What happens when one executive combines legal expertise with human resources leadership? Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, reveals the powerful advantages of his dual role in this fascinating conversation.

Leading both legal and HR departments for a global phosphate company with 1,500 employees worldwide, Joshua leverages his unique position to provide comprehensive solutions that traditional, siloed departments often miss. "Running both departments has made me better at both functions," he explains. "It made me a better lawyer, a better executive, a better leader overall."

Throughout his 15-year tenure at InnoFOS, Joshua has navigated significant corporate transitions, including a $1 billion public-private sale. His cross-functional perspective proved invaluable during these pivotal moments, allowing him to address both the structural aspects of transactions and their human impacts simultaneously. "CEOs and boards like just having one person to talk to," he notes, highlighting how his multifaceted role streamlines executive communication.

Beyond his formal responsibilities, Joshua also leads the company's ESG initiatives with a practical approach that balances environmental and social objectives with business performance. "I refuse to believe you can't be a good environmental steward and also make money," he asserts, though he acknowledges this equilibrium requires thoughtful effort rather than pursuing ESG initiatives for their own sake.

Mentorship represents another cornerstone of Joshua's leadership philosophy. Drawing from mentors who shaped his own career, he's implemented innovative programs at InnoFOS, including an English-Spanish buddy system connecting employees across different regions—strengthening both language skills and cross-cultural collaboration.

For professionals navigating their own system transformations, Joshua offers this wisdom: "Plan...but part of that humility is recognizing it's never going to go 100 percent to plan." This balanced perspective—thorough preparation paired with adaptive flexibility—defines his approach to leadership challenges in today's complex corporate landscape.

Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about cross-functional leadership and how breaking down departmental silos can create more effective executive leadership.

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Bob Goodwin welcomes Gena Smith, North American CHRO for luxury powerhouse LVMH, for a masterclass in leadership development and cultivating excellence across iconic brands like Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, and Tiffany.

Gena shares her unexpected journey from small-town Texas to leading human resources for one of the world's most prestigious luxury groups. A pivotal study abroad experience in Greece awakened her passion for people and culture, establishing a personal benchmark that guided her career choices: "Any role had to have an international dimension and I had to be working with people." This philosophy ultimately led her to LVMH, where she now champions a culture built on creativity, innovation, excellence, and entrepreneurship.

Gena's conversation with Bob explores how LVMH maintains the delicate balance between preserving brand heritage while pushing creative boundaries. "We don't want our brands sitting in museums," Smith explains, highlighting the tension between honoring each brand's DNA while ensuring contemporary relevance. This balancing act requires diverse perspectives and trustful environments where creativity can flourish.

Leadership development emerges as a cornerstone of LVMH's success. Smith details their comprehensive succession planning process that examines potential leaders across all 75 brands, paired with targeted development experiences. She emphasizes that leadership must be approached with the same intentionality as any business objective: "You actually have to want to be a great leader. That has to be something that's important to you."

Looking toward the future, Smith discusses LVMH's "HR New Deal" initiative, which positions employees at the center of their career journey with access to opportunities across all brands. While acknowledging technology's growing role, she returns to a fundamental truth that transcends industry or era: "At the end of the day, we rely on talented, motivated, inspired, engaged people to drive our business."

Ready to discover what truly lights your fire professionally? Tune in to this insightful conversation about finding your passion, developing leadership excellence, and creating environments where people and creativity thrive.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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Imagine a world where job candidates arrive with an ironclad guarantee that they can apply the skills listed on their resumes. That's the vision shared by Dan Benveniste, Founder and CEO of SkillWaze, a company that’s redefining career readiness through AI-powered, skill-based learning.

Dan and his team just announced the acquisition of tilr.com, a leading learning management and credentialing platform. Together, they’re building what they call the first guaranteed career-readiness solution for both learners and employers.

The pandemic created a perfect storm for today's young job seekers. Cut off from crucial workplace socialization during formative years and now facing entry-level positions being automated away, Gen Z faces unprecedented barriers to meaningful employment. When 60% of recent college graduates get fired within 90-120 days due to skills mismatches, something fundamental needs to change.

Dan explains how SkillWaze's acquisition of learning platform Tiller creates what he calls "the first guaranteed career readiness solution." Their approach solves the critical difference between knowledge acquisition and skill application: "You can learn hockey, but that doesn't mean you can play it." By combining AI-powered learning pathways with virtual apprenticeships where skills are observed and validated in real contexts, SkillWaze creates verifiable talent profiles employers can trust.

What makes this especially compelling is the "Waze for careers" navigation system that lets users explore different paths, earn micro-rewards (including Bitcoin, which drives 2-3x engagement), and recalculate their journey as interests evolve. For employers, it builds custom talent "farm teams" based on specific skill requirements, making skills-first hiring practical rather than theoretical.

With the World Economic Forum identifying an $11 trillion global skills gap, solutions that bridge learning and earning couldn't be more urgent. As Benvenisti puts it: "If we don't have Gen Z meaningfully engaged in employment and highly productive mode in a couple of years, that's like having a fuel gap on an airplane." Connect with Dan on LinkedIn or email dan@skillwaze.com to learn more about this revolutionary approach to guaranteed career readiness.

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Yesterday at the 2025 SHRM Annual Conference & Expo in San Diego, the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund named Brian Moynihan, CEO at Bank of America as this year’s Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner.

Brian Peckrill, Executive Director of the McGowan Fund, presented the award and praised Ethical Leader of the Year Award winner Brian Moynihan's commitment to ethical leadership. With this honor, Brian Moynihan joins an esteemed group of past recipients, including Prudential Financial CEO Charles Lowrey and Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian.

In this special HRchat episode, recorded live at SHRM25, Brian Peckrill returns to the show to reflect on the evolving role of HR in championing ethics and purpose in today’s organizations.

Host Bill Banham and Brian also dive into the Ethical Leader of the Year Award itself - what makes it special, the qualities of its recipients, and what’s next for the McGowan Fund.

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"AI is not going to replace workers – it's going to create super workers." This powerful insight from Lila Nazef, VP of Sales and Marketing North America at Neocase and attendee at this week's SHRM Annual Conference and Expo, sets the tone for a fascinating exploration of how artificial intelligence is transforming HR service delivery while addressing common concerns about this rapidly evolving technology.

The conversation delves into the most pressing worries HR professionals express about AI implementation: data privacy, job displacement, and the potential loss of human connection. Lila offers reassurance by explaining how modern platforms like Neocase maintain data security by keeping information within closed systems while leveraging AI's capabilities. She articulates the importance of understanding different generational preferences – while seasoned employees might value face-to-face interactions, younger generations often prefer immediate digital solutions without human intervention.

Perhaps most compelling is the discussion around when AI should replace processes versus when human touch remains essential. For routine transactions like timesheet corrections, automation creates efficiency. However, for sensitive matters involving harassment or employee relations concerns, human judgment and empathy remain irreplaceable. This balanced approach allows organizations to deploy their human resources strategically while improving overall service delivery. The metrics supporting this strategy are impressive: up to 95% time reduction for information searches, 81% fewer HR help desk tickets, and 90% improvement in transaction processing times.

Lila advocates for a measured implementation approach that begins with AI assistants for meeting summaries and information retrieval before advancing to more complex transaction automation. Throughout this journey, communication remains paramount – employees need to understand how AI will enhance their experience rather than threaten their roles. When implemented thoughtfully, AI creates what Lila describes as "super workers" – professionals whose capabilities are enhanced rather than replaced by technology.

Lila and Bill also discuss SHRM25 and other upcoming events for HR pros.

Ready to transform your HR operations with AI that respects both efficiency and human connection? Subscribe to the HR Chat Show for more insights, and connect with Lila Nazef on Lin

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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What happens when 19 million jobs face potential displacement from automation and AI? And why aren't half of all workers using AI at all? Dr. James Atkinson, Vice President of Thought Leadership at SHRM, uncovers these startling insights and more in our illuminating conversation about workplace transformation.

Fresh from celebrating his one-year anniversary at SHRM after an impressive 11-year tenure in HR research at Gartner, Dr. Atkinson separates AI hype from reality. While headlines focus on job losses, James explains to Bill Banham how his team's research reveals a more nuanced future, one where success hinges not on competing against AI but learning to work alongside it. "It's not just about displacement," he explains. "It's really about the transformation of jobs."

Beyond technology, James and Bill explore how SHRM's research team tackles today's most pressing workplace challenges, from macroeconomic uncertainties to the shocking $2 billion daily productivity loss caused by workplace incivility. Dr. Atkinson shares exclusive insights from SHRM's economics team on wage inflation, labor market trends, and how HR professionals can navigate these complexities. With SHRM25 in full swing, he also previews the cutting-edge research his team will unveil on multiple stages.

Whether you're concerned about AI's impact on your career, struggling with workplace culture issues, or simply trying to stay ahead of workplace trends, this episode delivers actionable intelligence from one of HR's foremost thought leaders.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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What makes a truly effective CHRO in today's complex business landscape? Chelle O'Keefe, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at Associa, brings refreshing clarity to this question through her remarkable journey from psychology graduate to C-suite leader.

The power of Chelle's approach lies in her unique perspective: despite never taking a formal business class, she's mastered the executive suite by focusing on the fundamental thread connecting all her work—understanding human behavior. "The common thread through my entire background is human behavior," she explains, detailing how this focus has guided her through roles in learning and development, change management, communications, and even marketing before landing in HR leadership.

Chelle shares the strategies behind her impressive achievements, including an 80% internal promotion rate and 30% reduction in turnover. Rather than adopting off-the-shelf solutions, her team developed leadership competency models by studying their own successful leaders. This authentic approach created a powerful eight-month development program that transformed their talent pipeline. On retention, her philosophy is wonderfully straightforward: "Leadership is absolutely the first thing that drives that turnover rate," combined with directly asking employees what they want through simple polls rather than complex engagement surveys.

Leading HR for an organization with 300 branch offices serving 7.5 million residents worldwide presents unique challenges. Chelle discusses how they manage cultural alignment during acquisitions and maintain cohesion across dispersed locations through their "Associa Book" of values. She offers practical wisdom on AI implementation, suggesting leaders focus on automating "painful repetitive tasks" rather than getting overwhelmed by the broader concept.

Perhaps most valuable is Chelle's candid insight into executive influence: "You have to be able to speak the language of the business to sit at the table. That's just table stakes." What truly differentiates exceptional HR leaders is bringing humanity to the C-suite—building relationships, having tough conversations, and sometimes being "the only adult at the table." In a world increasingly focused on technology and metrics, Chelle reminds us that understanding people remains the heart of effective leadership.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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Your next hire could be a deepfake. Identity fraud in employment has exploded, with a 30% increase in 2025 alone and experts predicting one in four candidates will use some form of deepfake technology by 2028. This isn't just resume padding—it's a sophisticated attack on your organization.

Joelle Smith, President of First Advantage Corporation, reveals how the convergence of massive data breaches, advanced AI, and remote work has created a perfect storm for employment fraud. Foreign actors aren't just seeking multiple paychecks; they're targeting something far more valuable: day-one access to your organization's internal systems and data. These threats transcend industries and borders, affecting companies of all sizes.

The traditional hiring approach—taking candidates at their word before conducting background checks—creates a dangerous vulnerability. Joelle explains how "identity-first" verification not only blocks fraudulent candidates but improves the accuracy of background screening, with companies seeing a 17% increase in criminal record detection when identity verification comes first. First Advantage's sophisticated system triangulates technology, proprietary data, and personal knowledge verification to distinguish legitimate candidates from increasingly convincing fakes.

What makes this discussion particularly valuable is the balance between security and candidate experience. The goal isn't just blocking bad actors but creating streamlined processes for legitimate candidates. As Joelle emphasizes, "Our job is to help organizations find great talent and retain them."

Want to protect your organization from the rising tide of identity fraud? Connect with Joelle on LinkedIn or visit FADV.com to explore how identity verification can strengthen your hiring process. The future of secure hiring starts with knowing exactly who you're bringing on board.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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