Ep. 57 From IT to CPO: Building a People-First Culture That Scales with Paul Yater

What does it take to build a culture so strong it drives a $7B business and why might the best HR leaders come from outside HR?In this episode of the TroopHR Podcast, Taylor Bradley sits down with Paul Yater, Chief People Officer at 84 Lumber, to explore how culture truly becomes a company’s competitive advantage. Paul shares his unconventional journey from IT to HR and how his deep understanding of the business helped him reshape recruiting, onboarding, and employee development at scale. From “Lumber Camp” training to AI-powered recruiting and a relentless focus on listening to frontline employees, Paul offers a practical blueprint for building a people-first organization that promotes from within and delivers real career mobility. If you’re an HR leader or operator looking to strengthen culture, modernize talent strategies, or better align people operations with business outcomes, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and visit troophr.com to learn more about our community and upcoming events.CreditsTroopHR Founder: Tracy AvinShow Producer: Nicole FealeyShow Host: Taylor Bradley