In this episode of The Alignment Podcast, Jacob Crockett talks with Linda Ho, Chief People Officer at Nearmap (aerial AI imaging). New to the role and industry (~3 months in), Linda brings a fresh lens from a career spanning recruiting, HRBP, comp, L&D, DEI, and executive leadership at Autodesk and Seismic.
We dig into:
* Skills > titles: Why grade levels don’t translate—but skills, networks, and varied experiences do.
* Intentional discomfort: How seeking stretch roles and new industries accelerates growth.
* From founder-intuition to operating system: Turning mission, vision, values into OKRs, recognition, and performance—so it’s not just words on a wall.
* Alignment beats micromanagement: When purpose is clear, layers shrink and accountability rises.
* Career perspective: Rotating roles inside one company vs. building an external network (and why both matter).
* AI & alignment: How AI can improve clarity (“clarity is kindness”), reduce miscommunication, and potentially flatten orgs.
* Scale context: Nearmap’s ~700–800 global teammates—and how to enable leaders you’ll never meet personally.
