This episode features an interview with Jennifer Russo, Senior Director of Corporate Communications and HR Strategy. Jennifer communicates on behalf of the Banner Health system to the 55,000 employees across six states. She also champions the strategy that makes Banner Health a great place to work. In this episode, she talks about communicating effectively during times of crisis, exploring different mediums like videos and podcasts, and offering mental health resources to employees.

This episode features an interview with Brady Pyle, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA. Brady oversees the Executive HR Directors for NASA’s 10 field centers nationwide in the development, execution, and integration of HR services, programs, processes and policies. In this episode, he talks about expanding their workforce with contractors, the unique experience of working for a federal agency, and what goes into picking the next NASA astronauts.

This episode features an interview with Lisa Cummings Penn, Executive Director of Employee Engagement in the office of the CIO at Estée Lauder Companies. Lisa leads employee engagement for IT at ELC. In this episode, she talks about how one size does not fit all when it comes to employee engagement.

This episode features an interview with Joey Wilkerson, Acquisition Integration Manager and Employee Experience Lead at Cisco. Joey engages new employees with company culture after an acquisition. On this episode, he talks about starting off on the right foot, the importance of building relationships, and creating a community that supports the whole person.

This episode features an interview with Nicole Alvino, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of SocialChorus. Nicole sets goals for company growth and defines the industry standard for an innovative digital employee experience. On this episode, she talks about getting buy-in from C-suite executives on an EX overhaul, serving highly personalized company information to employees and how to kick off an exceptional employee experience from day one.

This episode features an interview with Erica Cary, Vice President of Product and Services at Hilton. Erica has more than 18 years of experience in technology, client relationship management, and business development. At Hilton, she’s responsible for creating digital experiences for both employees and guests. In this episode, she talks about creating a relevant experience for a diverse workforce, making inclusive ads, and personalizing the experience by providing choice.

This episode features an interview with Tony Saldanha, an industry leader in information technology with more than 30 years of experience in Global Business Services design, operations and governance. He’s the former VP of GBS at Procter & Gamble, and was previously named one of the world’s Premier 100 IT Professionals. In this episode, Tony talks about user-journey mapping, setting expectations for continuous improvement, and striving for employee delight.

This episode features an interview with Aaron Gerlitz, Program Manager of Information Security at Lowe’s. Aaron’s job is to keep the digital tools and applications running smoothly and securely for over 300,000 employees and 2,200 stores across North America. He orchestrates complex, multi-year projects implementing software, building new capabilities, and running data analytics. Aaron talks about how the hard work behind the scenes makes for a seamless digital employee experience.

This episode features an interview with Mark Settle, seven-time CIO and author. Mark has served as CIO for companies like Okta, Arrow Electronics, and Visa. He specializes in enterprise software, high-tech distribution, and financial services. His most recent book, "Truth from the Valley, a Practical Primer on IT Management for the Next Decade," was released in 2020. On this episode, Mark discusses the challenges of personalizing the employee experience at larger companies, streamlining IT operations at the service desk, and automating busy work. He also shares tips on how to tell if initiatives are being effective, how to avoid the IT-ticket circus, and the importance of trying out new digital tools.

What to expect from Cruising Altitude.