Balancing AI and Humanity: Acronis’ CHRO on Governance, Alumni Hiring, and Global HR at Scale

Summary

How do you scale HR across 63 countries while adopting AI without losing the human touch?

Dan Meyers, Chief Human Resources Officer at Acronis, pulls back the curtain on leading a 2,000-person, truly global organization that serves the managed service provider (MSP) market.

Dan shares how his team built a follow-the-sun HR model, why recruiting alumni is a strategic advantage, and what it really takes to roll out AI responsibly in HR—especially under stringent data privacy rules.

He details Acronis’ alumni strategy using Boomerang, integrated with Workday, which generated 400 outreach messages in its first month, a 50% click-through, and 10 candidates in process. Dan also breaks down AI governance for people leaders: what to ask vendors, how to balance automation with compassion, and why AI should be seen as an efficiency multiplier—not a headcount reducer.

Expect pragmatic guidance on standardizing approved AI tools, synthesizing employee survey data with AI, and change-managing teams through platform choices. He closes with a simple mantra for HR: start small, build trust, and scale what works.

Timestamps

[00:45] – Acronis overview: MSP-focused model, cyber protection, and global growth

[02:40] – Building a global HR team: follow-the-sun support across 63 countries

[04:31] – 2026 challenge: integrating AI in HR while preserving humanity and privacy

[05:35] – Alumni hiring at scale: Boomerang + Workday, early results and why it works

[09:34] – AI governance realities: privacy, automation use cases, and efficiency vs. headcount

[13:31] – What to ask AI vendors: data location, model “under the hood,” access, and security

[15:03] – Employee adoption: personal LLMs vs. approved tools, policy, and trust

[18:58] – Change management: standardizing platforms and helping people adapt

[20:32] – Parting advice: don’t boil the ocean—pilot, prove, and scale

Takeaways

- Operationalize an alumni strategy—integrate an AI-enabled platform with your HRIS to re-engage “good leavers” and shorten ramp time.

- Build AI governance with Legal and Security from day one; vet where data lives, what model powers the tool, and who can access what.

- Use AI to automate insights, not empathy—start with reporting and engagement survey synthesis to speed analysis without losing the human touch.

- Treat AI as an efficiency multiplier, not a headcount reduction lever; redeploy time to higher-value work.

- Standardize on approved AI tools, publish clear usage guidelines, and close risky gaps (e.g., personal LLM usage).

- Start small: pick one high-impact use case, measure outcomes, and scale what works.
Sponsor

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