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 

In this solo episode, Al Dea reflects on the biggest themes he has been exploring throughout the fall as leaders continue navigating rapid workplace and technology change. He shares what he has learned from helping organizations adopt AI more effectively, the mindset shifts required to rethink how work gets done, and why thinking before doing matters when it comes to using artificial intelligence tools in our work. He also discusses lessons from moderating a panel on influence and impact and highlights the four human skills that will matter most in an AI-powered world. 

Links

• Al Dea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/ 
• The Edge of Work Live: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OdBSLzC-R4mLhVNnRK5dcw 

Lucrecia Borgonovo is the Chief Talent and Organizational Effectiveness Officer at Mastercard, where she leads a global team focused on building a future-ready workforce. In this episode, Lucrecia shares how Mastercard evolved its culture through The Mastercard Way, a framework designed to connect 35,000 employees across 80 countries through shared behaviors and values. She discusses how the company embeds culture into leadership, performance, and talent systems, ensuring that principles like agility, candor, and inclusion come to life every day. Lucrecia also explores how artificial intelligence, continuous learning, and systemic thinking are shaping the future of talent and leadership at Mastercard.

Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucrecia-borgonovo-44225310/

Natalie Tincher is the General Manager of Talent, Skills and Performance Management at Delta Air Lines and has led Delta’s ambitious journey to build a companywide skills strategy from the ground up. In this episode, Natalie shares how Delta developed its “Talent Hub” to empower employees to own their growth, foster internal mobility, and create clearer career paths across the organization. 

She also discusses the challenges of change management, the importance of keeping things simple when transforming HR processes, and the role of AI in shaping the future of skills-based talent management. 

Links

• Natalie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-d-katz/
• Skills Strategy Discussion Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12994338/ 

Andy Storch is an Author, Podcast Host, and Keynote Speaker who joins Al Dea to explore the power of personal branding in today’s fast-changing world of work. Drawing from his new book, Own Your Brand, Own Your Career, Andy shares why building an authentic personal brand is essential for career growth, how leaders can use it to attract and retain top talent, and how authenticity and visibility can work hand in hand. He also explains why human connection and storytelling matter more than ever in the age of AI, offering practical advice for professionals who want to take ownership of their careers and stand out in a noisy world.

Links

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/?originalSubdomain=es
• Website: www.andystorch.com 
• Book: ​​https://www.amazon.com/Own-Your-Brand-Career-Accelerates/dp/1736020986 

In this episode of The Edge of Work, host Al Dea joins leaders live from the Guild Opportunity Summit in San Diego to explore the future of talent, career mobility, and skills transformation.

The episode features conversations with Matthew J. Daniel, Senior Principal of Talent Strategy and Mobility at Guild; and Marquita Williams, Executive Director of Organizational Learning and Development at AdventHealth. Together, they discuss how leading organizations are aligning career growth with business outcomes, and key insights from Guild and Lightcast’s Talent Resilience Index, a benchmark for understanding career mobility and critical workforce skills shaping today’s workplace.

Links

• Matthew Daniel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjdaniel/
• Marquita Williams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marquita-williams-764b244b/
• Talent Resilience Index: https://guild.com/report/talent-resilience-index?utm_source=press&utm_medium=refe[

Anna Tavis is the Department Chair of Human Capital Management at NYU and co-author of The Digital Coaching Revolution. In this episode, Anna explores how technology is transforming coaching from exclusive executive perks into scalable, everyday growth tools for all employees. Anna shares insights from her research and her work with advising digital coaching companies, offering a glimpse into AI-powered, embedded coaching that personalizes learning, feedback, and performance in real-time. Together, they discuss what hybrid human and AI coaching means for organizations, managers, and the future of leadership and employee development.

Links

• NYU Coaching and Technology Summit: https://www.sps.nyu.edu/about/events/human-capital-management-department-events/coaching-and-technology-summit.html 
• Dr. Tavis' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annatavis/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Coaching-Revolution-Employee-Development/dp/1398612510 
• Tenor: https://tenorhq.com/

Dr. Serena Gonsalves-Fersch is the Global Head of Talent at SoftwareOne. Drawing from her doctoral research on workforce development in technology-driven environments, Serena explains how traditional learning models no longer fit the pace of change in modern organizations. She outlines how SoftwareOne reimagines learning through contextual business partnerships, a T-shaped team model, and a focus on human skills like empathy, curiosity, and critical thinking. Finally, they explore how AI will reshape, not replace, the learning function and why the future of talent lies in blending data, human insight, and deep organizational context.

Links

• Serena’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-serena-gonsalves-fersch-flpi-a23589/
• Research: https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/download/36ed76c7176aaafc4f36877bcb9f9ce69b891385e73b311500e597e67e249bcd/12681644/SGonsalvesFersch%20thesis.pdf