Advertise on podcast: DECODING AQ - Adaptability For The Future Of Work With Ross Thornley

Ian builds people analytics into a strategic capability — the kind that leaders actually use to make better decisions. Over the last decade he's led global workforce intelligence, demand/capacity planning and analytics functions across complex, high‑scale environments. Today Ian is accountable for establishing consistent people metrics, insight and governance across a 30+ country footprint — turning fragmented reporting into trusted, decision‑ready intelligence that links talent, capability, cost, productivity and organisational health.  Ian sits at the intersection of People, Finance, Strategy and Technology: integrating multi‑source data, raising data integrity and privacy standards, and translating analytics into clear narratives that land with executives. Ross and Ian talk about the evolution and challenges of people analytics as a strategic capability. How data quality perceptions often serve as a barrier to stakeholder buy-in, emphasizing the importance of starting with clear hypotheses from stakeholders rather than presenting open-ended questions. He shared strategies for building trust with senior leaders, including avoiding surprises in public meetings and framing data as enablers rather than barriers to decision-making. The conversation explored the impact of AI and agentic AI on people analytics, with Ian noting the need to control analytics standards while enabling more complex modelling capabilities. Ian concluded by highlighting organizational health monitoring and ensuring people analytics ties into strategic agendas as key focus areas for the coming year, emphasizing the importance of embracing change as a career principle. Timecodes:  00:10 Intro to the new mini series - People Analytics00:26 Intro to Ian01:57 Getting involved with People Analytics03:26 Challenges with perception around data quality06:48 Aligning with stakeholders and communication strategy10:03 Stakeholder buy-in 12:09 Initiatives that have worked16:08 Data-Driven Decision Making20:11 Blending AI-Powered and People Analytics23:00 What a great next year for Ian would look like - Reimagining Arcadis24:20 Impacts on Ian's career - embrace changeConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Ian LinkedInArcadis

Dr. Frank Gonzalez is a culture and talent leader known for turning people strategy into business strategy. With over 20 years of cross-industry leadership, he has shaped large-scale learning ecosystems, redesigned organizational culture, and delivered thousands of learning experiences worldwide.  A Chief Culture Officer, and deeply human-centered leader, Frank blends data, empathy, and design to build organizations where people and performance grow together. Ross and Dr Frank talk about 4 day work week, nurturing your time, caring about people, human behaviour, what push and pulls us, building capability, cultural architecture, leadership, how you show up, guiding words, fun building, coaching with fun, aligning, one word for a business, framing, feeling words, filtering decisions, mindset, fears,  C.A.R. & C.A.B. - Competency Autonomy Relationships/ Belonging. The pair also discuss resistance to change, routine seeking, trust in organisations, simplification, AQ before  AI, pre-hiring, thought leadership, capability building, behavioural models,  friction between functions, bicultural, human connection,  people being left behind, efficiency , ethics, influences, AI workflows, AI assistance, clapping & enthusiasm, coaching youngsters, workshops and energy. Timecodes: 00:18 Intro to Dr Frank 02:43 The definition of love05:03 Frank's new role09:53 Culture anchors17:14 Adapting to ensure relevance27:34 Merging humans and AI34:43 Different operating systems collaborating39:51 Healthcare and humanoid robots47:18 Exciting things Dr Frank is currently working on48:22 AI simplifier - www.ai-simplifier.com49:34 The last time Dr Frank did something for the first time Connect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Dr Frank LinkedInTikTokInstagram

Anthony Kenneth Spark is a life and business strategist known for helping people break financial ceilings, rewrite limiting beliefs, and build a life aligned with their God-given purpose.  With nearly two decades of coaching individuals and families toward financial independence and personal transformation, he blends values, discipline, and proven earning strategies to create real, lasting change. Ross and Anthony talk about working young, working long hours, chance meetings, entrepreneurship, retiring young, finding what's important, coaching, overcoming limiting beliefs, evolving, ethics, being authentic, honesty, integrity,  fighting for people, prisoners of lifestyle, financial prisoners and positions of strength. The pair also talk about flexibility, identity, off-boarding, nothing to gain, limiting beliefs, relationship with money, vision, accountability, family first, priorities, mechanisms for timekeeping, being selective, efficiency, Book - The Middle Passage, purpose, relentless intentionality, Tony Robins, Joe Polish, Building environments for optimal performance, compassion, no limitations, challenging yourself, mindset, fear and singular focus.  Book mentioned in podcast: James Hollis - The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife Timecodes: 00:15 Intro to Anthony01:47 Anthony's shift to finding purpose07:07 Compassionate capitalism13:12 Testing ethics and difficult circumstances24:12 What is Anthony passionate about27:47 Day to day and managing schedules35:32 The last time Anthony did something for the first time Connect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Anthony: LinkedInSpark a Change CoachingTel - 6313272241

Hannah Shelton is a global people operations and learning-development leader, expert at turning disengagement into driving force. With deep experience shaping talent strategy, employee experience, and organizational learning for multinational firms, she influences how companies design workforces that learn, adapt, and thrive. Ross and Hannah talk about thirst for curiosity, negotiating, everyday approaches, thinking differently, approaching things differently, personal transformation, The Strengths Profile, better appreciation, leadership, curiosity, doubt, potential, judgment, value, change management, elevating, personalised knowledge scaling, coaching, supporting the community, building trust, learning from other people, new phases, self service, learning, adaptability, the future of work, variety, engagement, redundancy, advocacy, DIY and Chat GPT. Timecodes: 00:17 Intro to Hannah 01:05 Chris Voss03:30 Learning and self development06:26 Triggers to evolving and leadership10:43 How Hannah designs and adapts programmes14:39 What's exciting Hannah at the moment with dentsu19:38 Transformation and developing in real time 22:33 Next years plan for Hannah25:16 Supporting agents with AI and evolution29:18 Coaching when data is uncertain34:20 Challenging people and management37:57 Upcoming challenges42:01 Sustainability44:21 The last time Hannah did something for the first timeConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation  Connect with Hannah LinkedIn

Louise has two and a half decades of experience across the HR, coaching, consulting and training space. A deeply passionate person, Louise loves helping global leaders navigate career transitions, role reinvention, and agile workforce mobility. In her happy place when empowering professionals to imagine, align, believe and create next-chapter careers. Her skills involve Confidence | Empathy | Adaptability | Active Listening | Authenticity | Audience Research | Storytelling Ross and Louise talk about HR, training, career transitions, playing in a orchestra, great experiences, music, choirs, change, executive change, strong foundations, hiring, brand new roles, creating new teams, positive change, good people practices, new programmes, growth, economy, helping people individually, AI layoffs, jobs no longer existing, big shifts, letting go and acceptance. The pair also discuss helping people career change, severance pay, offboarding, upskilling, reskilling,  taking our own responsibility, contracts, values, standards,  complete change in career, transformations, human elements, putting people first, making people feel better, imagination economy, identity change, collaborations, identity crisis, having value, youth unemployment, gamifying change, unlearning and hope. Timecodes:  00:18 Intro to Louise01:21 Being a backing violinist for Lisa Stansfield04:37 Louise's typical clients06:24 Support Louise received during her own company transitions10:57 Significant moments during emigrating15:21 How Louise adapts and navigates  17:08 Tips for employers laying off people due to AI19:46 The worst way organisations lay people of and how to avoid23:04 Help for people who have be sacked27:34 The main problem Louise is trying to solve in companies32:43 Louie's phrase and framework - Imagine, Align, Believe Create38:14 A picture of Louise's best year going forward to 202642:11 Ideal candidates to collaborate with Louise43:44 Volunteering48:40 The last time Louise did something for the first timeConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Louise: LinkedinCareerMoversEmail -  [email protected]

International Keynote | Restorative-Justice, D&I Speaker | TEDx Storyteller | Ex-Microsoft Shelley Winner’s life is proof that second chances create world-class talent. Today she leads Winner’s Circle, a movement equipping justice-impacted people with the skills, mindset, and job placements they need to build thriving careers—while convincing employers that fair-chance hiring is a competitive advantage. Her mission is threefold: Empower with career-focused training and mindset coachingBridge the gap between talent and companies willing to invest in second chancesShift the narrative around fair chance hiring and drive systemic policy changeDuring her eight-year tenure at Microsoft, Shelley excelled in B2B sales, earning top honours  in performance and demonstrating what’s possible when companies bet on potential over the past. Shelley’s powerful message has resonated with audiences across sectors, challenging leaders to move beyond token opportunities and build truly inclusive workplaces. Her work continues to inspire change, helping employers transform hiring mindsets and justice-impacted individuals transform their futures. Ross and Shelley talk about prison, incarceration, rehab, interviews, mastering sales, rewiring, rethinking, success, sales reps, teaching, mindset, turning your life around, prison programmes, fear, forgiveness, outside comfort zone, turning life around, mistakes, digital programmes, personal development, the law off attraction and attracting opportunities. The pair also discuss operating at a higher frequency, energy changing, getting into tech, job readiness programmes, criminal records, proof of rehabilitation, hitting walls, sense of hopelessness, shame, society, trust, new laws, hard interviews, fair chance employment, gratitude, work ethic, loyalty, company policies, scaling, manifesting, doing important work and improv classes improving confidence. Timecodes: 00:16 Intro to Shelley01:19 Shelley's 'Winner's Circle' Rehabilitation 04:40 Becoming 'categorically whole'10:17 How rare is recovery and rehab from prison12:27 Differences in prisons and some being unique14:58 From prison to Microsoft19:36 Background checks26:11 Having job offers rescinded27:05 Fighting back discrimination & battling Microsoft35:02 Winning a case and manifestation39:15 How can companies unlock their potential45:36 Legacy mindset46:46 Ways to get involved with 'Winners Circle'50:12 What would make it Shelley's best year ever54:50 The last time Shelley did something for the first timeConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Shelley: LinkedInWebsiteWebsite 2Email - [email protected]

Jason Desentz - Chief Human Resources Officer @ Toshiba | Human Capital Advisor | Keynote Speaker Jason has honed his craft turning under-dog divisions into high-performance powerhouses. From towing-tech at Horizon Global to private-equity turnarounds at Glacier Advisory Partners. Today, as CHRO of Toshiba’s North-American operations, he’s steering a century-old brand through AI-driven transformation while championing people-first growth. An analytical coach at heart, Jason brings board-level rigor and shop-floor empathy to every culture he rebuilds. Ross, Mike and Jason talk about guidance, not being alone, everyone is figuring things out, challenges with tech, de-centralisation, auditing, compliance, consultancy, influencing people, building trust, understanding, asking key questions, buying in, pulling solutions from people, un-programming, taking care of employees, leading by example, practice what you preach, employment loyalty changing, pivoting core values, shifting values, building strong connections, incentive programmes, creating value and building purpose. The pair also discuss how we are perceived, support, enabling mistakes, rewards, jobs being offset, shifting  learning, readying mindset, dealing with ambiguity, project management skill sets, agility, AI capabilities, curriculum building, learning environments, success, never stop moving forward, pro active teams, safe spaces to work, building trust, influencing people, curiosity, supporting youngsters and don't sweat the small stuff. Timecodes: 00:22 Introducing Jason01:08 Intro to Mike01:40 The upcoming Oasis concert03:18 UNLEASH (HR leaders) conference05:58 Things which have startled Jason this year07:35 Jason's 'Listen, Learn & Lead'13:03 Jason's thoughts on Unlearning16:34 Unlearning against your values and challenges20:02 How Jason is preparing the new generation23:32 Mentoring and coaching27:46 Humanoid robots and replacement31:25 Jason's Toshiba University's impact and human skills34:10 Getting access to Jason's university37:38 What would make this Jason's best year ever41:46 Jason's top three fixes (reaffirming values)44:57 Challenges with buying in and ROI's47:31 The last time Jason did something for the first time49:08 Mike's closing thoughts50:14 Jason's final adviceConnect with Jason: LinkedInConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation Connect with Mike: LinkedIn

From the mailroom boy who kept replacing himself with machines, who was the ex-president of adidas Canada, and terms leading roles at scotiabank, and learning the art of diplomacy with 4 years at KPMG. Alim Dhanji is a globally recognized HR leader with over 25 years of experience driving transformation across Fortune 100 companies. Now Alim finds himself as the CHRO at TD SYNNEX, an IT ecosystem powerhouse with 24,000 team members. He shapes high-performance, and inclusive cultures that fuel innovation and growth.  A Harvard Business School alum and board advisor, Alim brings a strategic, people-first lens to global business leadership. Ross and Alim talk about optimism, investments compared to cost, purpose, scaling up, preference shifts, accelerating talent, future of work, crisis, rejuvenation, CHRO's, human resources, human inability to adapt, HR becoming CEO's, leadership, transformation, risk tolerance and upskilling. The pair also discuss sacrifice, psychological safety, being vulnerable, confidence, being open, Imposter syndrome, diplomacy, influencing people to support you, servient leadership, custodian's, redesign of work, AI disrupting jobs, learning to learn, AI inspiring people, curiosity, embracing fear and growth.  Timecodes: 00:15 Into to Alim01:26 Surprises from recent leadership event02:50 Investing in people and the pay off04:57 Balancing whitespace with over planning07:01 Key themes Alim is focusing on for leadership08:36 Leadership challenges10:30 Practical ways to help leadership initiatives14:38 Blending IT and people through tech education16:19 Evolution drivers18:49 Pressure bringing opportunites21:59 Diverse networks, adaptability skills and role diversity23:18 AQai's Model - Ability, Character and Environment24:48 Unpresidented role changes28:32 What would make 2025 the best year ever32:03 Preparation for exhaustion34:44:12 Investing in learning and growth mindset36:36 Earn, Learn and Serve37:41 When Alim interviews for jobs41:27 The last time Alim did something from the first time45:02 Final thoughtsConnect with Alim: LinkedInConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

David H. Rosmarin is a Clinical Psychologist, Harvard Medical School Associate Professor, Founder of Center for Anxiety, Author & Keynote Speaker. His mission is to shift the paradigm around anxiety from something to be feared or avoided, to a trait that can be leveraged for resilience, purpose, and performance. His groundbreaking work has helped individuals and organizations unlock a healthier, more empowered relationship with anxiety. His most recent book, Thriving with Anxiety: 9 Tools to Make Your Anxiety Work for You, draws from over two decades of clinical experience and research. And with over half a million views, on his TEDx talk “How to make anxiety your friend” he really is helping change lives for the better.  David's 4 steps. Identify. Share. Embrace. Let GO. Ross and David talk about new conversations, anxiety, building relationships, being nervous, leveraging anxiety, emotions, depression, sadness, increasing awareness, anxiety being helpful, healthy anxiety, thriving, harnessing anxiety, embracing anxiety and emotional resilience. The pair also discuss struggle, internal growth, psychological safety, coaching, not acknowledging anxiety, embracing AI, leadership, feelings,  getting things off your chest, embracing anxiety, Dan Sullivan - The impact Theory, taking a Ted X talk and sharing. Timecodes: 00:16 Intro to David 01:34 Surprises from David's book 02:35 What is anxiety? 04:38 The Anxiety Scale 07:28 Performing with anxiety and phyisiology 08:43 Commonality in anxiety and different peoples levels 11:55 David's perfect year goals 14:16 Challenges and struggles 15:40 People who should embrace and engage with David 17:52 Improving over fixing 21:01 The human side of dealing with tech impact  24:25 Tips for effective ways of  sharing 29:25  Leader setting the tone and going first 32:04 Make anxetixety work for us and teams over self 35:12 Failure causing anxiety 39:46 Simulation training 42:39 The last time David  did something for the first time 47:15 Davids Masterclass Connect with David: LinkedInWebsiteMasterclassConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

Kyle M.K. is a best-selling author, executive strategy advisor, and keynote speaker helping organizations become more emotionally intelligent and people-centered. Based in Austin, Texas, Kyle currently serves as Talent Strategy Advisor at Indeed, where he guides employers through the complexities of the future of work. He is the author of The Economics of Emotion: How to Build a Business Everyone Will Love, a book that explores how emotional intelligence can become a core business advantage. His career spans more than a decade of work across startups and enterprises, including Apple and multiple entrepreneurial ventures such as The Heart Company and Human Planet. Kyle’s strategic approach focuses on brand loyalty, leadership development, and transforming customer and employee experiences. His work has been recognized by organizations like the Disney Institute, which invited him to speak about customer experience, leadership, and emotional engagement. Known for blending heart and strategy, Kyle empowers leaders to design businesses that thrive by putting people at the centre. Ross and Kyle talk about cult brands, Apple, hiring, showing interest, Indeed, business around human emotion, work wellbeing, performance, advice for employers, prediction to preparation, optimising data,  mindset shifts, skills we've always had, helping people, unlocking human potential, adapting and changing jobs. The pair also discuss company growth, identifying change, empowering environments, reutilising talent, loving work, wellbeing, how people feel, business performance, AQ Index, skills first hiring, emotional intelligence, humancentric, matching jobseekers with employers, long term relationships, matching people, mentors, storytelling, enriching lives, being fulfilled, emotional nutrition and embracing negative emotions.   Timecodes: 00:19 Intro to Kyle 01:33 Surprises from Kyles book 02:41 Events leading to Kyles success 05:34 The role of a Talent Strategy Advisor 09:28 Future Kyle's perfect year 12:14 Work moving towards humanity 17:09 De-humanising, robotics and AI in a humane world 21:15 Helping businesses transition 26:52  Internal conflict and overcoming barriers with budgets 32:43 Advice for scaling up projects, hiring and talent strategy   36:52 Current exciting initiatives 42:19 The last time Kyle did something for the first time   46:47 Quantifying feelings  Connect with Kyle: LinkedInBookConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

Matt Charney is an award-winning marketing and communications executive known for transforming bold content into measurable results. He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Employer.com, where he leads brand strategy, messaging, and campaign development to elevate the company’s impact in the HR tech and employer branding space. With over 190,000 LinkedIn followers and a strong track record across roles such as Editor-in-Chief at Recruiter.com and Advisor to multiple HR tech startups, Matt is a leading voice at the intersection of talent and marketing. His career spans high-impact content roles for brands like Symphony Talent and Hootsuite, where his creative vision delivered measurable business outcomes. Matt is known for his authentic, no-nonsense writing style that challenges conventional thinking in recruitment and branding. His thought leadership has been featured across global platforms, and he frequently advises companies on how to cut through the noise with clarity, strategy, and wit. He currently advises several innovative platforms including ExactBuyer, Honeit Talent Solutions, and Symba, helping them scale through sharp messaging and differentiated positioning. Ross and Matt talk about serendipity, conversations, recruitment, monster.com,  marketing, branding, standing out, brand affinity, unleashed, AI recruitment, LinkedIn, Reddit, Indeed, Fishbowl app, hiring, candid experience, short vs long game, adaptability, knowing what you want to achieve, Mr Beast, Peoplesoft and generating buzz. The pair also discuss product affinity, entertainment, recruitment, HR, content marketing, Athlete recruitment, learning agility, describing job roles, job interviews, company recruitment, transparency,  oculus, repelling the wrong candidates, paths to mastery, growth, flying standby and bravery.  Timecodes: 00:15 Intro to Matt 01:09 Matt's Hats02:43 Matt's early journey05:54 Humour and professionalism08:01 What excites Matt12:11 Community platforms and ROI14:38 Things people don't know18:24 Naming AQai in 201920:05 Combating pushback to shifts and people buying in22:39 Earnings to employee ratio and billion dollar business of one24:41 Replicating businesses and the importance of brand  26:23 Content strategy31:30 Divergent career paths and transitioning peoples identity in recruitment35:04 Specific job roles changing in recruitment 39:12 Job role recruitment done well 43:57 The last time Matt did something for the first time 45:53 Reaching out to MattConnect with Matt: LinkedInWebsiteEmail - [email protected] with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

Gary A. Bolles is a globally respected thought leader on the future of work, technology, and organizational transformation. He is the Chair for the Future of Work at Singularity University, where he advises leaders, organizations, and governments on navigating disruption and building adaptable, inclusive systems of work. Gary is the author of The Next Rules of Work, a widely acclaimed guidebook for leaders facing uncertainty in a fast-changing world. His work focuses on the intersection of human potential and exponential change—helping individuals and institutions unlock opportunity through mindset, skillset, and toolset transformation. As a global keynote speaker and educator, Gary has reached over 1.6 million learners on LinkedIn Learning. He is also a partner at Charrette LLC, co-founder of Next CoLabs, and co-founder of eParachute.com—a platform designed to support career changers and job seekers in LIFEwork transitions. His consulting and strategic design work has impacted clients including Google, Deloitte, London Business School, and the World Bank. Gary’s expertise stems from decades of innovation in workforce strategy, event facilitation, and future-forward thinking. Through his writing, speaking, and advising, Gary helps organizations not just respond to change—but become architects of it. Ross and Gary talk about transformation, playbooks, resetting, building systems to adapt, skills, work roles, problem solving, adapting, focusing on tasks, skills manifestos, simple visions, business values, human skills, living documents, refreshing to continually adapt, iceberg diagrams, helping individuals knowing their own skills, future value, workshops, generative AI, self inventory, encouraging people,  job titles, enterprise, taxonomy, constantly adapting and the Book - The Skills Powered Organisation. The pair also discuss stepping back, hiring managers, team guides, changing mindsets, compensation, incentives, skill to alternative routes, development, rethinking governance, going to the edge, changing organisations core, Book - Culture Transformation, relationships with the world of work, reskill index, collection problem solving, teams, skill building networks, constant assessment, becoming irrelevant, the consequences of inaction, leveraging tool, curiosity, testing your own AQ, expanding skill sets and changing environments. Timecodes: 00:21 Intro to Gary02:35 Inspiration for Gary's book (The Next Rules of Work)06:20 Works tasks and human skills08:20 Starting the transformation10:59 Great things from skills manifestos and mistakes to avoid13:51 Key assets17:37 Tasks being bigger than expected22:53 Ontology, framework and common language28:02 Resources to co-elevate and redo work29:54 Skills to problem solve32:29 Skills governance37:43 Barriers and tips for legacy organisations to gain freedom41:26 Talent Cycle & Skills Venturing46:53 Lifelong learning49:20 The consequences of inaction51:37 What is Gary excited about53:52 The last time Gary did something for the first timeConnect with Gary: WebsiteLinkedInConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

John Tarnoff’s ‘Mid-Career’ journey began after being laid off in his 50s, prompting a career pivot that led him to DreamWorks Animation, Carnegie Mellon University, and eventually to coaching. He earned a master’s degree in psychology to deepen his understanding of the challenges professionals face in mid-career transitions. John is an executive and mid-career, transition coach, helping professionals land better, more meaningful jobs and overcome ageism in the workplace. As the founder of Mid-Career Lab and a LinkedIn Learning instructor with over 250,000 learners, John empowers professionals to rediscover purpose, rebuild confidence, and navigate career change with clarity. John’s work is a beacon for experienced professionals seeking to reinvent their careers and unlock their next chapter with strength and intention. Ross and John talk about identity,  mindset, pace of change, focus,  success being hard to change, education evolving, self knowledge, life stages, generating value, supporting people, building the future,  career spans,  burnout,   prosperity,  universal designs, team bonding, trust,  comfort, blame, courage, discomfort, resilience and adaptability. The pair also discuss creating your own narrative, projecting, creating the future, pivoting, reconciling the past, baggage in our lives, being transparent, making friends,  self reflection, specialists over generalists, asking for advice,  keeping going, building a community, growth mindset, enlightenment, curiosity, success and personal trainers. Timecodes: 00:26 Intro to John 01:51 Age and adaptability02:40 Identity transitions04:23 The concept of value and identity 07:22 Three career stages- Education, Work and Retiring12:47 A portfolio of careers14:10 Time usage and enjoying freedom20:22 Fear vs Trust motivation22:46 Changing state25:17 Not knowing what you what to do29:45  Resumes and holding things back36:50 Helping with moments of pressure and big company cuts40:28 Hopelessness47:29 Mindset and help shifting career 52:25 The last time John did something for the first timeConnect with John: LinkedInWebsiteConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

Janine Yancey is a workplace visionary, entrepreneur, and subject matter expert on HR and compliance issues. She is the Founder and CEO of Emtrain, a culture technology platform that provides education, advice, and analytics to help companies prevent harassment, bias, and ethics issues. Since founding Emtrain in 2006, Janine has worked with Silicon Valley’s top companies, creating innovative tools to foster more inclusive and respectful workplaces. Janine’s thought leadership on workplace dynamics and compliance has made her a trusted advisor to both business leaders and policymakers. In 2018, she advised the California Senate on harassment legislation (SB 1343), contributing to the creation of new regulations that took effect in 2019. Before launching Emtrain, Janine practiced labor and employment law for over a decade. She was a Partner at Employment Law Partners, where she advised high-profile tech companies like Google, Dolby Laboratories, and Intuit on complex workplace issues. Earlier in her career, she served as Counsel at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, where she trained thousands of public employees across California on employment law and performance management. Janine is a sought-after speaker and media expert, having been featured in The Washington Post, USA Today, ABC, MSN, CNET, Bloomberg Business, TechCrunch, and Startup Grind. Her insights on workplace culture and business transformation continue to influence the future of HR and corporate leadership Ross and Janine talk about returning to Transform, workplace harassment, trauma, people changing, perspectives, noticing patterns, humans being fallible and compliance training. The pair also discuss comfort with shared language, legislation, being right, vulnerability, racing to grow, economics, politics, entrepreneurs,  taking care of society, co-elevating and curiosity.    Timecodes:  00:20 Intro to Janine02:09 Janine's journey04:31 misunderstandings and miscommunication06:30 Book 'Blink' by Malcolm Gladwell07:31 Taking things personal08:25 Creating Emtrain10:02 Policies11:15 Integrative help13:35 Emtrain helping organisations16:47 Emtrain's energy and culture20:13 Legal issues and interpretations 26:19 Advice for organisations evolving, being naïve and ethics29:36 Humanoid robots 38:04 Ethical redundancy 46:10 Salim Ismail - Meaning of life47:05 Gender traits50:57 The last time Janine did something for the first timeConnect with Janine: WebsiteLinkedInConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation

Alejandro Reyes is a transformational HR and business leader with over 25 years of experience driving change and organizational effectiveness. He’s currently the Head of the People and Transformation Practice at Cintana Education, where he leads strategic talent and cultural initiatives. Alejandro is also a trusted advisor for venture capital firms and the author of the upcoming book "Leading Organizational Transformation." Alejandro’s expertise in change management and talent strategy has made him a sought-after advisor and thought leader in the business world. Alejandro’s expertise spans human capital planning, M&A stabilization, organization development, executive talent management, change management, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion. He has held senior leadership roles at companies including Dell Technologies, Motorola, Laureate Education, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where he served as Chief People Officer for over five years. Alejandro is known for his track record of driving innovation, building high-performance cultures, and successfully leading organizations through complex transformations. In addition to his executive leadership roles, Alejandro is an author and a recognized thought leader in organizational strategy. His upcoming book, "Leading Organizational Transformation: Embracing Liberation, Vitality, and Expression to Build a Success-Capable Organization", is set to release in 2025. The book provides a comprehensive guide for CEOs and CHROs to drive long-term success through cultural and organizational transformation. Alejandro holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Metropolitan University in Mexico City and a master’s degree in Robotics and Automation from Monterrey Institute of Technology. He is a Certified Diversity Executive and a sought-after speaker on leadership, organizational effectiveness, and business transformation. Ross and Alejandro talk about learning, connecting, sharing new perspectives, HR, the future of HR, transformation, understanding, mindset, delegation, commitment, ambition, figuring things out, conversation, influencing leadership and breaking barriers. The pair also discuss changing mindsets, blindness in leaders, helping leaders remove fear, leadership liberation, living for success, curiosity, reading different books, ego,  reflecting, seeing things differently and new insights.  Timecodes: 00:22 Intro to Alejandro01:16 The 'Transform' event02:15 Thing which have stood out and resonated at Transform04:35 Extending the boundaries of Human Resources08:35 Getting through and reimagining bad habits11:25 Implementing new processes to big companies14:41 Compelling people over convincing them15:49 Driving factors to write a book19:22 Mindset and improving it24:04 Consciousness30:05 Struggling at an organisation and people thanking Alejandro33:15 Alejandro's challenges and liberation34:52 Permission to imagine35:52 Flow37:16 he last time A did something for the first timeConnect with Alejandro: LinkedInCintana EducationConnect with Ross: WebsiteLinkedInMoonshot Innovation