Up Next @ Work

In this episode of Up Next at Work, Jeanne Achille welcomes Dr. Thomas Otter, General Partner at Acadian Ventures and a longtime leader in HR technology, product development, and venture capital. Drawing on three decades of experience, including leadership roles at Gartner and SAP SuccessFactors, Thomas shares his perspective on the innovations, emerging markets, and entrepreneurial ideas that will shape the next generation of workplace technology. While artificial intelligence dominates the conversation, Thomas challenges leaders to look beyond the hype and focus on the bigger opportunity: rethinking the relationship between people and technology. He argues that the future of work needs more than smarter software. It needs a renewed focus on human ingenuity, thoughtful work design, accountability, and the real problems organizations are trying to solve. Key Highlights: Africa's Emerging Workforce: Why Africa's young and growing population represents an important opportunity for global employers, local entrepreneurs, and the future of work. Building the Next Generation of HR Tech: Why established organizations should work with startups, share their real-world challenges, and help emerging innovators develop solutions that address unmet needs. What Venture Capitalists Look For: Thomas shares why successful innovation depends on finding ambitious, creative founders who can envision possibilities others haven't yet considered. Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Substack, Work in Progress, for more insights.

In this powerful episode of Up Next @ Work, Jeanne Achille sits down with employment lawyer, writer, and HR thought leader Heather Bussing for an unusually personal conversation about recovery, resilience, and the workplace. Marking National Recovery Month, Heather reflects on 31 years of sobriety, sharing her deeply candid story of addiction, from early experiences of abandonment and grief to self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, navigating the pressures of a demanding legal career, and ultimately, finding a path toward recovery. Heather and Jeanne also explore the workplace's role in recognizing addiction and recovery and offering people the support they need. Key Highlights: How and why addiction can become a form of self-medication when people lack the tools to cope with difficult emotions A remarkable story of an employer who recognized Heather needed help and gave her an opportunity to seek treatment The difference between knowing about recovery and actually doing the work A reminder that emotions, like the weather, are temporary and tomorrow can bring something completely different For more information about Heather and her work, follow her on LinkedIn and subscribe to her Substack.

What does it take to build a workplace where people - and the business - can actually thrive through transformation? In this episode of Up Next @ Work, Kate Achille joins Eric Knauf, author of The 56% Solution and founder of BelongHQ, to consider why human infrastructure might be the missing link in successful organizational change. Eric explains how the experience sparked his initial research and led him to identify (and quantify!) the five pillars of belonging. Kate and Eric's conversation also examines why these factors matter to the C-Suite, how they can help organizations assess their transformational readiness, and why companies rushing into AI may be skipping a critical first step: ensuring their people and managers are prepared for change. Key Highlights: The 56% connection: The science behind belonging and its relationship to business outcomes, including retention, innovation, and employee wellbeing. The CFO's perspective: Why human infrastructure can be viewed as a form of human capital investment - and even compared to CapEx. From reactive to generative: Eric explains his maturity model and what it takes to create teams capable of sustaining healthy workplace conditions on their own. Follow Eric on LinkedIn, learn more at BelongHQ.com, or pick up a copy of The 56% Solution: How Belonging Infrastructure Transforms Performance.

On this episode of Up Next at Work, Kate Achille sits down with Chris Harvey, Chief Research Officer at HR Technology Advice, to unpack the changing HR tech landscape, the often-overlooked factors that determine technology success, and what founders can learn from the unconventional business strategies of pirates. The conversation explores the HR tech trends shaping 2026, including the growing importance of EOR solutions for global hiring and the challenges mid-market organizations face when evaluating HCM suites. Chris also reveals the story behind his book, Blackbeard’s Laws for Founders, and how the pirate offers surprisingly relevant lessons for today’s tech founders, from defining ICP to knowing when to walk away from a deal. Key highlights: Why feature functionality alone isn't enough when selecting HR technology The danger of choosing a technology vendor that's too complex (or not complex enough) for your organization Why founders shouldn't pursue “anyone who will buy from us” as their customer strategy To learn more about Chris' work, visit the HR Technology Advice website and connect with him on LinkedIn.

In this episode of Up Next at Work, Katie Achille sits down with Chris Havrilla, Chief Advisor & Analyst at AI Alchemists, to explore what organizations need to rethink as AI becomes increasingly embedded in workforce decisions. With experience across the enterprise buyer, technology vendor, and analyst worlds, Chris explains why traditional governance models are no longer enough – and why companies need to start architecting consequences rather than inheriting them. Their conversation considers “systems of consequence,” the widening gap between AI adoption and accountability, and what happens when decisions are made at machine speed and scale. Chris shares guidance for organizations building “consequence architecture,” including how to map decisions, assess severity, establish ownership, and audit for the outcomes that actually matter. Key highlights: Why governance has lagged behind adoption The problem with "human in the loop" thinking The real cost of AI, especially with the kill switch as a strategy To learn more about Chris' work, visit AI Alchemists, follow her Substack, or connect with her on LinkedIn.