CPO PLAYBOOK with Felicia Shakiba

In this eye-opening episode, Marie Kare, Head of Creative at Global Business Brand at Reddit, bravely shares her personal journey through perimenopause and the profound impact it has had on her career dynamics. Marie delves into the challenges and changes she faced, offering practical advice on navigating perimenopause and career challenges with resilience. She emphasizes the importance of fostering open conversations about women's...

In this eye-opening episode, Marie Kare, Head of Creative at Global Business Brand at Reddit, bravely shares her personal journey through perimenopause and the profound impact it has had on her career dynamics. Marie delves into the challenges and changes she faced, offering practical advice on navigating perimenopause and career challenges with resilience. She emphasizes the importance of fostering open conversations about women's...

Even if you don’t recognize Anil Joshi by name, his insights on startup success have undoubtedly shaped how many founders navigate the tumultuous waters of entrepreneurship. As the founder of Unicorn India Ventures, Anil dives deep into the realities of startup life, revealing that only a small percentage of founders actually remain as CEOs through critical milestones, with only 25% making it to an IPO.   He argues that t...

In this CPO PLAYBOOK episode, we sit down with Grant Halloran, CEO of Planful, to explore the vital role of workplace culture in achieving organizational success. Grant passionately discusses how a strong culture, built and sustained with intention, can keep performance high even through tough times. He shares the key actions Planful has taken, such as recruiting leaders who are aligned with the company’s vision, creating a culture...

Today we’re diving into something that might not be discussed as usual—though it’s still a growing concern! We’re talking about teacher turnover in early education, and how it’s bothering preschools and daycares everywhere. In this episode, Jen Shpall, Director of Piper Preschool, explains why turnover rates are so high in early childhood education. Spoiler alert: it’s not just the low pay or lack of union support—it’s also the bur...

You’ve heard plenty about mergers and acquisitions, but do you understand the pivotal role of cultural management in driving their success? In this CPO PLAYBOOK episode, we welcome Jochen Werne, CEO of Experian DACH, who shares insights from his experience leading acquisitions during the COVID pandemic. Drawing from a McKinsey article by Ignacio Fantaguzzi and Christopher Handscomb, Jochen emphasizes how M&A deals with strong c...

When it comes to navigating the complexities of today’s talent landscape, one pressing question arises: how can companies effectively implement total reward strategies? In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, we delve into the intricacies of total reward strategies with John Radford, founder of Radford Surveys. As we explore the challenges of pay equity and pay transparency, John sheds light on the growing trend where new hires often comm...

When you hear "Chief People Officer," you might not think of the intricate dance of leadership alignment and company growth, but that's exactly the journey Pat Walsh undertook at Potbelly Sandwich Works. In this episode, we welcome Pat, who shares how he helped transform Potbelly's mission, vision, and values to lay a robust foundation for the company’s ambitious growth plans. As Potbelly transitions from a smaller to a larger orga...

Naveen Kumar didn’t initially set out to lead a global enterprise. He found himself at the helm of Nityo Corporation, navigating the intricacies of global business expansion. In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, we dive into the multifaceted challenges of global expansion. Naveen shares his insights on overcoming cultural differences, effective resource management, and achieving internal alignment across diverse markets. He emphasizes ...

Let's delve into the complex issue of toxic talent in the workplace with Robert Gardner, CEO of Rebalance Earth. Robert sheds light on how highly skilled individuals can undermine team dynamics through negative behaviors, despite their competence. He emphasizes the importance of early recognition and setting clear expectations to combat this challenge effectively.  Tune in as he shares practical strategies for identifying and ...

In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, we welcome Bryce Hoover, the former Head of People Analytics at Tesla, to discuss the vital role of people analytics in driving organizational success. Bryce emphasizes the importance of having a clear purpose and well-defined organizational structure within analytics teams, advocating for direct reporting to HR leadership.  He highlights the need to prioritize HR leader success and cultivate a...

That's why it is important to consider your succession planning strategy. According to the Harvard Business Review, efficient succession planning could elevate company valuations and investor returns by 20 to 25%.  Join us as Alim Dhanji and Michael Rossi share their insights on executing successful transitions and leadership transitions at Adidas Canada. In 2021, Alim seamlessly succeeded Michael as President, and together th...

Ever heard of the Ignite Program? It's a leadership development initiative launched  by Portillo's Chief People Officer Jill Waite. The program tackles managerial retention and addresses skill gap by promoting internal talent for leadership roles and fostering critical leadership skills like communication, relationship building, and accountability.  Designed to preserve Portillo’s company culture across all locations, Ign...

In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, Felicia Shakiba welcomes Duncan O'Rourke, CEO of Accor, to discuss the pivotal role of executive teams in driving organizational success. Duncan shares his expertise on building a high-performing executive team, emphasizing results-focused leadership and the importance of values alignment in leadership. He highlights the critical traits of effective executive leaders, such as subject matter expertis...

HR strategy and business strategy should go hand in hand. This is what believed by Syreeta Brown, Group Chief People Officer (CPO) at Virgin Money. On this podcast with CPO PLAYBOOK, she explore how HR strategy can align seamlessly with business strategy for impactful results. Syreeta shares how HR initiatives can become powerful drivers of success by aligning HR strategy with company goals, using data analytics to influence decisi...

Let's address the pressing challenges faced by women in engineering and explore actionable solutions to promote diversity and inclusion in technical roles.  For this purpose, we have Jennie Ibrahim, Software Engineering Manager at Google, on this podcast. She sheds light on the low retention rates attributed to hostile environments and biases. Jennie highlights the importance of addressing insecurities...

A  seemingly harmless email can steal your data or even lock you out of your computer.  So why take that chance?  Join us as Gary Hayslip, a seasoned Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), reveals the critical role of cybersecurity leadership in combating cyber threats.  In this episode, Gary emphasizes the transformation of CISOs from technical experts to strategic leaders within the executive team. He disc...

In this enlightening episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, we turn to James Ayres, Global Talent Acquisition Leader at Archlynk. Together, we explore the dynamic landscape of remote work and its impact on talent acquisition . James highlights how the shift to remote work has opened up a global talent pool, allowing organizations to access talent from diverse cultures. He emphasizes the necessity of aligning mindsets within recruitment teams and...

In this episode of CPO PLAYBOOK, join host Felicia Shakiba as she welcomes Kyle Lagunas, Head of Strategy & Principal Analyst at Aptitude Research. Kyle dives into the intricate world of performance management, illuminating how organizations can elevate their performance management programs by prioritizing data quality and stakeholder alignment. Discover the transformative power of leveraging AI for performance management and h...