Shows
Cruising AltitudeNavigating Transformation at Siemens: Leadership, AI, and the Human ElementThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Alexander Senn, Head of People & Organization at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Together, Alex and host Nicole Alvino discuss employee engagement and organizational culture. Alex shares insights about his role overseeing people and organizational development within Siemens' smart infrastructure division. Key topics include employee segmentation for improved experience, the role of leadership in transformation journeys, and the use of AI for productivity and innovation. Alex also shares the concept of the 'Rhino View' to highlight different perspectives in decision-making, and stresses the importance of open communication and continuous leadership development. Lastly, the...2025-03-0531 minCruising AltitudeElevate Your Workforce: Insights from the ISS Americas C-SuiteThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with CIO Alice Fournier, CMO Marjorie McCarthy, and Head of People & Culture, CHRO Lisa Mitchell-Kastner of ISS Americas, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, they talk about how their collaborative efforts enhance the employee experience through technology and AI. The discussion covers the importance of personalized communication, data-driven decisions, and AI in recruitment and onboarding processes. The episode also explores the nuances of managing a diverse and extensive workforce and the role of continuous communication and change management in successful transformations.Quotes*” If we c...2025-02-1941 minCruising AltitudeEmpowering Healthcare Professionals with AI: Insights from VillageMD's CHRO, Meredith WilliamsThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Meredith Williams, CHRO at VillageMD, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, Nicole and Meredith discuss the integration of AI to improve the digital employee experience in healthcare. They talk about how AI can take over mundane tasks, allowing healthcare providers to spend more time with patients, which increases both patient and physician satisfaction. Meredith outlines her role overseeing HR at VillageMD, the challenges of managing a diverse workforce, and the importance of personalized employee experiences using data collected from various feedback tools. The conversation also touches...2025-02-0527 minCruising AltitudeCisco’s Formula for Building Engagement in Complex Workforces with Joey Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, M&A Employee Experience and Change ManagementThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Joey Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, M&A Employee Experience and Change Management at Cisco, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, Nicole and Joey discuss strategies for fostering an engaging and purposeful workplace, focusing on internal talent movement, onboarding, and integrating new employees post-acquisition. Joey shares insights on creating a connected employee experience through personalization, leveraging AI, and aligning with Cisco's culture. The conversation highlights successful practices in employee engagement, cultural integration, and future trends in employee experience.Quotes* ”We have to always think abou...2025-01-2235 min
Human Capital LeadershipThe Role of Communication in Boosting Employee Experience and Connection, with Nicole AlvinoIn this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Nicole Alvino about the role of communication in employee experience, and how intelligent communication can be used to boost employee engagement and connection.
Nicole Alvino (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolealvino/) is a visionary entrepreneur and CEO with a passion for transforming the employee experience. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Firstup, a leading enterprise SaaS company, Nicole is responsible for driving innovation and growth in employee experience, engagement and communications. She believes that investing in employees is key to building high performance cultures that...2025-01-1424 minCruising AltitudeTaking Employee Engagement to New Heights with Elizabeth Bryant of Southwest AirlinesThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Elizabeth Bryant, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Southwest Airlines, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of FirstUp. Elizabeth and Nicole discuss the importance of employee engagement and its impact on organizational success. The conversation explores Southwest's employee-centered approach, leadership development strategies, and the link between employee treatment and customer experience. Bryant shares insights on creating a culture of learning, valuing employee contributions, and fostering an environment that supports growth and innovation across Southwest's 75,000-strong workforce. Listeners gain valuable lessons on personalized employee journeys and the significance...2024-10-2536 minCruising AltitudeHR Innovation at Diageo: A Conversation with Brittany PolancoThis episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Brittany Polanco, Director of HR Innovation at Diageo, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of FirstUp. They discuss the critical role of leadership in shaping the energy and attitude of work, whether in-person or remote. Brittany shares insights on the importance of empowering leaders, co-creating employee experiences, and driving organizational innovation. They also explore the integration of AI in HR and the future of the HR function. Brittany, who has over 10 years of HR experience including roles at Hilton Worldwide and PepsiCo, emphasizes the need for leaders to have...2024-10-0233 min
I Hate It HereS4 E9: Getting Personal: How Individualized Communications Boost Morale, with Nicole Alvino of FirstupIf anyone preaches to you about the power of authenticity in the workplace, pay attention when it’s coming from an ex-Enron employee who has a few thoughts about how a little honesty can go a long way for a company. Needless to say Nicole Alvino knows a thing or two about the value of authentic leadership, thanks to her early Enron experience. As the current CEO and Founder of Firstup, she’s on a mission to revolutionize intelligent, personalized employee communication and to deliver a phenomenal employee experience.She chats with Hebba about how perso...2024-06-1744 minCruising AltitudeData Empowerment and Positive Culture: Insights from Tim Gerend at Northwestern MutualThis episode of Cruising Altitude features an insightful conversation with Tim Gerend, President at Northwestern Mutual. He previously served as Northwestern Mutual's Executive Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer. The discussion with host Nicole Alvino highlights the critical role of data in understanding and improving the employee experience, drawing a direct correlation to business success. Gerend shares his journey and the various leadership roles he's taken on at Northwestern Mutual, emphasizing the company's mission-driven culture and the focus on providing exceptional employee and client experiences. The conversation also explores the importance of technology, including AI, in creating efficiency and...2024-04-1723 minCruising AltitudeMatching the Employee Experience to the Customer Experience with Shaelyn Otikor, SVP & Head of Global Digital Workplace Strategy at Northern Trust Asset ServicingThis episode features an interview with Shaelyn Otikor, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Digital Workplace Strategy at Northern Trust in the Asset Servicing business unit. The Asset Servicing business unit contains 15,000 of the company's 25,000 employees across 20 countries. Shaelyn has been with Northern Trust for over 28 years. And today, our host Nicole Alvino is talking with Shaelyn about re-engineering digital employee processes for greater efficiency, empowering employees to drive their own career at Northern Trust. and not being afraid to get in the weeds.Quotes*”As we think about digital employee experience, we have to...2024-04-0331 minCruising AltitudeFizzing with Wisdom: PepsiCo’s HR Strategies for Success with Andrea FerraraThis episode features an interview with Andrea Ferrara, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for PepsiCo Beverages North America. PBNA is PepsiCo’s $21 billion beverage business and Global Foodservice with a portfolio that includes Pepsi, Gatorade, Rockstar Energy Drink, and more. Andrea is a 30-year veteran of PepsiCo and currently leads the HR function for their 60,000 employees across 400 locations in the U.S. and Canada. In this episode, host Nicole Alvino and Andrea discuss forming a psychological contract with employees early on, balancing standardization and customization of the employee experience, and building a change practice to agilely me...2024-03-2030 minCruising AltitudeIntroducing Our New Host, Nicole Alvino!This episode features an interview with Nicole Alvino. Nicole is a visionary entrepreneur and CEO with a passion for transforming the employee experience. As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Firstup, a leading enterprise SaaS company, Nicole is responsible for driving innovation and growth in employee experience, engagement and communications. She believes that investing in employees is key to building high performance cultures that improve the top and bottom lines of any business, and is proud to call 40 of the Fortune 100 customers. In this episode, Nicole talks about how the employee experience starts with the pre-hire motion all...2024-03-0619 minCruising AltitudeWelcome to Season 3 of Cruising Altitude! Welcome to Season 3 of Cruising Altitude, the podcast to help you deliver exceptional employee experiences at scale. This season, we’re introducing our new host, Nicole Alvino, founder and CEO of Firstup.The mission of our podcast is to help you deliver irresistible employee experiences so you are empowered to retain and grow your top people, deliver a high performance organizational culture, and ultimately move your business forward.This is hard at any size organization, but for those organizations with 30,000 employees or above, this brings additional challenges and opportunities to really elevate that employee experience. ...2024-02-2801 min
Rebel HR Podcast: Life and Work on Your TermsRevolutionizing Workplace Communication with Nicole Alvino, CEO of FirstUpSend us a textIntroduction:In this episode, we are joined by Nicole Alvino, the co-founder and CEO of FirstUp, an intelligent communication platform for the workplace. Nicole shares her journey from her early career at Enron to founding FirstUp and her passion for improving employee experience and leadership communication. Discover how FirstUp is transforming the way organizations connect with their workforce, particularly deskless workers, and the role of AI in enhancing communication effectiveness.Join us as we sit down with Nicole Alvino, a pioneering entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of FirstUp, a...2023-09-0634 min