Is AI just a hype? What makes the difference between companies that are successful with AI vs the companies that are not? Will AI replace work and specialized roles or will it enhance it and make existing workers just more powerful?

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. I invited a former guest back to talk about AI in practice because of the special insights he has in companies' AI usage and success. I had the pleasure to talk again to one of my early guests back to our podcast: Martijn from Datacamp. Datacamp is a company that helps companies and employees acquire critical skills around data and AI. What is he seeing in his work? What are his clients doing and what are the outcomes when it comes to AI? and where is this all leading towards? This and much more we were diving deep in. Listen for yourself: Martijn Theuwissen from DataCamp.

Music by Bensound.

In a Bonus Episode of the EXLabs podcast I was talking just before Christmas to a good friend - GoGo - about the Tops and Flops of 2025. Of course we stayed close to AI, what else to be expected...but it was both, Top and Flop. Curious?We also talked about Floating Tanks (*nervous laughter* ), and were discussing AI Slop, however with a bit of a different view of it than Satya...probably for good reasons 😉. - and it is the first ever EXPLICIT podcast I was publishing...listen to it if you are curious about our view on the AI Bubble and if it will burst or not in 2026 - and what the implications might be? But all fun aside, we went deep into the failures of companies to adopt AI and drive towards AI-first operating models. Why is this happening and what needs to change. Will there be companies and people left behind? What do we need to do in order for not going to such a future?Go listen for yourself on. I am sure you will enjoy the conversation. Important links from the conversation:- Google AI Studio: https://aistudio.google.com/welcome- Loveable: https://lovable.dev- Antigravity: https://antigravity.googleAnd GoGo's Blog on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/gogo-s-ai-obsession-7331518811621249027/Music by Bensound.

Is Payroll a good area to apply AI? How would we feel about hallucinations in our pay when still almost 50% of employees live paycheck to paycheck? And thinking further - if not only in payroll but in more and more areas AI will replace humans to get the work done - how does this impact government tax income? And do we need to consider AI-labor taxation and social contributions in payroll?

For this and much more I invited a former guest back into the studio, someone that is close to this space for quite some time and sees it all live, every day.

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. But as I had alluded to, it is a special one. We are focusing today more on AI than start-ups, although we are also recapping how some of the start-up ideas from 2 years ago have performed...or not. I was thrilled to talk again to Jeff Phipps, SVP and General Manager ADP Northern Europe. Jeff and I spoke about a variety of topics from gig economy, the AI bubble to payroll and taxation issues of the future. We went deep but always with a grain of salt. But before I say more, listen for yourself: Jeff Phipps SVP ADP and General Manager Northern Europe...

Music by Bensound.

From being let go, to building an operating system for gyms that scaled to more than 3,000 locations - including the largest gym franchise in the world. After 10 years exiting and restarting the founding process in a similar field across Health & Wellness, running into a dead-end street. Learning through the future co-founder that even great CVs are not by default invited to job interviews but might still put you at the bottom of the pile - and thinking: There must be a better way...

Welcome to a new Employee Experience Labs podcast episode from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. And we continue in the Talent space going back to Talent Acquisition. Through a joined connection I was introduced to Adam and after a short connect I was thrilled to invite him into my podcast studio. Adam has a great story to tell when it comes to his legacy - but an even greater story when we focus on today. Adam is one of the founders of TalentLlama - a skill-based, AI interviewer platform - and we talked in depth about the platform, the dos and don'ts, the how-tos and why this will ensure that the best talents are on the top of the applicant-pile - in a fair and fast process - and not the ones that applied fastest.

Let's dive into a great story about how TalentLlama solves an issue many of us are facing...Adam Stokar Co-Founder TalentLlama...

Musiccan

by Bensound

Why do so many career initiatives in companies don't bring the value they were supposed to? How can we better empower employees to take ownership of their careers and development? And how can we help every employee with the right mentor to supercharge their career?

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. And we continue in the Talent space but this time with a different angle - not Talent Acquisition, but Talent Management, specifically career growth and development.

I had the pleasure to talk to Parmod Ghatwal, one of the founders of CareerSuite.ai about their product and how it can supercharge careers. When Parmod and I first started talking, I was excited by his passion for career growth and democratization of development. I could feel it in his voice - but then he also showed me a very exciting functionality that makes CareerSuite.ai special. I won't get into the details here, but be ready to be blown away! - I just say "how do mentoring and digital twins get together?"Before I say more, listen to yourself...Parmod from CareerSuite.ai

Music by Bensound

Accepting her first CHRO appointment in a new company and new business - 11 months in. How does the experience compare to expectations? What is different becoming the CHRO from being a senior leader in HR? - and what are the most urgent tasks to focus on. What a great point in time for a sit-down and conversation!

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

We continue our most successful season so far "From the Workbook of an HR Leader" where I am talking to experienced colleagues in our field about their daily working routine and what and how they are going about the various challenges they have to face each day.

I am a tireless believer that we can all be better if we learn from each other, but there are not many opportunities to actually do that - yes, there are conferences, but how often can you attend one in a year? yes, there are peer-to-peer connections, but how many do you manage to keep running?

I am a firm believer that we can all do a better job if we learn from each other and so I am inviting seasoned HR experts from various fields and companies to tell us about their workday and how they go about the challenges of today.

I was waiting 11 months to record today's episode as my guest had just decided to change employers and step up the final step in the HR career ladder - accepting an offer for a CHRO position - when we started to talk about having her on my podcast, talking about her experience. But today is the day and I am excited to speak with Sofie Mørch CHRO at Kamstrup.  Sofie and I go way back and have managed to stay connected and have regular exchanges over the years. I always value connecting with her and am really excited to have our latest conversation recorded. Sofie is not an HR practitioner by education. She started out in business before turning to the "dark side" - just joking. And her deep experience across multiple companies, HR and non-HR career stations makes her a great fit for the role she is in now. And so, after almost a year in role, I was keen to understand more. And it is truly interesting to get her perspective. We talked about what is as expected, what is different and how is she approaching this career step - and of course we talked about experience, technology and AI. But let me pause here - listen for yourself: Meet Sofie Mørch, CHRO at Kamstrup...

Music by Bensound.

Where are we in the state of AI when it comes to enterprise adoption? How much around Agentic AI is hype and what is real - and how could it transform companies? What happened to all the AI investments in the recent years - and how do you make the most out of it for your company. And why is this not what you think?Let's talk about this to another veteran in the tech world.

A veteran that has worked with many companies in the recent years on AI, but is also rooted deep in big data and the cloud transformation - she has seen and experienced it all and can share what truly matters.

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. But as I had alluded to, it is a special one. I was very lucky to get some time with Gloria from Google. GoGloria is the Lead AI Strategist at Google for CPG companies, but she is also an entrepreneur, founder and Angel investor. Gloria, or as many know her GoGo and I know each other for some time already and I was truly excited to have her on my podcast - and what can I say, the recording was even better than I could ever expect. GoGo and I not only talk about AI, big business, investments and how to get your AI transformation right. But we also talk about restaurant agents, protein agents and how AI can transform the way you live today. - and not to forget we have quite some fun on the way. Seriously, I can only recommend watching this episode...GoGo, Lead AI Strategist CPG at Google...

Music by Bensound.

95% of AI experiments or pilots in companies are failing, investments into AI are climbing to new heights almost every day, we all get asked every day at work when AI will finally be implemented in a way to take significant work or create significant efficiencies. How does all of this fit together? How should we make sense out of this and find the right way as an HR and Tech practitioner in this jungle of opposing information? - I am sure I am not the only one confronted with this issue. So how to make sense?Let's talk to the experts on this. I was very lucky and grateful that a seasoned AI expert, practitioner and investor found some time in his diary to talk about this with me.Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. But as I had alluded to, it is a special one. I was very lucky to get some time back with Kevin Novak, founder of Rackhouse VC. A VC firm specialized in AI investments with the aim of actively coaching AI start-ups. It is not the first time that Kevin and I have spoken on this podcast. In fact, I recommend listenign to our first conversation abotu a year ago for some additional background and context. We took time this year to first look at what happened in the last 12 months when it comes to AI - and spoiler alert: A lot has happened, but also not much at the same time. Kevin and I also dived deep into the current capabilities of AI, specifically where Agentic AI is on the hypscale, as well as what is needed to bring AI to commercial success. Let me pause here - please see and hear for yourself. Here we go: Kevin Novak, Founder and CEO Rackhouse VC

Music by Bensound.

23 years in the same company, a seasoned expert in HR, Service Delivery, HR Technology, and of course Employee Experience - bringing his own lens with learnings and applied ideas. What a great conversation!

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.We continue our most successful season so far "From the Workbook of an HR Leader" where I am talking to experienced colleagues in our field about their daily working routine and what and how they are going about the various challenges they have to face each day.

I am a tireless believer that we can all be better if we learn from each other, but there are not many opportunities to actually do that - yes, there are conferences, but how often can you attend one in a year? yes, there are peer-to-peer connections, but how many do you manage to keep running?

I am a firm believer that we can all do a better job if we learn from each other and so I am inviting seasoned HR experts from various fields and companies to tell us about their workday and how they go about the challenges of today.

I was waiting long to record today's episode as my guest is very busy and time-zone and business travels did not align for some time. But today I am talking to a good colleague of mine, the SVP HR and Global Business Services at P&G - Onur Karakus. Onur has started his career 23 years ago at P&G in Istanbul and has since then experienced probably any role the HR function has to offer -  and that across continents. Starting in Europe, moving to Asia, and landing finally in the US. Throughout each role and each station, Onur has left a mark and also learned a lot. He is like me a firm believer of a growth mindset - and as excited about innovation in our space as well. But also focused on the business case, deeply rooted in the understanding that our function is a supporting function and everything we do must be in service of the wider employee and company success. We have talked about his different stations, HR structure, and of course AI and innovation. But let me pause here - listen for yourself: Meet Onur Karakus, SVP HR and Global Business Services...

Music by Bensound

What comes to mind for you when you think "Succession Planning"? Do you believe you have this under control? Is this something you don't think about much? Or are you in desperate need to find a solution to a growing problem. I tell you where I sit - in the last seat. Desperate need to find a solution. And so I was extremely excited when I got a tip about a company called The Succession Plan. A few messages back and forth and I was set up to talk to Alex, Founder and CEO of The Succession Plan. And I have to tell you that these conversations were quite interesting, and so I decided to ask Alex to come onto my podcast.

Welcome to another Employee Experience Labs podcast from the Munich Podcast studio. Employee Experience Labs Podcasts are about HR Tech, Employee Experience, Shared Service and other interesting topics around HR at the workplace.

Today's episode is an addition to our Start up and AI series we are running. And we continue in the Talent space but this time with a different angle - not Talent Acquisition, but Talent Management, Succession Planning. Alex, is an experienced Talent veteran with over 30 years of experience, but he gave up his secure job to found The Succession Plan - because he identified a need, could not find a solution for it, and so he decided to build it himself. And that was the beginning of a very interesting journey - and I learned a lot on the way talking to Alex. But let me stop here and let you listen to Alex directly: Alex Cheney, Founder and CEO The Succession Plan...