In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu, CEO of Cleary, sits down with Zane Zumbahlen, Chief People Officer at Wedgewood, to explore what it really means to lead HR through transformation from day one and why vulnerability might be the most underrated strategic tool a leader has.

With a career spanning technology, finance, and healthcare, Zane brings a cross-functional perspective on how to build trust fast, dream boldly, and still get the basics done. He shares how stepping into a company facing real business headwinds led him to experiment with radical authenticity and how that one decision changed everything about how his team showed up.

Together, they explore how Zane used AI as a thought partner to build a 2028 HR vision, what happened when he brought his team together to dream and got derailed by reality, and why the best thing he did was give his team a "get out of jail free card" to push back on the business.

Zane also shares why vulnerability is a learnable skill, not a personality trait and how practicing it, like a muscle, can accelerate trust, deepen relationships, and make HR teams more effective in ways that no tool or process can replicate.

Topics Discussed:

1. Why Zane opened his very first team meeting with a deeply personal story and what happened next
2. How vulnerability creates speed of trust and why that matters for new HR leaders
3. Using ChatGPT as a strategic thought partner to build a 2028 HR vision
4. Running a two-day offsite that got productively derailed and why that was the best outcome
5. How to help an overburdened HR team say no strategically and prioritize what actually moves the needle
6. Why Zane's client is the business, not the leader and what that means in practice
7. Handpicking external mentors from different industries for each direct report
8. The future of AI in HR: emotional intelligence nudges, HRIS integration, and enabling managers to lead better
9. Vulnerability as a skill you can build and how to start practicing it safely

If you're an HR leader navigating a new role, leading a team through change, or trying to balance the tension between strategic vision and day-to-day execution, this episode offers both a fresh perspective and a practical playbook for leading with courage.

Additional Resources:

1. Jia Jiang's TED Talk: What I learned from 100 days of rejection
2. Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot
3. Future Proof HR Community
4. Connect with Zane Zumbahlen on LinkedIn

*This conversation with Zane Zumbahlen was recorded in early 2025, shortly after he joined Wedgewood as Chief People Officer.