Dive into concise, insightful conversations with industry leaders in our new podcast series. Each episode unveils the wealth of resources and connections available through your HRPA membership while delivering valuable career wisdom from seasoned HR professionals who've navigated the challenges you face today. Subscribe now to transform your professional journey—available wherever you get your podcasts, in both audio and video formats.
Season Two
Inside the New York Times: A CHRO's Lessons on Influence and Growth
Jacqueline Welch became EVP and CHRO of The New York Times just as a pandemic, civil unrest, and political upheaval converged. In this episode, she tells host Ani Huang how that collision shaped her leadership — and shares the moment a grieving employee in a restroom led her to rewrite a company's bereavement policy on the spot. "It's not culture fit, it's culture add," she says, describing how she weighs hires against the health of a team.
Earn Your Seat: Adding Value Beyond HR
"Not waiting to make some difficult choices is really in your best interest, because you're going to end up making them anyway." — Kim Hauer
Kim Hauer didn't plan a career in HR. It found her during a college internship at Caterpillar, when an assignment to interview an HR manager turned into a job offer. Nearly 20 years later, she was the company's CHRO. In this episode, Hauer, now Executive Vice President and Chief HR Officer at SC Johnson, tells Ani Huang about the moment that changed how she leads: fainting in a hallway overseas after saying yes to everything. "I have to lead and operate differently," she realized, "and take control of my career."
Lessons on Courage, Change, and Trust
Monique Herena didn't set out to become a CHRO — she stumbled into HR at a career fair she almost skipped on her way out with friends. Thirty years and four companies later, she's Chief Colleague Experience Officer at American Express and the longest-serving member of the CHRO Association's executive committee. In this episode, she talks with Tim Bartl about what it actually takes to lead at that level.
Season One
Steve Fry on Guiding Transformation from the CHRO Seat
In this episode, HRPA’s Ani Huang talks with Steve Fry about the CHRO’s role in business transformation. Drawing from lessons learned over his 36-year career, and what it meant to serve for 12 of those years as Lilly’s top HR leader during a time of deep transformation, Steve Fry shares his perspective on the role of the CHRO and HR team and how to avoid missteps.
Tune in for insights from one of the profession’s most respected voices.
What comes after the C-suite?
The latest episode of Lessons from the Field takes a closer look at how Chief Human Resource Officers navigate the transition from corporate leadership to their next chapter.
Join host Ani Huang in a candid conversation with Shelly Carlin, as they discuss Shelly’s journey from CHRO and Head of Total Rewards to providing her expertise to HRPA, launching a leadership program for athletes, and serving as Managing Editor of D1Softball.com, the premier source for college softball news.
Whether you're actively considering your next move or simply curious about how others chart their post-CHRO paths, Shelly’s story offers thoughtful insights into successful life and career transitions.
Tune in now for a dose of inspiration on life beyond the CHRO role.
CEO Succession Is the New CHRO Power Skill
January 2025 set a record: 222 CEOs exited their roles—the highest number ever. Many were expected. Some weren’t. For CHROs, being ready for both is no longer optional—it's essential.
In the latest episode of Lessons From the Field, Rich Floersch sits down with HRPA’s Ani Huang to unpack what he’s learned from his posts at McDonald’s, Kraft Foods International, and Philip Morris. From strategic foresight to crisis response, Rich shares real-world advice CHROs can’t afford to miss.
Tune in now to hear how to lead through leadership change.
Charlie Tharp Provides Insights Into Exec Comp
In the first of Lessons from the Field, a new video and podcast series, Ani Huang, Senior Executive Vice President of HRPA talks with Charlie Tharp, Senior Advisor at HRPA’s Center On Executive Compensation.
In this episode, Dr. Tharp draws on over 25 years of corporate experience at General Electric, PepsiCo, Pillsbury, CIGNA and Bristol-Myers Squibb, plus decades of teaching, to provide his insights into executive compensation.