In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Stephanie Leal, Director of HR Learning and Development at Mission North. Stephanie is leading a company-wide initiative to build AI fluency, not just within HR but across client-facing teams serving some of the most innovative tech brands. What began with a simple usage survey has evolved into a structured learning program—Navigating AI—that combines show-and-tell sessions, AI principles embedded into onboarding, and ongoing cross-functional training.

Stephanie shares how she shifted from AI skeptic to champion, helping Mission North employees transform curiosity into practical skills while balancing excitement with caution around data privacy and security. Her story offers a model for how HR and L&D leaders can drive adoption without mandates, creating a culture of experimentation and trust.

Topics Discussed:

• How a baseline AI survey revealed 73% of employees were already “explorers.”
• Why mandates spread fear while experimentation spreads innovation.
• Building Navigating AI, a cross-company learning journey with measurable outcomes.
• Embedding AI principles into onboarding and company culture.
• Using show-and-tell sessions and super users to drive grassroots adoption.
• Balancing security, transparency, and responsible AI use.
• How L&D can leverage AI to create more personalized and scalable learning experiences.
• Why curiosity and continuous learning matter more than prior AI skills in hiring.
• The future of L&D: moving from manual training tasks to AI-powered content creation and strategy.

If you’re looking for a practical guide to building AI fluency across your organization while keeping HR at the center of trust, learning, and culture, this conversation with Stephanie Leal is packed with insights you can use today.

Additional Resources:

• Cleary’s AI-powered HR Chatbot
• Future Proof HR Community
• Connect with Stephanie Leal on LinkedIn
• AI Creates Major Knowledge Gap

OpenAI has released its largest-ever study on ChatGPT usage—analyzing over 1.5 million messages from 130,000 consumer accounts—and the findings are eye-opening. In this episode of Future Proof HR, Thomas Kunjappu, CEO of Cleary, unpacks the data and translates it into seven key takeaways every HR leader needs to know.

From demographic shifts (like women now making up the majority of ChatGPT users) to the rise of task-based AI usage at work, Thomas explores what the numbers really mean for HR teams, compliance, and workforce transformation. You’ll hear insights on:

• Why AI adoption is spreading across every age group, industry, and region
• How employees are already using AI to offload routine tasks—even on personal accounts
• The opportunities (and risks) this creates for HR policies, training, and skills development
• Practical ways HR can capture early wins, align AI initiatives with business strategy, and avoid being left behind

Whether you’re just beginning to test AI pilots or scaling enterprise adoption, this episode highlights why HR has a critical role to play in shaping how organizations leverage AI.

Listen in to learn how you can keep pace, train inclusively, and seize the advantage in an AI-powered workplace.

Additional Resources:

• Cleary’s AI-powered HR Chatbot
• Future Proof HR Community

In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Diana Valler, Chief Human Resource Officer at TravelBrands. Diana’s journey is a masterclass in crisis leadership; she joined the company post-acquisition and mid-pandemic, tasked with building an entire HR function from scratch in the hard-hit travel industry. With no systems in place, she faced the ultimate "trial by fire" and emerged with a playbook for building a resilient, people-first organization.

Diana shares the powerful story of how she transformed a fragmented organization into an award-winning "Great Place to Work" by leading with love, empathy, and radical transparency. From conducting one-on-ones with every single employee to maintaining communication with a laid-off workforce, Diana proves that a deep focus on the human experience is the ultimate strategy for navigating disruption—whether it’s a pandemic or the rise of AI.

Topics Discussed:

• Unifying culture and building trust after a chaotic post-merger period.
• Key lessons from navigating the pandemic in the hard-hit travel industry.
• Building a complete HR function from a single sick day policy to full trust.
• The strategic impact of conducting one-on-one meetings with every employee.
• How navigating extreme challenges can forge an adaptable, AI-ready culture.
• Fostering a mindset of co-creation by treating HR as an "innovation lab."
• A framework for communicating layoffs and organizational change with humanity.
• How to enforce HR policy while still leading with empathy.
• Turning a people-first strategy into a tangible asset like a "Great Place to Work" certification.

If you’re looking for a story of true resilience and a practical guide to putting your people at the center of your strategy, this conversation with Diana Valler offers a powerful and inspiring vision for what HR can achieve.

Additional Resources:

• Cleary’s AI-powered HR Chatbot
• Future Proof HR Community
• Diana Valler on LinkedIn