Ontra’s Megan Hansen on Empathy, Purpose, and The Power of “And”

This week, Jessica is joined by Megan Hansen, the Chief People Officer at Ontra - a legal tech company navigating the world of AI and private equity. Megan opens up about the paradoxes that define her role: balancing empathy with performance, innovation with ethics, and purpose with profit. Her perspective is rooted in what she calls the power of "and":  the belief that polarities can be managed, not solved, and that great leadership lives in the in-between. They discuss AI, education, corporate responsibility, and how trust and transparency are the foundation of real change. Megan also shares why being a Chief People Officer is one of the hardest roles in the C-suite, and how she keeps showing up with conviction, clarity, and care. Megan Hansen is the Chief People Officer of Ontra and the executive sponsor of Ontra’s DEI Council. She is responsible for unlocking Ontra’s growth by creating an ecosystem where talented people can do their best work. Prior to Ontra, Megan was the Chief People and Culture Officer at Smartsheet and also served in leadership roles at MOD Pizza, Outerwall, and Frog Design. About Megan Hansen LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-hansen-04583a341/ https://www.ontra.ai/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners