Andrew Bartlow
CHRO & PE Operating Partner
Altamont Capital Partners
Episode 58
Beyond HR Basics: Cultivating the Strategic Mindset of Tomorrow's Leaders
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleSeptember 9, 2025 · 11:29
Thesis
“HR leaders must continuously and intentionally grow their foundational skills across all HR disciplines, learn to operate strategically, and adapt to changing business demands to effectively guide organizations, especially in environments where productivity and efficiency are paramount.”
Show notes
Andrew Bartlow became an HR lead at 22 at a startup, survived the dot-com bust, navigated a merger during the mortgage crisis, and eventually took a company public. Now — as advisor, author, and PE operating partner — he spends his time doing something most senior HR leaders never get the chance to do: building the next generation of CHROs on purpose.
His framework for getting to the C-suite is deliberately contrarian. He argues you need both kinds of experience: the rigor of a large, structured organization like GE or Pepsi that trains you to think systematically, and the resourcefulness of an early-stage company that trains you to execute without infrastructure. Either alone leaves gaps. Together, they build the range that executive people leadership actually requires.
Andrew is also direct about the era we're in: the growth-at-all-costs model that defined the last decade of HR investment is over, and the skills that got people into CHRO roles in that environment aren't necessarily the ones that will keep them there now. What's required instead is genuine strategic fluency — understanding the business deeply enough to make people decisions that change outcomes, not just optimize processes.
- The dual-track career path to CHRO — why you need both big-company rigor and startup resourcefulness to be fully prepared
- Surviving market crises as an HR leader — lessons from the dot-com bust, the mortgage crisis, and an IPO
- Strategic fluency vs. HR buzzwords — what it actually means to be a business partner and not just say you are
- Discomfort as a development accelerator — the specific kinds of stretch that compound over a career
- Mentoring the next generation — what Andrew is building now and why it matters for the field
Previ is an employer network that provides private pricing for employees — saving the average employee $2,200/year on essentials like cell phone service and insurance, at no cost to the company.
What you'll take away
- 1Seek diverse experiences: work at 'academy organizations' for best practices and take risks at startups to learn 'what fast felt like' and 'figure it out on the fly'.
- 2Build a broad base of HR experience (the 'pyramid' image) across various functions (HRBP, talent acquisition, total rewards, talent management) to effectively prepare for a CHRO role.
- 3In difficult career situations or downturns, persevere and contribute where you are, as this can lead to unexpected opportunities for growth and influence.
- 4Continuously and intentionally grow your skills through on-the-job challenges, formal learning, and self-study, actively pushing beyond your comfort zone ('learning edge').
- 5HR leaders must practically understand what 'being really deeply connected to the business' and 'being strategic really means', particularly in today's environment focused on productivity and efficiency.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Challenges the conventional wisdom that one career path (e.g., big corporate or startup) is superior, instead advocating for a dual approach that combines structured learning with high-growth, ambiguous environments for holistic development.
In Andrew's words
“I think I would recommend both of those things, you know, work somewhere where they know what good looks like and you can learn from people and also work somewhere without a, without a safety net. Where you have to figure it out on the fly.”
Offers dual advice for early career development, combining structured learning with high-growth, experiential challenges.
“I've done every element of this job at greater scale than you'll need it. The only thing I haven't done is officially taken that, that top job in the standalone role.”
Illustrates a strategic approach to proving readiness for a CHRO role by accumulating comprehensive, scaled experience.
“My purpose now and for the past few years is to help other HR leaders grow their career, build more confidence, strengthen their confidence.”
Clearly states his current mission to mentor and empower the next generation of HR executives.
“And so many HR leaders don't know how to operate that way. And so I, I'm trying to help other HR leaders. Understand what being really deeply connected to the business looks like, what being strategic really means.”
Highlights a common gap in HR leadership skills and his efforts to bridge it by teaching strategic business integration.
“Don't just stay put and stick it out, like actively look for those opportunities to stretch yourself.”
Emphasizes proactive self-development and seeking discomfort as a critical driver for continuous learning and growth.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Employees' number one concern is covering monthly expenses, highlighting a need for solutions like employer networks for financial well-being.
- •Many HR leaders lack practical understanding of what it means to be 'deeply connected to the business' and 'strategic', particularly in current economic climates.
- •HR leaders who developed in 'growth at all costs' environments struggle with the shift to prioritizing productivity and efficiency.
- •Company acquisitions can create significant cultural and functional friction for HR, necessitating strategic change management to integrate different approaches.
- •Aspiring CHROs often face stalled career progression in large, traditional organizations with transactional HR models, requiring strategic career planning to gain diverse experience.
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