In the first People and Performance episode of 2025, we consider company culture and high achievement in the hospitality sector.

Our guest today is James Ferguson, speaker, employee engagement expert, and Corporate Director of Culture at The Wurzak Hotel Group, a Philadelphia-based, vertically integrated owner, developer, and operator of premium branded full-service, extended stay, and lifestyle hotels.

James is also the Bestselling Author of The Confetti Culture Playbook and award recipient at HRZone's recent Culture Pioneers Forum.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

In this episode of the People and Performance show, Dani Saadu, Head of People and Culture at Wavemaker, joins Bill and Chris to share some key strategies behind transformative workplace learning.

Dani is co-author of The CAPEX Formula for Learning and Performance: Mega-Trends Driving the New World of Work, Learning, Skills, and HR.

With over 15 years of experience as a people and culture, talent management, and organisational development professional, Dani is an expert in developing practical and sustainable programs that align with business goals and deliver measurable returns on investment.

Prior to joining Wavemaker, Dani held several director-level People roles in multiple sectors spanning retail, recruitment, pharmaceuticals and travel.

Questions for Dani Include:

• Give us an overview of your book, CAPEX Formula for Learning and Performance
• You discuss future-proofing organizations—what are the first steps companies need to take?
• CEOs often demand ROI for L&D investments. Why has this been so elusive, and how can we change that in 2025?
• If readers take one thing away from this book, what should it be?

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

In this episode of the People and Performance show, we consider systems thinking, ways to define strategic capabilities, and we review UNLEASH 2024 in Paris.

Chris and Bill are joined this time by Mary Glowacka, Global Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Rolls Royce, the aerospace and defense company.

With 15+ years of strategic practitioner experience and an unusual journey from operations into HR, Mary is also a member of Josh Bersin’s Senior Faculty, a regular speaker at HR industry events such as UNLEASH, and winner of the 2020 WinTrade Global Women in Leadership Award in recognition of progressive thinking in the banking sector.

Questions for Mary include:

• You have an unusual journey from operations into HR. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your career journey
• As we record this, you're 18 months into your role at Rolls Royce - what do you love about the position and what are some of the big challenges to improving the performance levels of its people?
• Why do you believe systems thinking is important for leaders?
• How do you identify and define a strategic capability?
• Can you tell me more about how you approach the development of these capabilities at Rolls Royce?
• Rolls Royce was recently recognized with the GOLD Brandon Hall Group Award for the Best Leadership Development Programme in 2024 – a global accolade for your Strategic Leadership Development Programme powered by your partners at London Business School. Congratulations! Tell me more.
• You recently spoke at UNLEASH in Paris. Can you briefly share some of your key takeaways from the 2024 event and why you believe other senior people leaders should attend?

More About Mary

Mary says her sweet spot is change enablement & transformation and her unique expertise combines strategy and execution across a wide range of people and HR processes with a key focus on learning, leadership & talent development, performance enablement, and HRIS/EdTech implementation.

As Head of Learning & Leadership Development at Rolls-Royce, Mary is leading strategic people capabilities development in support of Rolls-Royce’s transformation agenda set out by its new CEO

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

In this People and Performance episode, we hear from Enrique Rubio, Top 100 Global HR Influencer and speaker.

Enrique is the founder & CEO of Hacking HR, a global learning community at the intersection of the future of work technology and business with thousands of members from all over the world.

In addition, he is Head of Global Community at Transform.

Questions for Enrique include:

• You did not start in HR. You were an engineer for many years. Why move into HR?
• How is AI impacting the work done by HR pros and employees today?
• How will AI and LLM continue to improve the performance of employees?

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

Our guest today is Angela Cheng-Cimini, SVP, Talent & CHRO at Harvard Business Publishing.

Angela is a global executive Human Resources leader with over 30 years of comprehensive experience in both Generalist and Specialist competencies, partnering with C-suite leaders.

Tune in to hear Angela's thoughts on ways new managers can get over imposter syndrome. Angela also shares tips for how mid-level managers can better communicate the needs of their employees to senior leaders.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

Today’s leaders must navigate uncertainty and act with clarity. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow, and future success requires innovation, decisive action, and the ability to influence change.

Bill is joined by Judith Germain, a multi-award-winning leadership catalyst and speaker at next week's Disrupt London event in partnership with HR Zone's Culture Pioneers Leadership Forum.

The Forum is a gathering for HR leaders and professionals who are passionate about transforming workplace culture. Featuring Disrupt London, this event offers a unique opportunity to learn from industry trailblazers, celebrate the achievements of forward-thinking organisations, and connect with like-minded professionals.

Judith's work focuses on empowering leadership teams, businesses, and organizations to thrive in times of complexity.

Bill and Chris hope you enjoy this conversation with Judith.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

Welcome to a brand new season of the People and Performance Podcast! In this episode, we consider some of the greatest challenges facing leaders today when it comes to attracting and keeping high-performing talent.

Joining Chris and Bill on the show is Dr. Patrick Simon, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company, the global management consulting firm.

Patrick advises clients in Europe, the U.S., and Asia on a broad array of topics ranging from organizational design to strategy and operations. His focus is on large transformations and helping organizations achieve sustained growth by aligning their operating model more closely with market opportunities. His published work touches on various aspects of creating powerful organizations including agility, operating models for emerging markets, and efficient implementation.

Listen as we discuss how leaders navigate competing priorities to stay focused and effective.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!

Welcome to another episode of the People and Performance Podcast. Our guest today is Dr Dieter Veldsman, Chief Scientist: HR and OD at AIHR (Academy to Innovate HR).

Listen as we discuss ways to improve the credibility of HR pros plus we ask "What does it mean to be a T-shaped HR professional?"

Questions for Dieter include:

• Let's talk about "HR Competencies for 2030: A Future Standard" - What does it mean to be a T-shaped HR professional?
• In a recent article called "HR Has a Bad Reputation" You outline 6 actions to improve HR credibility. Talk us through the six actions and why they matter.
• What is the single biggest change you think will happen in HR and leadership over the next 5-10 years?

More About Dr Dieter Veldsmen

Dieter is passionate about ideas, human behavior, and business. He has dedicated his career to the field of Work Psychology and Human Resource Management. With over 15+ years of experience, he has combined his interests to guide organizations in creating desirable workplaces that foster employee satisfaction and retention. Throughout his journey he has worked with diverse organizations across EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, and have held executive-level positions such as Group Chief People Officer, Director of Consulting Services, and Chief Research Scientist.

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Talking About Ways To Improve Company Culture and People Performance

The People and Performance Podcast is a show that dives into all things related to raising performance in the working world around us. We investigate how technology and HR processes are inextricably linked to the employee experience and the bottom line.

Chris Bjorling, Co-host

Christopher Bjorling is President at Fidello Inc., a consulting and services firm specializing in improving human performance.

For over 30 years Chris has led Fidello in creating unique talent management solutions. Through the products and services he and his team have created over the years, his organization has helped clients design, develop, implement and integrate talent management processes and systems.

Bill Banham, Co-host

Bill Banham, Publisher at The HR Gazette, Host of the popular HRchat Podcast and Organizer of events such as DisruptHR London.

Bill has worked with lots of business tech and HR-focused brands in the UK and North America including HRreview, TalentCulture, HRmarketer, Sprigg HR, and Team Fitness Tool.

Contact us to learn more!