Severine Riviere-Gerstner
Chief People Officer
Sportradar
Episode 206
Beyond the Org Chart: Empowering People Redefines Modern HR Leadership
Current chapter: Built by People Podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleMay 5, 2025 · 14:07
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership is characterized by a commitment to continuous learning, cultural adaptability, and a human-centric approach that prioritizes listening and empowering individuals, regardless of organizational hierarchy, especially amidst technological evolution and change.”
Show notes
Global Insights and DEIB Strategies with Severine Riviere-Gerstner on the Built by People Podcast
In this episode of the Built by People Podcast, host Dave welcomes Severine to discuss her extensive career journey and experiences as an HR leader.
Severine highlights the importance of adapting leadership styles to different cultural environments and shares a case study on DEIB initiatives at Sportradar.
She sheds light on overcoming obstacles in HR program implementation and emphasizes the significance of aligning company values with decision-making.
Severine concludes with advice on the importance of listening, continuous learning, and adapting to evolving technology in the HR field.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:38 Meet Severine: A Journey Through HR
02:02 DEIB Initiatives at Sportradar
04:29 Overcoming HR Challenges: A Case Study
08:37 Aligning Mission and Values in HR
11:06 Parting Advice for HR Leaders
13:59 Conclusion and Farewell
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What you'll take away
- 1Adapt your leadership style to different cultural environments to be effective globally.
- 2Significant HR initiatives can be driven from any level, even without direct teams or budgets, by building a clear plan, piloting, and involving champions.
- 3Organizational values are critical guides during difficult times like organizational changes, ensuring people are treated with respect and transparency.
- 4For HR leaders, active listening is paramount; it amplifies your voice and allows for self-management and self-correction.
- 5Proactively adapt to evolving technology in HR by continuously unlearning old practices and relearning new ones.
What most organizations get wrong
- •You don't need to be at the top to create your success and overcome actually the challenges.
In Severine's words
“You do not lead the same way in Germany or in Nigeria or Hong Kong or New York, right? So you need to adapt to your environment in the workforce, and more importantly, adopt different tools to lead.”
This highlights the necessity of cultural intelligence and adaptability in global leadership.
“You don't need to be at the top to create your success and overcome actually the challenges.”
This quote emphasizes that impact is not solely tied to hierarchical position but to initiative and execution.
“One of the key to success in everything that one can do, and it's dear to my heart, is make things as simple as possible.”
This provides a practical principle for designing and implementing effective programs.
“Integrity governs what we do, first of all, with our employees, but also with our clients, partners, colleagues.”
This underscores the foundational role of integrity across all aspects of a company's operations and relationships.
“Once you put your foot as an HR leader, you need to be mindful that you have a voice, but that voice can only actually amplify if you first listen.”
This offers crucial advice on the foundational importance of listening for HR leaders to gain influence.
“The watch out that I would give, and the last piece maybe from a context perspective and timing perspective, is really making sure that we adapt to the technology, right? And making sure that we take technology into account in what we do. That requires us to unlearn a lot and relearn a lot.”
This highlights the critical need for continuous adaptation and learning in the face of rapid technological advancements in HR.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations struggle with upgrading capabilities in emerging markets, often lacking initial budget or dedicated teams.
- •Implementing significant HR programs, especially organizational changes, is inherently difficult and requires careful management of employee respect, transparency, and alignment.
- •HR professionals face the challenge of continuously adapting to and integrating rapidly evolving technology into their practices, requiring significant unlearning and relearning.
In this episode
Built by People Podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Moving abroad has shaped me as an HR professional, and it has shaped my career
WSJD Live: Career Journey
Sportradar DEIB aims to create an inclusive workplace culture
Diversity in the Workforce
Can you tell us about a challenging obstacle you faced while implementing a significant HR program
One of the challenges I faced while implementing HR program
Sportradar's mission and values influence major decisions and projects
Sportradar's mission and values
Catherine Severin offers advice on becoming an HR leader on Built by People
Catherine Severin on Her Final Words
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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