Matthew Duncan is the Head of Future of Work & AI Thought Leadership at Microsoft, where he helps organizations understand how AI is reshaping work, leadership, and organizational design. In this episode, Matthew explains what it means to build a frontier firm that is human led and agent operated. 

He shares why intelligence is becoming an on demand resource, how agents are changing the role of managers and early career talent, and why simply adding AI tools is not enough. The conversation also explores the mindset shifts leaders must make, what holds organizations back from adoption, and why this moment represents a major opportunity for those willing to rethink how work gets done.

Links

• Matthew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewloysduncan/
• Microsoft WorkLab: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/

Dominik Rus is the Global Head of Learning and Development Innovation and Technology at TTEC, where he sits at the intersection of learning science, AI, and business performance. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Dominik shares how his team approaches learning innovation with a clear philosophy of science first, AI second. 

He explains why scaling bad learning with new technology creates more problems than it solves, and how TTEC is using evidence based design, AI enabled practice, and agent driven tools to improve real world performance. The conversation also explores how learning roles are changing, what skills based and adaptive learning really mean, and what L&D leaders need to rethink as AI reshapes how work and learning get done.

Links

• Dominik’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominikrus/
• TTEC Case Study: https://writer.com/blog/ttec-customer-story/
• Article on TTEC’s Learning Wizards: https://writer.com/blog/ttec-customer-story/ 
• Dominik’s Paper on Science First, AI Second: https://leonardo.institute/SPARK/September2025/ 
• Dominik’s Blog on AI and Learning Design: https://www.ttec.com/author/dominik-rus-global-head-learning-science-innovation-and-technology 

In this solo episode of The Edge of Work, Al Dea shares practical guidance for leaders who are navigating constant, overlapping change. Drawing from his work with organizations, conversations with podcast guests, and real world experience, Al breaks down why change feels so difficult at work and what leaders often miss about the human side of it. He explores common reactions to change, including fear, loss of control, and identity threats, and offers five pragmatic practices leaders can use to drive meaningful progress. 

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/
• Al Dea’s Website: https://www.al-dea.com/

Rebecca Hinds is the Head of the Work AI Institute at Glean. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Rebecca joins Al Dea to unpack why meetings have become one of the biggest barriers to effective collaboration and how leaders can redesign them to actually get work done. Drawing from her research at Stanford, her experience leading innovation labs, and insights from her book Your Best Meeting Ever, Rebecca explains why meetings are often a symptom of broken collaboration systems. The conversation explores meeting overload, calendar “doomsdays,” asynchronous work, and the growing role of AI in meetings and leadership. Rebecca also shares lessons from the Work AI Institute on how organizations can navigate AI transformation with more intention and evidence-based leadership.

Links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/
• Website: https://www.rebeccahinds.com/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Best-Meeting-Ever-Principles/dp/166806748X

Kit Krugman is the SVP of People and Culture at Foursquare, where she is leading a significant shift in how the company approaches culture, performance, and organizational speed. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Kit shares how Foursquare redesigned its people systems to increase product velocity, reduce layers, and strengthen cross-functional teamwork.

She explains why performance management became the starting point for culture change, how team-based performance and organizational network analysis provide better signals of impact, and how AI is beginning to reshape coaching, feedback, and learning—and what that means for the future of people leadership.

Links

• Kit’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kitkrugman/
• Kit's Blog Link: https://foursquare.com/resources/blog/culture/building-for-speed-why-culture-change-starts-with-performance/

Sandra Loughlin is the Chief Learning Scientist at EPAM Systems and one of the leading voices on skills, talent data, and learning science. In this episode of The Edge of Work, Sandra unpacks why so many skills and AI initiatives fall short, what organizations misunderstand about learning and behavior change, and why HR is at an inflection point. 

During the conversation, they explore the realities of building skills-based organizations, the role of tasks and context in workforce decisions, and how AI is reshaping talent, L&D, and strategic workforce planning. Sandra also shares why training alone rarely drives change, what real learning requires, and how organizations can make better people decisions by treating skills as a data problem rather than a buzzword.

Links

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandraloughlin/

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

David Burkus is a Leadership and Teamwork expert, keynote speaker, and author of Best Team Ever. During this conversation, David shares key insights from his book Best Team Ever on what makes teams thrive in today’s workplace. We explore the science behind high-performing teams, the critical role of psychological safety, and why work is increasingly about collaboration. Plus, David breaks down practical strategies for leading cross-functional teams, building social capital, and fostering a culture where everyone contributes their best. 

Links

• Website: https://davidburkus.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidburkus/

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

The Edge of Work has been exploring the role of the manager as well as the emphasis on manager development throughout its three seasons. 

During this episode, Al breaks down the role of the people manager in today’s world of work. During this episode, Al will cover:

• Why the manager is back in the spotlight
• The challenges that managers face in today’s workplace
• How to Reimagine The Role of the Manager
• Some best practices for developing managers fit to lead in today’s workplace

Links:

• https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/stop-wasting-your-most-precious-resource-middle-managers
• Kameko Leung and Aspiring Managers: https://podcasts.apple.com/cz/podcast/the-changing-landscape-of-talent-development/id1378433981?i=1000626064591&l=cs 
• HBR Article: https://hbr.org/2023/11/reimagine-your-managerial-pipeline

Note: This is a replay of a previous popular episode

Conor Grennan is the Dean of Students at NYU Stern and the Co-Founder and CEO of AI Mindset, an AI consulting firm. In this episode, Conor shares his insights on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workplace, leadership, and talent development. 

With a unique perspective from both academia and the corporate world, he discusses why AI adoption is more about mindset than technical skill, the role of HR and talent leaders in AI transformation, and how leaders can navigate this shift.

Links

• Website: https://www.ai-mindset.ai/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorgrennan/

Note: This episode is a recording of a live virtual webinar.

As 2025 comes to a close, Al Dea is joined by Kyle Forrest (Principal, Deloitte Consulting), Ana Maria Sencovici (Chief Talent Officer, Royal Caribbean Group), and Brian Elliott (CEO, Work Forward) for a special end-of-year conversation on The Edge of Work. Together, they reflect on a year defined by uncertainty, AI-driven change, and growing tension in the workplace. Moving beyond hype, they explore what leaders got wrong, what’s beginning to shift, and why the future of work depends less on efficiency and more on redesigning work, rebuilding trust, and leading with clarity and hope in an AI-enabled world.

Links

• Kyle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleforrest/
• Ana Maria’s LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asencovici/
• Brian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belliott/
• Brian’s Newsletter: https://theworkforward.substack.com/
• Kyle’s Podcast: https://action.deloitte.com/topic/184/capital-h-podcast?rcrand=1