This episode features an interview with Ellie Bertani, SVP of HR Transformation & Services at Wells Fargo. With twenty years of cross-sector professional experience in philanthropy, healthcare, retail, and financial services, Ellie has helped to improve Wells Fargo’s HR operating model and implement new ways of working.

On today’s episode, Ellie discusses HR operational effectiveness, meeting the needs of different generations of employees, and a passion for skills-based programs.

“You really touched on an area of passion when you started talking about skills, and how that can be the building block of how we think about talent going forward… the unit of currency as I like to think about it.”

— Ellie Bertani

[1:20] Ellie’s role at Wells Fargo
[2:32] What opportunities she saw in joining the company
[4:00] Most rewarding part of the role
[5:09] Measuring success through OKRs and a new talent mobility program
[7:23] Navigating change management through strong sponsorship
[8:46] Forcing prioritization and trade-off conversations in a complex business
[11:11] Building out Wells Fargo’s operations function
[12:21] Ellie’s talent strategy
[14:29] Guild Education and Ellie’s passion for skills-based programs
[17:51] Meeting the needs of different generations of employees
[20:17] Prioritizing data and creating a culture of two-way dialogue
[23:02] Engaging with qualitative and quantitative data
[24:58] Creating skill-based programs around the business strategy
[27:26] The future of hybrid work and skills-based programs
[30:21] Parting words: pay attention to culture and leadership

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