Jens Bender | Founder & Managing Director of WorkTech Advisory

Portrait of Jens Bender, Founder & Managing Director of WorkTech Advisory and guest at Thomas Kohler's The People Factor Podcast

Experienced entrepreneur with a successful track-record in building global businesses in the HR SaaS industry. Skilled in business strategy, digitization, start-ups, marketing, and market entry. Business professional with a consulting background and Master’s Degree in business administration, marketing and operations from WHU and HEC Montreal.

Oliver Manojlovic | VP Sales at Personio

Portrait of Oliver Manojlovic - VP Sales at Personio, who is guest at The People Factor Podcast with Thomas Kohler

Oliver is a sales executive with a background in the B2B SaaS industry, currently VP Sales at Personio where he scaled sales from 500 to +10.000 customers. He started his sales career early, working in his parents’ restaurant and later selling American Express credit cards. He has a passion for sales and believes there is a lack of focus on sales education in Germany. Oliver has experience in enterprise sales and has worked for prominent companies like GitHub and New Relic. He is an active angel investor in the HR Tech field and invested already in +15 companies.

Ian Whiteford | Founder at Rebel HR & Architect of Great Cultures

Ian Whiteford is an expert in building world-class teams and fostering impactful cultures for disruptive tech companies. With a background in a Global Investment Bank and a scaling technology firm, he founded Rebel HR to guide rapidly growing organizations, particularly in the cryptocurrency and Web3 space. Ian’s focus is redesigning people and talent processes to empower employees and enable career ownership. His advisory work extends to scaling fintech companies and a large electric mobility firm. As an avid HR enthusiast, Ian constantly explores management, culture, and leadership literature for continuous growth.

Michaela Matus | Chief People Officer (CPO), censhare

Michaela is an energetic people leader passionate about shaping organizations and cultures of trust and impact. Her mission is to create an employee experience that enables all team members to develop and grow in an inspiring work environment. Michaela believes that building human connections within an innovative, collaborative mindset is key to aligning the demands of our volatile, digital working world with individual needs. Join us as we dive deeper into Michaela’s vision and learn how she strives to bring together people and products to create a #bettertogether experience.

Thomas, Amiel & Stratos | Rewards, compensation, bonuses fireside chat

In this podcast episode with Amiel and Stratos, the hosts discuss various topics related to rewards and incentivization. We explore the EU 2023 Directive, the gender gap, and pay transparency. Then, we delve into a conversation about best-in-class grading, job titles, and the effectiveness of rewards schemes. They also address listener questions on topics such as sign-on bonuses, the impact of rewards on profitable growth, and tips for young rewards professionals.

Jakob Gillmann | Co-Founder HiPeople

Jakob Gillmann, the Co-Founder of HiPeople, is an innovative entrepreneur with a passion for revolutionizing the way companies approach talent management. With a keen understanding of the modern workforce, Jakob has leveraged his expertise in HR technology to create HiPeople, a cutting-edge platform that empowers organizations to make data-driven and people-centric decisions. His entrepreneurial spirit and strategic vision have driven the success of HiPeople, like his deep industry knowledge, leadership skills, and commitment to disrupting the HR landscape. With a track record of driving innovation and delivering results, Jakob Gillmann is a recognized thought leader in the field of talent management.

Hannes Schmidt | Chief Business Builder at Exxeta

As the Chief Business Builder at Exxeta, Hannes Schmidt is a dynamic leader who empowers teams to independently arrive at optimal conclusions through his unique leadership style of freedom and responsibility. With a proven track record in driving strategic accounts, Hannes is skilled at developing and executing innovative strategies to achieve business objectives. Passionate about addressing climate change, he envisions a future with car-free cities. Hannes fosters a culture of accountability, creativity, and collaboration, empowering his teams to take ownership of their work and drive meaningful results.

Andreas Schmitz | Chief People Officer NanoTemper Technologies Ex-Roche | Ex-SAP

Andreas is a dedicated family man, experienced senior leader, and passionate advocate of human-centric leadership. With a background in basketball, he brings a unique perspective to his leadership approach. Andreas has a proven track record of driving positive change in people and culture, having led HR functions at reputable organizations such as SAP and Roche. Currently, he is spearheading the growth transformation at NanoTemper Technologies, a biotech startup. Andreas runs his own podcast – With People. For People.

Dr. Alexander Insam | Partner at GÖRG, Lawyer, Employment Law Expert

Dr. Alexander Insam is a seasoned expert in remuneration and labor law and sustainable decision-making, with over 12 years of experience advising banks on compliance with laws, regulations, and guidelines for compensation systems. He helps banks balance compliance and competitiveness, drawing on his extensive experience with over 30 major institutions. Alexander also has a passion for craftsmanship and mechanical watches, which inspire his innovative approach to finding practical and sustainable solutions for his clients. He occasionally works as a mediator, particularly in the aviation industry, and shares his knowledge through LinkedIn to help navigate the regulatory complexities of BaFin, EBA, and the EU.

Carrie Krehlik | Biopharma Executive | Private and Public Company CHRO

Carrie is an experienced HR executive with expertise in strategy, managing global organizations, team leadership, and M&A. She is known for advising and influencing in complex organizations, and has a reputation as a systems thinker and well-rounded leader. Her passion lies in executive leadership, mergers & acquisitions, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness, among other areas of expertise.