Cruising Altitude

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If you are a leader at a company with over 30,000 employees, managing employee experience is a little different. Problems are more complex, and implementing change is more difficult. In this podcast, we will talk to leaders who are designing the best digital employee experiences in the world - from the front lines to the back office. Life is different over 30,000. Welcome to Cruising Altitude. Hosted by Firstup Founder and CEO, Nicole Alvino.

  1. 07/30/2025

    The Ripple Effect: How Employee Experience Shapes Customer Relations with Matthew Owenby, Chief Strategy Officer at Aflac

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Matthew Owenby, Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Services Executive at Aflac. Matthew and host Nicole Alvino discuss Aflac's commitment to fostering a supportive and respectful workplace culture, which translates into authentic and empathetic customer interactions. The discussion covers Aflac's hiring processes, their focus on dignity and respect, and how AI can enhance the employee experience. Quotes “ The employee experience here is built in the foundation and really a philosophy that if you take care of your employees, they're going to take care of the company and take care of the customers.  What we mean by that, in a daily basis, is treating people with dignity and respect. Trying to enter into a relationship with our employees, which we know is foundational to communication and trust and engagement. We want the same type of relationship with our consumers. So we are overtly focused on our employees' experience as well as how they feel about the workplace.” “ We customize our development based upon the roles that you're in. So we have continuing ed, we have leadership development, we have new employee orientation, new leader orientation. And that is all sort of foundationally kept within our annual ethics training, our annual awareness training around engagement activities. And so it really is a system rather than an activity that happens once or twice a year. We have a systematic integrated talent management program that's been operating here continuously for three decades, if not more.” “ We see AI as enhancing an employee's experience, reducing the level of anxiety around a special project, or I need to go do this specialized research on this. Or when a consumer calls, what would it be like if you had all of their claims history, all of the times that they've called, some of the issues they've had as a customer support specialist. If you had all that, how would that change your interaction with that person if you had all of that at hand?” Time Stamps *(02:22): Meet Matthew Owenby *(07:23): Aflac’s unique employee experience *(11:24): Aflac’s hiring and training policies  *(15:44): The crossover of consumer and employee experience *(20:27): The impact of AI on employee and customer experience *(23:59): The biggest employee experience lesson Matthew has learned Links Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn Email Matthew Thank you to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    31 min

  2. 06/11/2025

    Building a Culture of Support and Trust: Strategies for People Leaders with Jess Harrah, CPO at KinderCare

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Jess Harrah, Chief People Officer at KinderCare, a leading provider in early childhood and school-age education and care. Jess and host Nicole Alvino discuss KinderCare's commitment to supporting its 35,000 employees and nearly 200,000 working families nationwide. They explore the importance of employee engagement, the impact of offering childcare benefits, and the strategies KinderCare implements to maintain a positive work culture. Quotes “ We really depend on our center directors and our district leaders who are the local leadership to really be there. And again, we're a relationship business. So that doesn't mean be there and come into a center for an hour. It means literally sitting alongside teachers and center directors talking to them about what they need, when they need it, how they need it.  Those little moments where our leaders are supporting their team and that kind of is really so critical to our culture of engagement.” "One of the things that we do and started almost 13 years ago now at KinderCare is we measure employee engagement. We have a close partnership with Gallup, so it is really important for us to hear from our team, and that is our teachers, our center directors. We do that annually through a survey and then we action on it." "Now what we're seeing is a lot more of our teachers who maybe wanna work 20 hours, maybe 15 hours, they may be going back to school. This may be a job for them that works well with their family responsibilities. And so really thinking about how we meet our team and our workforce where they are." Time Stamps [03:10] Meet Jess Harrah [04:17] Overview of KinderCare [07:40] Employee experience strategies in childhood education [12:05] Adapting to employee needs [13:42] Supporting working families [20:40] Leadership and personal insights Links Connect with Jess on LinkedIn Thank you to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    27 min

  3. 05/28/2025

    The Power of Perspective: How Colgate-Palmolive Champions Diverse Thinking

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Sally Massey, Chief Human Resources Officer at Colgate-Palmolive. Sally and host Nicole Alvino discuss key strategies for building a stronger and more innovative workforce through upskilling, creating personalized employee experiences, and leveraging diverse perspectives. Sally shares her experiences and insights from her nearly 25-year tenure at Colgate, including the importance of communication, inclusion, employee trust, and adapting to changing employee expectations. The conversation also highlights how AI and continuous learning initiatives contribute to employee development and organizational growth. Quotes “ We upskilled everyone so that everybody understood the positives to using AI and also what they needed to watch out for in terms of AI. And then we gave them access to a hub where they could start practicing and using it for their daily work. We're finding that there is a community within Colgate that people are sharing ideas. They're learning from one another. They're sharing best practices. They're getting efficiency in their work.” “ We try to really use lots of different ways to communicate, whether that's through digital, whether that's through workshops, whether that's through written communication, whether that's through webcasts because people absorb it in different ways. And so it is personalizing the message, but also personalizing the vehicle so that they can get the information.” “ For myself leading in times of change, I like to get my team together so that we can talk through, brainstorm, challenge each other. And I really think that you get to a better place when you bring in a lot of different perspectives. Perspectives from different backgrounds, different geographies. I think you get to a better answer. And so for me it's about bringing people together with different perspectives so that we can get to a better outcome.” Time Stamps [03:15] Meet Sally Massey [07:23] Strategies for personalizing experiences across generations [09:10] How employee expectations have shifted [13:24] Colgate’s AI journey [19:26] The importance of diversity of thought [21:29] Sally’s place of clarity and perspective Links Connect with Sally on LinkedIn Thank you to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    27 min

  4. 05/14/2025

    From Onboarding to Retire: Crafting an Exceptional Employee Journey at EY

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Ginnie Carlier, Vice Chair of Talent for the Americas at EY. Together, Ginnie and host Nicole Alvino discuss strategies for creating extraordinary employee experiences. They discuss the importance of wellbeing, career agility, and cutting-edge technology in shaping these experiences. Ginnie shares innovative approaches such as the Vitality Index and customizable wellbeing funds, which cater to individual employee needs. The conversation delves into the impact of AI in the workplace, emphasizing AI training and development for both new and existing employees. Ginnie highlights the significance of empathetic leadership and human connection amidst technological advancements. Lastly, the conversation touches on Ginnie's personal insights on achieving clarity and maintaining an adventurous mindset in leadership. Quote “ Yes, it's important to continue to climb that ladder, but sometimes people just wanna jump off and go and master skills somewhere else within the organization. So being able to provide that career agility to your employees is really important. And then also giving them the space to thrive and creating that time and space for them to develop and continue to feel like they're investing in themselves. Whether that's the wellbeing of themselves and their teams. Whether that's learning, you know, a new skill, investing personal time to learn a new skill, getting involved in the community. But, creating that time and space for them, I think is incredibly important.” – Ginnie Carlier Time Stamps [03:19] Meet Ginnie Carlier [06:46] Creating an exceptional employee experience [09:32] Wellbeing initiatives at EY [13:25] The Vitality Index [17:12] Career Agility and AI [29:11] Empathy in leadership Links Connect with Ginnie on LinkedIn Learn more about EY Thank you to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    35 min

  5. 03/05/2025

    Navigating Transformation at Siemens: Leadership, AI, and the Human Element

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Alexander Senn, Head of People & Organization at Siemens Smart Infrastructure. Together, Alex and host Nicole Alvino discuss employee engagement and organizational culture. Alex shares insights about his role overseeing people and organizational development within Siemens' smart infrastructure division. Key topics include employee segmentation for improved experience, the role of leadership in transformation journeys, and the use of AI for productivity and innovation. Alex also shares the concept of the 'Rhino View' to highlight different perspectives in decision-making, and stresses the importance of open communication and continuous leadership development. Lastly, the conversation touches on balancing technological tools with human interaction to foster a high-performing and engaged workforce at Siemens. Quotes *" We're in the midst of a transformation journey to become one tech company.  And we want to work with the people together to create the best Siemens for the future. And that's why we decided to communicate quite early what is our ambition. But we don't have all the answers. And now we're working with the people close to the topics.  We take them on board, we listen, and they can also co-create with us together the new Siemens.  This is also a new way of empowering, taking people on board early. But it also creates at the same time a little bit of uncertainty, because people know something is happening. But they don't know the result.  But I believe people need to learn to live with uncertainty and it's much better to be transparent with the people and to invite them to contribute. At the same time, they also need to learn to live with the fact that we don't have all the answers. But I'm a strong believer that the outcome is much better when we involve more people, when we listen to the concerns and then on the journey you adapt some of the ideas you had at the beginning after listening to more than only the top management.” *”[During transformations,] communicating is really important, but also then keep your ears and eyes open and create platforms where people can then give feedback. Share what they have read, what they've heard, raising concerns, because yes, we need people who are positive and looking into the change and helping, etcetera. But we also need to listen to people who are really concerned.” Time Stamps [00:45] Meet Alexander Senn, Head of People & Organization at Siemens Smart Infrastructure [04:28] Role and Responsibilities at Siemens [06:18] Employee Segmentation and Experience [10:00] Transformation Journey at Siemens [15:42] Utilizing AI for Productivity [20:25] The Rhino View Perspective [25:11] Final Thoughts and Reflections [30:55] Conclusion and Contact Information Links Connect with Alex on LinkedIn Learn more about Siemens Smart Infrastructure Thanks to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    32 min

  6. 02/19/2025

    Elevate Your Workforce: Insights from the ISS Americas C-Suite

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with CIO Alice Fournier, CMO Marjorie McCarthy, and Head of People & Culture, CHRO Lisa Mitchell-Kastner of ISS Americas, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, they talk about how their collaborative efforts enhance the employee experience through technology and AI. The discussion covers the importance of personalized communication, data-driven decisions, and AI in recruitment and onboarding processes. The episode also explores the nuances of managing a diverse and extensive workforce and the role of continuous communication and change management in successful transformations. Quotes *” If we can bring an applicant in and start to connect with them in their own native language on their own technical level of comfort, and in a way that serves them best, we found very early in that there was an opportunity to win in the marketplace or win in the talent war, and really connect with our employee base throughout their journey from applicant through retire, because we hope they stay with us for their entire career.” - Lisa Mitchell-Kastner *” My favorite phraseology is this collective genius construct, where collaboration comes together with all of our unique and collective experiences and the genius that comes with each of those. And I think in this world and day and age, but definitely with the eclectic nature, not only of the products and services we provide, but with the people that serve to provide those, high collaboration is so important.  That high collaboration towards a common goal. We all want the same thing. We all want high engagement for our customers. We all want exceptional best in class customer experiences, and we all want exceptional best in class people, human experiences. None of us can do that in a vacuum, and it is when all of that collective genius comes together that we really get the best impact.” - Lisa Mitchell-Kastner *” Probably the most exciting and most challenging approach to, or reality around, transformation is to keep up the pace of technology while not going after the shiny object.  How much or how little do you bring AI into your organization? How much or how little do you bring in all kinds of new technologies? There is so much out there that can accelerate the organization, but the reality in the CIO role and employee technology is no different. You have a subset of really legacy types of applications on which the foundation of a lot of organizations sit. And so when you're talking about transforming these core systems, these are exciting, exciting times in technology, but they are also true challenges given how quickly the world's evolving.” - Alice Fournier Time Stamps [00:57] Meet the ISS Americas Leadership Team [1:45] Enhancing Employee Experience with Technology [7:03] Understanding ISS Americas [10:20] Challenges in IT and Digital Employee Experience [12:48] Collaboration for Exceptional Employee Experience [17:56] Transforming Pre-Hire Experience with AI [23:00] Creating Personalized Employee Journeys [26:17] Leveraging Data for Better Decisions [34:04] Supporting Transformation Through Communication Links Connect on LinkedIn with: Alice Fournier Marjorie McCarthy Lisa Mitchell-Kastner Learn more about ISS Americas Thanks to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    41 min

  7. 02/05/2025

    Empowering Healthcare Professionals with AI: Insights from VillageMD's CHRO, Meredith Williams

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Meredith Williams, CHRO at VillageMD, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, Nicole and Meredith discuss the integration of AI to improve the digital employee experience in healthcare. They talk about how AI can take over mundane tasks, allowing healthcare providers to spend more time with patients, which increases both patient and physician satisfaction. Meredith outlines her role overseeing HR at VillageMD, the challenges of managing a diverse workforce, and the importance of personalized employee experiences using data collected from various feedback tools. The conversation also touches on fostering a high-performance culture, encouraging leadership development, and handling organizational transitions. Meredith shares personal stories and highlights the values that drive their company culture. The episode concludes with Meredith's insights on maintaining a growth mindset and the importance of gratitude and avoiding bedtime anger in personal and professional life. Quotes * ” When we think about AI, what I would want to point to is how are we helping physicians utilize AI to give them more time to be with the patients. So one of the tools that we're utilizing in some of our businesses is a dictation tool AI. So that helps to kind of eliminate hours worth of charting and note taking and being able to simplify that. And that gives more time for the physicians to be with those patients as well as the pieces in addition to the physicians giving those doctors more time to be with the patients. That's what they love. That's what their passion is. And giving them more time to do that certainly increases their satisfaction and balance in terms of well being.” *”  We recently rolled out in 2024 our mission vision values and our values specifically around being kind, building trust, innovation and going the extra mile. If you take the first letter of each one of those values, it's be big. And so how do you be big? And so we pull that thread through on everything that we do and ways in which we celebrate employees, ways in which we recognize and put the spotlight on different initiatives that are going on. How are you being big? And that's really a way that we're fostering that culture and creating that experience on a daily basis that people can live by.“ *”Bringing groups together that are coming in in this acquisition world that we have been in over the course of many years, bringing people together and building that connection is paramount for people to stack hands, work together and eliminate an us versus them [mindset]. And that to me has really been paramount in how we think about our HR team, but how we set the stage and set the example for the rest of the organization. It's that tone at the top. And I feel like HR is really that at that center stage and how do we foster that? How are we driving the great connection and collaboration efforts that we see across the organization?” Time Stamps [00:27] AI Enhancing Healthcare Efficiency [00:38] Meet Meredith Williams, CHRO at VillageMD [05:10] Meredith’s Role and Responsibilities at VillageMD [06:58] Creating Tailored Employee Experiences [08:03] Leveraging Data for Employee Engagement [15:45] Harnessing AI for Employee and Patient Benefits [18:03] Lessons Learned in Employee Experience [22:27] Smooth Landing: Personal Insights and Wisdom Links Connect with Meredith on LinkedIn Learn more about VillageMD Thanks to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    27 min

  8. 01/22/2025

    Cisco’s Formula for Building Engagement in Complex Workforces with Joey Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, M&A Employee Experience and Change Management

    This episode of Cruising Altitude features a conversation with Joey Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, M&A Employee Experience and Change Management at Cisco, hosted by Nicole Alvino, CEO and co-founder of Firstup. Together, Nicole and Joey discuss strategies for fostering an engaging and purposeful workplace, focusing on internal talent movement, onboarding, and integrating new employees post-acquisition. Joey shares insights on creating a connected employee experience through personalization, leveraging AI, and aligning with Cisco's culture. The conversation highlights successful practices in employee engagement, cultural integration, and future trends in employee experience. Quotes * ”We have to always think about ourselves and internal talent movement as competing for talent across the company. We want to encourage internal talent movement. To be successful at that, it's important for leaders to understand the experience for the employee, while unique, must be consistent to some degree.” *” When I think about what's coming next [in Cisco’s] continued evolution, where employees are really expecting this kind of consumer based experience across the organization. And we're going to have to keep that in mind moving forward.“ *” One of the things that we have seen at Cisco in the last two years is a more critical eye on privacy. What does the organization as my employer have access to in terms of what I'm doing, what I'm clicking on? And those two things will push against each other, I am afraid. In order for us to create that consumer-like experience, it requires understanding the behavior of the employee, which may not be as private as some may expect.” Time Stamps [00:38] Meet Joey Wilkerson, Sr. Manager, M&A Employee Experience and Change Management at Cisco [4:09] Joey's Role at Cisco [5:12] Understanding Cisco's Culture and Subcultures [6:31] Personalized Employee Experiences at Cisco [14:54] Leveraging AI for Employee Experience [18:34] The Splunk Acquisition: Challenges and Successes [23:04] Proudest Moments and Future Trends [31:13] Final Thoughts and Contact Information Links Connect with Joey on LinkedIn Learn more about Cisco Thanks to our friends This episode is brought to you by Firstup, the world’s first intelligent communication platform. More than 40 percent of Fortune 100 companies use our platform to connect with their people, design and deliver personalized communications, and gain engagement insights throughout the employee journey. That’s how they give their employees better experiences from hire to retire. Learn more at firstup.io

    36 min
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If you are a leader at a company with over 30,000 employees, managing employee experience is a little different. Problems are more complex, and implementing change is more difficult. In this podcast, we will talk to leaders who are designing the best digital employee experiences in the world - from the front lines to the back office. Life is different over 30,000. Welcome to Cruising Altitude. Hosted by Firstup Founder and CEO, Nicole Alvino.

Information

  • Creator
    Firstup
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Firstup
  • Show Website
    Cruising Altitude