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Beyond the Seat at the Table: Claiming Authority through Cost Savings and Psychological Trust
About this episode
Transcript
About this episode
In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Kendall Schultz, Chief People Officer at Triumph Behavior Support, to explore what it really takes for HR to move beyond a cost center and earn authority inside fast-growing, high-pressure organizations.
With over 15 years of experience across venture-backed and private equity environments, Kendall shares how HR leaders can build credibility through execution, not permission, while navigating scale, risk, and constant change.
Kendall breaks down why waiting to be invited into strategy conversations no longer works for HR. Instead, she explains how people leaders must proactively identify risk, eliminate waste, influence decisions, and operate with the same rigor as product and finance teams. From finding significant cost inefficiencies to treating people operations like a product roadmap, she outlines how HR can become a true value engine for the business.
The conversation also explores the human side of authority. Kendall shares how psychological safety, ethical leadership, and transparency are not soft concepts but essential operating principles, especially during restructures, layoffs, and periods of rapid growth. She explains why HR must be present, consistent, and willing to make hard calls to build trust that scales beyond the HR function itself.
Topics Discussed:
Reframing HR from cost center to value engine
Earning authority through execution, not title
Treating people operations like a product
Finding operational inefficiencies and reducing organizational waste
Building credibility with CEOs and founders in PE and VC environments
Embedding psychological safety into daily operations
Leading ethically through layoffs and restructures
The limits and opportunities of AI in people operations
What skills HR leaders need to stay relevant and future-proof their role
If you are an HR leader, people operator, or executive navigating scale, scrutiny, and constant pressure to prove value, this episode offers a clear, experience-backed view of how HR can earn lasting influence and relevance in the future of work.
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About the guest
Kendall Schultz
Kendall Schultz is the Chief People Officer at Triumph Behavior Support and a seasoned people operations leader with over 15 years of experience scaling teams in venture-backed and private equity-backed environments. She has led talent and HR strategy across high-growth organizations including Constellation Software, WeWork, The Farmer’s Dog, 1stDibs, and Capsule.
Kendall is known for building people operations as a true business function, driving measurable outcomes across retention, efficiency, and risk management. Her work includes embedding psychological safety into operating models, optimizing vendor and system strategy, and treating HR as a product that evolves alongside company growth. She brings deep experience across M&A, IPO readiness, and PE value creation, with a leadership style grounded in execution, credibility, and ethical decision-making.
Kendall Schultz is the Chief People Officer at Triumph Behavior Support and a seasoned people operations leader with over 15 years of experience scaling teams in venture-backed and private equity-backed environments. She has led talent and HR strategy across high-growth organizations including Constellation Software, WeWork, The Farmer’s Dog, 1stDibs, and Capsule.
Kendall is known for building people operations as a true business function, driving measurable outcomes across retention, efficiency, and risk management. Her work includes embedding psychological safety into operating models, optimizing vendor and system strategy, and treating HR as a product that evolves alongside company growth. She brings deep experience across M&A, IPO readiness, and PE value creation, with a leadership style grounded in execution, credibility, and ethical decision-making.
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The leading podcast for the future of HR
The leading podcast for the future of HR
The future of HR is being shaped by real operators doing the work.
If you’ve led change, navigated challenges, or learned valuable lessons in people operations, we’d love to hear your perspective.
Apply below to be considered as a guest on the show.
The future of HR is being shaped by real operators doing the work.
If you’ve led change, navigated challenges, or learned valuable lessons in people operations, we’d love to hear your perspective.
Apply below to be considered as a guest on the show.