The People Factor

#144 - Varun Dadlani | How Personio hires an AI-fluent workforce

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 05:00:00 GMT

Varun Dadlani is Head of Talent Acquisition at Personio, where he leads the global TA function across recruiting, employer branding, operations and enablement. At Netflix, he built an engineering hub from zero to 70 people in just eight months and set up the EMEA go-to-market team for the advertising business. At Uber, he rose from coordinator to the EMEA leadership team in five years. Varun focuses on scalable hiring, structured interviewing and building an AI-fluent workforce, bringing valuable insights into the future of talent acquisition.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Varun's journey from Dropbox, Uber and Netflix to Personio
02:29 - How Personio assesses AI fluency in interviews
07:20 - AI slop and the new "AI admin tax"
11:48 - The TA operating model of the future: from transactional to strategic partner
14:09 - Which TA roles will change

_________________

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varundadlani/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#6 - Anna Ott | VP People | HV Capital | Advisory Board Member | Kienbaum

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Anna Ott is VP People and responsible for ESG initiatives at HV Capital, one of the leading VC funds in Europe. She has more than two decades of experience in HR, focussing on start-ups. She's worked with venture builders, incubators, and venture capitalists' portfolios.

Before HV Capital, Anna worked as an independent consultant. Her clients spanned corporates, SMBs and start-ups. She also advised various European HR Tech start-ups.

Anna is part of Capital Magazine's "Top 40 under 40". She is also acknowledged as an "HR Influencer" by various leading magazines in this space.

Shownotes 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:55 - Annas start 00:05:50 - First career layoffs 00:08:22 - HR Consultancy and most shaping boss 00:11:00 - First learnings & failures 00:12:45 - Management 00:24:19 - Berlin, 2010 and onwards 00:35:35 - Patterns of successful companies and founders 00:43:40 - Advisory, Beirat and Freelancing 00:54:55 - HV Capital, Diversity 01:12:44 - Final words

Links Anna Ott Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaott/ HV Capital: https://www.hvcapital.com/

Thomas Kohler Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Book recommendations: The making of a manager: https://www.amazon.de/Making-Manager-Everyone-Looks-English-ebook/dp/B07DXGGDCQ/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=71834175820&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6fafBhC1ARIsAIJjL8mC8wHV6AGX5nHdCbCNKybdV-84ecG6tuvvGSbLdrpfs7haQi5YmMoaAmsUEALw_wcB&hvadid=352993768977&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061133&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4711197719894779108&hvtargid=kwd-662830358106&hydadcr=24065_1739927&keywords=the+making+of+a+manager+julie+zhuo&qid=1677615874&sr=8-1

The do library: https://thedobook.co/products/complete-11-book-bundle

The atlas of the heart: https://www.amazon.de/Atlas-Heart-Meaningful-Connection-Experience-ebook/dp/B09DTJM18Q/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=74762240127&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6fafBhC1ARIsAIJjL8n1WbWgcHOIXhsVQ-3l0A7sErXw6o9U9KZkXz2oTEfpoBX0EUjrUIoaArzbEALw_wcB&hvadid=353035642247&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061133&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=18265168665292491299&hvtargid=kwd-1538841756413&hydadcr=5934_1747181&keywords=the+atlas+of+the+heart+brene+brown&qid=1677615977&sr=8-1

#52 - Anais Neumann | Global Head of Executive Talent Acquisition at HelloFresh

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Leading 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.

🌎 More information can be found on www.thecuriousrecruiter.com.

🔔 For insights into talent acquisition, recruiting wisdom, career development, leadership, and productivity, follow her on LinkedIn.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
06:21 - Learning executive recruitment
19:51 - Executive vs none executive hiring
26:31 - Bar raising in hiring
31:21 - DEI & executive hiring

Links
Anais Neumann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaisneumann/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#8 - Daniel Vonier | Leadership & Org-Dev Consultant Ex-SAP | Siemens | TIER

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Daniel is a proven expert on the future of work, an independent "leadership developer" and (HR) organizational consultant, systemic coach, author, and guest lecturer at various universities.

Through his exposed and global leadership roles at Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, and SAP, he brings in-depth experience and broad expertise in Leadership & Talent Development, Organizational Development, and Culture Change from some of the most prominent Dax corporations.

He is the author of several publications and last year released his new book "Unlearning Hierarchy" - A Journey into Self-Organization.

His mission: to make work, leadership, and organizations more present- and future-ready through his contribution as a consultant, org developer, facilitator, and keynote speaker - for him, that means, more adaptive, effective, and meaningful

Shownotes 00:00 - Intro 01:34 - Early career, shaping childhood, shaping moments 13:10 - North star, alignment of organisations 19:45 - Strategy, competencies, and organisational effectiveness 24:50 - Maturity of organisations 30:15 - Ambidextrous organisation & compensation 33:40 - Unlearn Hierarchy, adaptability, impact, meaningfulness 37:15 - Quality of life, habits, and health workplace index 45:30 - Burnout, Self-care, trust & emotions 55:23 - Patterns of corporates, startups, and traditional companies

Links Daniel Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielvonier/details/experience/ Daniel's new venture: https://www.unlearning-hierarchy.de/

Daniels book: https://www.amazon.de/Unlearning-Hierarchy-Daniel-Vonier/dp/3800666421/ref=asc_df_3800666421/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=526621203254&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4973905034678532093&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061132&hvtargid=pla-1323309586063&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#122 - Frederic-Louis Claudius | KPIs in Verbindung mit Automatisierung

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Frederic is People Director at a FinTech scale-up, bringing a unique blend of HR leadership and tech expertise to fast-growing organizations through the senior roles he held. Based in Berlin, Frederic worked at companies such as Tesla, Zalando, and other leading tech-driven firms across real estate, fashion, automotive and travel sectors. With a background in computer science and HR Management, Frederic combines a deep understanding of technology with a passion for people strategy, leadership development, and organizational growth. Known for building scalable teams and fostering innovation, Frederic is committed to creating sustainable success through strategic, tech-enabled people practices.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:13 - Die Implementierung von KI in HR-Prozesse
08:40 - Automatisierung und Effizienzsteigerung durch KI
11:12 - Zukunftsvisionen: KI im Recruiting und People Management
17:36 - Die Rolle von KI in der Zukunft der Arbeit

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flclaudius/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#115 - Laura Wilkinson | Behind the Curtain: How TA Shapes Candidate Experiences

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

"A true recruiter who has come up through the ranks and is now Global Head of Talent, a serious hustler from the university of life and dedicated mum.”

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
08:38 - The Importance of a Positive Mindset
21:25 - The Role of Employers in Supporting Working Parents
28:47 - Top Tips for New Moms Returning to Work

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-wilkinson-007197245/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#104 - Jessie Schofer | CEO & Co-Founder of Stakkd

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Jessie Schofer is the Founder of Stakkd, the go to place to discover HR tech. She is a strategic leader with 13+ years of unique experience in both corporates and startups. Jessie is known for her unconventional approach to People topics and is passionate about HR tech and leveraging the benefits to build the future of work.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:15 - Finding the Right HR Tech Stack: What Really Matters?
13:00 - Differences in HR Tech Strategies: Startups vs. Scale-ups vs. Corporates
23:00 - Trends and Tools: What's Hot in the HR Tech Space?

Links

Guest Linkedin:

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#101 - Niklas Frewel | Transformation & Leadership Development Consultant, Organizational Psychologist

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 27 Nov 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
10:00 - Herausforderung der Strategiekommunikation
25:00 - Selbstmanagement und Eigenverantwortung
45:00 - Unterschied zwischen Management und Führung

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niklas-frewel-b9b94bb2/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#70 - Sergej Zimpel | Teamleiter Recruiting at Autobahn GmbH, Host@ »HR Messed You Up, Kids

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 May 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Sergej 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:45 - Fucking up things with data
08:35 - Data quality
11:00 - Why data-driven work is not micro managing
16:45 - Difficult hiring managers

Sergej Zimpel Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergej-zimpel-a3a19a66/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#64 - Natalie Matalon | Chief People Officer at Stepstone Group

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Natalie 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro and context
08:54 - Labour market trends
17:54 - Talent Intelligence
26:54 - Leadership attributes for the future

Links

Natalie -https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-matalon-tepekoylu-667233/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#4 - Stefan Ries | Ex-CHRO SAP | HR Punk

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:15:00 GMT

About the guest Stefan Ries is a highly experienced Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Labor Relations Director. He served in these roles at SAP SE and was a member of the Executive Board with global responsibility for HR.

With a background in executive roles at companies like Microsoft, Compaq, SAP, and Egon Zehnder International, Stefan is also passionate about sports, particularly German football, tennis, and European Handball.

These days, he enjoys supporting HR tech startups as a business angel and is an external advisor for McKinsey on digital transformation projects.

Shownotes: 00:00:00 Intro & Summary 00:02:25 Stefan’s start in Tech in the 90s 00:05:40 IBM’s focus on Hardware and the early vision of Microsoft 00:07:40 Microsofts expansion strategy 00:11:37 HP & first manager experience 00:14:45 Analogies from handball teams 00:20:15 Team size & biggest gap in skillsets 00:28:30 Crossfunctional teams & People product development 00:31:30 Old school HR structure, static 00:35:30 Scaling SAP from 40.000 to +100.000 people 00:40:00 From on-premise to cloud 00:45:00 SAP founders, Sr. Executives and Eghon Zehnder 00:57:50 Mergers & Acquisitions 01:04:40 Advisory & HR Tech Angel investments

Links: Linkedin Stefan Ries: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riesstefan

Book recommendations:

#77 - Barbara Imm | Director People & Culture at roadsurfer

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Barbara Imm leads the People & Culture department of Roadsurfer and has +10 years of experience in scaling and leading a people function that operates globally.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro & Context
07:03 - Roadsurfer's growth
12:19 - Hiring challenges
17:16 - Blue-collar hiring process
20:33 - Ashby ATS
25:56 - Defining company culture

Links
Barbara 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.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#84 - Kerstin Rothermel | Chief People Officer I Fractional & Interim HR Leader & Advisor to Start-ups and SMEs

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:28 - Komplexität von Titeln und Rollen in Startups
11:29 - Die Bedeutung klarer Rollenerwartungen und Stellenbeschreibungen
25:12 - Komplexität von Titeln und Rollen in Startups

Links

Guest Linkedin:

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#12 - Catharina Riedl | COO & Head of Cloud Transformation SAP Germany

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Apr 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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, managing 7 - 2.500 people 50:18 - Sales & Service organization 59:50 - Hiring, Growth Mindset & Recommentations

Links Catharina Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catharinariedl/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#7 - Katerina Cerveny | Head of Talent Acquisition Ex-Adobe | Tesla | UiPath

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 04:57:00 GMT

In this podcast, we'll explore the recruitment at tech giants with Katerina Cerveny, a recruitment professional with extensive experience from Tesla, UiPath, and Adobe. Katerina has worked with a variety of clients, from startups to global brands, and has developed effective recruitment strategies for her clients. Tune in to learn from Katerina's expertise in recruitment and her experiences working with some of the biggest names in the tech industry.

Shownotes 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:00 - Inspiration and fascination for headhunting 00:13:00 - Internet crisis and current tech shock 00:17:00 - Working at tech companies 00:29:24 - Adobe's outstanding environment 00:33:30 - Recruitment patterns to not nail recruitment & internal mobility 00:43:10 - Biases, leadership & recruitment mistakes 00:57:57 - Cost of hiring delays and hiring mistakes

Links Katerina Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerina-cerveny-319411/ Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#30 - Juliane Nowakowski | Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility at TOM TAILOR

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Juliane 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro & Context
05:26 - Retail
11:26 - Sustainability & Transparency, Greenwashing
15:26 - Tom Tailor sustainbility & Gen-Z programm
18:26 - Implementing sustainability
24:49 - Success of sustainability
29:26 - Person & Organistion fit

Links
Juliane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliane-nowakowski-89410294/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#91 - Philip Horvath | Partner @ Luman, Principle@ philip, LLC, Redner, Moderator, Berater

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Philip 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:30 - Happiness Linked to Purpose.
18:45 - Lifelong Mission as a "Cathedral Project."
32:10 - AI Integration Driving Innovation at Siemens.

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philiphorvath/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#34 - André Neubauer | CTO @ Trusted Shops & Tech Advisor for Startups

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 03:00:00 GMT

André 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
05:00 - system design
09:30 - platform teams, within vs on the system
12:00 - network organisations
21:00 - product development and the rest of the organisation
24:00 - planning & expectation management

Links

André Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreneubauer/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#119 - Marie Kanellopulos | HR: Zwischen Skalierung und Stabilität

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Marie Kanellopulos ist Managing Partner bei DONE!Berlin – einer Boutique-Beratung, die seit 2013 mehr als 800 Unternehmen, darunter Airbnb Europe, N26 und H&M, dabei unterstützt, zukunftssichere People & Culture-Strategien zu entwickeln. Ihr Fokus liegt auf nachhaltiger Skalierung, modernem Leadership und der Transformation von Unternehmen in resiliente Organisationen.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:08 - Die Rolle von Recruiting und HR Operations
12:02 - Digitalisierung und interne Stärkung von Unternehmen
16:24 - Teamentwicklung und Kommunikation
20:21 - Führung und Feedback-Kultur

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-kanellopulos/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#81 - Katharina Baehr | Head of Recruiting & Employer Branding Managerin @ Contabo GmbH

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Katharina, 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:37 - Employer Branding definieren
09:17 - Authentizität der Arbeitgebermarke
10:42 - Employer Branding Strategie entwickeln

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharina-baehr/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#121 - Peter van Kersen | Streamlining HR for Startups

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Peter 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - The Challenge of Disconnected HR Systems
03:11 - Navigating HR Tools for Startups
05:58 - Data Flow and Workforce Planning
09:08 - Streamlining Data Collection for New Hires
12:02 - Integrating Systems for Efficient HR Operations
15:00 - Leveraging Data for People Analytics
18:02 - The Importance of Macro and Micro Data
20:59 - AI in Recruitment and Performance Management
24:00 - Building a Comprehensive Hiring Framework
27:00 - Connecting Startups with HR Solutions

Links

Peter Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/petervankersen/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#123 - Milena Warner | The Human Element in Recruitment: Why It Matters

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 07 May 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Milena Warner is an accomplished Talent and People leader with extensive experience in building and scaling high-performing teams. As a strategic partner to business leaders, she is passionate about creating inclusive and empowering environments that unlock potential and drive sustainable growth. With a proven track record in talent strategy, leadership development, and positive culture transformation, Milena is dedicated to fostering workplaces where people and businesses thrive together.

Shownotes

00:00 - The Evolution of Recruitment
05:40 - Empathy in Recruitment
10:39 - The Role of Technology and AI
15:40 - Feedback and Communication Challenges
20:21 - Understanding Candidate Needs
25:32 - Balancing Personal and Professional Life

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milenadwarner/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#33 - Anna Michel | Founder @ The Secret Society of Awesome Business Women

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Anna 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 people within them - to thrive.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
04:55 - How to become an Org design expert
08:50 - Scaling up methodology
19:15 - Org design in early vs late-stage
24:00 - Org design by industry
32:30 - Managing oneself, burnout

Links

LinkedIn Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-michel-a66179/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Scaling Up - Book: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Verne-Harnish/dp/0986019526

#27 - Constanze Buchheim | Founder & Managing Partner @ i-potentials

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 19 Jul 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Constanze 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 honored as one of Focus magazine's 100 Women of the Year in 2020.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro

02:52 - Fit & Authenticity

11:22 - Evaluating Fit

19:37 - Context & Background of Constanze

23:52 - Difference in leadership styles and executive teams

31:52 - World Change and Leadership

40:52 - Recommendations

Links

Constanze: https://www.linkedin.com/in/constanzebuchheim/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#94 - Yeliz Castillo | Career matchmaker & certified career Coach @pplwise

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Yeliz 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:00 - The Importance of Clear Communication
10:45 - Candidate Feedback Strategy
18:30 - Recruitment Market Dynamics

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-akin/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#41 - Gabriele Fanta | CHRO Körber Group

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Gabriele 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
08:38 - Planning with 13.000 employees
14:08 - Internal mobility & hiring
16:38 - Length of cutting + 14:00 Culture & Leadership principles
21:08 - Brand & Culture transformation, vision
27:08 - AI perspective

Links

Gabriele Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielefanta/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#20 - Michaela Matus | Chief People Officer @ censhare

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 31 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Summary

Michaela is an energetic people leader passionate about shaping organizations and cultures of trust and impact. Her mission is to create an employee experience that enables all team members to develop and grow in an inspiring work environment. Michaela believes that building human connections within an innovative, collaborative mindset is key to aligning the demands of our volatile, digital working world with individual needs. Join us as we dive deeper into Michaela's vision and learn how she strives to bring together people and products to create a #bettertogether experience.

Shownotes

00:02:27 - Intro

00:08:52 - Women in Leadership

00:13:27 - Top Learnings & Mentoring

00:21:27 - Boldness

00:27:47 - Network, Peers & Perception

00:34:47 - Female leadership accessibilitxy

00:40:47 - Recommendations

Links

*Gender Decoder:* https://gender-decoder.katmatfield.com/

*Book recommendation*:
German https://www.amazon.de/Das-Caf%C3%A9-Rande-Welt-Erz%C3%A4hlung/dp/3423209690

English https://www.amazon.de/Why-Are-You-Here-Cafe/dp/0749927178/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HHE3PWGP7K03&keywords=the+why+cafe+john+strelecky&qid=1683452544&s=books&sprefix=the+why+cafe%2Cstripbooks%2C95&sr=1-1

Michaela: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaela-matus-6b626868/

Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#61 - Leslie Kivit | Chief People Officer at Харо Bank, Founder of ThePeopleLab & Workblocks

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Leslie 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Fraudulent social engineering in recruiting
09:48 - Social engineering for recruiting, sourcing and evaluating

Links

Leslie Kivit - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielapwingkivit/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#37 - Adriana Hurduc | Strategic Talent Acquisition Manager at Cavalry Ventures

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Adriana 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
03:56 - VC & Startup collaboration
12:26 - People Team Series A preperation
17:56 - B2B Sales in an early stage
21:26 - Coaching
26:56 - Communication

Adriana Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianateodorahurduc/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#90 - Chris Brown | Advisor for People & Talent: Accelerating Growth for Startups

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Chris 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:15 - Starting as a Fractional People Leader
15:30 - SoundCloud Experience
30:45 - Value of Fractional Leadership

Links:

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#60 - Leslie Kivit | Chief People Officer at Харо Bank, Founder of ThePeopleLab & Workblocks

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
10:53 - Starting to freelance
13:23 - Facebook, Oculus & talent acquisition
19:53 - Freelancing challenges and tips

Links

Leslie Kivit - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielapwingkivit/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#59 - Anais Neumann | Global Head of Executive Talent Acquisition at HelloFresh

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 04:00:00 GMT

In addition to her recruiting expertise, Anaïs is a freelance coach, specializing in leadership, career, and productivity coaching.

🌎 More information can be found on www.thecuriousrecruiter.com.

🔔 For insights into talent acquisition, recruiting wisdom, career development, leadership, and productivity, follow her on LinkedIn.

Shownotes
01:42 - Closing executives
10:13 - Executive salary bands
15:33 - Competing offers & storytelling

Anais Neumann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anaisneumann/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#109 - Blaise Daldin | Neurodiversity

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Blaise is a Global Tech Recruiter and DEI Sourcing Specialist based in London. With eight years of experience in recruitment, Blaise has honed expertise in tech hiring and promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Blaise has collaborated with exceptional talent and prominent global brands such as Amazon, The Economist, and Gorillas.

Driven by a passion for creating inclusive workplaces, Blaise has successfully enhanced hiring diversity, eliminated agency reliance, and spearheaded DEI workshops and internal initiatives to foster cultural transformation. Since being diagnosed with ADHD last year, Blaise has been dedicated to advocating for neurodivergent talent and cultivating environments where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:30 - Defining Neurodiversity
15:45 - Inclusive Hiring Practices
25:20 - Leveraging Strengths in Neurodiversity

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaisedaldin/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#56 - Andreea Lungulescu | Founder of TA Crunch Berlin & SM Talent Acquisition at Wayfair

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Andreea 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
06:10 - Ceiling in Talent Acquisition careers
20:15 - Large scale launch & operations
23:45 - Growing beyond the Senior function
28:50 - What KPIs to look at
37:00 - Talent Attraction

Links
Andreea - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alungulescu/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#40 - Julian Kirchherr | Partner @ McKinsey & Company

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Julian 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
06:05 - Definition & perspective on HR
12:35 - Generative AI & HR
19:05 - Regulation in generative AI
22:05 - Future trough AI

Links

Julian Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-kirchherr-42a52032/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#126 - Matt Doucette | Building Great Teams

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Matthew is a global talent leader with a track record of building and scaling high-performing teams across Amazon, Meta, Deliveroo, and more.
A former U.S. Marine, he brings a leadership-first mindset to everything grounded in ownership, trust, and accountability.
His work focuses on developing recruiting teams, growing leadership capabilities, and aligning talent to business outcomes.
From hypergrowth scale-ups to global tech giants, he’s helped organizations unlock the systems and people that drive scale.
This episode dives into what it really takes to build teams that grow fast and lead well.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:59 - Key Components of Successful Teams
12:02 - Developing Existing Teams for Success
18:12 - Leadership Mindset and Allowing for Failure
18:58 - The Role of Leadership in Revenue Generation
20:40 - Cultural Nuances in Leadership
23:43 - Empowering Teams Across Cultures
27:58 - Building Effective Teams
30:49 - Humanizing Leadership and Team Dynamics
32:21 - Personal Development and Readiness for Opportunities

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdoucette/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#3 - Sonita Uijt De Haag | Builder not a Bureucrat

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:10:00 GMT

About 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.

Shownotes: 00:00 Intro & Summary 02:10 Sontia's career start & early days 06:50 Aerospace & first jobs in the US 07:00 HR was administrative in 2007 less strategic 16:00 Venture Developer in 2009 27:00 Solar industry & principles from supply chain 35:00 Change management, middle management & diverse teams 41:55 Peter’s principle & anticipating burnout 44:00 Setting expectations 48:22 US vs Europe 51:20 “People with freedom are unhappy”

Links: Linkedin Sonita: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonitau/

Linkedin Thomas Kohler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Website, pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Website, Podcast: https://pplwise.com/podcast/

#130 - Giorgia Altavilla | TA Operations to grow from 300-700 HC organization

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Giorgia Altavilla leads Talent Operations at Satispay, where she builds scalable recruitment systems and drives HR tech transformation. She lives at the intersection of data, ops, and people experience.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:30 - From recruiter to Talent Ops lead: fixing broken hiring processes
18:45 - How Talent Ops drives efficiency and scalable growth
42:10 - Quality of hire, automation, and AI in modern recruiting

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgia-altavilla/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#53 - Andreas Stryz | CTO & Co-Founder at FINN and Expert Partner at Picus Capital

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Andreas "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.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
06:28 - Starting from scratch with a team and the first product
18:35 - When to replace a CTO as a founder

Links
Andreas - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasstryz/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#48 - Annika in der Beek | Director People & Organization at ABOUT YOU

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Annika 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
05:22 - HR from a Private Equity & Strategy perspective
14:52 - Pre-IPO in a people function 22:00 - IPO process

Links

Annika Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annika-in-der-beek/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#26 - Charlotte von Riess | Director Talent Acquisition @DOCTOLIB

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Charlotte 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
08:22 - Sourcing, Talent Acquisition & Business Partnering
14:30 - Building and running a sourcing team
23:30 - Career tracks, goals & KPIs of a Sourcer
31:30 - Sales Hiring & Sourcing, Recommendations

Links

Charlotte: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlottevonriess/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#58 - Miriam Rabung | Chief People Officer at Westwing

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Miriam 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, club sales, offline stores, B2B services, and Westwing Studio. The team consists of 1,800 experts working together towards the shared goal: "Excite people to create homes that unlock the full beauty of life.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
04:08 - From HR Generalist to Chief People Officer at Westwing
09:48 - Overcome imposter syndrome and self-doubt
14:58 - Psychological safety
21:18 - Mental health challenges
25:48 - Mental health challenges
26:18 - Comparing and rating results of assessments

Links

Miriam - https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriam-rabung/details/experience/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#51 - Nichelle Appleby | Founder at Work Imagined and Senior Manager at Total Rewards

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Nichelle 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
07:50 - DEI & Compensation, equity
10:32 - The dignity standard
18:30 - Wealth building
25:30 - Pay gaps for similar roles

Links
Nichelle Appleby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nichelleappleby/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#108 - Dr. Alexander Insam | Risiko: Scheinselbstständigkeit

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. Alexander Insam ist ein erfahrener Experte auf dem Gebiet des Vergütungs- und Arbeitsrechts und der nachhaltigen Entscheidungsfindung. Er verfügt über mehr als 12 Jahre Erfahrung in der Beratung von Banken bei der Einhaltung von Gesetzen, Vorschriften und Richtlinien für Vergütungssysteme. Heute sprechen wir über Lohngleichheit und das geschlechtsspezifische Lohngefälle.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
3:46 - 12:30 - Vor- und Nachteile von Freelancing
12:31 - 20:15 - Prüfungen der Deutschen Rentenversicherung
20:16 - 28:45 - Alternativen zur Scheinselbstständigkeit

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderinsam/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#82 - Florian Blaschke | Co-Founder & MD @ HRCast

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Florian 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 & Context
14:48 - Organische Entwicklung der Budgetierung und Personalplanung in Startups
20:42 - Der Prozess der Personalplanung und Budgetierung
25:52 - Software vs. Tabellenkalkulation in der Personalplanung

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#79 - Francia Street | CPO at BauWatch Group & Co-Founder Thryving Women in Tech

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

With 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.

Shownotes
03:19 - Intro & Context
05:01 - Likeminded as a platform
08:39 - Benefits of therapy
12:15 - Measuring mental health
15:09 - Mental health in the workplace
27:19 - Four-day work week

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francia-street-3b6a616/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#102 - Viktoria Lindner | CEO and Co-Founder at Bloom

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Viktoria Lindner hat Klinische Psychologie studiert und einen Masterabschluss in Amsterdam erworben. Nach zwei Jahren in der Unternehmensberatung gründete sie 2018 ihr erstes Unternehmen, D!MPACT, und 2021 ihr zweites, Bloom. Als ambitionierte Unternehmerin und kommerzielle Mitgründerin verbindet sie fundiertes Wissen in B2B-Vertrieb und Go-to-Market-Strategien mit ihrer Leidenschaft für datenbasierte Entscheidungen.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:45 - Viktoria erklärt, wie eine Reduktion der Krankenquote um 1 % ein Unternehmen mit 1000 Mitarbeitenden jährlich eine Million Euro einspart
12:20 - Die Hauptfaktoren für hohe Krankenquoten in der Pflegebranche: Demografie, Fachkräftemangel und Schichtsysteme.
25:40 - Vorteile und Herausforderungen von VC-finanzierten vs. Bootstrapped-Startups aus Viktorias Gründerperspektive.

Links

Guest Linkedin:

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#76 - Steve Bartel | Founder & CEO of Gem & Author of startuphiring101.com

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Steve 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. This approach required a unified system to track and manage pre-application recruiting efforts, which didn't exist at the time, so he built Gem.

Shownotes

02:40 - Introduction to Gem
04:23 - The Lightbulb Moment for Gem
07:05 - A Breakthrough for the Company
10:54 - From Sourcing to an All-in-One Platform
20:01 - The Role of AI in Recruitment

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-bartel/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#29 - Merten Wulfert | Founder & Co-CEO of Ravio

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Merten 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro, Berlin vs London
08:27 - Founder Story, VC, Operator, Founder
12:12 - Ravio Purpose
24:12 - Rewards Philosophy, Founder impact
24:27 - Learnings from Deliveroo, APAC, Middle East
29:27 - Ravio vision & next steps
33:27 - Recommendations

Links

Merten Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwulfert/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#124 - Navid Nazeman | Mastering Executive Transitions

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 21 May 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Navid Nazemian helps executives and leadership teams transition smoothly into new roles. He is the author of Mastering Executive Transitions - The Definitive Guide, a #1 new release and international bestseller. With experience across five countries and six sectors, he coaches C-level leaders on executive transitions. His two-decade HR career spans top global companies in emerging and developed markets. Recognized as HR’s Most Influential Practitioner by HR Magazine, he has been ranked #1 Coach globally by CEO Today for three consecutive years and received multiple prestigious awards

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:35 - Starting from Scratch: First Steps into Coaching
15:20 - Challenges Along the Way: Navigating the Unknown
22:45 - Advice for Aspiring Coaches: Key Lessons Learned

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navidnazemian/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

High-Res Images: https://app.box.com/s/jy4lwf9xez3v8fy9o9oaub6jvlxdpaj8

Free Book Sample (with suggested Qs for busy podcast hosts on the last page): https://app.box.com/s/4c3pkmm3gva1qcrzfb1c9hq0laq8g9hw

#42 - Tanya Channing | Chief People and Culture Officer @ Pipedrive

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Tanya 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
08:50 - Culture, customer value
17:50 - People teams purpose and mission
24:20 - Prioritization & psychologitsts

Links

Tanya Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyachanning/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#120 - Daniel Hanlon | From Agency Recruitment to Internal Recruitment

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:00:00 GMT

After 3.5 years of agency experience specialising in graduate sales recruitment within Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Dan transitioned to internal recruitment at Attensi. Over the past four years, he has been dedicated to attracting top talent across Attensi’s UK, Oslo, and Boston offices. Working alongside the brilliant Talent team, Dan has played a key role in establishing best practice within the function and successfully doubling the company’s headcount.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:09 - Understanding the Differences in Recruitment Roles
08:53 - The Challenges of Internal Recruitment
15:01 - Strategies for Successful Recruitment

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielhanlon1/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#2 - Romy von Roeder | Ex-SVP People TIER

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:05:00 GMT

About 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 experience 15:42 - Casper’s customer obsession 21:18 - Managing layoffs at Applift 24:15 - Hypergrowth at TIER from ~200 to +2.000 people 27:35 - Growing Romy’s people team from 20 to +80 30:00 - Entrepreneurs with Empathy & Cultural Models 38:49 - Internal Communications in organizations 43:20 - Strategic people function 49:54 - Romys next steps 51:53 - Special guest bobby

Links Linkedin Romy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romyvonroeder

Linkedin Thomas Kohler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Website, pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Website, Podcast: https://pplwise.com/podcast/

#22 - Oliver Manojlovic | VP Sales @Personio | Partner & Scout for Picus Capital

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Oliver 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 Oliver

00:00 - Intro

10:24 - Sales: US vs Europe

14:24 - Scaling Personio from 500 to +10.000 customers

24:54 - Sales expansion

30:54 - Angel investing

36:24 - Hiring & Outstanding performance

41:54 - Recommendations & final words

Links

Oliver Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivermanojlovic/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#65 Jens Bender | Founder & MD at WorkTech Advisory, Co-Founder PeoplePath, Initiator @ HR Angel Club

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 03:00:00 GMT

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, M&A Deal Review
11:53 - Valuations & markets
23:16 - Start-up Investments
28:21 - 29:25 - 2024 Outlook & Personio IPO?

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.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#105 - Yeliz Castillo | Co-Host Announcement & 2024 re-cap

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 25 Dec 2024 07:00:00 GMT

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-akin/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#16 Andreas Schmitz | Chief People Officer NanoTemper Technologies Ex-Roche| Ex-SAP

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 10 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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, compensation and bonuses 00:36:28 - Strategy, commercially successful organizations 00:51:17 - Executive management scope, focus and leading +300 people 0056:45 - Stack ranking, prioritization & portfolio management 01:03:52 - Recommendations

Links Andreas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-schmitz-withpeople-forpeople/ Andreas Podcast: https://www.withpeople-forpeople.com/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#14 Carrie Krehlik | CHRO & Executive Advisor Biopharma Executive

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#19 - Thomas, Amiel & Stratos | All about total Rewards

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Sat, 27 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Summary

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 vs STI

00:48:10 - Sign-on bonuses

00:53:54 - Effectiveness of rewards and incentivisation schemes, profitable growth

01:00:54 - Listener questions, Does vsop make sense? Tricky stakeholders, remote work and compensation, tips for young rewards professionals

Links

Stratos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stratos-neromyliotis-12a2259/

Amiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amiel-barrimond/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#113 - Harriet Ball | Building High-Performing Teams in Startups

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

Harriet is the Head of Talent at SuperSeed VC, she’s spent the past 12 years hiring talent across industry leading and household name companies including Uber, Getir, L’Oréal and On Running - and now she’s using her experience to support SS portfolio companies to attract, onboard and retain top talent to their start ups.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
04:43 - Challenges in Building Teams in Startups
09:58 - The Role of Founders in Hiring
11:45 - Common Mistakes Founders Make
20:08 - Advice for Candidates in Startups
28:11 - Practical Tips for Founders
29:58 - Building a Strong Company Culture

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-ball/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#141 - Fabian Scholz | Pflegekräfte aus Indien: Die Lösung für Deutschlands Personalmangel?

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Fabian Scholz ist Mitgründer und Geschäftsführer der Hamburger WTE Group (Welcome to Europe). Die Gruppe hat sich auf die internationale Talentgewinnung gegen den Fachkräftemangel spezialisiert: Unter der Marke WTE Charkos gewinnt, qualifiziert und integriert sie Fachkräfte aus Indien, unter anderem Pflegefachkräfte, Kitaerzieher und Azubis sowie Fachkräfte für gewerbliche Berufe von der Logistik über den Einzelhandel bis zu Gastronomie und Tourismus. Die Kandidaten werden in unternehmenseigenen Internatsschulen in Indien ausgebildet. Die Sprachausbildung findet statt, bevor Arbeitgeber die Kandidaten kennenlernen. Zu den Kunden zählen Universitätsklinika und große Sozialträger ebenso wie Unternehmen aus der Privatwirtschaft.
Zuvor gründete der Jurist (Bucerius Law School) 2016 eine mehrfach preisgekrönte IT-Recruiting-Agentur, die 2019 an eine Private-Equity-Gesellschaft verkauft wurde. Anschließend baute er mit seinem Bruder Jakob ein VC-finanziertes, BaFin-lizenziertes FinTech mit rund 40 Mitarbeitern und 100.000 Kunden auf.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:10 - Ausbildung, Auswahl und Vermittlung indischer Pflegekräfte
20:20 - Finanzierung, Kosten und Integration in Deutschland
31:00 - Neue Branchen, Zukunftspläne und internationaler Fachkräftebedarf

Links:

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scholzfabian/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#45 - Stephan Schmidt | СТО COACH @ Amazing CTO

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 04:00:00 GMT

00:00 - intro & context
05:29 - CTO Coaching & the role of a CTO
15:29 - Goal setting, OKRs in Tech orgs, Vision vs Opportunity driven
24:09 - Scrum & delivery methodologies
28:14 - AI impacting software development

Links

Stephan Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanjschmidt/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#71 - Björn Kastl | Chief People Officer at Mytheresa - MBA, Strategic HR Leadership

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 22 May 2024 03:00:00 GMT

With 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
11:04 - Competition vs collaboration
18:04 - Letting go of responsibility
26:04 - Macroeconomic impact on HR

Links

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#97 - Xenia Meuser | Business Leader at Hummingbloxs GmbH, Senior Advisor, Speaker, EX CHRO

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

Xenia 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.

Zuletzt war Xenia Meuser als CHRO bei der RTL Deutschland GmbH tätig bevor sie die Humminbloxs GmbH gründete und nun mit ihrem Team die HR Transformation im Deutschen Mittelstand vorantreibt.

Links

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:00 - Die ersten Schritte in die Selbstständigkeit: Fähigkeiten, Leidenschaft und Realismus
15:00 - Erfahrungen aus 25 Jahren HR: Wie du HR-Strategien aufbaust und umsetzt
30:00 - Herausforderungen der Selbstständigkeit: Emotionen, Partnerwahl und finanzielle Fragen

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenia-meuser-24146313b/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#21 - Ian Whiteford | Founder @ Rebel HR & Architect of Great Cultures

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 03:30:00 GMT

Summary 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 - VC vs DAO 00:14:28 - Talentflows, Web 2 vs Web 3 00:22:28 - Improbable learnings, scaling from 50-1.200, EUR 500 M Softbank funding 00:28:28 - C-Suite partnering 00:30:58 - Scientific approach to org design 00:36:58 - People Infrastructure, People Ops, Mistakes vs Opportunities 00:42:58 - Recommendations

Links Ian Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-whiteford-10145225/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Book recommendations Built for people https://www.amazon.de/Transforming-People-Operations-Evidence-based-Performance/dp/1398608025

#116 Milena Warner | Finding Balance: The Role of Collaboration in Career Growth

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:50 - The Importance of Collaboration and Balance
11:41 - Overcoming Personal Barriers and Self-Doubt
16:42 - Understanding Power Dynamics in the Workplace
21:55 - Practical Tips for Building Confidence and Success

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milenadwarner/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#74 - Lynn Schäfer | Head of People & Culture at homee & stromee

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Dr. 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
04:19 - A meaningful workplace
06:10 - Working under budget constraints
17:40 - Talent Pools and Referrals
27:16 - Hiring a senior hr person at 15 employees

Guest Linkedin:

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#43 - Axel Sedlmeier | Director Talent at DEDIQ GmbH I Ex-Personio | Ex-Intel

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Axel 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
06:34 - Executive Search, Biases
18:04 - Executive Search by company stage

Links

Axel Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-sedlmeier-241481a0/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#5 - Martina Ruiß | Ex-Director of Talent @Personio | Ex-McKinsey

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 05:00:00 GMT

At 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 in maintaining a high hiring bar.

Shownotes 00:00:00 Intro & Summary 00:04:18 Internal mobility 00:07:30 Structured evaluation 00:14:00 Learnings from McKinsey 00:20:20 Start at Personio 00:31:15 Build the team before you need it 00:36:25 Attrition 00:44:17 Evaluating candidates at Mckinsey vs Personio 00:47:58 Headcount Planning 00:56:20 Leaving Personio & travel break 01:05:00 Next step and current focus

Links Linkedin Martina Ruiß: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-ruiss/ Linkedin Thomas Kohler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Website, pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Website, Podcast: https://pplwise.com/podcast/

#107 - Ozlem Yavuz | Leading through uncertainty

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:31 - Transparency in Uncertain Times: How Much Is Enough?
15:21 - Emotions vs. Messaging: Challenges in Leadership Communication
24:51 - Flexibility as the Key: Navigating Change Successfully

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ozlem-yavuz-0b207254/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#132 - Nina Kirr | AI Roadmap, Efficiency & Quality Matrix, Post Meger Integrations

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Nina Kirr is the Senior Vice President People & Culture at Proalpha, a leading ERP and business software provider with more than 2,400 employees across nine countries and 12 business units. She is transforming traditional HR into a modern People & Culture organization and has established P&C as a shared service across the group, creating common frameworks and collaboration across units and countries. A key part of her role is integrating newly acquired companies and their teams, while navigating current challenges such as automation and AI. Nina focuses on empowering high-performing teams, strengthening culture, and shaping a People & Culture function that supports sustainable growth — always guided by the vision of empowering people and creating impact.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:00 - How AI and automation drive real impact in HR: recruiting, self-service, and reporting
18:00 - Rebuilding the HR tech stack: harmonized data and scalable processes as the foundation for AI
42:00 - HR as a business partner: ROI, KPIs, low attrition, and AI as an enabler

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninakirr/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#73 - Romy von Roeder | Managing Director @ Procon Capital GmbH

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

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 & context
05:20 - Applying AI in HR
14:20 - Future-proof organization
24:20 - Hypecycle of technology in HR Tech

Links

Sebastian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flysebsch/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#72 - Yasmin Ahmed | VP People @ simpleclub, Freelance HR Consultant & Coach

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 29 May 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Yasmin 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:47 - Culture nurturing
10:47 - Culture and Compensation
14:32 - Cultural recruiting
23:07 - Internal moves
25:47 - Terminations, employer and employee perspective

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-ahmed-a60ba021/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#80 - Kimberly Breuer | Co-Founder & CEO at Likeminded

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Kim 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 and communal well-being.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro & Context
03:19 - Trigger for Founding LikeMinded
13:47 - Corporate Engagement in Mental Health
16:09 - Securing Management Buy-In for Mental Health Programs
24:00 - 4 days work week

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlybreuer/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#15 - Alexander Insam | Partner at GÖRG, Lawyer, Employment Law Expert

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 03 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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 BaFin, EBA, and the EU.

Shownotes 00:03:03 - Intro & mechanical watches 00:22:33 - SE transformation & workers' councils 00:26:03 - Remuneration, incentivization, VSOP vs stock option vs shares 00:48:03 - ESG, climate change & gender promotion gap 01:12:48 - Recommendations

Links Dr. Alexander Insam Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderinsam/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Book recommendations Man's Search for Meaning https://www.amazon.de/Mans-Search-Meaning-classic-Holocaust/dp/1846041244/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

#111 - Christoph Drebes | Silodenken aufbrechen

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Christoph Drebes ist Geschäftsführer der Mystery Minds GmbH. Mit den Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Lösungen des HR-Tech Unternehmens mit Sitz in München werden bessere Vernetzung und persönliche Zusammenarbeit ermöglicht. Ziele sind der Abbau von Silos und die Etablierung einer zukunftsweisenden Unternehmenskultur.

Zuvor studierte er Internationale Betriebswirtschaftslehre in Ingolstadt, Toulouse und Santiago de Chile und arbeitete in einem internationalen Telekommunikationsunternehmen als Innovationsmanager und in der Prozessoptimierung.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
10:30 - Erfolgsgeschichten & Impact von Vernetzung
22:15 - Remote, Hybrid oder Office? Die Zukunft der Arbeitsmodelle
35:40 - Wie Vernetzung die Produktivität steigert

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophdrebes/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#134 - Dominik Becker | Stellenanzeigen durch ChatGPT finden

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Dominik ist Unternehmer und Mitgründer von mana HR. Er unterstützt Unternehmen dabei, Recruiting mit Technologie (Recruiting-Software) sinnvoll zu gestalten. Sein Fokus liegt auf pragmatischen Lösungen statt Hype. Zudem zeigt er, wie KI im Arbeitsalltag echten Mehrwert schafft. Auf LinkedIn folgen ihm über 19.000 HR- und Tech-Entscheider:innen und seinen HR-Podcast „Talent WG“ macht er seit über 6 Jahren.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:15 - Vom Recruiter zum HR-Tech-Gründer – Dominiks Weg in die Selbstständigkeit.
18:40 - Recruiting-Software neu gedacht: Der Talent-Lifecycle mit MANA HR.
32:10 - GEO im Recruiting: Stellenanzeigen für ChatGPT & KI optimieren.

Links:

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-becker3/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#13 - Marie Toby | Director of Community Enablement | Oyster

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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 hybrid 55:00 - Building remote culture & recommendations

Links Marie Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-bosseur/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#142 - Thomas Kohler | Mein Weg mit pplwise: Vom Freelancer zum 50-köpfigen Unternehmen

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:17:22 GMT

Normalerweise 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 über harte Trennungen im Business bis hin zum Aufbau eines Millionen-Unternehmens ohne externe Investoren – wir lassen nichts aus.

In dieser Episode erfahrt ihr:

1. Warum ich meine Mitgründerin innerhalb einer Woche ausbezahlt habe und wie wir dieses Geld über unser EBIT in nur vier Monaten wieder reingeholt haben.

2. Wie ich eine Organisation aufgebaut habe, die auch ohne mich im Tagesgeschäft funktioniert (Stichwort: "Never underestimate the power of incentives").

3. Warum ich mich selbst nicht als klassischen Teamplayer bezeichne und wie ich mir durch klare Frameworks trotzdem (oder gerade deshalb) eine erfolgreiche Unternehmenskultur erarbeitet habe.

4. Die Ziele von pplwise, warum wir mit unserem Geschäftsmodell so stark wachsen und wieso wir aktuell gezielt in den Defense-Sektor investieren.

Ein riesiges Dankeschön an Sascha für das starke Interview und die Erlaubnis, das Gespräch hier bei mir hochzuladen!

Links:

Finance | Data | People by Radial: https://radial.podigee.io/
Saschas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saschahaggenmueller/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#87 - Guillermo Miranda | Al Adoption & Digital Transformation Leader

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Guillermo 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:14 - Erfahrungen in der Wirtschaft und Gründung von Atlas Computer
10:01 - Praktische Anwendung von Atlas Copilot
20:38 - Zukunft der Arbeit und Rolle von KI

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalmirandag/details/experience/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

https://atlascopilot.com/

#135 - Shlomit Gruman | When AI Redefines Work

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Shlomit is a people and transformation leader with over 25 years of experience across tech, SaaS, consumer platforms, and banking. She has served as Chief People Officer in complex environments such as hypergrowth, large-scale transformations, and post-acquisition integration. Today, she works with CEOs and leadership teams on operating model redesign and AI-enabled transformation. Her approach combines pragmatic execution, data-driven thinking, and a strong focus on people while leading change.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:10 - Why AI is not just a tool but a shift in how work itself is designed
14:35 - How organizations can redistribute tasks between humans and AI agents
28:50 - The key success factor: iteration, experimentation, and the right mindset

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shlomit-gruman-navot/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#9 - Virgile Raingeard | Founder & CEO of Figures

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 04:00:00 GMT

About the guest Virgile is the founder of Figures - the first product allowing start-ups and scale-ups to know if their compensation philosophy is fair. He has a diverse background of studying computer science and working as an engineer as well as did a master's in human resources and worked as an HR Director and compensation specialist.

Shownotes 00:00 - Intro 01:25 - Early career 05:00 - HR Business Partnering for Tech 20:44 - Idea of Figures 27:35 - Compensation & Performance 33:00 - Designing a compensation philosophy & Fair Pay 40:00 - Employee Stock Options, Virtual Shares & Equity Compensation 47:00 - Compensation data sourcing 52:00 - Salary equality, increases & your market value

Links Virgile Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vraingeard/ figures: https://figures.hr/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#66 - Elliot Suiter | Head of Talent Acquisition, Delivery - EMEA @ Uber

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Elliot 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
08:47 - AI in talent acquisition
19:00 - Predictive Analysis

Links

Elliot - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliotsuiter/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#24 - Christin Glaeser-Seidel | Head of Talent Acquisition & EB @wefox

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:32:44 GMT

Christin 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
05:52 - Corporate vs Scale-up
12:42 - EVP, values, talent pooling
26:52 - Internal mobility
39:42 - Recommendations

Links

Christin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christin-glaeser-seidel-b4b322104/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#106 - Sandra Feldmann | Sourcing Methoden & KI Tools

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:00:00 GMT

Sandra Feldmann (sie/ihr) ist Head of Talent bei Octopus Energy und eine Expertin für den Einsatz von KI im Talent Attraction. Mit ihrem Unternehmen itsatalent.business hilft sie Firmen, moderne Technologien und kreative Ansätze zu nutzen, um Rekrutierungsprozesse inklusiver und innovativer zu gestalten. Als Keynote-Speakerin und Autorin des Buches "Talent Titans" teilt sie praxisnahe Tipps, wie KI den Recruiting-Alltag erleichtert und echte Wow-Momente schafft. Sandra verbindet technisches Know-how mit einer großen Portion Menschlichkeit und setzt sich leidenschaftlich dafür ein, dass im Recruiting Fortschritt und Empathie Hand in Hand gehen.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
08:01 - Strategien im Active Sourcing: Low-Hanging-Fruit- und Highlighting-Methode.
14:16 - Herausforderungen und Mindset im Active Sourcing: Balance zwischen Kreativität und Daten.
18:51 - Job-Spreadsheets: Effizientes Management von Keywords und Suchstrategien

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-feldmann/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#48 - Jochem van der Veer | CEO @ TheyDo Journey Management

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Jochem 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
07:47 - Journey mapping
14:17 - Funding and from agency to SaaS
28:17 - Remote work: Superpower vs Risk

Links

Jochem van der Veer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochemvanderveer/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#95 - Scarlet Bahr | Talent Sourcing @ Personio

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Scarlet 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:00 - Applications of Talent Intelligence
15:30 - Complex Roles and Candidate Sourcing
25:00 - Effective Use of Historical Data in Sourcing

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scarletbahr/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#112 - Mert Amacoglu | Candidate Experience – Why It Matters

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Mert Amcaoglu is the Head of Talent at Bark, a fast-scaling services marketplace tech company. He focuses on hiring top talent while driving strategies that support rapid growth and global alignment. Passionate about data-driven hiring, he brings valuable insights into building high-performing teams.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
04:14 - Impact on Employer Branding
06:29 - Frustrations in the Interview Process
11:11 - Constructive Feedback and Communication
13:15 - The Future of Candidate Experience
25:20 - Top Tips for Enhancing Candidate Experience

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mertamcaoglu/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#67 - Marta Bisisi - VP, People @Superside

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Marta 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:49 - Radical prioritization
10:49 - Fully remote talent pool clusters
18:23 - Compensation Framework in a fully remote company
24:01 - Compensation Framework maintenance

Marta Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martabisisi/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#1 - Thomas Kohler | Podcast Host | CEO pplwise

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 04:00:00 GMT

About 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 the podcast, Thomas interviews leaders from startups, scale-ups, and corporates to gain insights into the importance of the people factor in driving business success. The podcast provides a platform for leaders to share their opinions, principles, and best practices and discuss current news.

It also offers future leaders from different organizational stages a place to listen and get inspired, shaping their ideas for success.

#17 Johannes Schmidt | Chief Business Builder @ Exxeta AG

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 17 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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 - Engineering 00:26:50 - Climate change, cities and mobility 00:30:50 - Sports 00:43:00 - AI

Links Hannes Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-schmidt-5b6269b0/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#129 - Sonja Sinterhauf | Business Partnering

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:57:52 GMT

A Business Partner by heart, Sonja has spent her career so far in the music, advertising, fashion ecommerce (Zalando), hospitality (Airbnb), SAAS (Miro) and classifieds business (AVIV group), among others. She started in Marketing and moved to HR, where she holds more than 15 years of experience in various HR leadership roles, always striving to design and execute the right organizational and people strategy that best fulfills the needs of the given business and organizational context. Scaling through organic and inorganic growth, reorganizing, internationalizing, going public, response to economic crises, and restructuring are the various phases of the organizational lifecycle Sonja has led through. Sonja is a certified coach.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:59 - Navigating Organizational Changes
05:54 - Building Trust as a Business Partner
08:50 - The Role of Communication in HR
11:50 - Understanding Different Business Partner Types
14:40 - The Importance of Context in HR Decisions
17:50 - The Dynamics of Manager-Business Partner Relationships
20:37 - Effective Communication During Organizational Changes

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonja-sinterhauf-448a7a51/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#128 - Ralph Linde | Gedichte als Denkanstöße für Transformation und das Leben

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Ralph Linde ist Ex-Top-Manager bei der Volkswagen AG und war der Leiter der Konzernbildung. Aktuell ist er der Präsident von “42”, das sind zwei Softwareschulen in Berlin und Wolfsburg, sowie Lyriker. Er hat gerade sein erstes Buch, “Die Gefälle dieser Tage” publiziert, welches beim Athena Verlag erhältlich ist.

Shownotes

00:00 – Intro
02:33 – Transformation
05:56 – Was es wurde
12:04 – Kommunikation
14:10 – Was wird sein
16:32 – Tidenhub
20:17 – In meinem Land
22:28 – Kai Zen
26:08 – Der Raum vor mir
27:56 – Der Mai
29:56 – Rastlos
33:42 – Und ich?
34:46 – KI Männlich
35:39 – Karibu
36:22 – Trauer
37:17 – Zustände

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-linde-b14865149/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#31 - Johanna Rauhala | Chief of Staff at Haiilo

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Johanna 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:46 - Values & Rolling them out
12:11 - +8 years in the company, development of her role, Start-up, Scale-up, Mature company
24:16 - Differences & Challenges in growing across markets like Finland, UK, and the US
30:16 - Learnings & Recommendations

Links

Johanna Rauhala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannarauhala/?originalSubdomain=fi

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#88 - Marko Müller | Bereichsleiter HR Service Center bei Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 03:00:00 GMT

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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
10:15 - Implementierung von ServiceNow als Ticket Tool
14:00 - Ablösung des alten HCM-Systems und Umstellung auf Cloud-basierte Lösungen
18:00 - Diskussion über den Einsatz von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) und die Zusammenarbeit mit Arbeitnehmervertretungen

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marko-m%C3%BCller-80608746/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#11 - Aki Friedrich | Director Learning Experience Superside

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About the guest Aki is a talent development expert who is passionate about creating learning cultures within modern, busy work environments. He believes in confronting hard truths such as disengagement and overconfidence while embracing the potential of workplace learning to develop and retain talent. Aki strives to drive initiatives prioritizing impact over glamour and creating a culture of psychological safety combined with high ambitions.

Shownotes 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Aki, music & Apple 13:10 - Meditation, impulsive control, first-time manager 22:45 - Maintaining culture during growth stages, career development 35:05 - Individual & group learning, learning ROI, measuring success 41:22 - Effectiveness of leaders 47:40 - Remote-only learning & development, Superside

Book recommendation: https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016

Profiles: Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Aki: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akifriedrich/

#117 - Kathrin Holzfurtner | Live Funnel Analysis hiring German AEs

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:00:47 GMT

Kathrin is a global talent leader with 16 years of experience shaping and implementing commercial people strategies. Deep expertise in talent acquisition for go-to-market, product & engineering in scale-up and big tech environments.

Having lived in Singapore, Paris, London, Warsaw and Munich, she brings a global perspective and track record in hiring talent worldwide. From adtech to cloud, SaaS, cybersecurity and AI, she has enabled and led teams towards transformative outcomes.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:45 - Understanding Funnel Analytics and Data Literacy
05:26 - Practical Application of Funnel Data
07:01 - Optimizing Hiring Processes for Increased Efficiency
12:43 - Aligning Hiring Managers and Recruitment Goals
17:41 - Improving Quality and Efficiency in Hiring
21:37 - Creating Alignment and Clear Expectations
25:07 - The Art and Science of Talent Acquisition
27:21 - Leveraging Financial Impact in Talent Acquisition
31:32 - Closing Thoughts on Data-Driven Recruitment

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrinholzfurtner/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#133 - Alexandra Meier | People Follow People – Erfolgreiches Employer Branding in der Praxis

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Als Managerin Talent Acuqisition & Employer Branding bei der Proalpha Group gestaltet Alexandra mit ihrem Team Recruiting-Strategien, stärkt ihre Arbeitgebermarke und begleitet kulturellen Wandel mit Haltung und Herz.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:01 - Strategien & Award: Aufbau des Employer Branding Teams, DEBA Award, Konzepte zur Mitarbeiterbindung und Corporate Influencing.
15:01 - Diversity & Netzwerke: Frauenförderung, interne Netzwerke, Mentoring und positive Effekte auf Employer Branding.
25:01 - Remote Work & Retention: Employee Journey im Remote-Setup, Touchpoints, Teamkultur, Succession Planning und Wissensweitergabe.

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrameierhh/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#127 - Christoph Zöller | Wie kann Recruiting in der Zukunft aussehen?

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Christoph Zoeller begeistert sich seit seiner Jugend für Unternehmertum – erste Jobs, eigene Events und viel Energie prägten seinen Weg. Während seines dualen Studiums gründete er Instaffo, eine Plattform, die Recruiting durch intelligente Matching-Technologie neu denkt. Heute ist er CEO eines erfolgreichen Start-ups mit achtstelligem Jahresumsatz.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:06 - Entwicklung des Recruiting-Marktplatzes
11:59 - Liquidität im Recruiting-Marktplatz
17:26 - Zukunft des Recruitings und die Rolle von AI
17:26 - AI-gestützte Interviews und Chancengleichheit
19:27 - Die Zukunft des Recruiting-Marktes
22:12 - Herausforderungen und Chancen durch KI
27:06 - Gesellschaftliche Auswirkungen der Automatisierung

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-zoeller/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#46 - Rudi Bauer | Managing Director WeAreDevelopers

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:12:42 GMT

Rudi 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
05:54 - Hiring engineers in 2023 and beyond
08:39 - Job fairness report
13:54 - WeAreDevelopers & Developer communities
19:24 - Social demographics and engineers, female engineers
26:54 - Management & Leadership

Links

Rudi Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rudi-bauer-1b325813/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#35 - Alla Pavlova | Tech & Art Talent Sourcing at Riot Games

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Alla 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 on tech and recruitment.

Shownotes

02:00 - Sourcing & Recruiting in the gaming industry
10:10 - Sourcing in 2010 vs 2015 vs now
12:10 - Creative ways of sourcing
24:10 - Diversity sourcing
32:10 - Sourcing KPIs

Alla Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/allapavlova/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#62 - Dr. Alexander Insam | Director, Product Management, Retail at Western Union

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 04:00:00 GMT

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. Today we talk about equal pay and the gender pay gap.

Shownotes

00:00 - Equal pay
14:47 - Remuneration systems & legal implications
18:35 - Equal career issue
25:47 - Negotiations & bonus systems

Links

Alexander Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderinsam/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#23 - Jens Bender | Founder & Managing Director | WorkTech Advisory

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 03:00:00 GMT

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.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#38 - Sarah E. Brown | VP of Marketing at Sastrify

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Sarah 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).

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
06:26 - Passion for leadership
10:06 - Role change over time, Marketing, Sales B2B
19:56 - Corporate & big scope hires in startups
24:41 - How to lead upwards, coaches & mentors
29:06 - Series A vs Series B: Cultural change

Links

Sarah Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-e-brown/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

Book recommendations:

Lead upwards: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Sarah-Brown/dp/1119833353

Power to the startup people: https://www.amazon.de/Power-Startup-People-Career-Founder/dp/B08Y4LB2HM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36XZMG5Z82NNI&keywords=power+to+the+startup+people&qid=1692726230&sprefix=power+to+the+startup+people%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1

#93 - Teddy Dimitrova - Rondhuis | Freelance Talent Acquisition Manager, Speaker and Author

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Teddy 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:45 - Panic Hiring: A Recipe for Disaster
18:20 - Building a Recruitment Infrastructure from Scratch
29:50 - Scaling Challenges: The Double-Edged Sword of Growth

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teddydimitrova/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#18 - Jakob Gillmann | Co-Founder HiPeople | Ex-VP Growth & Sales @ adjust.com | Angel Investor

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 24 May 2023 03:00:00 GMT

About 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 the field of talent management.

Shownotes 00:02:15 - Intro 00:12:15 - Sales organizations 00:19:15 - Value-based pricing 00:22:15 - Quality of hire, hiring efficiency 00:46:15 - Management, AI 00:55:15 - Peakcon 01:00:15 - Next steps, Recommendations

Links Jakob Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakobgillmann/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#85 - Celia Southier | Head of Talent Acquisition @ Moss

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 07 Aug 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Celia 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:54 - Erfahrungen im Tech-Recruiting bei Amazon und Wechsel zur Personalplanung
11:51 - Herausforderungen und Veränderungen bei Moss
16:54 - Die Bedeutung von Recruiting Operations und Datenqualität

Links

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#100 - Prof. Dr. Anja Luthy | BWL- Professorin, Coach für Führungskräfte und Gründerin von #FemaleHRexcellence

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 16:08:00 GMT

Anja 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:00 - Corporate Influencing als neues Recruiting-Tool
12:00 - Erfolgsbeispiel aus der Praxis
45:00 - Herausforderungen und Chancen für Frauen am Arbeitsmarkt

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prof-dr-anja-l%C3%BCthy-6721b932/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#118 - Yeliz Castello | Funnel Analysis and Forecasting

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:00 - The Importance of Clear Communication
10:45 - Candidate Feedback Strategy
18:30 - Recruitment Market Dynamics

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-akin/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#103 - Kira Marie Cremer | Autorin, Dozentin, Podcast-Host & Business Punk

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Kira Marie Cremer ist Dozentin, Host des Podcasts New Work Now und Autorin von „New Work – Wie arbeiten wir in Zukunft?“. Als eine der bekanntesten New Work Stimmen auf LinkedIn hat sie sich zum Ziel gesetzt, die Arbeitswelt von morgen mitzugestalten. Durch ihre vielfältigen Aktivitäten trägt sie dazu bei, das Bewusstsein für die Bedeutung von New Work zu schärfen und Menschen zu motivieren, Veränderungen anzustreben.

Kira Maries Mission ist es, die Entwicklung der Arbeitswelt positiv zu beeinflussen, Menschen zu ermöglichen, ihre Leidenschaft zum Beruf zu machen und ihre Learnings zu teilen.

Darüber hinaus spricht sie offen über ihre Depression, mentale Gesundheit und gibt Tipps und Tricks, damit andere Menschen diese Erfahrung nicht machen müssen.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
08:45 - New Work definiert: Erfüllung durch Weiterentwicklung der Arbeit
18:20 - Arbeitsmodelle der Zukunft: Flexibilität als Schlüssel
35:10 - Das Pflastersyndrom: Oberflächliche Lösungen vermeiden

Links

Guest Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiramariecremer/?profileId=ACoAAC3AwFIBXo-X-kADtFs-2Kkf-AzInVMjPM4

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/kiramariecremer

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#10 - Amiel Barrimond | Director Rewards | People Analytics | Payroll | Tech | Autodoc

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Amiel Barrimond is a Total Rewards professional who is passionate about creating solutions and problem-solving within the Rewards arena. With hands-on experience in all aspects of reward design and management, Amiel believes that the reward function should be robust and agile, yet flexible enough to move with changes in the business and regulatory environment.

Amiel's expertise includes executive and general compensation, incentive design, policy, structure and governance, benefits, performance management, job evaluation, career frameworks, and pay range design.

Shownotes 00:00:00 - Intro & Summary 00:02:00 - Early career, banking & Amiel 00:15:20 - Industry, affordability & measuring compensation 00:20:10 - 4 P’s of compensation 00:29:00 - Incentive & compensation 00:41:03 - Market benchmarking, reward function 00:56:00 - Compensation philosophies 01:06:10 - Next steps

Amiel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amiel-barrimond/ pplwise website: https://pplwise.com/ Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

#96 - Björn Kastl | Chief People Officer at Mytheresa - MBA, Strategic HR Leadership

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 23 Oct 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
10:00 - Arbeitsmarkt 2025: Kurze Entspannung oder langfristige Herausforderungen?
15:00 - Politische Einflüsse auf den Arbeitsmarkt: Migration und Fachkräftezuzug
25:00 - Der Strukturwandel in Schlüsselindustrien: Automobil und Chemie unter Druck

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bj%C3%B6rn-kastl-58290a2/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#137 - Tuba Vogel | Zwischen Performance & Menschlichkeit

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 27 May 2026 03:00:00 GMT

Tuba Vogel begleitet seit über zehn Jahren internationale Tech-Unternehmen beim Aufbau und der Skalierung moderner People-&-Culture-Strukturen. Als Chief People Officer und Director People hat sie eng mit Gründer:innen und Führungsteams daran gearbeitet, Organisationen leistungsorientiert, international und nachhaltig wachsen zu lassen. Ihr Fokus liegt auf Organisationsentwicklung, Leadership, Workforce Planning und der Frage, wie People-Arbeit vom Supportbereich zum strategischen Business-Treiber wird.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
12:15 - Warum viele Unternehmen kein Hiring-, sondern ein Performanceproblem haben
28:40 - Hypergrowth, Kultur & Leadership
43:10 - Performance ohne Burnout

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tuba-vogel/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#92 - Mark Lundgren | Senior Talent Acquisition Manager bei CarOnSale

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Mark 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
02:10 - AI im Sourcing: Hype oder Realität?
14:30 - Unkonventionelle Ansätze: Vom LinkedIn hinaus in die Nischen-Communities
28:45 - Personalisierung durch Video: Mehr als nur Text-Templates

Links

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#89 - Hung Lee | Curator for Recruiting Brainfood

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Editor 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
12:30 - Recruiters' Key Skill: Adaptability.
20:45 - Yearly Predictions in Recruitment.
45:10 - Growth of the "Recruiting Brain Food" Newsletter.

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunglee/
Recruiting Brainfood: https://www.recruitingbrainfood.com/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#86 - Timothy Tolino | Global Director of Benefits, Mobility, and Wellness @ Hunter Douglas

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 03:00:00 GMT

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:22 - Beschreibung der Tätigkeit im Bereich M&A und erforderliche Eigenschaften
09:14 - Der Wertbeitrag der Tätigkeit zum Geschäftsabschluss
13:43 - Auswirkungen von Sozialleistungen auf die Unternehmensbewertung und Due Diligence

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ttolino/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#63 - Andreas Schmitz | Founder of Prisma Insights and Host of 'With People. For People.'

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 04:00:00 GMT

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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Equal pay
03:35 - First 100 days in a role
08:35 - Setting expectations
13:05 - Strategic planning
19:05 - Relationships & Stakeholder relations

Links

Andreas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-schmitz-withpeople-forpeople/
Andreas Podcast: https://www.withpeople-forpeople.com/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#32 - Rene Insam | VP, Corporate Solutions @ Morgan Stanley

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 03:00:00 GMT

René 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.net

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
07:42 - Financial Services Industry, 2008 and 2022
23:42 - US vs Europe
33:22 - AI

Links:

René Insam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reneinsam/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/ Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#57 - Dr. Richard Hossiep | Managing Director & Co-Founder Applysia

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Dr. 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro & context
07:32 - Defining Assessments
10:02 - Job Analysis
19:32 - Job Analysis, Area Vice President Sales
22:48 - Interview Tools
25:32 - Role simulations
30:32 - Comparing and rating results of assessments

Links

Richard - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hossiep/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#44 - Jamie Turner | Vice President People & Talent @IDnow

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Jamie 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 her husband and children. They enjoy exploring new cultures and rarely miss a Dodger baseball game!

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
07:36 - Change fatigue
17:21 - Partnership, transactional work

Links

Jamie Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-t-2baaa47/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#114 - Alexander Oldewage | Talent Acquisition Lead at HiveMQ

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Alex is an experienced leader in Talent Acquisition and has worked in the field of Recruitment for more than 12 years, working for both agencies and tech product companies in South Africa and Germany. He has recruited internationally in EMEA and North America, predominantly focusing on Product and Engineering Recruitment.

In his current role, Alex is the Lead Talent Acquisition Manager at HiveMQ, a startup whose product is focused on Industrial IoT connectivity. Some of his past employers include Successful Berlin based startups such as Klarna and Adjust.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
06:57 - Challenges in Talent Acquisition
12:23 - The Importance of Retention in Hiring
21:47 - Fighting for Candidates

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-oldewage-08b74674/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#131 - Hans-Heinz Wisotzky | Warum verlassen Menschen Unternehmen und warum bleiben sie da?

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Hans-Heinz Wisotzky ist Personalberater, Headhunter, Buchautor und Host des GainTalents-Podcasts. Mit über 25 Jahren Erfahrung im Executive Search und HR-Management teilt er praxisnahe Einblicke zu Recruiting, Talentgewinnung und Leadership. Sein Fokus liegt auf moderner Personalarbeit und nachhaltiger Mitarbeiterbindung.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:30 - Einführung ins Thema Employee Journey und Vorstellung von Hans-Heinz Wisotzki
15:45 - Frühfluktuation: Ursachen, typische Fehler im Pre- & Onboarding und konkrete Zahlen
38:10 - Homeoffice, Hybridarbeit und Bindung: Was Studien wirklich zeigen

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansheinzwisotzky/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#140 - Gero Hesse | Echte Kultur statt KI-Hype: Recruiting neu gedacht

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Gero Hesse ist CEO von EMBRACE, einem Unternehmen von Bertelsmann Investments, und zählt zu den prägenden Stimmen rund um HR, Recruiting, Employer Branding und WorkTech im deutschsprachigen Raum. Seit über 20 Jahren begleitet er die Transformation der Arbeitswelt – als Unternehmer, Speaker, Autor und Host des bekannten HR-Podcasts SAATKORN. Seine Schwerpunkte liegen auf den Auswirkungen von KI auf die Arbeitswelt, moderner Führung, Talentgewinnung und der Frage, wie Unternehmen den Menschen auch im digitalen Wandel in den Mittelpunkt stellen. Mit seiner Kombination aus strategischem Weitblick, Praxiserfahrung und Leidenschaft für Innovation bringt Gero wertvolle Impulse für die Zukunft von Arbeit und Führung mit.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:15 - Von der Corporate-Unzufriedenheit zu Career Loft
07:45 - Die Evolution des Embrace Festivals & Kultur als Arbeitgebermarke
11:00 - Technologietrends, KI und die Rolle des Menschen

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerohesse/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#138 - Marius Hepp Kemper | KI-Transformation ist eine Frage des Leaderships, nicht der Tools

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 03:00:00 GMT

Marius hat mit 17 noch während der Schulzeit die erste Firma gegründet. Mit 25 bei der nächsten Gründung plötzlich verantwortlich für 30 Mitarbeitende — dort die Leidenschaft für Leadership entdeckt und das Unternehmen 2021 verkauft. 2022 Junto gegründet und seitdem über 2.000 Führungskräfte von Unternehmen wie AOK PLUS, Ottobock, REWE Digital und Celonis trainiert. Heute Fokus auf KI-Befähigung von Führungskräften — mit der Überzeugung: „KI ist vor allem eine Frage von Leadership, nicht nur von Tool Adoption.“

Shownotes

00:00 - Erste Gründungen: Vom Fotografie-Blog zum Hochzeitsbusiness
08:30 - Corona, Firmenverkauf & die härteste Phase als Unternehmer
18:00 - Warum KI-Transformation vor allem ein Leadership-Thema ist
31:00 - Der Wandel von Junto: Von VC-Startup zu profitablem Unternehmen

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariushepp/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#39 - Julius Göllner | Co-Founder ARRtist and Founder & Managing Director @ eNugget Ventures

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Listen 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, and trials, to empower the next generation of business leaders.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
08:00 - Bootstrapping
17:30 - Co-Founder
24:30 - Building Ecosystems and communities

Links

Julius Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julius-goellner/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#55 Rico Habraken | Senior Tech Recruiter at Miro

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Rico 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
07:22 - Recruitment at Miro
21:22 - Career development as a recruiter
29:37 - Data-driven decision making

Links

Sebastian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/flysebsch/

Linking career framework

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#49 - Sebastian Schilling | Interim CFO/COO - building finance & people teams for scaling companies

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Sebastian 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.

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
05:41 - Finance stages from series A to series D
16:41 - Growing a finance team from series A to series D
24:41 - Headcount planning from series A to series D

Links

Sebastian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/flysebsch/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#143 - Alexander Kohler | Von pplwise zum eigenen KI-Startup mit 21

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Alexander 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-Market, datengetriebenem Vertrieb, Recruiting und dem Einsatz von KI im öffentlichen Sektor. Mit seiner Kombination aus Gründergeist, Vertriebserfahrung und Umsetzungsstärke bringt Alex wertvolle Impulse für schnelles und effizientes Wachstum mit.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Vorstellung von Alex und BidFix
04:14 - Studium oder Praxis? Warum Alex sich gegen die Uni entschieden hat
10:13 - Von pplwise zur eigenen Gründung mit 21
15:28 - Bootstrapping, die Wahl des Co-Founders und Speed als Wettbewerbsvorteil
22:46 - Sieben-Tage-Woche, Mindset und die richtigen Incentives im Team
27:03 - Sales-Struktur, KPIs und Deal-Qualifizierung mit MEDDIC
31:19 - Recruiting als datengetriebener Prozess
38:32 - Learnings aus pplwise und die Ziele für BidFix

_________________

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderklr/
BidFix: https://www.bidfix.ai/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#50 - Alexandra Meyer | Head of Talent Acquisition at Enpal

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 04:00:00 GMT

With 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
06:15 - Expansion from a Talent Acquisition perspective into Brasil
15:45 - Expansion from a Talent Acquisition perspective into the US
23:45 - Chaos vs structure in scaling

Links

Alexandra Meyer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-meyer/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#83 - Folke Christoph Grigo | Director People & Culture at Everphone

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Result- 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
08:09 - Definition und Bedeutung von Speak Up Culture
24:26 - Die Rolle der Führungskräfte bei der Etablierung einer Speak Up Culture
45:40 - Praktische Tipps zur Förderung einer Speak Up Culture

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/folke-grigo/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#78 - Wiebke Schmidt | VP People at Linearity

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Wiebke 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.

Shownotes

03:20 - Introduction
05:55 - Rebranding
11:08 - Shaping Company Culture - Company Values, Culture, Implementation
21:07 - Strategic Talent Acquisition - Sourcing, Targeted Strategy, Diversity
25:44 - Adapting Work Environments - Remote Work, Hybrid, Office Setup

Links

Wiebke Schmidt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiebke-schmidt-9772b3130/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#98 - Robin Miguel Betz | Co-Founder at midlane.com, Shaping the future of frontline HR

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Robin 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 moderner Technologie die Personalverwaltung neu gestalten und so operative Firmen zukunftssicher aufstellen.

Schon heute hilft das Unternehmen Personalabteilungen dabei, Verwaltungsaufgaben zu automatisieren, sodass sich Mitarbeitende auf ihre eigentliche Arbeit konzentrieren können.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
05:30 - Midlane’s Weg: Vom Headcount Planning zum Blue Collar Payroll Space
18:45 - Herausforderungen in der Lohnbuchhaltung für operative Mitarbeiter
32:10 - Die Vision für die Zukunft der operativen Personalverwaltung

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinmiguelbetz/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#69 - Maria Kamischke | VP People & Culture ® Lingoda GmbH, HRC Ambassador

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 08 May 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Maria 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - intro & context
08:17 How to get approval from the c-level
16:57 Benefits that worked and did not
18:07 Psychological safety
24:27 Mental health challenges
28:57 Mental health challenges
29:27 - Comparing and rating results of assessments

Maria - https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-kamischke-514112ab/

Book recommendation: Surrounded by idiots https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Thomas-Erikson/dp/1250179947

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#110 - Derrick Menezes | New Beginnings: How Parental Leave Sparked a Career Shift

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 05 Feb 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Derrick is a strategic HR leader with extensive experience helping high-growth global tech companies scale and transform. Over the years, he has worked across multiple geographies, scaling businesses, and partnering with both small and large companies in the eCommerce, delivery, mobility, and the ad tech sectors. His expertise lies in driving talent strategies, leading change management initiatives, and fostering leadership excellence to fuel business success. He works closely with C-suite executives to align people strategies with business goals, building organizations that are future ready.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:30 - The Dilemma: Career vs. Parental Leave
15:45 - Embracing Uncertainty: Taking a Risk on a New Career Path
22:10 - The Power of Self-Belief and a Strong Support System

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrickjmenezes/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#125 - Mathew Middlemass | Mental Health - Comparison

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 03:00:00 GMT

Mat Middlemass, a diverse people professional from London. Having worked within the people space for 18 years, Mat is passionate about people, development, DE & I and wellbeing.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:19 Trends in Mental Health Awareness
06:01 The Impact of Social Media
09:37 Finding Balance in a Digital World
12:25 Implementing Boundaries with Technology
18:25 The Reality of Comparison
28:13 Practical Tips for Mental Well-being

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-middlemass-b8a297121/

Yeliz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yeliz-castillo/
Yeliz e-mail: yeliz.castillo@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#25 - Gitte Bendzulla | Chief Operating Officer @Deezer

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Gitte 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 for an organization, C-Level, Board
14:00 - Building trust with Executives, Communication
24:30 - Probem Solving, Politics or Influence
31:30 - Executive Teams, Role of the CEO & Individuals
41:00 - Recommendations

Links

Gitte: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gitte-bendzulla-/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#68 - Sabrina Kosse | Chief People & Organization Office @Bridgemaker

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 01 May 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Sabrina 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 at Randstad, laying a solid foundation for her remarkable career trajectory.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
07:05 - C-Level seat with the people function
10:05 - Use case of AI in HR
20:05 - Change management & executives

Sabrina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-kosse-b99954187/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#99 - Fabian Kuhnt | Partner bei EY

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Companies 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.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
15:00 - Flexibilität durch Employer of Record
22:00 - Herausforderungen für den Mittelstand
45:00 - Zukunft der Global Mobility

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabian-kuhnt/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#54 - Matt Yates | EMEA Talent Acquisition Director & Global TA Lead Uber Delivery @ Uber

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Matt 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 such as lastminute.com, Barclays, Fidelity and abrdn plc (formerly Standard Life Aberdeen).

Shownotes
00:00 - intro & context
10:40 - market dynamics
19:25 - Risk of ramping down a function
24:25 - Regional aspects of talent acquisition
29:50 - Market intelligence & levers in market dynamics

Links
Sebastian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/flysebsch/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com

#75 - Dr. Yasmin Kurzhals | Vice President People & Culture

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Sun, 16 Jun 2024 03:00:00 GMT

Dr. 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.

Shownotes

04:23 - Einführung und Kontext
08:23 - Generationenunterschiede und Trends
13:23 - Führungskultur und psychologische Sicherheit
18:23 - Individualisierung und Mitarbeiterbindung
23:23 - Arbeitsglück und Selbstverwirklichung
28:23 - Arbeitsumgebung und psychische Gesundheit

Links

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-yasmin-kurzhals-bb6986104/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#139 - Sascha Haggenmüller | Unternehmerherz trifft Private Equity

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 06:00:00 GMT

Dr. Sascha Haggenmüller ist Co-Founder und Managing Director der Radial Consulting Group. Als promovierter Betriebswirt, US Certified Public Accountant (CPA) und zertifizierter Business Coach verbindet er Finance-Expertise mit Leadership- und Transformationsthemen. Nach vielen Jahren in führenden Positionen bei Deloitte, EY und Porsche Consulting begleitet er heute Unternehmen und Investoren bei Transaktionen, Restrukturierungen und der Weiterentwicklung ihrer Finanzorganisationen. In seinem eigenen Podcast spricht er regelmäßig mit Unternehmerinnen und Unternehmern über die Menschen hinter erfolgreichen Unternehmen.

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro & Context
03:45 - Die Gründung von Radial & People-Perspektive bei PE-Deals
08:15 - Einstieg im Handwerk & Investment in Fahngold
12:30 - Unternehmertum als Lebenseinstellung & Bauchgefühl

Links:

Guest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saschahaggenmueller/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/

Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com

pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#36 - Peter van Kersen | Chief People Officer - Independent Consultant with Capital P

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Shownotes

00:00 - Intro
07:14 - 3 Main mistakes companies make
09:14 - Starting from scratch with the right approach
13:14 - System Integration ATS & HRIS
30:44 - Headcount Planning

Peter Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/petervankersen/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/

#28 - Hilary Klassen | CEO & Co-Founder bestselfy

Thomas Kohler, pplwise — Wed, 26 Jul 2023 03:00:00 GMT

Hilary, 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, American sports, and is fluent in German.

Shownotes
00:00 - Intro
02:32 - HR in early stages
06:22 - Leadership insights
10:32 - Context & Background of Hilary
14:32 - HR victims
23:32 - Internal Hiring and Development
28:52 - Leadership mistakes & learnings
33:32 - Recommendations

Links
Linkedin Hilary: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaryklassen/

Thomas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-kohler-pplwise/
Thomas e-mail: thomas@pplwise.com
pplwise: https://pplwise.com/