the first, one of the
first things that you need toalso complement your education
(08:44):
is your ability to form acommunity around you.
And that's where the networkingcomes into play.
Networking is not a side hustle,it shouldn't be something that
you do only when you need a job,because it is those people that
can be with you throughout yourjourney.
Sometimes those people can opendoors.
And if they can see that you cando more than just do data entry
(09:07):
jobs and you are a problemsolver or a critical thinker,
then that puts you on top of uhthe rest of the candidates.
So I think it's the mindsetshift, Bill, that our new
entries to the workforce need topay attention to beyond what
they've uh acquired througheducation or through training
(09:28):
and equip themselves with thosepower skills.
SPEAKER_03 (09:32):
I absolutely love that answer.
Um, partly because I'm a bit ofan extrovert and I love
networking myself.
But um, you know, it it wasn'tmany years ago on this show we
were talking about front-end orback end developers commanding
these extraordinary wagesstraight out of uh college,
right?
Forget about that now.
Most of those roles areredundant.
It's been replaced by AI.
(09:52):
They need to get out there, theyneed to network, they get they
need to get the experience, theyneed to build the relationships
so that they can put themselvesin a situation where they are
employable today, and that'sgreat advice.
So thank you very much.
Um, continuing through, youyou've said before that great
ideas often fail because theylack structure.
Why is project management such acritical success factor for
(10:12):
HR-led transformationinitiatives?
SPEAKER_00 (10:16):
Uh in my career, I don't I don't believe I've I've
mentioned this, but this is my20th year as a project
professional.
So before I even joined BMI, um,I was doing projects and leading
projects for the last 20 years.
And I've worked with um HRdepartments from financial
services and healthcare andnot-for-profit organizations.
And what I found is thatregardless of your industry and
(10:39):
your role, project managementskills become fundamental
skills.
When you understand how to putthings together and the order of
things and how to work withpeople to encourage them, to
motivate them so that they'reworking towards the same goal,
it's it's it's making thingshappen.
(10:59):
That's what project managementdoes.
And so you don't necessarilyneed to have a project
management title to be able todo that.
And what project management,especially at PMI, what we
impart to project professionalsand through the certifications
and the training that we haveare the tools and the frameworks
and the capabilities.
(11:20):
And more importantly, I'll saythis again, it's the mindset
shift, right?
When you're at a situation whereit's high stakes, you know,
you've got all these umcomplexities in place.
When you have projectmanagement, you will at least
know which tools to pull from.
And and and if you know how todo that, then you can guide the
(11:40):
rest of the team on how to gothrough in solving this problem.
And a quick example I could giveyou is that I actually led the
COVID-19 vaccine implementationin the healthcare systems that I
used to work for.
I mean, at that time, if youremember, Bill, the whole world
was worried about so manythings.
(12:01):
We didn't know what was going tohappen.
We didn't know when vaccines aregonna come.
I leaned on my projectmanagement skills to know
exactly which tool to use and tosolve the problem at hand.
And it's a combination ofskills.
It's not just the tools and theframeworks, but those power
skills that that balancing ofthe power skills and getting the
team motivated, but moreimportantly, understanding the
(12:23):
business too.
I didn't know I would know moreabout vaccines my entire life
until I got there, but you arethe translator.
As a project manager, you arethe translator between business
and um the team that you'releading.
And in in HR, that's often yourrole, anyway.
You're the translator betweenwhat the the strategy is and how
(12:45):
to achieve it through all theseinitiatives that are driven by
HR professionals.
So there's there's an importantopportunity there for our HR
leaders and not only HR leaders,but any role for that matter.
SPEAKER_03 (13:07):
Do you think do you think in terms of personality
type, do you think the mostsuccessful project managers are
folks who are naturally outgoingextroverts, or actually are they
a bit more analytical?
Get given your last answer.
What are your thoughts there?
SPEAKER_00 (13:22):
That is a great question, Bill.
I don't think it is arequirement for you to be an
extrovert to do this job.
I think what is required fromyou is yes, being organized and
analytical will actually be agood starting point because uh
project managers oftentimes makesense of the chaos.
(13:44):
They provide that that structurearound the chaos.
And uh I I personally don'tenjoy puzzles, but I enjoy
putting together the pieces whenI'm leading a project, which is
very interesting, very uh youknow, contradicting to that.
But I enjoy knowing pulling theright resources at the right
time, pulling the right tools atthe right time.
(14:06):
So being organized and beinganalytical will be critical.
But more importantly, if you donot enjoy working with people,
that's gotta be hard becauseproject managers lead teams, and
these teams don't necessarilyreport to you.
And when they don't, what do youdo?
It's your level of influence andyour your motivation with the
(14:29):
teams that will definitely uhyou know propel you to leading
the project teams.
SPEAKER_03 (14:36):
Okay, so many HR leaders may not see themselves
as project people.
What are some ways that maybethey can begin applying project
management principles to driveimpact in their organization?
SPEAKER_00 (14:51):
I think that's what most people don't often realize
is that they are informalproject managers.
Everybody does a project anyway.
And in fact, that was a questionI asked when I was at CHERM
recently.
I asked the room how many ofthem do projects, and every
single hand was raised.
(15:11):
And these are age are leaders,right?
They know that they're leadingprojects and they might not even
have the title or uh don't evenhave the resources, project
managers within the team.
But where they can start reallyis A, this is why PMI exists.
We are here to support theprofession.
We even have a free coursecalled the Kickoff.
(15:34):
That's a good starting point tojust learn the and understand
what project management isabout.
We have many other resourceswithin PMI, but more
importantly, I'm sure that theseHR leaders would probably know
the project managers in theirdepartment or in their
organization.
And I have done that in the pastwhere HR did not have a project
(15:56):
manager, and I consulted withthem as a teammate.
Uh, and I just taught them a fewbasic things, like uh a project
team register.
And that sounds technical, butit's literally a very simple yet
powerful tool.
I'm sure you've experiencedthis, Bill, where you're in the
whole room with 50 people tryingto lead a project and you're
(16:19):
trying to go somewhere, butnobody takes the time to list
all the all the people that areinvolved and their role in that
project.
And sometimes it becomes ameeting for everyone with no
one, no one that is trulyresponsible for the job that
needs to be done.
That's a quick tool, justlisting who's part of the of the
(16:43):
project that you're leading,what are their roles?
Do they have the expertise toreally contribute to this
project?
And it's often overlooked.
I I go to teams and I sometimesconsult and for friends, even
when they don't have projectmanagers in their team.
And as you can tell, I'm verypassionate about project
management.
So I typically teach them a toolor two.
(17:05):
But at PMI, we have manyresources and um they can check
them out.
And like I said, I'm surethey've met a project manager or
two in their career or evenwithin their team.
It's a good time to check in andintroduce yourself to a project
manager.
SPEAKER_03 (17:22):
I didn't make it to SHERM this year.
I try and go most years.
I was at HL Tech a few weeks agoin Vegas, but I didn't make it
to SHEM.
I heard great things.
You spoke at Sherm as well, Iunderstand.
You you spoke on maximizing HR'spotential, a new approach to
project execution.
What were some of the keytakeaways that you hope
attendees walked away with?
SPEAKER_00 (17:41):
Yeah, I was very fortunate to have uh an
excellent panel um for thatsession.
And I felt so bad because we hadto close the door.
It was a full session.
Um, there were many people uhthat came to that session at
7:30 a.m.
on a Monday morning.
And what that tells you, Bill,is that it truly is depicting
(18:04):
what we've seen at PMI, that ourour work is really shifting into
a project-based economy, right?
Like every single person in theroom, like I said earlier,
raised their hand when I askedhow many of you are leading
projects.
And what we've talked about withthe panel are a few things.
One, what truly contributes tofailed projects?
(18:28):
Um, and what we've found is thatsometimes understanding just
some basic frameworks and toolsand project management can make
your life easy as an HR leaderto know where you're going and
how to pull uh the resourcesthat you need.
That's one.
Two, we talked about AI.
We certainly talked about thechallenges that um twofold, the
(18:48):
challenges in in terms ofhiring, right?
With the rise of AI, how is thatbecoming a challenge in terms of
hiring and growing talent?
And how HR needs to now shift alittle bit into looking into
skill-based workforce orskill-based hiring and building
resilient teams.
And the other side is uh how itimpacts them, how AI impacts
(19:12):
them as an HR professional.
What tools are they using?
If they're not spending time tounderstand the tool, then it is
hard to get the value out of thetool.
So the the panelists um in thatsession shared some tips and
tricks of of how to do that andhow to use some of these tools
(19:32):
for their benefit.
And the last part is that theyare not alone.
That we have the same way thatthe HR community is diverse and
huge, the project professionalcommunity is big.
We have over 700,000 members inthe world.
So there are many of those thattruly understand and have the
(19:55):
skills and how to lead projects.
And I will hook in again what Italked about at the beginning,
which is networking.
Networking is not only anopportunity for our new people
entering the workforce, it'sapplicable to any professional.
So it's important to expand yourperspective and expand your
network and your community toacquire skills that you may not
(20:19):
have today.
So there were very good examplesthat were given by the
panelists.
And um, I could talk all day,but one more thing that I wanted
to mention is that we put aspotlight on what is truly at
the heart of each of theseprojects.
It is the people.
You cannot do these projectswithout the people.
And who is at a uh at the centerof it all?
(20:41):
HR now need to shift theirthinking from just being
operational into being strategicpartners in their organization.
SPEAKER_03 (20:50):
Okay, very good.
Wow, you covered a lot there.
Thank you very much.
Um, so you love Sherm, youtravel over time, and any other
big events that you're involvedwith, PMI is involved with that
you'd like to highlight uh toour listeners?
SPEAKER_00 (21:04):
Yeah, absolutely.
Well, the largest signature PMIevent is coming up soon.
It's November 12th to the 15,and it's called the PMI Global
Summit, happening in Phoenix,Arizona.
And when I go to these events,uh and not just as the regional
managing director for NorthAmerica, I get this little bit
of FOMO.
You know, I have been a projectprofessional, and this is the
(21:27):
place to be, not only for allthe networking, but for the
learning and advancing yourskills.
This is where you find yourpeople.
So I highly encourage you,whether you are an official
project manager or an accidentalproject manager or an HR leader
that's leading to projects, docheck that out.
(21:48):
Um, we've got hundreds andhundreds of sessions.
We've got amazing keynotes, butlike I said, nothing beats human
connection in a place like PMIGlobal Summit on November 12th
to the 15th.
SPEAKER_03 (22:01):
Rock and roll, we love a shameless plug on this
show.
Uh just a couple more questionsfor you before we do wrap up for
today.
As we look towards the next fewyears, how can HR leaders and
PMI work together to close theskills gap, embrace AI
responsibly, and prepare peoplefor the work of the future?
SPEAKER_00 (22:23):
Absolutely.
I think HR, again, is at a pointwhere it needs to shift from
operational to strategicleadership.
And when you need tofuture-proof your workforce,
that means you need to focus onagility and adaptability and
capability building.
And where project managementcomes into play is what that's
(22:45):
where we provide the frameworksto navigate that uncertainty and
the ambiguity and deliver atransformation.
HR leaders must also preparetheir teams for disruptions like
AI and digital transformationand to partner with project
managers or to partner withproject professionals, what that
(23:07):
does is it ensures that thesechanges are implemented
effectively and creating realoutcomes.
We were so excited to be atSHERM this year.
Hopefully, we'll be there againnext year.
I think there are sharedcapabilities and mindsets that
we can learn from each other.
So looking forward to thatstronger partnership, hopefully,
in the future.
SPEAKER_03 (23:28):
Yeah, I think Sherm 2026 is in Orlando, Florida.
So as a chap who spends most ofhis time under the clouds in the
UK these days, that sounds quitenice.
So I'm hoping I'm hoping to getover there and maybe we'll see
each other in person.
Uh, just finally for today,Carla, how can our listeners
connect with you?
So uh maybe that's LinkedIn,maybe you might want to share
(23:50):
your email, maybe all overInstagram, TikTok, and places.
And of course, how how can theylearn more about PMI?
SPEAKER_00 (23:58):
Well, thank you for the opportunity.
Please uh find me on LinkedInand my email is carla.idom at
PMI.org.
And of course, our website ispacked with all the tools, the
resources, thought leadershipfor project professionals and HR
professionals alike.
Uh, so that's PMI.org.
SPEAKER_03 (24:21):
Wonderful.
Well, that just leaves me to sayfor today.
Um, although I will be chasingyou to do another one of these,
I think.
But for today, Carla, thank youvery much for being my guest.
SPEAKER_00 (24:30):
Thanks so much, Bill.
This was a lot of fun.
Have a great day.
SPEAKER_03 (24:34):
And listeners, as always, until next time, happy
working.
SPEAKER_01 (24:41):
Thanks for listening to the HR Chat Show.
If you enjoyed this episode, whynot subscribe and listen to some
of the hundreds of episodespublished by HR Gazette?
And remember, for what's new inthe world of work, subscribe to
the show, follow us on socialmedia, and visit hrgazette.com.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.