It’s been another busy year for the UNLEASH Editorial team, from covering the biggest breaking news stories from the world of HR to travelling across the globe to sitting down with numerous HR leaders for exclusive thought leadership interviews.

While they may all work in one HR function or another, each interviewee UNLEASH speaks to is unique – meaning each interview we publish has a different story to tell.

As 2025 draws to a close, the Editorial team highlights the interviews that stood out to us this year and the key messages for HR leaders they share.

Allie Nawrat, Chief Reporter:

Why Moderna merged HR and IT to better ‘architect the flow of work’

Who: Tracey Franklin, Chief People and Digital Technology Officer at Moderna

Key quote: “Merging HR and Digital isn’t just about consolidation – it’s a deliberate move to close the gap between the people who shape culture and those who build the systems that support it.”

Why this matters: Moderna’s merging of HR and IT is a significant signal of a future where people strategy and technology strategy meld to facilitate AI-enabled workflows, effective organizational scaling, and elevate HR into a more strategic, system-focused role.

UNLEASH America 2025: ‘Everything we thought we knew about leadership is turning upside down – which is really exciting’

Who: Brian Glaser, VP and Chief Talent & Learning Officer at Google

Key quote: “At Google we talk about the fact we’re not in an era of change, we’re in a change of eras, which means we really have to think about work and the way we lead in fundamentally different ways.”

Why this matters: In a fast-changing environment, HR leaders must follow Google’s lead in rethinking traditional leadership strategies, which are being disrupted by technology advancements, increasing adoption of AI, and labor market fluctuations. Readiness for the future of work will depend on adaptability in adopting new mindsets and behaviors for people leaders.

Danone’s CEO and CHRO share how their alliance sets the food & beverage giant up for success

Who: Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO & Isabelle Esser, CHRO at Danone

Key quote: “Together we’ve built a future-fit strategy that equips Danoners with the skills to thrive in a fast-changing world.” 

Why this matters: Danone has seen success in creating a truly strategic partnership between its CEO and CHRO to make people strategy central to business outcomes, elevating HR from support function to a driver of growth, transformation, and future‑fit capabilities.

John Brazier, Senior Journalist:

SAP’s Dr Christian Schmeichel: No-one but HR can guide organizations through the future of work successfully

Who: Dr. Christian Schmeichel, SVP and Global Head of People & Culture Services at SAP

Key quote: “Without a strong HR function, there’s no one else who can guide the organization through this kind of massive transformation successfully.”

Why this matters: HR leaders must be at the forefront of their organizations during rapid future of work changes by strengthening HR’s own capabilities and keeping the human element at the center of transformational strategy.

Going ‘All In’ on AI: Inside EY’s $1.4 billion investment in the future of work

Who: Raj Sharma, Global Managing Partner of Growth and Innovation at EY

Key quote: “Nearly three quarters (72%) of the EY workforce is under 35 and so, realizing the needs of your future leaders – and delivering on them – is crucial to develop highly engaged teams over the long-run.”

Why this matters: EY’s $1.4 billion AI investment demonstrates that preparing the workforce through coordinated strategy, large‑scale upskilling and thoughtful AI integration is essential to shaping the future of work and realizing ROI from AI adoption.

How and why Virgin Group engaged employees every step of the way on a journey of redefining benefits

Who: Nikki Humphrey, CPO at Virgin Group

Key Quote: “We heard firsthand what was really important to them; what they want, why they valued some of the benefits they had, why they didn’t, and what would they actually want.”

Why this matters: Virgin Group’s redesign of its benefits program highlights the power of transparency and employee involvement when shaping meaningful rewards, resulting in record participation and stronger alignment with real employee needs.

Lucy Buchholz, Senior Journalist:

The Heineken Company: Company culture is like a spider’s web, and higher-performance shouldn’t cost a great work environment

Who: Patrick Hull, Head of Talent, Leadership, and Culture at The Heineken Company

Key quote: “The one thing we must never give up is human judgment – with context and compassion. We must always make sure we recognize the human in the data.”

Why this matters: The Heineken Company is demonstrating how HR leaders can balance driving performance with nurturing psychological safety and culture – ensuring higher performance doesn’t come at the cost of employee wellbeing, belonging and a supportive work environment.

How McDonald’s International Operated Markets (IOM) CPO has built a people strategy that’s ‘both resilient and future ready’

Who: Emilee DeMartino, Senior Vice President, Chief People Officer, International Operated Markets (IOM) at McDonald’s

Key quote: “By empowering regional teams to experiment, share learnings, and adapt best practices, we create a dynamic ecosystem where ideas scale effectively and continuous improvement is the mode of operation.”

Why this matters: A clear, values-led people strategy focused on frontline capability, agility, and local empowerment can build resilience today while also preparing the workforce for future disruption at global scale.

HUGO BOSS: ‘We’re not just HR. We’re strategic business advisors. HR is our secret weapon, but business comes first’

Who: Jochen Eckhold, SVP Global HR at HUGO BOSS

Key quote: “It’s about co-creating strategy. We’re not just HR. We’re strategic business advisors who bring an HR toolbox – but always think business first, HR second.”

Why this matters: HR that operates as a strategic business partner by integrating talent, culture and innovation in alignment with organizational priorities becomes a crucial driver of performance and future readiness. HUGO BOSS is working proof of this.