Beautiful Mess

Josh Bersin is an analyst, author, educator, and thought leader focusing on the global talent market and the challenges and trends impacting business workforces around the world. He studies the world of work, HR and leadership practices, and the broad talent technology market. He is often cited as one of the leading HR and workplace industry analysts in the world.

He founded Bersin & Associates in 2001 to provide research and advisory services focused on corporate learning. Over the next ten years, he expanded the company’s coverage to encompass HR, talent management, talent acquisition, and leadership and became a recognized expert in the talent market. He sold the company to Deloitte in 2012, when it became known as Bersin™ by Deloitte. He currently sits on the board of UC Berkeley Executive Education.

Most recently, Bersin launched the Josh Bersin Academy, the world’s first global development academy for HR and talent professionals at all levels and across all industries. Serving as the Academy’s dean, Bersin guides its program offerings, interacts with members, and shares relevant research and insights to help HR and talent professionals stay current on the trends and practices needed to drive success in the modern world of work.

Bersin is frequently featured in talent and business publications such as Forbes, Harvard Business Review, HR Executive, FastCompany, The Wall Street Journal, and CLO Magazine. He is a regular keynote speaker at industry events and a popular blogger with more than 860,000 followers on LinkedIn.

Prior to founding Bersin & Associates, Josh spent 25 years in product development, product management, marketing, and sales of database, e-learning and other enterprise technologies. His education includes a BS in engineering from Cornell University, an MS in engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of three books, The Blended Learning Handbook and The Training Measurement Book, along with dozens of studies on corporate HR, learning, and talent technologies. His latest book, Irresistible: The Seven Secrets Of The World’s Most Enduring, Employee-Focused Organizations, is a best-seller on Amazon and The Best Indie Book Award (BIBA).  (More details on Irresistible here.)

Josh’s eminence as an analyst and thought leader has been globally recognized. During his time at Deloitte, Josh was the principal author and architect of the Deloitte Human Capital Trends, the world’s largest global study of HR, talent, and workplace trends. This report, which covers all major HR issues around the world, became one of Deloitte’s most widely read research studies and formed the basis for Deloitte’s global human capital consulting. His model for employee engagement, “Simply Irresistible,” was the most widely read research in the Deloitte Insights website.

His research on employee engagement, new models of performance management, and the ever-changing nature of HR and workplace technology is widely respected. He is often credited with the concepts of “high-impact corporate training,” “learning in the flow of work,” and hundreds of articles on the evolution of people analytics and the use of AI in the workplace.

Throughout his career in HR and HR technology, Josh has continued to focus on the needs of HR executives, HR teams, and the careers of HR professionals. He believes in the “craft” of human resources and is one of the profession’s most vocal advocates for the importance of HR in the ever-changing world of work.

I've known Vanesa for just over a year...and I'm so grateful for every day we've shared since. 

I LOVED our conversation!!

Vanesa is the Founding Partner of NoBa Capital, an early-stage venture firm backing founders who are reshaping how we live and work.

What defines Vanesa professionally:

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Loved this conversation with Kelly!! Although a few months have passed since we recoreded (I hold myself completley accountable for the gap!)...this topic is live and kicking throughout generations of work places and the people within them...Kelly is in demand!

"I'm daring to imagine a world of work where Burnout is no longer a badge of honour. Where leaders actually lead - without sacrificing themselves.  Where coaches are Burnout Aware and Trauma Informed. And where success is measured by impact, not exhaustion.

My work in the field of Burnout and Burnoutology isn’t a trend.

This is the future".

This conversation with Ruth is such an inspirational insight into what can happen when we build our work out of our intrinsic sense of purpose whilst giving others that very "human permission" to change too. (we're also both passionate marathon runneres!)

I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed creating it!

I cannot think of a better episode to release to the world for Christmas 2025...not only has Robert just become a dad!! ...he is one of the most inspriring, real and courageous humans I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with.

Michelle is on a mission to be the HR person she never had and use her experience to transform HR teams from beige to brilliant. She believes in HR with a passion, and wants to share that passion with the world in the form of coaching and mentoring, and human resources training.

Emily first discovered rowing through the British Indoor Rowing Championships at the age of 12.

After winning a silver medal she decided to go to her local rowing club, Bewl Bridge Rowing Club, and almost immediately set her sights on competing at the Olympics one day.

Emily first represented GB at the U23 World Championships in 2013 whilst studying History of Art, winning bronze in the lightweight quadruple sculls. After completing a Masters in East Asian Art in 2015, Emily joined the senior GB Rowing Team full time. She made her Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games in the lightweight women’s double sculls, setting a World Best Time in the heats but missing the podium in an agonising 0.01 second photo finish, the picture of which has been on her wall as a driving force ever since.

Already a three times World Champion and two times European Champion, Emily became Olympic Champion at Paris 2024, in the Lightweight Women’s double sculls with Imogen Grant.

I am extremely excited to share this conversation with the world and so grateful to Emily for giving me her time to share these phenomenal insights into her Olympic amd every day mindset.

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-craig-oly-mbe-890421223?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Phil Wilkinson and I only met for the first time two months ago.

Phil is a highly talented and dedicated global PR and communications professional and mental fitness coach.

As Head of PR and Communications at World Rugby for the past seven years, Phil was responsible for implementing and driving World Rugby’s communications strategy, as the sport seeks to continue its successful growth and inspire a new generation of fans. 

He has worked across external and internal communications, events and fan-engagement in a leading Olympic sport with a global fanbase of over 800 million.

Wilkinson was previously employed by the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, where, as International Media Manager, he led the development and execution of an international communications strategy to engage a global audience of over four billion.


Our conversation just fizzed along!! 

I loved hearing Phil's perspective on beautiful mess his own experience with mental health and his passion about empowering others with this same deeper level of awareness around mental fitness.

Enjoy, share and tell us what you loved!