A Winding Path to People Leadership with Lorena Scott, CPO at Relay

In this podcast episode, Martin Hauck interviews Lorena Scott, a seasoned Chief People Officer, about her unconventional career journey, the influence of her father's resilience, and her insights on leadership and people operations. Lorena shares her experiences from investment banking to private equity, and ultimately to her current role at Relay, where she emphasizes the importance of culture, curiosity, and the impact of AI in the workplace. The conversation highlights the challenges and joys of scaling teams, navigating mergers and acquisitions, and the significance of serving small businesses. 01:23 Introduction 02:54 Lorena’s Unconventional Path to People Leadership 04:49 Inspiration from Family and Early Aspirations 06:25 Resilience and Reinvention: A Father’s Influence 09:04 First Jobs and Early Career Experiences 10:38 Investment Banking as a Learning Bootcamp 13:28 Transition to Private Equity and Understanding Culture 20:08 The Shift into People Operations 23:38 Curiosity as a Key Leadership Trait 26:10 Testing for Curiosity in Hiring 28:27 Reflections on Executive Roles in People Ops 29:57 Scaling, Global Growth, and Career Transitions 31:53 Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions 38:10 Finding Fulfillment in Work 42:17 Scaling Culture While Growing Fast 47:06 Embracing AI in People Operations 52:03 Lessons Learned in People Leadership 57:04 Final Career Advice and Closing Thoughts