As HR teams navigate leaner budgets, distributed workforces, and rising employee expectations, the pressure to deliver personalized, high-impact employee experiences at scale is higher than ever.
But how do you balance efficiency with empathy? Automation with authenticity? David Rice, Executive Editor of People Managing People is sitting down with a panel of employee experience and customer success experts to explore what HR can borrow from the best of CX to build scalable, emotionally intelligent employee engagement strategies.
We’ll walk through real-world examples across the employee lifecycle—onboarding, performance, development, and exit—and highlight where human connection matters most, and where technology can enhance (not replace) the experience.
You’ll walk away with:
Knowing when to use human-led vs AI-driven engagement
Cautionary tales of automation gone wrong—and how to avoid them
Practical examples of CX tools and tactics that translate beautifully to EX
How to know if your blend of tech and touch is actually working
Whether you’re refining your people ops stack, designing new moments that matter, or simply trying to scale connection without burnout—this session will equip you with the mindset, tools, and confidence to lead the next wave of employee engagement.
David Rice is a long time journalist and editor who specializes in covering human resources and leadership topics. His career has seen him focus on a variety of industries for both print and digital publications in the United States and UK.
Mary Poppen is President of HRIZONS Employee Experience and Professor of Practice at Michigan State University teaching in the Customer Experience Management (CXM) Master’s Degree program. She is also a CS Angel investor. Prior to her current focus, Mary was Glint’s Chief Customer Officer at LinkedIn and Chief Customer Officer for SAP’s Global Cloud business before that. Mary holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and has over 20 years of customer delivery, business consulting and executive leadership experience. She is a well-recognized customer and employee experience thought leader, speaking at global events and authoring several publications in this space. She recently published a book entitled “Goodbye, Churn. Hello, Growth!” In addition to her current roles, Mary enjoys serving as a Board Advisor and executive coach, and has a passion for giving back through female mentorship programs. In her spare time, Mary enjoys traveling with her husband and two sons, playing Pickleball, and wine-tasting with friends.
Vanessa is VP of People at Gorilla and a leadership coach who treats employee experience like product design. With roots in agile, L&D, and regenerative org strategy, she helps teams scale with purpose—crafting people-first cultures that grow sustainably and make work suck less.
Adora is the founder of Kendor Consulting and a trusted advisor to founders and execs on people strategy. With a career spanning HR transformation, coaching, and public sector reform, she empowers leaders to build resilient teams and HR pros to thrive in complexity.
