What does it really mean to future-proof your career — and is AI really coming for your job?

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we sit down with Sankar Venkatraman, Global Evangelist for Talent Solutions at LinkedIn, to explore what the data actually tells us about how work, the workforce, and the workplace are being reshaped by AI.

With nearly 14 years at LinkedIn and a front-row seat to global talent trends, Sankar brings both the numbers and the nuance. We dig into why organisations are hiring for potential over pedigree, what skills will truly matter in an AI-enabled world (hint: it's mostly human ones), and why the fear of AI displacing jobs is more headlines than reality.

Sankar also shares his own career journey — from Silicon Valley startups to Cisco to LinkedIn — and the three pieces of advice he'd give anyone navigating a major career shift. Plus, his concept of ikigai and why finding that intersection of passion, mission, vocation and profession is the only real path to long-term fulfilment.

Whether you're leading a team, reskilling yourself, or just trying to make sense of the moment we're all in — this conversation will leave you feeling more curious than afraid.

Connect with Sankar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sankarvenkatraman/

LinkedIn Talent Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog

WEF Future of Jobs Report 2023: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we’re joined by Navid Nazemian, a globally recognised executive coach and trusted advisor to more than 250 C‑suite leaders across multiple industries and countries. With over two decades of senior HR leadership experience at organisations such as Vodafone, Roche and BAT, Navid brings a rare 360‑degree perspective on what it really takes to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.

Together, we explore why today’s executives are facing unprecedented pressure — from shorter CEO tenures and rising board expectations to increasing organisational complexity and constant external disruption. Navid shares why many leaders now find themselves in a “polycrisis” state, and what this means for performance, resilience, and decision‑making in the modern enterprise.

We also dive into what differentiates leaders who thrive from those who struggle. From earning the right to drive cultural change, to adapting leadership style to context, Navid offers practical insights drawn from both research and real‑world coaching experience. He outlines the six essential qualities of extraordinary leaders and explains why executive transitions so often fail — not because of strategy, but because of people, culture and timing.

Whether you’re stepping into a senior role, working closely with the C‑suite, or designing executive onboarding for the future of work, this conversation is packed with thoughtful guidance, clear examples, and powerful lessons on how to go slow in order to go fast. A must‑listen for anyone navigating — or supporting — leadership transitions at the top.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

What does it mean for HR to go on the offense — and what happens if it doesn't?

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, Vanessa Teo and Vanessa Iloste sit down with Kyle Forest, US Future of HR Leader at Deloitte Consulting, to explore one of the most consequential questions facing people professionals right now: not whether AI will reshape work, but whether HR will lead that reshaping or be swept along by it.

AI is accelerating task displacement. Demographics are squeezing talent supply. Volatility is rewriting strategy in real time. Kyle's argument: HR sits at the intersection of internal capability and external labour markets, uniquely positioned to lead — if it chooses to.

The conversation covers why AI pilots stall when people aren't brought along, a practical framework for mapping how roles will shift, and why this moment calls for behaviour readiness rather than change management.

Optimism with evidence behind it. That's the throughline.

What is the next step you are willing to take — and what would it take to take it today?

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)