Summary

What happens when a designer leads HR? Michael Bodziner, Co–Chief Human Resources Officer at Gensler—the global architecture and design firm with 56 offices and 6,400 people—shares how a 40-year career from intern to studio director to CHRO shaped a people-first approach that boosts retention and performance. Michael explains how he translated retail customer-experience thinking into an employee-experience playbook, why “don’t let fear be the deciding factor” guided his leap into HR, and how focusing on strengths—“aces and spaces”—builds higher-performing teams. He details the shift from transactional HR to strategic partnership, Gensler’s co-leadership model (including his pairing with co-CHRO Larissa Gray to balance culture with compliance), and how that structure sustained the firm through COVID. Michael also offers a pragmatic view on AI: use it to automate the busywork so HR can spend time coaching leaders, improving the team member experience, and retaining top talent. Expect candid lessons on designing culture at scale, knowing your people deeply, and making courageous career moves.

Timestamps

[00:45] – Guest intro: 40-year journey from intern to co-CHRO at a global firm

[03:38] – From designer to studio director: putting people first and reducing turnover

[06:01] – The Starbucks ask: moving into HR—and “don’t let fear be the deciding factor”

[09:57] – Rebuilding HR around the team member experience to compete for talent

[12:42] – Taking the CHRO role weeks before COVID and leading people strategy

[13:11] – Co-leadership at Gensler: pairing culture with compliance (with co-CHRO Larissa Gray)

[18:37] – “Aces and spaces”: strengths-led development and managers who truly know their people

[24:23] – Practical AI: automating transactions so HR can be a strategic partner

Takeaways

- Map the employee experience like a customer journey to improve engagement and retention.

- Adopt co-leadership to balance external growth with internal culture, and strategy with compliance.

- Coach managers to know each person’s aspirations and align work to strengths.

- Build teams around “aces and spaces”—pair strengths to cover gaps and raise performance.

- Use AI to handle transactional HR (e.g., routine comms, admin) and free time for strategic work.

- Make courageous career moves—don’t let fear be the deciding factor.

From Design to HR: People-First Culture, Co-Leadership, and AI in HR

HR Voices

From Design to HR: People-First Culture, Co-Leadership, and AI in HR