Ashleigh Beadle, Chief Executive Officer and Industry Reinventor, outlines a shift in how organizations view Human Resources. In this interview, she explains why aligning people strategy with business goals is essential to building effective teams and sustainable growth. Her insights trace a path toward redefined roles in People and Culture.

Ashleigh, thank you for joining us. To start, can you walk us through your professional journey in People and Culture and what ultimately led you to create the 2025 HR Revolution?

Thank you! While in college I knew I wanted to help people, so after 8 years in an operational role with little people impact, I made a hard left turn into HR. I must say, through grade school and then college, Human Resources was often presented as the rule makers and managers. I am NOT a fan of “one size fits all” rules. It leaves too many groups and individuals without clear direction and representation. Because of that, I spent my HR career building out the function in organizations that didn’t have one and pushing the envelope wherever I could. Only one person—it was the best way for me to start to influence evolution in such a stagnant business function. Human Resources is so much more and brings greater value than most C-Suites realize.

After years of pushing buttons and challenging Human Resource “norms,” I realized that making change while on the corporate side of the narrative wouldn’t achieve the amount of change that needed to happen. At the turn of the year, I boldly stated to my family that I was starting the HR Revolution. It was time to break down the systems and processes that no longer serve organizations and the people within them and start representing the “People & Culture” function strategically.

Revolution isn’t a bad word! It truly represents what’s needed here: the rapid and fundamental changes to a foundation or system. It describes groundbreaking developments that significantly transform an industry, a field, a business, and even an individual. Revolution is an energy and a passion for making change to what no longer serves us. For all of those reasons, I kicked off the 2025 HR Revolution and haven’t looked back!

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You’ve boldly stated that “traditional HR stayed in 2024.” What does that mean in practice—and what are the outdated models or mindsets you believe organizations need to leave behind?

For starters, I must admit that I make a lot of bold statements. When I believe strongly in something, I put it out there and then stay laser-focused on the goal. It was that reason that I left traditional HR behind in 2024. Up through the end of 2024, we were the rule makers, the disciplinarians, the team without empathy, the mouthpieces of the CEO or C-Suite, and bad news delivery systems. I spent more time in my HR career delivering narratives with negative messages that were not of my design. I was done. Where in that nonsense were we serving as the people advocates we set out to be when we all thought Human Resource careers would be the way for us to help others?

In 2025 we are no longer the scapegoat for poor management, lack of accountability, and unobtainable goals.

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In your new framework, HR is no longer a back-office function. What does it look like when HR is operating as a true strategic partner to leadership and the business?

What most folks don’t understand is that HR professionals stepped into their roles because they were passionate about helping others, developing careers, and being a resource for organizational growth. As a true strategic partner, we represent the voices of the people at “the table.” We build career paths within organizations to keep our talent engaged and thriving. We are active participants in the projection and budget planning phases ahead of each fiscal year. We build scalable, reasonable policies that highlight employees as empowered professionals. As People & Culture representatives, we build KPIs into compensation packages so individuals know how they play an active part in the vision of an organization.

The last point is most important. While staying true to the confidentiality we must practice, we do not sugarcoat or cover up the truth. Stability for an organization comes from trust, and trust is earned through the truth.

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Many organizations still view HR primarily as a risk mitigation function. How can leaders shift that perception—and what benefits come from doing so?

Leaders can shift this perception by giving their P&C teams a voice. While often advisors, HR is rarely viewed as experienced business operators. However, HR has view into it ALL. They can offer insight in ways that are factual, authentic, and often undervalued. Give your team a greater opportunity to speak up. Their perspective often highlights blind spots you didn’t realize you had.

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You’ve said HR is now also an internal educator. How does this expanded role impact how we train, support, and retain talent within organizations?

HR has always been an internal educator. We represent and build culture and bear the balancing act of protecting both the organization and the people in it. Interestingly, the role is not expanding. We are just declaring the need to be heard!

We want to build a world within our organizations where employees feel challenged, educated, informed, and empowered. To do that, we must now be valued members of the strategic decision-making committees.

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What challenges do HR professionals face in adapting to these evolving expectations, and how can they better position themselves to lead in areas like compensation, learning, and culture?

I love this question! Perhaps I am too optimistic, but I truly believe this neutralizes quite a bit of the challenges we truly face. We are the eyes and ears of an organization and yet left out of the strategic decision-making process. When strategy and vision are not aligned with the needs of the professionals carrying them out, decreased employee engagement is the result. When that occurs, HR becomes the catch-all for complaints and issues. HR teams want to eliminate that altogether by bringing data and insight to the decision-making table.

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You’ve been leading conversations online, on podcasts, and through seminars like your upcoming event in NYC. What themes are resonating most with the people you connect with?

The two largest themes that I hear and work to change are:

• HR needs more bodies to handle the increasing demands on the department: We need Human Resources included in organizational technology discussions. We need to use technology to optimize and automate processes, freeing up the People Teams to address the real people issues that arise unexpectedly every day.
• We are sleeping on too many important issues instead of bringing them to light and solutioning them: Employees are more knowledgeable on business operations than they are given credit for. They know when leaders are scapegoating important issues. This leads to decreased engagement and higher turnover… now becoming an HR issue. Let’s talk about our challenges and be transparent. In my experience, it brings people together and builds a sense of community and teamwork.

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Have you or the 2025 HR Revolution initiative hit any meaningful milestones or recognitions you’d like to share? How have these affirmed your path forward?

I wouldn’t say that we have hit any meaningful milestones, but I will say that the movement is loud and proud and getting folks talking about important issues. The HR Revolution launch was less about achievements and more about building confidence and intention within People & Culture teams across all industries. Use your voice, your experience, your skills, and your data to become a strategic decision maker for your organization!

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For HR professionals still working within traditional or rigid structures, what’s one mindset shift or action they can take today to begin stepping into this new model?

Do not give up! Evolution takes time. Remember the important impact you make on an organization and how much the people rely on your diligence and intention. One small change at a time still equals progress.

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What’s one thing you wish every executive team understood about the real potential of their HR leaders in 2025 and beyond?

If you started including HR leaders in organizational decision-making, there would be significantly less risks for them to mitigate and more progress toward becoming a destination place to work. People are the heart of every organization, and your Human Resource leaders are dedicated to building world-class, highly engaged teams to achieve your vision. Now it’s time to let them!

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If you were to write your bio in your own words, what would you say? What legacy do you hope to leave? 

Ashleigh Beadle, Chief Executive Officer | Industry Reinventor

Ashleigh Beadle is an accomplished CEO, CPO, and reinventor with a robust background in the technology industry. With a passion for driving organizational resilience and growth, she has a proven track record of leading through high-stakes mergers & acquisitions, navigating significant organizational development, and building diverse, high-performing teams across the globe.

Known as a strategic operational leader, Ashleigh is recognized for her ability to scale organizations with a creative, results-oriented approach, transforming human capital into a powerful business asset. Her commitment to optimizing workflows, enhancing productivity, and fostering environments where employees thrive has been instrumental in building empowered teams that contribute to a shared vision of vitality.

Ashleigh is defined by a blend of honesty, grit, and a sense of humor. She firmly believes that laughter and authenticity foster stronger connections—whether leading teams or partnering with firms on their scaling strategy. Through her work, she strives to not only meet business objectives but also nurture the people who drive those goals forward. Leading the industry revolution, Ashleigh is dedicated to cultivating the relationship between people, progress, and organizational advancement.

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Connect with Ashleigh via LinkedIn.

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About Humane HR Talk

Welcome to Humane HR Talk, where we present insightful interviews with HR industry experts and thought leaders in related fields sharing their strategies, perspectives, and visions for creating more human-centric workplaces. Through these discussions, you’ll gain practical tips and fresh inspiration to transform your HR practices, to foster inclusive, thriving cultures, and to help in your own journey in the evolving world of work.

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