People and Strategy

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Drew Holler, former senior vice president of associate experience at Walmart, where he worked for 20 years in operations and supply chain. He’s now the CHRO at the homebuilder Lennar. Holler explains how a focus on process, technology, and first-principles helped Lennar centralize HR, streamline routine work, and redirect teams toward higher-value, “inspired” work. He reflects on how the homebuilder is navigating industry headwinds around affordability and labor supply, while strengthening leadership capabilities to improve retention and readying HR for an AI-enabled future. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, John Bernatovicz, founder of Willory, explores what it means to run HR as a true business function. Bernatovicz shares his journey leading payroll and executive search to building a virtual HR consultancy shaped by personal experience and values. He challenges the view of HR as purely administrative, calling on leaders to adopt an owner’s mindset grounded in financial understanding and strategic thinking. Through real-world stories, John illustrates how HR can shape culture while driving measurable business results. Related Article: The CHRO of The Future Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM sits down with Jackson O. Lynch, founder of The Talent Sherpa to discuss workplace safety. This special episode was recorded at the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where the duo discussed the concept of bringing your authentic self to work and why comfort is not the same thing as safety. Tune in for real world examples from the workplace, including why it’s worthwhile to forgo comfort to give employees feedback. For more information about the Visionaries Summit, visit https://shrm.org/enevents. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, former Mastercard chief people officer Michael Fraccaro reveals what makes a strong relationship between a CHRO and the board. Drawing on his years leading through transformation, Fraccaro shares how trust, openness, and regular dialogue help the board understand what’s really happening inside the organization. Plus, a trivia segment on business trends regarding the CHRO-board relationship. Fraccaro reflects on lessons from his time at Mastercard — from navigating generational shifts and AI adoption to embedding decency into leadership — and why the CHRO’s role with the board is as much about listening and learning as it is about advising. Related article: The CHRO & the Board: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/people-strategy/chro-board-expanding-seat-of-influence The Evolving Role of the CHRO in the Boardroom report mentioned: https://www.conference-board.org/publications/the-evolving-role-of-the-CHRO-in-the-boardroom Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, SHRM’s CHRO Jim Link and CFO Jane Hadley join us in the studio to unpack what true executive alignment looks like when people and finance leaders work as one. Plus, see how well they know each other through a game segment. Through candid conversation and a few laughs, they reveal how trust, curiosity, and data fluency help bridge dollars and decisions, creating a shared vision for growth. From budget season to incentive planning, Link and Hadley show how understanding each other’s “puzzle pieces” strengthens business performance. Their partnership models a modern C-suite where collaboration, not competition, drives both financial health and a thriving workplace culture. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Claire MacIntyre, senior VP and chief people officer at Sam’s Club, explores what it means to lead through the rise of AI while keeping people at the center. She shares why today’s leaders may guide the last fully human workforce, and how HR can shape an era of “people-led, tech-powered” work. From reimagining jobs around purpose and creativity to advancing skills-based hiring, MacIntyre challenges CHROs to move beyond scarcity thinking, embrace AI as an enabler, and design workplaces where technology amplifies — not replaces — human potential. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, hear Brad Winn’s hard-won lessons on executive influence and the messy realities of organizational politics. Winn is a professor of leadership and strategy in the Huntsman School of Business, executive MBA director at Utah State University, and senior editor of the People + Strategy Journal. Winn draws upon his time as a member of the Utah House of Representatives to offer insight into how to navigate high-stakes negotiations in both the public and private sector. Listeners will gain tips on how senior HR leaders can go beyond great ideas to move through resistance, build trust, and drive meaningful change. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Bob Goodwin, president of Career Club, unpacks why HR leaders must speak the language of CEOs and CFOs to secure influence in the boardroom. Drawing on research, case studies, and his work with executives, Bob reveals how financial fluency, business acumen, and data-driven storytelling can elevate HR from a “soft” function to a strategic driver of growth. Learn how CHROs can bridge the disconnect with the C-Suite to stay indispensable in an era of cost pressures and AI disruption. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r