Reshaping the Talent Playbook in the Age of AI

August 15, 2025 – In the age of AI, rapid technological advancements are revolutionizing the way organizations are approaching talent management. Heightened levels of automation are already reshaping recruitment, assessment, and team building while improving workforce optimization – all while balancing the critical need for ethical, human-centric decision-making.

Hunt Scanlon Media is convening over 250 chief talent officers, CHROs, AI technology leaders, heads of people analytics, and executive recruiters at the Harvard Club in New York on September 30, 2025, to explore AI’s transformative role in talent strategy. Join us as we navigate the evolving, innovative, and expansive AI-powered talent management landscape.

AI is fundamentally reshaping how executive talent is identified and matched with leadership roles. It is a truly transformative moment for executive recruiters. Josh Withers, co-founder of True, will explore how the firm is blending cutting-edge AI tools with world-class search expertise to accelerate results, enhance precision, and unlock new value for clients. From shortening search timelines to democratizing access to top-tier talent, he will examine how AI is transforming the client-candidate experience and readjusting the dynamic partnership between search professionals and their clients – redefining what modern executive search will soon look like. Attendees will gain insight into how True is pioneering the future of leadership recruitment in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Reimagining the Talent Ecosystem in the Era of AI

By unlocking human potential in the workplace, AI is rapidly transforming how companies attract, skill, and retain talent. Come along on the journey as Kristen Roby Dimlow, the head of talent acquisition, total rewards, and performance at Microsoft, shares how the company is creating a holistic, responsible, AI-enabled talent vision to advance career development and up-level hiring experiences. Learn how Microsoft is reimagining the future for its employees, candidates, and hiring teams with consistent, connected experiences while also driving efficiencies at scale, improving talent discovery, attraction, and retention, and accelerating employee skilling.

Whether you are a talent acquisition AI trailblazer or a novice looking for inspiration on where to begin, this session will provide fresh perspectives on how to responsibly incorporate AI into your talent landscape. You will also hear from Kyle Langworthy, partner, head of AI, ML & data practice with Riviera Partners.

AI’s Strategic Edge in Executive Search

AI is transforming leadership recruitment, giving organizations new tools to identify, assess, and integrate top talent. As its role expands across executive search, private equity, and portfolio companies, AI is influencing everything from candidate selection to cultural alignment and decision-making.

Related: AI in Executive Search: Evolving the Practice

Christoph Wollersheim, a consultant in Egon Zehnder’s AI practice, will explore the latest trends shaping AI-driven talent strategies and how organizations can leverage these advancements to build stronger leadership teams in an increasingly digital world.

Ethical AI in Talent Strategy: Aligning Innovation with Responsibility

As AI transforms talent management, organizations must navigate ethical challenges to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. Matt Shore, CEO of StevenDouglas, hosts a panel that brings together executive search professionals, corporate talent leaders, and AI platform experts to explore the complexities of integrating AI into talent strategies while addressing key issues like inclusivity, data privacy, and regulatory compliance. The discussion will provide practical insights into mitigating bias, maintaining transparency about AI’s role, and fostering trust in AI-powered processes.

How to Embrace AI Before It’s Too Late

Artificial intelligence is no longer a far-off concept — it’s here, evolving quickly, and reshaping the way we work. A recent report from 180 Engineering warns that those who don’t start experimenting with AI now risk being left behind as businesses rapidly adopt the technology. The good news: by approaching AI with curiosity and a willingness to adapt, you can position yourself to thrive in this new era rather than fear it.

Attendees will gain a nuanced understanding of how to balance technological innovation with ethical responsibility to create equitable and effective talent management solutions. The panel includes: Matt Dreyer, head of talent management at Prudential; Elizabeth Tyndell, VP, head of talent acquisition at New York Life Insurance Company; and Kevin Hornish, head of global talent acquisition at LexisNexis.

Transforming Executive Search with Agentic AI

Agentic AI is transforming executive search by enabling autonomous decision-making and goal-oriented behavior, tackling complex recruiting challenges with precision. Unlike traditional AI, these advanced systems enhance human expertise by rapidly analyzing market trends, identifying top talent, and maintaining seamless candidate engagement across time zones.

In this session, Mercedes Chatfield-Taylor, CEO of Artico Search, and Surojit Chatterjee, CEO of Ema Unlimited, discuss how AI agents drive efficiency while safeguards and human oversight ensure recruiter judgment remains central. Learn how AI-powered tools free search professionals to focus on high-value strategic work, accelerating digital transformation and creating a competitive advantage in talent acquisition.

AI and the Human Element

AI is revolutionizing recruitment by enhancing decision-making and streamlining processes, but the human aspects of hiring remain irreplaceable. This next panel will explore how organizations can strike the right balance between automation and critical human qualities like emotional intelligence, cultural alignment, and personal connection. Featuring insights from executive recruiters, talent leaders, and AI experts, the discussion will highlight how technology and human intuition can work together to create more effective, equitable, and impactful hiring strategies.

Related: The AI Adoption Curve in Executive Search

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate AI into recruitment while preserving the essential human touch in today’s digital age. The panel includes: Susan Gunn, partner at Bain & Company; Ajay Sah, VP of global head of talent acquisition at Capgemini; JP Patterson, head of talent at Macy’s; Andrew Quinn, chief technology officer of Ezekia & Hylark; and Jim Bethmann, managing partner at Caldwell.

Leveraging AI To Unlock Human Intelligence

As the competition for top-tier talent escalates, organizations are increasingly leveraging AI-driven platforms to gain a strategic advantage. Alex Bates, founder and CEO of HelloSky, will delve into how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing talent acquisition by integrating behavioral analytics, sector mapping, and human capital intelligence.

Drawing from HelloSky’s extensive experience, Mr. Bates will share practical applications of features like Smart Rank and recruitability scoring, illustrating how these innovations enhance candidate quality and precision, accelerate hiring processes, and improve retention rates. Attendees will gain actionable insights into harnessing AI to refine their talent strategies and maintain a competitive edge in the evolving landscape of human capital management.

Building an Executive Leadership Pipeline

Leadership succession is critical for organizations navigating rapid technological and business transformation. Mina Morris, head of global leadership assessment at Accenture, will explore how integrating behavioral science, data analytics, and innovative technology can create a forward-looking leadership strategy that drives long-term business performance. Mr. Morris will discuss actionable approaches for blending internal talent development with strategic acquisitions to cultivate high-performing leaders.

This session, which will be moderated by Angela Navarro, CEO of Kinavic, will delve into how organizations can shape succession pipelines to align with evolving business needs while fostering high-performance cultures. It is critical for talent leaders looking to leverage data and behavioral science to ensure their organizations remain competitive and resilient.

Building an AI-First Search Firm

AI-first executive search firms are gaining a competitive edge by anticipating client needs, reducing execution timelines, and transforming how value is delivered throughout the search process. Fahad Jalal, founder and CEO of QLU.ai, will share how leading recruiting firms are winning pitches more decisively by leveraging AI to identify future mandates and articulate clear, mutual value to clients and candidates. By creating hyper-targeted ideal client profiles, lowering execution and sales costs, and amplifying customer success, these firms will drive repeat business, referrals, and long-term market dominance.

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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media