This episode of the Pathfinders Podcast features Anthony Wallace, Vice President and General Manager of North America at Shalom, who brings nearly three decades of experience across leading pharmaceutical and healthcare organizations, including Merck, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sandoz. Wallace shares a career journey shaped by resilience, lifelong learning, and an unwavering commitment to creating impact through leadership.

Originally aspiring to be a professional hockey player, Wallace shifted gears early in life, driven by a desire to build a better future after losing his father at a young age. With a degree in accounting from Penn State and an MBA in marketing from Indiana Wesleyan, he began his career in auditing before making a pivotal move into healthcare. That transition, fueled by curiosity and the encouragement of mentors, led to a career where purpose and impact have taken center stage.

In this conversation, Wallace discusses the importance of creating a Career Map—one that evolves over time and aligns functional experiences with long-term goals. He highlights the role of a Personal Board of Advisors in providing honest feedback, identifying blind spots, and helping navigate major career decisions. Wallace also shares how mentorship has influenced his own development and why he is intentional about mentoring others, emphasizing that effective mentorship requires structure, mutual commitment, and clear expectations.

The episode also explores Wallace’s philosophy on work-life integration, including a personal story that reshaped how he balances professional responsibilities with being present for his family. His approach to leadership centers on developing businesses, building people, and making a measurable difference—whether inside the organization or across the healthcare industry.

For organizations looking to engage and retain top talent, Wallace emphasizes the strategic value of investing in employee development through mentorship and structured growth pathways. His message is clear: when employees see a future within the company, they are more likely to stay and thrive.

This episode offers actionable insights for HR leaders, executives, and professionals focused on long-term growth, leadership development, and building purpose-driven careers.

In this powerful episode of Pathfinders, host Pete Schramm talks with Rob Thomas, a Marine Corps veteran and HR leader whose career has spanned an extraordinary range of experiences—from underground coal mines to boardroom strategy. Rob’s professional journey didn’t follow a straight line. After growing up in a challenging environment with no clear blueprint for success, he pursued college, then shifted course to serve in the Marines. It was there, by the needs of the Corps, that he first stepped into a personnel administration role, unwittingly launching a career in HR that would later define his civilian life.

When he left the military, Rob faced the same uncertainty many veterans experience in transitioning to the civilian workforce. He took on several retail and HR roles before making a bold move: working as an underground coal miner to support his family. That decision, while unconventional, led to an unexpected breakthrough: a hiring manager saw HR experience on his résumé and called him in for a corporate HR interview instead. That single conversation became a turning point, opening the door to a new chapter of professional development and leadership in the HR space.

Throughout the episode, Rob reflects on the importance of self-awareness, mentorship, and strategic growth. He shares how informal mentors from his time in the military helped shape his thinking, and how having a long-term goal, becoming a senior HR leader by 2027, has guided his choices ever since. He encourages younger professionals to embrace discomfort, stay flexible, and use a “career map” to track their development. Rob also emphasizes the importance of regularly reviewing and adjusting that map, both as individuals and alongside trusted mentors or a personal board of advisors.

Rob’s story is not just about upward mobility; it’s about resilience, transformation, and paying it forward. Now working on career navigation strategies inside his organization, he’s helping others build their own maps, showing that meaningful progress is possible, no matter how unexpected the path may be. His journey is a reminder that success is not always linear, and that leadership often comes from those who’ve learned to lead themselves through the hardest of transitions.

In this inspiring episode of Pathfinders, host Pete Schramm sits down with Divya Divakaran—award-winning HR strategist, author, fashion designer, and unapologetic champion of people-first leadership. Together, they explore how mapping your career journey and building a personal board of advisors can transform your professional path.

Divya shares her unconventional leap from aspiring finance professional to HR trailblazer, reflecting on the power of curiosity, lateral learning, and strategic mentorship. She breaks down her approach to building high-performing teams, scaling impact in both startups and enterprises, and helping organizations design career pathways that actually retain talent.

You’ll also hear the story behind her book From Paper Pushers to Strategic Partners, her take on why HR belongs in the boardroom, and why she believes leadership has nothing to do with titles—and everything to do with action.

Whether you’re an HR leader, business executive, or curious career climber, this episode is packed with insights that will challenge how you think about growth, culture, and people strategy.

Tune in to learn how to turn talent into traction—and HR into a strategic superpower.

On this episode of the Pathfinders Podcast, Pete sits down with Colleen Capel, founder of Leap Leadership Solutions, and a true people-first leader. Colleen’s career didn’t start with a plan to land in HR. In fact, she wanted to be an actress named Tess. But life had other plans, and her first role in talent acquisition changed everything.

Colleen shares how she built a career focused on culture, talent, and leadership, and how along the way, she began forming her Personal Board of Advisors (PBA). It didn’t happen overnight or through formal asks, but through intentional relationships and mutual trust. She breaks down the difference between mentors and sponsors, how to approach mentorship with clarity, and why the right relationships can change the course of your career.

We also dive into the power of a Career Map, where your roles, skills, achievements, education, and yes, the fun stuff, all connect to tell your story. Colleen explains how she mapped her own journey and why every professional, no matter their level, should be doing the same.

And of course, we talk about her leap into entrepreneurship. On March 16, 2024, a leap year, Colleen launched Leap Leadership Solutions to help companies develop leaders, build cohesive teams, and engage employees in meaningful ways. It’s the culmination of everything she’s learned about leadership that lasts.

This episode is filled with practical takeaways for HR leaders, career climbers, and anyone building a more intentional professional path.

On this episode of Pathfinders, Pete talks with Zane Zumbahlen, a former IBM executive, current CPO, and lifelong space enthusiast whose career path is anything but ordinary.

Zane dreamed of becoming an astronaut but pivoted from physics to people. That path led him to roles at IBM, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, and beyond, each shaped by moments of reflection, feedback, and mentorship.

Pete and Zane explore the Career Matrix, a powerful way Zane mapped his growth across business functions and leadership styles. He also shares how an early tough performance review became a turning point, helping him shift from reactive to strategic leadership.

A big theme in this episode: the Personal Board of Advisors (PBA). Zane still leans on his IBM brain trust and emphasizes that trusted voices are critical for navigating transitions. He’s also passionate about helping people see their future clearly. Because when employees understand where they’re going, engagement and performance follow.

Zane gets real about speaking up, owning your story, and turning vulnerability into strength. Whether you’re leading change or managing your own growth, this episode is a playbook for building trust, clarity, and confidence at every level of your career.

This week on the Pathfinders Podcast, Pete Schramm welcomes John Bernatovicz, entrepreneur, author of HR Like a Boss, and founder of Willory, a leading HR and payroll staffing and consulting firm.

John’s career kicked off with a dream of professional golf (he even beat Tiger Woods once!). But after realizing he wouldn’t break into the top 1%, he pivoted, first into sales at ADP, then into building a business that merges people, purpose, and performance.

Pete and John dig into the Career Map and the Personal Board of Advisors (PBA). John breaks down his PBA, from his golf coach and therapist to his leadership mentor and family circle, sharing how each one brings perspective and keeps him grounded.

We talk about accountability, building systems that outlive you, and John’s belief that leadership is a process of showing up consistently, getting better at the basics, and never shortcutting the fundamentals.

He also shares how HR Like a Boss went from book to national movement, giving HR professionals the recognition and influence they deserve. This episode is a must-listen for HR pros, founders, or anyone trying to improve just 1% every day.

On this episode of Pathfinders, we’re talking with Jason Seiden who is a successful entrepreneur, communication consultant, and published author about his unique career journey and the lessons he’s picked up along the way.

As a kid, Jason had two big dreams: becoming a plastic surgeon and finding ways to eliminate plastic waste. But life had other plans. After studying business at Wharton, Jason took a leap into entrepreneurship during the early days of the internet. While his peers headed for consulting or Wall Street, Jason joined a small e-commerce business in 1994, diving headfirst into the uncharted waters of the digital world.

Entrepreneurship wasn’t without its challenges. Jason faced his fair share of stress and hurdles, but his commitment to growth and learning kept him moving forward. His personal board of advisors, mentors, and guides were game changers who not only offered advice but held him accountable for taking action. Jason credits their insights and his ability to execute as key factors in his success.

After years of hustle, Jason achieved a successful exit when his business was acquired. Looking back, he shares the importance of celebrating small wins along the way and staying resilient when times get tough.

But Jason didn’t stop there. As the executive producer of RollingStone.com and author of two career-focused books, he’s carved out a niche in communication consulting, helping others bridge personal and professional communication with the wisdom he’s gained from his entrepreneurial journey.

Jason’s key takeaway is to build your personal board of advisors, act on their guidance, and celebrate those small wins to keep yourself motivated and moving forward.

On this episode of Pathfinders, we’re sitting down with Grant Harris, founder and president of GTH Consulting, LLC, and a certified diversity executive. Grant’s career journey is all about growth, mentorship, and making workplaces more inclusive for everyone.

Grant’s love for reading, writing, and thinking led him to study psychology as an undergrad and later earn an MBA in organizational development psychology. Early in life, his high school coach became one of his most impactful mentors, teaching him the value of learning from others while giving back in return which is a lesson Grant’s carried with him throughout his career. He’s a big believer in creating a personal board of advisors, a trusted group to guide and challenge you along your career path.

While Grant’s early roles didn’t directly involve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), his experiences in education, marketing to underprivileged students, and management consulting helped him see the importance of fostering inclusive environments. Over time, he became a certified diversity executive and founded GTH Consulting to help organizations implement effective DEI strategies.

Grant also dives into the importance of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace. In one of the podcast segments, he interviews KD, a certified diversity executive and autistic leader. KD shares his own journey, highlighting the role of certifications, continuous learning, and how his lived experiences shape his leadership style. It’s an inspiring look at what’s possible when workplaces value inclusion and support.

Grant’s key takeaway? Focus on being 1% better every day. Lean into lifelong learning, build authentic relationships, and stay open to opportunities as they can take your career and impact to the next level.

In this episode of Pathfinders, we’re talking with John Oliverio, VP of HR at Audia International, about his career journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way. From physical therapy to HR leadership, John’s path is a masterclass in adaptability, mentorship, and the power of relationships.

John started out studying psychology at the University of Pittsburgh and began his career in physical therapy. After nine years at Ames Department Store, he made a pivot, stepping into an HR administrator role at Nicholson Construction which set the stage for his career in HR.

It wasn’t just a job change to John, it was a mindset shift. Encouraged by a friend, John joined the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which became a game-changer for expanding his network and opening doors to new opportunities. With guidance from mentors, he eventually landed his current role at Audia International.

Throughout his career, John has leaned on mentorship to grow. Leaders like Michelle, Dr. Audrey Morrell, Linda, Amy Lynn, Phyllis, and Vince played key roles in shaping his development and reinforcing his commitment to lifelong learning and personal growth.

John’s advice? Create your career map and build your personal board of advisors who help you navigate challenges and chart your path. And don’t forget the importance of balancing work and personal life. Community involvement and experiences outside of work can equip you with valuable skills that propel your career forward.

When it comes to career transitions, John says this: Be true to yourself, embrace change, and learn from every experience, good or bad.

On this episode of Pathfinders, we’re joined by Heather Holland who is a seasoned HR and DEI professional who’s carved out an impressive career at companies like Mars Inc. and TC Energy. Her journey is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and staying open to new opportunities.

Heather didn’t start out dreaming of a career in HR. She originally set her sights on becoming a lawyer, but after being rejected from law school twice, she paused to reassess. That’s when she discovered her passion for HR and labor relations which would shape the rest of her career.

After earning her bachelor’s in Communications, Heather went on to complete a master’s degree in HR and Labor Relations at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her first job, a shared role conducting food safety inspections for the City of Milwaukee, might not sound like the start of an HR career, but it taught her crucial skills: adaptability, communication, and flexibility.

Heather’s early HR experience came in a supervisor role at a steel foundry, where she learned to navigate complex labor relations issues and deepen her industry knowledge. Along the way, she actively sought out mentors across various industries and roles, a practice she still champions today. Her advice? Approach mentorship intentionally, know your goals, and outline how both parties can gain value from the relationship.

Now a passionate advocate for workplace culture and DEI, Heather emphasizes the importance of fostering inclusive workplaces and taking charge of your career. She believes organizations that prioritize DEI see greater success, and individuals who stay strategic and open to new paths find work that truly excites them.

Her key takeaway is to be intentional and trust the balance between planning and instinct. Lean into opportunities that light you up and take your career to the next level.