Gena Smith
Chief Human Resources Officer
LVMH North America
Episode 281
Beyond Burnout: Building High-Performance Cultures That Truly Care for People.
Current chapter: I'm excited to welcome Gina to the Built by People podcast
Built By PeopleMarch 7, 2025 · 16:28
Thesis
“High-performance cultures can and must coexist with holistic employee care and well-being, fostering growth and innovation through intentional development and transparent career pathways.”
Show notes
At LVMH, the same philosophy that guided centuries of master craftsmen now shapes how the company develops every employee — from boutique associates to corporate executives. That's not a metaphor. It's a deliberate operating principle called transmission of skill, and it's central to how one of the world's most storied luxury conglomerates thinks about human capital.
Gena Smith, CHRO for LVMH North America, has spent over a decade building on that foundation. Her core conviction: "People make the difference." At LVMH, that isn't a platitude on a lobby wall — it's the organizing logic behind recruiting, L&D, DEI, and career development. Gena challenges the notion that high-performance cultures must come at the expense of employee well-being: "I think you can have a culture of high performance and a culture of well-being. I think that these things can mutually exist."
One of the most practical ideas she shares is the rollout of Career Compass, a tool designed to put employees firmly in the driver's seat of their own development. The shift signals a broader philosophical change: the old model, where employers controlled career trajectories, is giving way to something more empowering — and more effective. Gena also discusses how LVMH's ERGs have become genuine engines of community and business outcomes, not just checkbox programs, under the company's guiding principle: "Diverse by essence, and inclusive by choice."
- Why "people first" is LVMH's actual operating model — not just a value statement
- The transmission of skill philosophy and how apprenticeship thinking applies to every function, not just creative roles
- Career Compass — giving employees agency over their own professional journeys
- How high performance and holistic well-being reinforce each other, especially in demanding, recovery-essential industries
- ERGs as business accelerators — mobilizing diverse perspectives to drive outcomes, not just representation
- Listening as a leadership practice — using employee surveys to address mental health fatigue and respond meaningfully
Built by People is sponsored by Previ, the private pricing network that saves employees an average of $2,200/year on essentials like cell phone and auto insurance — free for companies to launch and maintain.
What you'll take away
- 1Prioritize people as the number one core asset, recognizing that exceptional products stem from exceptional talent.
- 2Cultivate a culture where high performance and holistic employee well-being mutually exist and are actively supported.
- 3Embed the 'transmission of skill' philosophy into learning and development, drawing inspiration from apprenticeship models.
- 4Increase career transparency and empower employees with tools like 'Career Compass' to drive their own professional journeys.
- 5Listen to employee feedback (e.g., through surveys) to address mental health and fatigue, providing access to necessary support tools.
What most organizations get wrong
- •The idea that an employer is solely responsible for career decisions is old-fashioned; career management is a collective effort involving HR, managers, and employees.
- •High-performance cultures are not antithetical to well-being; both can and should exist together, with recovery being crucial for sustaining peak performance.
In Gena's words
“The number one core belief at LVMH is that people make the difference. So the organization is really centered around people.”
This quote highlights the foundational principle of LVMH's HR philosophy, emphasizing people as the central asset.
“I think you can have a culture of high performance and a culture of well-being. I think that these things can mutually exist. And we're really finding more and more ways that they can.”
This challenges the common perception that high performance and employee well-being are in opposition, advocating for their synergy.
“This idea of transmission of skill, again, is really rooted into the DNA of how we think about development. It doesn't just apply to the creative roles that we have within the group, but it's the same philosophy that we bring to business.”
This explains LVMH's unique, historically-informed approach to learning and development across all business functions.
“at LVMH, we are diverse by essence and inclusive by choice.”
This catchphrase concisely summarizes LVMH's proactive and intentional stance on diversity and inclusion.
“employees want to be more in the driver's seat of their career, right? And so this idea that an employer is making the decision is sort of a very old-fashioned way of career management.”
This quote identifies a shift in employee expectations regarding career ownership and LVMH's response to it.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations need to continuously cultivate creative and entrepreneurial talent to drive innovation and positive impact.
- •Balancing a high-performance culture with comprehensive employee well-being and mental health support, especially in demanding industries.
- •Ensuring existing talent has access to ongoing learning and development that addresses both current and future skill needs (5-10 years out).
- •Navigating complex organizational structures to provide transparency and clear career pathways for employees seeking diverse growth opportunities.
- •Addressing lingering employee fatigue and mental health challenges stemming from past crises (like COVID) and providing tools for recovery in demanding work environments.
In this episode
I'm excited to welcome Gina to the Built by People podcast
Gina on Built by People
I grew up in Texas, and I always talk about a pivotal moment
Pushing the revolving door at LVMH
LVMH believes its number one core asset is its people
LVMH: People Make the Difference
LVMH has a number of learning and development programs across its business
LVMH's Learning and Development Programs
How does LVMH foster community and also drive business outcomes
LVMH's Diversity and Inclusivity
In an increasingly competitive job market, what are some strategies LVMH uses
LVMH's Approach to Recruit and Retain Talent
High-performance organizations should focus on building a high-performance culture
Gina Hewitt on Mental Health and Wellbeing
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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