Shows
The People Factor#143 - Alexander Kohler | Von pplwise zum eigenen KI-Startup mit 21Alexander Kohler ist CEO und Co-Founder von BidFix, einem Münchner KI-Startup, das mit KI-Agenten relevante öffentliche Ausschreibungen findet und erfolgreiche Angebote erstellt. Sein Ziel ist es, Ausschreibungen für Unternehmen jeder Größe zugänglich zu machen. Schon mit 16 verkaufte er als Growth Manager bei MVRQ ein Social-Media-Marketing-Produkt an Unternehmen in den USA. Danach war er erster Mitarbeiter und später Principal bei pplwise in Berlin. Dort half er, das Unternehmen ohne Investorengeld von null auf über 2,1 Millionen Euro Umsatz zu bringen, und leitete Projekte für Unternehmen wie Uber, Wolt, Enpal und CLARK. Seine Schwerpunkte liegen auf Go-to-Mar...
2026-10-1440 min
The People Factor#142 - Thomas Kohler | Mein Weg mit pplwise: Vom Freelancer zum 50-köpfigen UnternehmenNormalerweise stelle ich hier bei The People Factor die Fragen – aber für diese Episode drehen wir den Spieß um! Ich war kürzlich zu Gast bei Dr. Sascha Haggenmüller in seinem großartigen Podcast Finance | Data | People by Radial. Wir haben so offen, ehrlich und detailliert über die Gründungsgeschichte, das Wachstum und die Strategie hinter pplwise gesprochen, dass ich diese Folge unbedingt mit euch in meinem eigenen Podcast teilen wollte. Sascha hat mir dabei Zahlen und Insights entlockt, über die ich sonst selten so transparent spreche. Von meinen ersten unternehmerischen Schritten in Schweden übe...
2026-10-0255 min
The People Factor#118 - Yeliz Castello | Funnel Analysis and ForecastingYeliz Castillo is a dedicated TA professional starting her journey in London with little English, she embraced the challenge and became fluent in her third language while developing a passion for recruitment. Yeliz thrives on connecting with people, making an impact on their lives, and building meaningful relationships. She values authenticity, collaboration, and stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her goals. Liz is currently TA Lead & Sr. Talent Partner at pplwise.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - The Importance of Clear Communication10:45 - Candidate Feedback Strategy18:30 - Recruitment Market Dynamics
2025-04-0253 min
The People Factor#105 - Yeliz Castillo | Co-Host Announcement & 2024 re-capYeliz Castillo is a dedicated TA professional starting her journey in London with little English, she embraced the challenge and became fluent in her third language while developing a passion for recruitment. Yeliz thrives on connecting with people, making an impact on their lives, and building meaningful relationships. She values authenticity, collaboration, and stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her goals. Liz is currently TA Lead & Sr. Talent Partner at pplwise.LinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-akin/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail...
2024-12-2504 min
The People Factor#101 - Niklas Frewel | Transformation & Leadership Development Consultant, Organizational PsychologistShownotes00:00 - Intro & Context10:00 - Herausforderung der Strategiekommunikation25:00 - Selbstmanagement und Eigenverantwortung45:00 - Unterschied zwischen Management und FührungLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niklas-frewel-b9b94bb2/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2024-11-2732 min
The People Factor#100 - Prof. Dr. Anja Luthy | BWL- Professorin, Coach für Führungskräfte und Gründerin von #FemaleHRexcellenceAnja ist seit 1998 Professorin für Betriebswirtschaftslehre mit den Schwerpunkten Dienstleistungsmanagement und -marketing und lehrt seit 2001 an der Technischen Hochschule Brandenburg. Nebenberuflich ist sie seit über 20 Jahren als Speakerin, Beraterin, Trainerin und Coach in Gesundheits- und Sozialeinrichtungen aktiv, mit einem Fokus auf Themen wie Unternehmenskultur, Online-Recruiting und Employer Branding. Im Jahr 2020 gründete sie das Frauennetzwerk #FemaleHRexcellence, um Frauen im HR-Bereich zu unterstützen und zu vernetzen.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - Corporate Influencing als neues Recruiting-Tool12:00 - Erfolgsbeispiel aus der Praxis45:00 - Herausforderungen und Chancen für Frauen am ArbeitsmarktLin...
2024-11-2033 min
The People Factor#99 - Fabian Kuhnt | Partner bei EYCompanies need talent from abroad in order to remain competitive in the future. I design the structures for this. So that working abroad is legally secure and feasible.Technically, working abroad is not a problem in many sectors. But legally, it remains a major challenge. That's why structures are needed that take the requirements of companies and talents into account.If decentralized working and virtual teams are to become a resource for companies, they need a secure framework and someone who has a comprehensive view of the structures. So that talent acquisition abroad really works.
2024-11-1330 min
The People Factor#98 - Robin Miguel Betz | Co-Founder at midlane.com, Shaping the future of frontline HRRobin Betz ist begeisterter „People Tech“ Leader und Mitgründer von midlane.com. Er hat das Unternehmen gemeinsam mit seinem Studienfreund Mathias Klenk gegründet, mit dem er an der TUM und in den USA studiert hat.Die Idee hinter der Gründung basiert auf zwei Grundüberzeugungen: Erstens, dass gewerbliches Personal das Herzstück des Mittelstands ist, und zweitens, dass Technologie Verwaltungsaufgaben übernehmen sollte, damit mehr Zeit für Menschen bleibt.Die Vision von midlane.com ist es, eine ganzheitliche Personalverwaltung für den operativen Mittelstand in Europa zu erschaffen. Die Gründer wollen mithilfe moder...
2024-11-0633 min
The People Factor#97 - Xenia Meuser | Business Leader at Hummingbloxs GmbH, Senior Advisor, Speaker, EX CHROShownotesXenia Meuser begann 1995 ihr duales Studium der Betriebswirtschaftslehre in Hamburg. Nach ihrem Abschluss begann sie 1998 ihre Karriere im Personalbereich bei Tchibo. Drei Jahre später wechselte sie zur Otto Group, wo Meuser verschiedene Führungspositionen innehatte.2013 wechselte Meuser zur New Work SE und baute als Vice President HR den internationalen HR-Bereich auf. In den letzten zwei Jahren wechselte sie als Senior Vice President Attract & Retain und Brand & Marketing auf die B2B-Seite von New Work SE. Dort war sie für die Bereiche Marketing, E-Commerce, Brand und den Produktbereich Employer Branding verantwortlich.Zul...
2024-10-3030 min
The People Factor#96 - Björn Kastl | Chief People Officer at Mytheresa - MBA, Strategic HR LeadershipWith 20 years of experience in human resources, Björn is currently the Chief People Officer at Mytheresa, a global luxury e-commerce platform. In this role, he leads the HR strategy and operations for over 2,000 employees across numerous countries, supporting the company's rapid growth and expansion. He is responsible for developing and implementing HR programs that foster a diverse, inclusive, and high-performance culture, as well as attracting, retaining, and developing top talent.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context10:00 - Arbeitsmarkt 2025: Kurze Entspannung oder langfristige Herausforderungen?15:00 - Politische Einflüsse auf den Arbeitsmarkt: Migration und Fachkräftezuzug
2024-10-2329 min
The People Factor#95 - Scarlet Bahr | Talent Sourcing @ PersonioScarlet is a Sourcing Leader with 9 years of experience and recently built a Sourcing team for Luno including systems, processes, and scaling the team. Above all, she is essentially a ‘Sourcing Nerd’ with an immense passion for the industry and my job.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context02:00 - Applications of Talent Intelligence15:30 - Complex Roles and Candidate Sourcing25:00 - Effective Use of Historical Data in SourcingLinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarletbahr/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplw...
2024-10-1633 min
The People Factor#94 - Yeliz Castillo | Career matchmaker & certified career Coach @pplwiseYeliz Castillo is a dedicated TA professional starting her journey in London with little English, she embraced the challenge and became fluent in her third language while developing a passion for recruitment. Yeliz thrives on connecting with people, making an impact on their lives, and building meaningful relationships. She values authenticity, collaboration, and stepping out of her comfort zone to pursue her goals. Liz is currently TA Lead & Sr. Talent Partner at pplwise.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:00 - The Importance of Clear Communication10:45 - Candidate Feedback Strategy18:30 - Recruitment Market Dynamics
2024-10-0929 min
The People Factor#93 - Teddy Dimitrova - Rondhuis | Freelance Talent Acquisition Manager, Speaker and AuthorTeddy Dimitrova is driven by a passion for self-improvement and organizational growth. With experience spanning start-ups, scale-ups, and larger organizations, she excels in balancing people, processes, and technologies, enjoying the challenge of finding solutions to strategic puzzles. Her strength lies in identifying bottlenecks and developing actionable solutions both in the short and long term. As a proponent of servant leadership, she focuses on enabling and inspiring colleagues to excel and find fulfillment in their work. Her core values include connection, balance, flexibility, and progress, while she continues to work on enhancing patience and refining her communication style....
2024-10-0232 min
The People Factor#92 - Mark Lundgren | Senior Talent Acquisition Manager bei CarOnSaleMark is a Global Recruitment Manager who plays a key role in helping companies achieve their growth goals by sourcing top talent, building strong employment connections, and efficiently managing teams. A native Danish speaker, Mark is also professionally proficient in both German and English, allowing him to operate seamlessly in diverse, international environments. His expertise in recruitment and team management makes him an asset in driving organizational success.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context02:10 - AI im Sourcing: Hype oder Realität?14:30 - Unkonventionelle Ansätze: Vom LinkedIn hinaus in die Nischen-Communities28:45 - Personalisierung du...
2024-09-2531 min
The People Factor#91 - Philip Horvath | Partner @ Luman, Principle@ philip, LLC, Redner, Moderator, BeraterPhilip has spent over thirty years studying and practicing transformation, witnessing waves of new technologies and their systemic impacts. He combines wisdom from global transformational modalities and modern neuroscience to guide leaders in preparing their organizations for constant change. As a partner at LUMAN, he develops strategies to elevate leadership, culture, and innovation in the most innovative companies, serving as an inspirational keynote speaker and executive advisor.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:30 - Happiness Linked to Purpose.18:45 - Lifelong Mission as a "Cathedral Project."32:10 - AI Integration Driving Innovation at Siemens....
2024-09-1836 min
The People Factor#90 - Chris Brown | Advisor for People & Talent: Accelerating Growth for StartupsChris helps VC-backed Climate and FinTech startups in Europe and Germany navigate the people side of smart growth. He pecializes in clarifying team culture and building solid people foundations, tailored to your unique stage and goals. Whether you're doing it all yourself, have a junior HR team, or simply need experienced guidance, Chris willl ensure your people strategy supports your growth ambitions.Founders love working with Chris because they get a clear roadmap for scaling their teams, without the headache of figuring it all out alone.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context02:15 - Starting...
2024-09-1140 min
The People Factor#89 - Hung Lee | Curator for Recruiting BrainfoodEditor of leading industry newsletter Recruiting Brainfood.Hung is a recruitment industry professional with over 15 years experience as an agency recruiter, Recruitment manager, Internal Head of Talent, recruitment trainer, founder of award winning online recruiting platform WorkShape and now Editor and Community builder at Recruiting Brainfood - the best weekly newsletter in recruitment.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context12:30 - Recruiters' Key Skill: Adaptability.20:45 - Yearly Predictions in Recruitment.45:10 - Growth of the "Recruiting Brain Food" Newsletter.LinksGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunglee/Recruiting Brainfood...
2024-09-0437 min
The People Factor#88 - Marko Müller | Bereichsleiter HR Service Center bei Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)Marko Müller ist Bereichsleiter des HR Service Centers bei der BVG, wo er seit vier Jahren arbeitet. Zu seinen Aufgaben gehören HRIS, Gehaltsabrechnung, Vertragsmanagement und Mitarbeiterservice, wobei er sowohl digitale als auch analoge Akten verwaltet. Mit seinem umfangreichen Hintergrund im Personalwesen hat er in großen Organisationen wie Campina, Bombardier und der Pharmaindustrie gearbeitet, bevor er zur BVG kam. Bei Bombardier spielte er eine Schlüsselrolle bei der Transformation im HR und dem Aufbau von Shared Service Centers in verschiedenen Regionen.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context10:15 - Implementierung von ServiceNow als Ticket Tool
2024-08-2831 min
The People Factor#87 - Guillermo Miranda | Al Adoption & Digital Transformation LeaderGuillermo Miranda is a seasoned senior executive with extensive leadership experience in complex global environments, driving digital platforms and user-centered business initiatives to accelerate skills and people performance across global organizations. In January 2024 he launched atlas copilot in London, UK. This is the first GenAI Copilot for HR Professionals, as a Co-Founder he leads Product & Platform Development.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:14 - Erfahrungen in der Wirtschaft und Gründung von Atlas Computer10:01 - Praktische Anwendung von Atlas Copilot20:38 - Zukunft der Arbeit und Rolle von KILinksGuest L...
2024-08-2131 min
The People Factor#86 - Timothy Tolino | Global Director of Benefits, Mobility, and Wellness @ Hunter Douglas00:00 - Intro & Context07:22 - Beschreibung der Tätigkeit im Bereich M&A und erforderliche Eigenschaften09:14 - Der Wertbeitrag der Tätigkeit zum Geschäftsabschluss13:43 - Auswirkungen von Sozialleistungen auf die Unternehmensbewertung und Due DiligenceGuest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ttolino/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2024-08-1430 min
The People Factor#85 - Celia Southier | Head of Talent Acquisition @ MossCelia has over 10 years of experience across recruiting and HR, mostly within large tech organizations but more recently within start-ups. She is currently the Head of Talent Acquisition at Moss, overseeing a small team of TA partners across Berlin and London. In this role, she’s been responsible for professionalizing the company’s hiring approach and interviewing practices. Prior to Moss, Celia spent six years at Amazon in London, where she held senior positions in talent acquisition, focusing on tech recruiting delivery, and change management programs across EMEA.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context06:54 - Erfahrungen im T...
2024-08-0737 min
The People Factor#84 - Kerstin Rothermel | Chief People Officer I Fractional & Interim HR Leader & Advisor to Start-ups and SMEsShownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:28 - Komplexität von Titeln und Rollen in Startups11:29 - Die Bedeutung klarer Rollenerwartungen und Stellenbeschreibungen25:12 - Komplexität von Titeln und Rollen in StartupsLinksGuest Linkedin:Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2024-07-3135 min
The People Factor#83 - Folke Christoph Grigo | Director People & Culture at EverphoneResult- and performance-oriented Senior HR Executive with role flexibility as expert, people manager, project manager, consultant and coach as well as an extensive experience in defining, implementing and monitoring HR processes while leading cross-regional teams and the further development of HR services and processes. Setting up state of the art people tool system landscapes and Employee Experience specialist.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context08:09 - Definition und Bedeutung von Speak Up Culture24:26 - Die Rolle der Führungskräfte bei der Etablierung einer Speak Up Culture45:40 - Praktische Tipps zur Förderung einer Speak Up...
2024-07-2833 min
The People Factor#82 - Florian Blaschke | Co-Founder & MD @ HRCastFlorian Blaschke is CEO and Co-Founder of HRCast. In this episode we talk about the challenges and solutions in headcount planning and HR controlling. Florian highlights the inefficiencies of traditional spreadsheet methods and advocates for specialized software to centralize and secure HR data. He also emphasizes the importance of regular updates to HR plans and integrating various HR functions into a single decision-making platform.00:00 - Intro & Context14:48 - Organische Entwicklung der Budgetierung und Personalplanung in Startups20:42 - Der Prozess der Personalplanung und Budgetierung25:52 - Software vs. Tabellenkalkulation in der PersonalplanungThomas Linkedin...
2024-07-2438 min
The People Factor#81 - Katharina Baehr | Head of Recruiting & Employer Branding Managerin @ Contabo GmbHKatharina, is Head of People & Culture Recruiting, Employer Branding Manager and lives the People Mindset People Experience (PX). She has been working as a manager and trainer in HR for just over 13 years and juggle a wide range of topics in parallel. Initially between personnel planning, management, interviews, training and recruiting, before moving deeper into recruiting, employer branding and looking at the experience in the people area. This path has always made me the main point of contact for people.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:37 - Employer Branding definieren09:17 - Authentizität der Arbeitgebermarke
2024-07-2137 min
The People Factor#80 - Kimberly Breuer | Co-Founder & CEO at LikemindedKim Breuer is deeply passionate about psychology, focusing on how an understanding of human behavior can shape a sustainable world. She champions the concept of "sustainable individuals" who are equipped to maintain their mental health and contribute positively to society. With her company, Likeminded, Kim aims to provide widespread access to psychological resources and care. This platform offers a range of services tailored for corporate environments, empowering employees to thrive beyond mere freedom from mental issues, towards realizing their fullest potential and leading fulfilled lives. Kim's work underscores her belief in the transformative power of psychology to foster personal...
2024-07-1732 min
The People Factor#79 - Francia Street | CPO at BauWatch Group & Co-Founder Thryving Women in TechWith over 20 years of experience in people, culture and organizational development, Francia is passionate about creating and implementing strategies and scalable processes that align people capabilities and talents with the overall business mission. Francia enjoys working along side, sparring, coaching and developing leaders who are empathetic, visionary, and who are committed to creating an impact and making a difference in the world.Shownotes03:19 - Intro & Context05:01 - Likeminded as a platform08:39 - Benefits of therapy12:15 - Measuring mental health15:09 - Mental health in the workplace27:19 - Four-day work week...
2024-07-1031 min
The People Factor#78 - Wiebke Schmidt | VP People at LinearityWiebke began her professional journey studying business and sociology, which laid the groundwork for her career. She first joined the sourcing department at Zalando and later transitioned into broader roles in People & Culture. Her experience spans startups, agencies and corporates, showcasing her versatile skill set and strong interest in organizational development. Within just seven years, Wiebke became a VP at Linearity, a powerful graphic design software known for its remote-first approach.Shownotes03:20 - Introduction05:55 - Rebranding11:08 - Shaping Company Culture - Company Values, Culture, Implementation21:07 - Strategic Talent Acquisition - Sourcing, Targeted S...
2024-07-0332 min
The People Factor#77 - Barbara Imm | Director People & Culture at roadsurferBarbara Imm leads the People & Culture department of Roadsurfer and has +10 years of experience in scaling and leading a people function that operates globally.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:03 - Roadsurfer's growth12:19 - Hiring challenges17:16 - Blue-collar hiring process20:33 - Ashby ATS25:56 - Defining company cultureLinksBarbara Imm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-imm-4a35a49b/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2024-06-2631 min
The People Factor#76 - Steve Bartel | Founder & CEO of Gem & Author of startuphiring101.comSteve is the Founder & CEO of Gem. Gem is the leading all-in-one recruiting platform powered by AI: ATS + CRM + Sourcing + Analytics + Scheduling + Talent Marketing & Events + Career Site. talent marketing, and career site management. Before Gem, he was an early engineer at Dropbox, where he quickly rose to lead several engineering teams, focusing heavily on recruiting and scaling the company's talent acquisition strategy.As Dropbox grew from 25 to 1,500 employees, Steve observed a paradigm shift in recruiting: companies started proactively seeking top talent, similar to how sales and marketing teams don't just wait for customers to come to them...
2024-06-1940 min
The People Factor#75 - Dr. Yasmin Kurzhals | Vice President People & CultureDr. Yasmin Kurzhals verfügt über mehr als 20 Jahre Expertise und sie war in unterschiedlichsten People & Culture Funktionen tätig, davon 15 Jahre in Führungspositionen. Die promovierte Diplom-Psychologin ist ausgebildete systemische Business Coach und systemische Organisationsberaterin. Ihre Leidenschaft gilt den Themen Leadership, Mental Health sowie Kultur- und Organisationsentwicklung, insbesondere im Kontext von New work.Shownotes04:23 - Einführung und Kontext08:23 - Generationenunterschiede und Trends13:23 - Führungskultur und psychologische Sicherheit18:23 - Individualisierung und Mitarbeiterbindung23:23 - Arbeitsglück und Selbstverwirklichung28:23 - Arbeitsumgebung und psychische GesundheitLinksGuest Linkedi...
2024-06-1635 min
The People Factor#74 - Lynn Schäfer | Head of People & Culture at homee & stromeeDr. Lynn Schäfer, Head of People & Culture at homee & stromee (Berlin based smart home and renewable energy provider), TM enthusiast – more than 20 years working experience in the HR/TM area at McKinsey & company, Bertelsmann, start-up and also led a European Institute on TM at ESCP Business School.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context04:19 - A meaningful workplace06:10 - Working under budget constraints17:40 - Talent Pools and Referrals27:16 - Hiring a senior hr person at 15 employeesGuest Linkedin:Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: tho...
2024-06-1231 min
The People Factor#73 - Romy von Roeder | Managing Director @ Procon Capital GmbHRomy is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of experience in both corporate and startup environments. She believes that the key to success lies in the perfect balance between structure and agility.Romy’s passion is to help people and organizations grow both strategically and operationally.With a strong focus on HR development, she has expanded her expertise to include all aspects of HR management and is a skilled networker who loves to connect with people.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context05:20 - Applying AI in HR14:20 - Future-proof or...
2024-06-0528 min
The People Factor#72 - Yasmin Ahmed | VP People @ simpleclub, Freelance HR Consultant & CoachYasmin is on a mission to change the perception of HR and inspire HR professionals and business leaders alike to be and empower the HR team that employees and businesses really need.With a unique blend of business acumen and empathetic leadership, she strives to create an inclusive and supportive work environment that fosters growth and development for everyone involved. Yasmina believes that HR has the power to be a true driver of business success and employee well-being, and is passionate about leading the change in that direction.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:47...
2024-05-2934 min
The People Factor#71 - Björn Kastl | Chief People Officer at Mytheresa - MBA, Strategic HR LeadershipWith 20 years of experience in human resources, Björn is currently the Chief People Officer at Mytheresa, a global luxury e-commerce platform. In this role, he leads the HR strategy and operations for over 2,000 employees across numerous countries, supporting the company's rapid growth and expansion. He is responsible for developing and implementing HR programs that foster a diverse, inclusive, and high-performance culture, as well as attracting, retaining, and developing top talent.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context11:04 - Competition vs collaboration18:04 - Letting go of responsibility26:04 - Macroeconomic impact on HRLinks
2024-05-2244 min
The People Factor#70 - Sergej Zimpel | Teamleiter Recruiting at Autobahn GmbH, Host@ »HR Messed You Up, KidsSergej Zimpel is a seasoned HR leader with over a decade of experience spanning startups to large corporations. As co-founder of the Purple Squirrel Society and TA Crunch Berlin, he fosters vibrant HR communities. Sergej is also the host of the podcast "HR Messed You Up, Kid" and a speaker and panelist. Currently, he leads talent acquisition at "Die Autobahn," driving innovation through strategic recruitment efforts.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:45 - Fucking up things with data08:35 - Data quality11:00 - Why data-driven work is not micro managing16:45 - Difficult hiring managers
2024-05-1531 min
The People Factor#69 - Maria Kamischke | VP People & Culture ® Lingoda GmbH, HRC AmbassadorMaria is VP People & Culture at Lingoda, the leading online language learning company in Europe. She did an MBA in Leadership People & Organization and is an HR strategist and expert with more than ten years of experience in strategic HR roles in companies of various industries and sizes.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context08:17 How to get approval from the c-level16:57 Benefits that worked and did not18:07 Psychological safety24:27 Mental health challenges28:57 Mental health challenges29:27 - Comparing and rating results of assessmentsMaria - https://www.linkedin.com/in...
2024-05-0840 min
The People Factor#68 - Sabrina Kosse | Chief People & Organization Office @BridgemakerSabrina has swiftly advanced her career since September 2023, when she became the Chief People & Organization Officer at Bridgemaker, previously serving as Vice President. Her journey includes a significant tenure at heycar holding, where she rose from Senior to Chief People & Culture Officer over four years, showcasing her leadership and strategic thinking in organizational culture. Before her accomplishments at heycar and Bridgemaker, Sabrina honed her expertise in HR and legal matters at Mister Spex, progressing from a Mid-level position to Lead and then to Expert HR Legal over 7.5 years, and initially started her career with two years as a Consultant...
2024-05-0133 min
The People Factor#67 - Marta Bisisi - VP, People @SupersideMarta Bisisi is VP of People at Superside, a fully remote company that provides creative services for the marketing and advertising world.Starting her career at Bain & Company as a management consultant, Marta eventually shifted gears towards what she loves most: working with people. At Superside, she works to make people strategy a factor of long-term competitive advantage and prove how the fully remote model is the way to go for the future of work.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:49 - Radical prioritization10:49 - Fully remote talent pool clusters18:23 - Compensation...
2024-04-2434 min
The People Factor#66 - Elliot Suiter | Head of Talent Acquisition, Delivery - EMEA @ UberElliot is leading the EMEA TAlent Acquisition team at Uber Eats, Uber Direct, Grocery and Ads delivering 350+ hires per year. Previously he lead Executive Recruiting at Uber EMEA and did Executive Search at Egon Zehnder. Elliot has a passion for suits and technology, especially AI.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context08:47 - AI in talent acquisition19:00 - Predictive AnalysisLinksElliot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotsuiter/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2024-04-1740 min
The People Factor#65 Jens Bender | Founder & MD at WorkTech Advisory, Co-Founder PeoplePath, Initiator @ HR Angel ClubExperienced entrepreneur with a successful track-record in building global businesses in the HR SaaS industry. Skilled in business strategy, digitization, start-ups, marketing, and market entry. Business professional with a consulting background and Master’s Degree in business administration, marketing and operations from WHU and HEC Montreal.Shownotes00:00 - Intro, M&A Deal Review11:53 - Valuations & markets23:16 - Start-up Investments28:21 - 29:25 - 2024 Outlook & Personio IPO?LinksJens Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-bender/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.co...
2024-04-1031 min
The People Factor#64 - Natalie Matalon | Chief People Officer at Stepstone GroupNatalie Matalon joined The Stepstone Group in May 2023 as Chief People Officer, drawing on 27 years of business and people transformation experience. Natalie began her career in banking, before switching to human resources over 12 years ago. Since then, she has held a variety of leadership positions in People Strategy, Analytics and Operations for Capital One, Google and Farfetch. Born in Israel, Natalie studied at Cornell University and holds an MBA from London Business School.Shownotes00:00 - Intro and context08:54 - Labour market trends17:54 - Talent Intelligence26:54 - Leadership attributes for the future
2024-04-0333 min
The People Factor#63 - Andreas Schmitz | Founder of Prisma Insights and Host of 'With People. For People.'Andreas is a dedicated family man, experienced senior leader, and passionate advocate of human-centric leadership. With a background in basketball, he brings a unique perspective to his leadership approach. Andreas and I talked about how to onboard as a CHRO in the first 100 days.Shownotes00:00 - Equal pay03:35 - First 100 days in a role08:35 - Setting expectations13:05 - Strategic planning19:05 - Relationships & Stakeholder relationsLinksAndreas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-schmitz-withpeople-forpeople/Andreas Podcast: https://www.withpeople-forpeople.com/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin...
2024-03-2732 min
The People Factor#62 - Dr. Alexander Insam | Director, Product Management, Retail at Western UnionDr. Alexander Insam is a seasoned expert in remuneration and labor law and sustainable decision-making, with over 12 years of experience advising banks on compliance with laws, regulations, and guidelines for compensation systems. Today we talk about equal pay and the gender pay gap.Shownotes00:00 - Equal pay14:47 - Remuneration systems & legal implications18:35 - Equal career issue25:47 - Negotiations & bonus systemsLinksAlexander Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderinsam/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https...
2024-03-2033 min
The People Factor#61 - Leslie Kivit | Chief People Officer at Харо Bank, Founder of ThePeopleLab & WorkblocksLeslie is the founder of ThePeopleLab, where he helps start-ups in emerging tech such as AI, Blockchain and SaaS build out their People & Culture teams from scratch or improve what they already have. Over the past 15 years, he held HR leadership roles with Xapo Bank, sennder, Meta, Booking.com and Rocket Internet.Shownotes00:00 - Fraudulent social engineering in recruiting09:48 - Social engineering for recruiting, sourcing and evaluatingLinksLeslie Kivit - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielapwingkivit/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail...
2024-03-1326 min
The People Factor#60 - Leslie Kivit | Chief People Officer at Харо Bank, Founder of ThePeopleLab & WorkblocksLeslie is the founder of ThePeopleLab, where he helps start-ups in emerging tech such as AI, Blockchain and SaaS build out their People & Culture teams from scratch or improve what they already have. Over the past 15 years, he held HR leadership roles with Xapo Bank, sennder, Meta, Booking.com and Rocket Internet.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context10:53 - Starting to freelance13:23 - Facebook, Oculus & talent acquisition19:53 - Freelancing challenges and tipsLinksLeslie Kivit - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielapwingkivit/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com...
2024-03-0633 min
The People Factor#59 - Anais Neumann | Global Head of Executive Talent Acquisition at HelloFreshLeading recruiting teams is just one aspect of her professional life; she also thrives as a hands-on recruiter. Anaïs is deeply involved in sourcing and enjoys sharing her best-kept secrets with others. With over a decade of experience in various forms of recruiting (including executive, high-volume, and specialized tech recruitment), she is always eager to enhance her skills and learn new techniques. Most of these insights are shared on LinkedIn or on her website, www.thecuriousrecruiter.com.In addition to her recruiting expertise, Anaïs is a freelance coach, specializing in leadership, career, and productivity coaching....
2024-02-2831 min
The People Factor#58 - Miriam Rabung | Chief People Officer at WestwingMiriam Rabung is Chief People Officer at Westwing, bringing extensive experience in all relevant HR and organizational disciplines. Miriam has been with Westwing for 7 years, leading the company's People & Culture teams during the hyper-growth phase, enabling and scaling growth, and providing crucial support in challenging times through decisive change management. Westwing is Europe's number one in Beautiful Living e-commerce, achieving a revenue of 431 million euros in 2022 across 11 countries. As the premium one-stop-shop for design enthusiasts, it offers a unique brand experience with a curated assortment from the Westwing Collection and the best design brands. The integrated platform combines shopping...
2024-02-2131 min
The People Factor#57 - Dr. Richard Hossiep | Managing Director & Co-Founder ApplysiaDr. Richard Hossiep is co-founder and managing director of the HR software company Applysia. In his work, he supports organizations in making personnel selection and development more efficient, modern and better. Richard studied Psychology (BSc & MSc) and Business Administration (BSc) and holds a PhD in Organizational Transparency. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Münster, a lecturer at the University of Mannheim and the author of various specialist articles and psychological test procedures.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & context07:32 - Defining Assessments10:02 - Job Analysis19:32 - Job Analysis, Area Vice President Sales
2024-02-1439 min
The People Factor#56 - Andreea Lungulescu | Founder of TA Crunch Berlin & SM Talent Acquisition at WayfairAndreea is a talent acquisition professional with 13 years of experience in engineering and technology. She founded TA Crunch, a talent acquisition community in Berlin, and has worked on significant projects at Zalando and Wayfair.Focussing on creating new career opportunities in talent acquisition, combining leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship. She has led important global talent acquisition projects, including setting up Wayfair's Tech Development Centre in India.Besides work, she enjoys cars, architecture, music, arts, and acrylic painting.I blend my professional skills with my interests to offer a unique view in talent acquisition.
2024-02-0737 min
The People Factor#55 Rico Habraken | Senior Tech Recruiter at MiroRico is a seasoned business recruiter who seamlessly transitioned into the technical realm. Currently contributing his expertise to Miro, the visual workspace for innovation, Rico is passionate about leveraging data for creating strong stakeholder partnerships.With a knack for process improvement, Rico thrives on solving recruitment challenges, ensuring that Miro attracts top-tier engineering talent for the Amsterdam, Berlin, and Yerevan hubs. Next to recruiting, he finds fulfilment in helping others strategically plan their careers with some of the tools he has used for his own personal growth journey.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context07:22...
2024-01-3146 min
The People Factor#54 - Matt Yates | EMEA Talent Acquisition Director & Global TA Lead Uber Delivery @ UberMatt is the Talent Acquisition Director for Uber in EMEA, joining the company in September 2022. As part of a Global Talent Acquisition Leadership team Matt is responsible for ensuring Uber delivers high performing recruitment experiences that translate into competitive advantage and business growth. In addition to leading the TA team in EMEA, Matt also acts as the Lead for TA across the Uber Delivery business globally. Prior to joining Uber Matt has spent over 20 years in the Recruitment Industry primarily focused on Tech, New Media and Financial Services organisations and has led the Talent Acquisition functions for leading brands...
2024-01-2445 min
The People Factor#53 - Andreas Stryz | CTO & Co-Founder at FINN and Expert Partner at Picus CapitalAndreas "Andi" Stryz is 39 years old and the co-founder and CTO of FINN, a leading auto subscription company. Passionate about automation and the no-code movement, he oversees the development and implementation of FINN's technology roadmap and brings exceptional leadership skills and a focus on delivering results. Outside of work, he enjoys running and is known for balancing work and play with ease.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context06:28 - Starting from scratch with a team and the first product18:35 - When to replace a CTO as a founderLinksAndreas - https://www...
2024-01-1735 min
The People Factor#52 - Anais Neumann | Global Head of Executive Talent Acquisition at HelloFreshLeading recruiting teams is just one aspect of her professional life; she also thrives as a hands-on recruiter. Anaïs is deeply involved in sourcing and enjoys sharing her best-kept secrets with others. With over a decade of experience in various forms of recruiting (including executive, high-volume, and specialized tech recruitment), she is always eager to enhance her skills and learn new techniques. Most of these insights are shared on LinkedIn or on her website, www.thecuriousrecruiter.com.In addition to her recruiting expertise, Anaïs is a freelance coach, specializing in leadership, career, and productivity coaching....
2024-01-1041 min
The People Factor#51 - Nichelle Appleby | Founder at Work Imagined and Senior Manager at Total RewardsNichelle Appleby is a Total Rewards Leader with nearly 15 years of experience helping organizations build fair pay programs. She founded Work Imagined, a compensation consultancy, and created The Dignity Standard, a culture and DEI concept that helps companies create a healthy culture to support the development of collaborative and high-performing teams. Nichelle is from the US, born and raised in a small town in Georgia, and now lives in Berlin, Germany.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context07:50 - DEI & Compensation, equity10:32 - The dignity standard18:30 - Wealth building25:30 - Pay gaps for similar roles
2024-01-0345 min
The People Factor#50 - Alexandra Meyer | Head of Talent Acquisition at EnpalWith over 12 years of recruitment expertise, Alexandra's journey includes significant contributions to N26, particularly in building out the Brazilian market. Her role in orchestrating a pivotal turnaround in the US showcased her prowess in assembling talented teams. This commitment extended to leading recruitment efforts in the UK and Netherlands at Moss. Now, as the Head of Talent Acquisition at Enpal, Alexandra leverages her extensive experience to drive recruitment strategies in the sustainable energy sector.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context06:15 - Expansion from a Talent Acquisition perspective into Brasil15:45 - Expansion from a Talent Acquisition...
2023-12-2736 min
The People Factor#49 - Sebastian Schilling | Interim CFO/COO - building finance & people teams for scaling companiesSebastian has built the Finance & Internal Operations Team at Taxfix from Series B beyond Series D. He has played a vital role in financial planning, implementing scalable accounting and people systems, fundraising and internal communications at Taxfix. Sebastian holds an honours degree from the University of Oxford and is a graduate of Bucerius Law School, Hamburg.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context05:41 - Finance stages from series A to series D16:41 - Growing a finance team from series A to series D24:41 - Headcount planning from series A to series DLinks
2023-12-2035 min
The People Factor#48 - Annika in der Beek | Director People & Organization at ABOUT YOUAnnika is an HR executive who went trough roles in HR and consulting, most notably her current position as the Director of People & Organization at ABOUT YOU, where she leads the People & culture function while going public. Before this, she was a consultant focusing on M&A, Digital Transformation, and Organizational Design.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context 05:22 - HR from a Private Equity & Strategy perspective 14:52 - Pre-IPO in a people function 22:00 - IPO processLinksAnnika Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annika-in-der-beek/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin...
2023-12-1336 min
The People Factor#48 - Jochem van der Veer | CEO @ TheyDo Journey ManagementJochem van der Veer is the co-founder & CEO of TheyDo - a journey management platform. Before starting his latest venture, he has been working as a design leader helping to transform companies in the Fortune 500 to work more customer-centric. With a background in UX and Service Design, he’s currently helping to solve one of the biggest problems at the Enterprise-scale: systemically aligning customer needs to business impact.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context07:47 - Journey mapping14:17 - Funding and from agency to SaaS28:17 - Remote work: Superpower vs RiskLinks...
2023-12-0640 min
The People Factor#46 - Rudi Bauer | Managing Director WeAreDevelopersRudi Bauer was Managing Director of StepStone Austria from 2014 to the end of 2019 and also Chief Evangelist of StepStone Group from 2018 to 2020. He now has 29 years of management and leadership experience in the telecom, IT and advertising industries. In addition to his current role as CCO and Managing Director at WeAreDevelopers.com, he is also co-founder of the Vienna-based agency active concepts, focusing on corporate culture, coaching, strategy consulting and team development.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context05:54 - Hiring engineers in 2023 and beyond08:39 - Job fairness report13:54 - WeAreDevelopers & Developer communities19:24...
2023-11-2933 min
The People Factor#45 - Stephan Schmidt | СТО COACH @ Amazing CTO00:00 - intro & context05:29 - CTO Coaching & the role of a CTO15:29 - Goal setting, OKRs in Tech orgs, Vision vs Opportunity driven24:09 - Scrum & delivery methodologies28:14 - AI impacting software developmentLinksStephan Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanjschmidt/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.compplwise: https://pplwise.com/
2023-11-2235 min
The People Factor#44 - Jamie Turner | Vice President People & Talent @IDnowJamie is an HR executive with a track record of building up core pillars of HR with the aim to carry a company onward through maturity and growth journeys. Her last 20 years’ experience leading EU-based, international HR teams in Germany and Austria, coupled with her American upbringing, she applies a unique perspective and balance of HR practices.Her strengths cover diverse areas such as global applications of HR practices on local levels, implementing effective core processes of People Operations, integrating competency management into the daily business of managers and long-lasting leadership development approaches. Jamie is Berlin-based, with he...
2023-11-1531 min
The People Factor#43 - Axel Sedlmeier | Director Talent at DEDIQ GmbH I Ex-Personio | Ex-IntelAxel is a Munich native with a strong track record in talent acquisition, having honed his skills at renowned companies like Personio, Intel, and Comites. With nearly a decade of experience, he now contributes his expertise to DEDIQ, a private equity investment firm specializing in medium-sized enterprises poised for profitability or already thriving. Axel's career journey reflects his commitment to fostering success and growth in the business world.Shownotes00:00 - Intro06:34 - Executive Search, Biases18:04 - Executive Search by company stageLinksAxel Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in...
2023-11-0831 min
The People Factor#42 - Tanya Channing | Chief People and Culture Officer @ PipedriveTanya Channing is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in the people field and shaping company culture and is currently Chief People & Culture Officer at Pipedrive. Prior to this, she played a pivotal role in the successful IPO of Worldpay, one of Europe's largest IPOs. Tanya's expertise extends across various sectors, including renowned brands like Burger King and Red Bull.Shownotes00:00 - Intro08:50 - Culture, customer value17:50 - People teams purpose and mission24:20 - Prioritization & psychologitstsLinksTanya Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyachanning/
2023-11-0134 min
The People Factor#41 - Gabriele Fanta | CHRO Körber GroupGabriele Fanta has been Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at the technology group Körber since 2020. As CHRO, she is heading the recruiting, personnel development and employer branding worldwide. Before joining Körber, she worked at Daimler, McDonalds and most recently as Head of Global Human Resources at Sixt. She was named one of Germany's most inspiring female executives in 2022 by 40 over 40.Shownotes00:00 - Intro08:38 - Planning with 13.000 employees14:08 - Internal mobility & hiring16:38 - Length of cutting + 14:00 Culture & Leadership principles21:08 - Brand & Culture transformation, vision27:08 - AI perspectiveLi...
2023-10-2533 min
The People Factor#40 - Julian Kirchherr | Partner @ McKinsey & CompanyJulian is a renowned global thought leader in people and organizational transformations, with a focus on public sector and healthcare clients in Europe. He has driven initiatives in reskilling and strategic workforce planning across various industries. Before joining McKinsey, Julian was an assistant professor for innovation and authored "The Lean PhD," recognized in publications like the Guardian, Times Higher Education, and the Chronicle of Higher Education.Shownotes00:00 - Intro06:05 - Definition & perspective on HR12:35 - Generative AI & HR19:05 - Regulation in generative AI22:05 - Future trough AILinks
2023-10-1833 min
The People Factor#39 - Julius Göllner | Co-Founder ARRtist and Founder & Managing Director @ eNugget VenturesListen to Julius, a serial entrepreneur with an impressive track record of founding 12 companies, successfully exiting two, and learning valuable lessons from the three that were closed down. His passion for entrepreneurship is matched only by his commitment to elevating the SaaS ecosystem in the DACH region through his innovative platform, ARRtist (www.ARRtist.net). As an active angel investor, Julius dedicates his expertise and resources to guide startups towards achieving product-market fit and crafting scalable sales strategies. With a hands-on approach, Julius is always eager to share his wealth of knowledge, drawing from his own experiences, both triumphs...
2023-10-1134 min
The People Factor#38 - Sarah E. Brown | VP of Marketing at SastrifySarah E. Brown is the VP of Marketing at Sastrify. She’s also an author, Techstars mentor, and ecosystem builder. Her latest book is called Lead Upwards: How Startup Joiners Can Impact New Ventures, Build Amazing Careers, and Inspire Great Teams (Wiley).Shownotes00:00 - Intro06:26 - Passion for leadership10:06 - Role change over time, Marketing, Sales B2B19:56 - Corporate & big scope hires in startups24:41 - How to lead upwards, coaches & mentors29:06 - Series A vs Series B: Cultural changeLinksSarah Linkedin: https://ww...
2023-10-0437 min
The People Factor#37 - Adriana Hurduc | Strategic Talent Acquisition Manager at Cavalry VenturesAdriana is a Strategic Talent Acquisition Manager who has excelled across several industries. With a rich history, including roles at Babbel and GetYourGuide, she's honed her expertise. Currently driving global recruitment achievements at Cavalry Ventures, Adriana is a vital member of the VC Platform Global Community and Global Women in VC, showcasing her commitment to industry advancement. Having contributed significantly to Clue by Biowink's growth, she now leads talent acquisition for tech and product teams at HelloFresh. Stay tuned for her upcoming podcast episode, where she'll share her invaluable insights.Shownotes00:00 - Intro03:56 - VC...
2023-09-2732 min
The People Factor#36 - Peter van Kersen | Chief People Officer - Independent Consultant with Capital PPeter is a seasoned People/HR Leader with a track record of aiding startups in achieving sustainable and rapid growth. He emphasizes the significance of establishing a strong foundation, likening it to building a structure. Having contributed to the expansion of companies such as Catawiki, Delivery Hero, Glovo, REMY Robotics, and Docplanner, Peter excels in fostering empowering experiences and solid frameworks. His proficiencies encompass diverse areas like People analytics, Business unit management, Talent development, HR Operations, Digital Transformation, Performance management, Compensation & Benefits, and Leadership growth.Shownotes00:00 - Intro07:14 - 3 Main mistakes...
2023-09-2040 min
The People Factor#35 - Alla Pavlova | Tech & Art Talent Sourcing at Riot GamesAlla Pavlova, is an Interim IT Recruiter based in Amsterdam. Passionate about technology, Python programming, computer games, and space exploration. She has shared her insights through talks and interviews on platforms like YouTube and Recruiting Brainfood. Currently, focused on sourcing top talents for Riot Games, coaching sourcing teams, crafting exceptional candidate experiences, building the Slack Community in Amsterdam, and hosting WAN-party sessions for sourcers across different countries. Proudly recruited for Riot Games and spoken at various conferences like Sourcing Summit, SOSU Tech, SourceCon, VanHackCon, and HRTX. Connect with her through email, website, Twitter, or YouTube for engaging in discussions...
2023-09-1353 min
The People Factor#34 - André Neubauer | CTO @ Trusted Shops & Tech Advisor for StartupsAndré has an impressive background in shaping tech environments and possesses extensive experience in software engineering, product development, and leadership as a Chief Technology Officer. With a strong passion for technology trends and innovation, André has successfully led various projects, including technical migrations and post-acquisition integrations. They are also a proponent of modern leadership and progressive organizational design, guiding companies towards becoming sustainable technology powerhouses. As an advisor and business angel, André provides valuable support to companies, helping them overcome technical challenges and benefit from their wealth of experience.Shownotes00:00 - intro & context05:00 - sys...
2023-09-0636 min
The People Factor#33 - Anna Michel | Founder @ The Secret Society of Awesome Business WomenAnna is a Business Coach and Consultant with a specialisation in Strategy, Performance Culture and Organisational Design.Based on her own experience both as a former serial entrepreneur and scaleup coach, Anna helps leadership teams navigate the strategic transformations that are paramount to long-term business success. She combines a select toolkit of frameworks and methodologies with an experienced practitioner's best-practice know-how to create an ideal management operating system for scaling companies and teams. Applying a holistic view, she helps founders and their teams identify and resolve blind spots throughout the entire organisation, enabling companies - and the...
2023-08-3038 min
The People Factor#32 - Rene Insam | VP, Corporate Solutions @ Morgan StanleyRené Insam is a Digital Product Strategist with close to 20 years of experience working for large financial services companies in the United States, including American Express, Charles Schwab, AIG, and most recently Morgan Stanley. René was born in Luxembourg and spent his childhood living in Germany and Greece before immigrating to the United States, initially to earn his MBA, then to embark on his professional career. He lives with his wife and son in Denver, Colorado. Read more about him in his blog: www.insamity.netShownotes00:00 - Intro 07:42 - Financial Services Industry, 2008 and 2022
2023-08-2339 min
The People Factor#31 - Johanna Rauhala | Chief of Staff at HaiiloJohanna is Chief of Staff at Haiilo with 8+ years of global operations management experience in a global SaaS scale-up, building the company from seed round to acquisitions and integrations. She has managed various aspects of business operations at Smarp (now Haiilo) to ensure efficiency and achieve growth targets and has diverse experience in HR, talent acquisition, fundraising, legal, finance, strategy, and leadership in operations and sales across key markets like the Nordics, DACH, United Kingdom, and North America.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context07:46 - Values & Rolling them out12:11 - +8 years in the company, development...
2023-08-1635 min
The People Factor#30 - Juliane Nowakowski | Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility at TOM TAILORJuliane is a fashion retail professional with expertise in sustainability strategy, CSR, and corporate development. She is known for her strong personality, positive mindset, and agility. Highly motivated and a skilled team coordinator, Juliane is eager to expand her international business contacts and explore new markets. A team player with a passion for driving positive change, she brings a valuable combination of skills and a dynamic approach to any organization she joins.Shownotes00:00 - Intro & Context05:26 - Retail11:26 - Sustainability & Transparency, Greenwashing15:26 - Tom Tailor sustainbility & Gen-Z programm18:26 - Implementing sustainability24:49...
2023-08-0934 min
The People Factor#29 - Merten Wulfert | Founder & Co-CEO of RavioMerten is the founder and co-CEO of Ravio. Prior to starting Ravio, Merten spent several years at Deliveroo where he first led the company’s international expansion before stepping into the managing director role for Deliveroo’s APAC and Middle Eastern business. Merten started his career as an investor and has been working in the tech industry ever since.Shownotes00:00 - Intro, Berlin vs London08:27 - Founder Story, VC, Operator, Founder12:12 - Ravio Purpose24:12 - Rewards Philosophy, Founder impact24:27 - Learnings from Deliveroo, APAC, Middle East29:27 - Ravio vision & next...
2023-08-0242 min
The People Factor#28 - Hilary Klassen | CEO & Co-Founder bestselfyHilary, an experienced entrepreneur and HR leader, believes in the power of positive human interactions for peak performance and well-being. With a background in startups and corporates across multiple continents, she is the CEO and Founder of bestselfy, an AI pocket coach for workplace excellence. Hilary also heads Quahog, an HR consultancy assisting scaling tech companies with various aspects of organizational development, and is a Founding Partner of Strengths Circle, promoting strengths-based leadership. Co-founding The Secret HR Society, she advocates for networks and open-source collaboration. Hilary is from Massachusetts, USA, and welcomes discussions on the Future of Work, Biergartens...
2023-07-2637 min
The People Factor#27 - Constanze Buchheim | Founder & Managing Partner @ i-potentialsConstanze Buchheim is a pioneering entrepreneur in Germany's digital economy, specializing in "future leadership" and intrapreneurial culture development. With over 15 years of experience, she has successfully built and transformed digital teams in various industries. In 2009, she founded the executive search consultancy i-potentials to address the lack of market solutions for scaling companies. Constanze actively serves as an advisory board member, angel investor, and strategic partner, guiding serial entrepreneurs and boards in navigating the challenges of leadership, recruitment, and organizational culture. Her influence in German business was recognized by the Boston Consulting Group and "Manager Magazin" in 2015, and she was...
2023-07-1943 min
The People Factor#26 - Charlotte von Riess | Director Talent Acquisition @DOCTOLIBCharlotte von Riess is the Director of Talent Acquisition of Doctolib, a healthcare Scale-up from France. Charlotte has a background in Sourcing, Employer Branding and Talent Acquisition at the probably biggest TA organization in Germany, Deutsche Bahn. She is also an Ambassador for female HR excellence and a global leader.Shownotes00:00 - Intro08:22 - Sourcing, Talent Acquisition & Business Partnering14:30 - Building and running a sourcing team23:30 - Career tracks, goals & KPIs of a Sourcer31:30 - Sales Hiring & Sourcing, RecommendationsLinksCharlotte: https://www.linkedin.com...
2023-07-1236 min
The People Factor#25 - Gitte Bendzulla | Chief Operating Officer @DeezerGitte is an exceptional leader who embodies forward thinking, change-driven, and global-oriented qualities. She excels at transforming grand visions into tangible realities by developing and fearlessly executing robust strategic plans. Gitte thrives on embracing innovation and staying ahead of the curve to drive progress. Her leadership style is characterized by a strong focus on adopting and implementing change, adapting to new environments, and fostering a global perspective. Gitte is a visionary who combines her strategic acumen with bold action to achieve extraordinary results.
Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
02:30 - Creator industry
08:25 - Background & Deezer
10:30 - Operating System...
2023-07-0500 min
The People Factor#25 - Gitte Bendzulla | Chief Operating Officer @DeezerGitte is an exceptional leader who embodies forward thinking, change-driven, and global-oriented qualities. She excels at transforming grand visions into tangible realities by developing and fearlessly executing robust strategic plans. Gitte thrives on embracing innovation and staying ahead of the curve to drive progress. Her leadership style is characterized by a strong focus on adopting and implementing change, adapting to new environments, and fostering a global perspective. Gitte is a visionary who combines her strategic acumen with bold action to achieve extraordinary results.Shownotes00:00 - Intro02:30 - Creator industry08:25 - Background & Deezer10:30...
2023-07-0543 min
The People Factor#24 - Christin Glaeser-Seidel | Head of Talent Acquisition & EB @wefoxChristin Glaeser-Seidel is the Head of Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding at wefox. She has a background in talent acquisition, previously working at Deutsche Bahn, working in one of the largest talent acquisition departments in the world. She is also an Ambassador for One Young World, a global organization for young leaders. Shownotes00:00 - Intro 05:52 - Corporate vs Scale-up12:42 - EVP, values, talent pooling26:52 - Internal mobility39:42 - RecommendationsLinksChristin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christin-glaeser-seidel-b4b322104/ Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/i...
2023-06-2842 min
The People Factor#23 - Jens Bender | Founder & Managing Director | WorkTech AdvisoryExperienced entrepreneur with a successful track-record in building global businesses in the HR SaaS industry. Skilled in business strategy, digitization, start-ups, marketing, and market entry. Business professional with a consulting background and Master’s Degree in business administration, marketing and operations from WHU and HEC Montreal.Shownotes00:00 - Intro08:20 - Alumni software, Leading us player13:35 - Retention engine16:35 - Organisational transformation, Private equity27:35 - Work-tech, HR-tech33:35 - Angel network37:20 - RecommendationsLinksJens Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-bender/Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.co...
2023-06-2140 min
The People Factor#23 - Jens Bender | Founder & Managing Director | WorkTech AdvisorySummary
Experienced entrepreneur with a successful track-record in building global businesses in the HR SaaS industry. Skilled in business strategy, digitization, start-ups, marketing, and market entry. Business professional with a consulting background and Master’s Degree in business administration, marketing and operations from WHU and HEC Montreal.
Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
08:20 - Alumni software, Leading us player
13:35 - Retention engine
16:35 - Organisational transformation, Private equity
27:35 - Work-tech, HR-tech
33:35 - Angel network
37:20 - Recommendations
Links
Jens Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jens-bender/
Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.co...
2023-06-2100 min
The People Factor#22 - Oliver Manojlovic | VP Sales @Personio | Partner & Scout for Picus CapitalOliver is a sales executive with a background in the B2B SaaS industry, currently VP Sales at Personio where he scaled sales from 500 to +10.000 customers. He started his sales career early, working in his parents' restaurant and later selling American Express credit cards. He has a passion for sales and believes there is a lack of focus on sales education in Germany. Oliver has experience in enterprise sales and has worked for prominent companies like GitHub and New Relic. He is an active angel investor in the HR Tech field and invested already in +15 companies.Shownotes...
2023-06-1445 min
The People Factor#21 - Ian Whiteford | Founder @ Rebel HR & Architect of Great CulturesSummary
Ian Whiteford is an expert in building world-class teams and fostering impactful cultures for disruptive tech companies. With a background in a Global Investment Bank and a scaling technology firm, he founded Rebel HR to guide rapidly growing organizations, particularly in the cryptocurrency and Web3 space. Ian's focus is redesigning people and talent processes to empower employees and enable career ownership. His advisory work extends to scaling fintech companies and a large electric mobility firm. As an avid HR enthusiast, Ian constantly explores management, culture, and leadership literature for continuous growth.
Shownotes
00:02:58 - Intro & context
00:08:58...
2023-06-0745 min
The People Factor#19 - Thomas, Amiel & Stratos | All about total RewardsSummaryIn this podcast episode with Amiel and Stratos, the hosts discuss various topics related to rewards and incentivization. We explore the EU 2023 Directive, the gender gap, and pay transparency. Then, we delve into a conversation about best-in-class grading, job titles, and the effectiveness of rewards schemes. They also address listener questions on topics such as sign-on bonuses, the impact of rewards on profitable growth, and tips for young rewards professionals.Shownotes00:02:54 - Intro00:05:54 - EU 2023 Directive, Gender gap, pay tranparency00:20:14 - Best in class grading...
2023-05-271h 25
The People Factor#19 - Thomas, Amiel & Stratos | All about total RewardsSummary
In this podcast episode with Amiel and Stratos, the hosts discuss various topics related to rewards and incentivization. We explore the EU 2023 Directive, the gender gap, and pay transparency. Then, we delve into a conversation about best-in-class grading, job titles, and the effectiveness of rewards schemes. They also address listener questions on topics such as sign-on bonuses, the impact of rewards on profitable growth, and tips for young rewards professionals.
Shownotes
00:02:54 - Intro
00:05:54 - EU 2023 Directive, Gender gap, pay tranparency
00:20:14 - Best in class grading discussion
00:32:54 - Job titles
00:38:19 - Incentives, Future vs past incentivisation, LTI...
2023-05-2700 min
The People Factor#18 - Jakob Gillmann | Co-Founder HiPeople | Ex-VP Growth & Sales @ adjust.com | Angel InvestorAbout the guest
Jakob Gillmann, the Founder of HiPeople, is an innovative entrepreneur with a passion for revolutionizing the way companies approach talent management. With a keen understanding of the modern workforce, Jakob has leveraged his expertise in HR technology to create HiPeople, a cutting-edge platform that empowers organizations to make data-driven and people-centric decisions. His entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision have driven the success of HiPeople, like his deep industry knowledge, leadership skills, and commitment to disrupting the HR landscape. With a track record of driving innovation and delivering results, Jakob Gillmann is a recognized thought leader in...
2023-05-241h 04
The People Factor#17 Johannes Schmidt | Chief Business Builder @ Exxeta AGAbout the guest
As the Chief Business Builder at Exxeta, Hannes Schmidt is a dynamic leader who empowers teams to independently arrive at optimal conclusions through his unique leadership style of freedom and responsibility. With a proven track record in driving strategic accounts, Hannes is skilled at developing and executing innovative strategies to achieve business objectives. Passionate about addressing climate change, he envisions a future with car-free cities. Hannes fosters a culture of accountability, creativity, and collaboration, empowering his teams to take ownership of their work and drive meaningful results.
Shownotes
00:03:50 - Intro, Purpose
00:10:50 - Culture
00:14:50...
2023-05-1759 min
The People Factor#16 Andreas Schmitz | Chief People Officer NanoTemper Technologies Ex-Roche| Ex-SAPAbout the guest
Andreas is a dedicated family man, experienced senior leader, and passionate advocate of human-centric leadership. With a background in basketball, he brings a unique perspective to his leadership approach. Andreas has a proven track record of driving positive change in people and culture, having led HR functions at reputable organizations such as SAP and Roche. Currently, he is spearheading the growth transformation at NanoTemper Technologies, a biotech startup. Andreas runs his own podcast - With People. For People.
Shownotes
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:46 - Andreas, Nanotemper Technologies
00:11:40 - Principles vs processes
00:19:20 - Basketball teams
00:24:30 - Failures...
2023-05-101h 06
The People Factor#15 - Alexander Insam | Partner at GÖRG, Lawyer, Employment Law ExpertAbout the guest
Dr. Alexander Insam is a seasoned expert in remuneration and labor law and sustainable decision-making, with over 12 years of experience advising banks on compliance with laws, regulations, and guidelines for compensation systems. He helps banks balance compliance and competitiveness, drawing on his extensive experience with over 30 major institutions. Alexander also has a passion for craftsmanship and mechanical watches, which inspire his innovative approach to finding practical and sustainable solutions for his clients. He occasionally works as a mediator, particularly in the aviation industry, and shares his knowledge through LinkedIn to help navigate the regulatory complexities of...
2023-05-031h 16
The People Factor#14 Carrie Krehlik | CHRO & Executive Advisor Biopharma ExecutiveAbout the guest
She is known for advising and influencing in complex organizations, and has a reputation as a systems thinker and well-rounded leader. Her passion lies in executive leadership, mergers & acquisitions, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness, among other areas of expertise.
Shownotes
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:20 - Bay Area
00:12:04 - Germany, SAP mid 90s, pre-cloud
00:18:15 - Management practice, Salesforce, Oracle
00:31:24 - Competition & organisational agility
00:43:48 - AI, management & relationships
00:52:13 - M&A, Integrations
01:06:53 - Recommendations
Links
Carrie Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekrehlik/
Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas...
2023-04-261h 13
The People Factor#13 - Marie Toby | Director of Community Enablement | OysterAbout the guest
Marie is a strategic and creative thinker who excels in leadership, coaching, and advisory roles. She is known for being generous and hands-on when it comes to managing people. Marie is passionate about shaping the future of work and making a positive impact on people's lives and her expertise and dedication make her a highly valuable leader in driving positive change and shaping the future of work.
Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
01:43 - US Trip, Oyster & Emotions
13:49 - Shoutouts
16:32 - Growth phases from 120 - 650 people org
20:00 - Performance management
30:25 - Career, product launch learnings & remote vs...
2023-04-191h 05
The People Factor#12 - Catharina Riedl | COO & Head of Cloud Transformation SAP GermanyAbout the guest
Catharina Riedl, the COO of SAP Germany, is in charge of the sales and service organization that includes ~2500 people. Catharina is a humble and creative individual who loves exploring new ideas and approaches and values transparency, honesty, and being a dependable team player. Catharina encourages having fun and embracing everyone around her to create a positive change within the organization and her passion is designing, creating, and building things.
Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
03:17 - Venice Beach, conflict management & product engineering
17:51 - Management, SAP & mentoring
30:00 - Career disappointments, management track & feedback
43:00 - Youngest COO, General Manager...
2023-04-121h 08
The People Factor#5 - Martina Ruiß | Ex-Director of Talent @Personio | Ex-McKinseyAt McKinsey, Martina was responsible for hiring new consultants into their German and Austrian offices with a focus on diversity. She also spent time in Dubai improving the Middle East hiring processes and attracting top talent from UK and US universities into all EMEA offices. In her final two years at McKinsey, Martina co-managed all German/Austrian hiring efforts.
In 2018, she joined Personio as their Head of HR and later as Director of Talent. Under her leadership, the company grew from 50 to 1,400 employees in just 4 years. Martina understands the challenges that come with hyper-growth and is experienced...
2023-02-221h 08
The People Factor#3 - Sonita Uijt De Haag | Builder not a BureucratAbout the guest
At multiple companies, Sonita managed the entire employee experience cycle from employer branding, through talent acquisition and onboarding, to structured compensation and employee growth. With this, she owned P&L responsibility and operational excellence.
Long before diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging were a trend, cross-cultural management and diverse teams have been her passion.
She is a serial builder, whether it’s planning life, or growing a company, Sonita enjoys collaborating with others to create structure and plans that make sense for all involved as you can hear from the episode.
Sh...
2023-02-151h 01
The People Factor#2 - Romy von Roeder | Ex-SVP People TIERAbout the Guest
Romy is a seasoned HR professional with over a decade of experience in both corporate and startup environments. She believes that the key to success lies in the perfect balance between structure and agility.
Romy’s passion is to help people and organizations grow both strategically and operationally.
With a strong focus on HR development, she has expanded her expertise to include all aspects of HR management and is a skilled networker who loves to connect with people.
Shownotes:
00:00 - Intro & Summary
02:08 - Early career days & 2008 crisis
09:39 - Small Startup ex...
2023-02-1552 min
The People Factor#1 - Thomas Kohler | Podcast Host | CEO pplwiseAbout the guest
Thomas started his HR career in recruiting at a Viennese B2B fintech and subsequently led talent acquisition departments at two Unicorns. Within the last six years, he scaled organizations from 50 to over 3,000 employees across Europe. He then co-founded pplwise with Mina Golesorkhi to help companies achieve their growth goals. pplwise specializes in recruiting & consulting in HR.
Show Summary
The People Factor Podcast, hosted by Thomas Kohler, co-founder of pplwise, explores the impact of talent, HR function, executives, leaders, and managers on business performance in various stages of an organization's lifecycle.
In...
2023-02-1501 min