'Don’t fight against AI': HiBob’s Ronni Zehavi tells HR leaders it’s their tailwind

In September, Salesforce led a $166 million investment in HiBob. The round valued the HR tech vendor at $3.2 billion and builds on HiBob’s existing integration with Salesforce-owned Slack.

For Ronni Zehavi, Co-Founder and CEO of HiBob, the timing of Salesforce’s investment came down to one principle: “Raise money when you can, not when you need.”

Speaking to UNLEASH Chief Reporter Allie Nawrat at UNLEASH 2026 in Paris, Zehavi says the deal reflects a vision he shares with Salesforce Founder and CEO Marc Benioff that “humans and agents will work side by side.”

Zehavi calls for HR leaders to “drink your own champagne” on AI. They need to transform their own teams first, because “you will never be able to do a change or to make an impact if you are not going through it internally.”

Get that right, he says, and AI gives CHROs the chance to take “the front seat” in redesigning the organization, just as they did during COVID.

His message to HR leaders is clear: “Don’t fight against AI. This is your tailwind.”

Watch the full interview: