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“The 'All-Access Pass' to CEO Strategy.” | Experienced F500 CHRO, Jordana Kammerud, on the New Boardroom Mandate
Episode Summary
We are living through an era of exponential acceleration where AI’s ability to work autonomously is doubling every few months, yet many HR functions remain stuck in "seasonal" thinking. Jordana Kammerud, a seasoned Fortune 500 CHRO, joins TechWolf’s Mik Wornoo to explain why the traditional "role-based" system is collapsing under its own weight. They argue that the shift to a skills-based organization isn't just a technical upgrade, it’s a survival mechanism. By moving from generalized career paths to a "rich tapestry" of skill adjacencies, leaders can finally answer the board’s most pressing question: Is our workforce actually better than it was last quarter? This conversation moves from high-level social responsibility to the tactical "Three Horizons" framework, offering a blueprint for HR leaders to claim their seat as the primary architects of the AI-enabled enterprise.
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Key Takeaways
- The "All-Access Pass" is Earned through Business Strategy: A CHRO must be a business leader first, applying their "functional craft" only after fully aligning with the CEO’s strategic advantage anchors.
- AI is an Exponential, Not Linear, Shift: Humans struggle to grasp exponential growth; since AI capability now doubles every four months, "dabbling" is no longer a viable strategy for leadership.
- Skills Intelligence as "Synthetic Empathy": While AI can handle low-value cognitive tasks and even provide "synthetic empathy" through leader nudges, HR’s role is to design the "human off-ramps" where real judgment is required.
- The Three Horizons of ROI: Transformation must happen in parallel, optimizing current AI investments (Horizon 1) while simultaneously redesigning work architecture for the long term (Horizon 3).
Best Practices & Actionable Insights
- Go Deep to Lead: CHROs must move beyond theoretical understanding. Personally use LLMs and agentic tools to understand the friction and the "feel" of the technology before trying to shepherd an enterprise transformation.
- Audit "Open Recs" Against AI Impact: Use Horizon 2 thinking to prevent over-hiring. Before filling a role, use an "AI impact score" to determine if the tasks associated with that role are already being automated or augmented.
- Shift from "Small/Medium/Large" Career Paths: Move away from rigid job descriptions toward a "permutation" model. Use skills data to see not just what a person has done, but their "adjacencies", what they could do with minimal retraining based on their existing tapestry of skills.
- Define "Caliber" Metrics for the Board: Don't just report on headcount. Prepare for the board meeting by defining exactly what "improved capability" looks like in the context of your specific business strategy this year.
About the Speaker: Jordana Kammerud
Jordana Kammerud is a globally experienced Chief Human Resources Officer and enterprise transformation leader who partners with CEOs and boards to help organizations navigate complexity, scale, and disruption. With more than 25 years of leadership across Fortune 500 and private equity–backed companies, she is known for aligning people strategy with business outcomes during moments of significant change.
Most recently, Jordana served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Corning Incorporated, where she led people and culture for a 60,000-employee global enterprise. As a core member of the executive leadership team, she played a central role in advancing large-scale organizational transformation, supporting major global investments, and modernizing the HR function through AI-enabled analytics, automation, and digital talent platforms.
Previously, Jordana held senior leadership roles at Claire’s, Core-Mark International, SC Johnson, American Express, and DaimlerChrysler, leading initiatives spanning enterprise strategy, M&A integration, CEO and board succession, global reorganizations, and workforce transitions across industries and geographies.
Today, Jordana brings a practitioner’s perspective to conversations on leadership, the future of work, organizational resilience, and the responsible adoption of AI. She is a trusted voice for executive audiences seeking practical insight grounded in real-world transformation.
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