Advertise on podcast: Vantage Influencers Podcast

In this episode of the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast, we explore why AI literacy is becoming an essential workplace skill and how organizations can prepare employees to navigate an increasingly AI-driven work environment.  Host Riha is joined by Yael Irom, Head of Talent Development and AI Leader Transformation, to discuss how HR leaders can build AI awareness, strengthen employee confidence in using AI tools, and integrate AI literacy into learning and development initiatives. Together, they examine how AI is reshaping workplace skill requirements, the importance of developing a workforce that can use AI responsibly and effectively, and how organizations can foster a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and innovation to prepare employees for the future of work.

For decades, the traits that seem to get people promoted, decisiveness, assertiveness, competitiveness have quietly worn a "masculine" label. And the traits that get people liked, say for example empathy, patience, collaboration, got filed under "feminine," treated like a good thing to have rather than an actual leadership skill.  So, we're asking a pretty uncomfortable question: does corporate leadership actually reward masculine traits more than feminine ones? And if it does, what's that costing organizations, and the people trying to lead inside them?  To help us dig into this, we are joined by Elaine Palome, Regional Head of Human Resources, Americas at Axis Communications.

In this episode of the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast, Sarah Cooper Truchard, Manager, Talent and Leadership Development at CITGO, shares her perspective on why soft skills are becoming increasingly important in an AI-driven workplace. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping workplace skill requirements, why human capabilities such as communication, adaptability, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking remain essential, and how HR leaders can help employees develop these skills to strengthen collaboration, leadership, and long-term career growth.

Most companies will tell you they value emotional intelligence. Far fewer can tell you what that actually looks like on a Tuesday afternoon, when someone's frustrated in a meeting, or a team is quietly burning out and nobody's said a word about it. I feel what's disappointing is that people treat emotional and social intelligence as some add-ons to culture. But realizes later, that it's not.   So today in this episode, we'll try to understand what it actually takes to build that into an organization on purpose, not by accident. And to help us, we have with us Becca McKnight, Manager of the Emotional & Social Intelligence Program at Promega Corporation.

When most companies talk about employer brand, they mean the careers page, the job ads, the polished video of people laughing in a break room. But ask anyone who's actually worked somewhere, and they'll tell you the real brand is what happens after you sign the offer, how you're paid, how you're taken care of, whether the company keeps its word.  So today, we're looking at employer brand from the inside out, starting with the systems that quietly shape whether people trust an organization. And to help us, we have with us Annalee Malone, Benefits and Compensation Manager at Total Safety.

In this episode of the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast, we explore how HR is evolving from a traditional cost center into a more strategic and commercially driven function that contributes directly to business growth.  Host Riha is joined by Shivali Anand, Country HR Head at Geidea, to discuss how HR leaders can build stronger business acumen, connect people decisions with organizational priorities, and demonstrate the commercial impact of HR initiatives. Together, they examine how HR can influence business strategy, use workforce insights to support better decisions, and become a more integral partner in driving performance, growth, and long-term business value.

When most people picture Merger & Acquisition, they picture spreadsheets, valuations, deal structures, and closing timelines. But ask anyone who's actually lived through a merger or acquisition, and they'll tell you the deal that looks perfect on paper can still fall apart because of what happens to the people inside it.   So in this episode, we're looking at M&A from the workforce side, the part of the deal that rarely makes the press release but almost always decides whether the deal actually works. And to help us, we have with us Elizebeth Mack, Principal and Workforce in Transactions Leader at BDO USA.

When most people picture Merger & Acquisition, they picture spreadsheets, valuations, deal structures, and closing timelines. But ask anyone who's actually lived through a merger or acquisition, and they'll tell you the deal that looks perfect on paper can still fall apart because of what happens to the people inside it.   So in this episode, we're looking at M&A from the workforce side, the part of the deal that rarely makes the press release but almost always decides whether the deal actually works. And to help us, we have with us Elizebeth Mack, Principal and Workforce in Transactions Leader at BDO USA.

Almost every HR team today can point to AI somewhere in their stack. Screening, scheduling, skills mapping, internal mobility, interview notes, something is running on it. But if you talk to those teams honestly, there's usually a gap between having AI and actually changing how work gets done. The pilot impresses everyone in the demo, and then quietly fades the moment real hiring pressure returns.  So, we want to move past the theory and into practical lessons. What genuinely changes when AI moves into talent and workforce processes, and what it asks of the people running them.  And to help us with that, we have with us Meghna Punhani, Chief People Officer at Eightfold.

In this episode of the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast, Srijith Nair, Director, Human Capital in the Middle East, shares thoughtful insights on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in HR. The conversation explores how HR leaders can move beyond the hype and apply AI meaningfully across recruitment, employee experience, workforce planning, and decision-making, while maintaining transparency, responsible governance, data privacy, and the human judgment essential to effective people leadership.

Belonging is a word we hear a lot in HR, but usually among people who share a language, a culture, a hometown. Now picture a workforce where almost everyone has come from somewhere else, often far from home. There, belonging isn't a survey metric, it's what decides whether someone just works for you, or truly stays and gives you their best.  And nowhere is that more real than in the Gulf. So, let's explore what it takes to build belonging across a multicultural workforce with Manjeet Sahota, Human Resources Director at Gulf Catering and Support Services.

For decades, we've built companies around one assumption: that work is done by people. But that assumption is now changing, and changing fast. AI agents are no longer just tools we use; they're becoming teammates we work alongside. And that raises a big question for every leader and HR professional, how do you build an organization where humans and agents don't just coexist, but actually make each other better? So today, we're exploring what it takes to build a superhuman company in the age of human-agent workforces. And to help us with that, we have with us Tami Rosen. She is a Board Member & Advisor at Pagaya.

In this episode of the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast, Dr. Sarmistha Roychowdhury, CHRO, Group Head HR, and Principal HR Advisor at Vform Tecnopacks Limited, shares thoughtful insights on the evolving role of HR in boardroom decision-making. The conversation explores how HR leaders can move beyond traditional operational responsibilities and contribute more strategically through workforce insights, people analytics, business alignment, and a deeper understanding of organizational priorities.

Performance management is something almost every employee experiences, yet it's often one of the most debated aspects of work. While it's intended to support growth and development, many employees still view it as a box-ticking exercise rather than a meaningful conversation.  And as workplaces continue to evolve, there's growing pressure on organizations to rethink how they measure, discuss, and develop performance.  So today, I'd love to explore what effective performance management really looks like and to help us with that, we've with us Kavitha Ramaiah. She is the Director, People Development at Global Logic.

Growth is often seen as a sign that things are going right for an organisation. Bigger teams, new markets, rapid expansion, all of it sounds exciting from the outside. But internally, growth can also bring a lot of pressure, uncertainty, and cultural shifts that companies may not always be fully prepared for.  Because, I think we now understand the reality is, scaling a business and scaling a culture are two very different challenges.   So today, we're exploring what it really takes to preserve culture during periods of growth and transformation. And joining us for this conversation is Smitha Yadav, a seasoned HR leader with extensive experience in driving people and culture initiatives across global organisations.