Jen Fults, Global Chief People Officer at Alvarez & Marsal
Thu Feb 05 2026
The Golden Thread: Alvarez & Marsal’s CPO on AI, Trust, and Sustainable Growth
Summary
How do you scale a people function for a global consultancy—without burning out the team?
Jen Fults, Managing Director and Global Chief People Officer at Alvarez & Marsal, shares how her HR team is redesigning the entire people experience to fuel ambitious growth sustainably.
Jen explains A&M’s entrepreneurial, “permission to build” culture, the “golden thread” that connects hiring, development, performance, and rewards, and why co-creation with business stakeholders is non-negotiable for adoption.
She details standing up an AI council to accelerate execution (not just add headcount), rebuilding performance in weeks by leveraging internal and external networks, and the leadership practices that keep pace and boundaries intact.
Expect practical insights on stakeholder management, change enablement, and building trust-rich teams where no task is too small—and where programs are rooted in what employees actually need.
Timestamps
[00:45] – Guest intro: Alvarez & Marsal’s global footprint and Jen’s remit
[01:48] – HR team structure, enabling firm growth and operating model focus
[02:44] – The “golden thread” across hiring, development, performance, and rewards
[04:34] – Entrepreneurial culture: permission to pitch, build, and move fast
[05:30] – Case study: rebuilding performance in weeks by tapping networks
[09:13] – What’s ripe for disruption: AI’s role and A&M’s HR AI council
[10:52] – Sustainable execution: pacing, boundaries, and avoiding burnout
[15:20] – Co-creation and change management: turning stakeholders into champions
[16:49] – The rising bar for HR: consultative skills, data, and business fluency
[20:05] – Closing mindset: keep the human experience at the center
Takeaways
- Build the “golden thread” that links hiring, development, performance, and total rewards to a consistent people experience.
- Co-create programs with business leaders to drive trust, relevance, and real adoption.
- Use AI and data to accelerate execution and quality—not to simply expand headcount.
- Set clear pace and boundaries; design roadmaps that prevent burnout while meeting growth goals.
- Equip HR with consultative skills (stakeholder management, change enablement) alongside deep functional expertise.
- Cultivate a trust-first team culture—no task too small, raise your hand early, and support each other to the finish line.
Sponsor
AllVoices brings all your employee relations work together in one place. No more jumping between spreadsheets, emails, and legacy systems just one place to document and manage reports, cases, investigations, and performance conversations. It helps you run a more consistent process, takes busywork off your plate with AI, and makes it easier to spot trends early, so you can work proactively, not just put out fires.
See a demo at https://www.allvoices.co/
More
The Golden Thread: Alvarez & Marsal’s CPO on AI, Trust, and Sustainable Growth Summary How do you scale a people function for a global consultancy—without burning out the team? Jen Fults, Managing Director and Global Chief People Officer at Alvarez & Marsal, shares how her HR team is redesigning the entire people experience to fuel ambitious growth sustainably. Jen explains A&M’s entrepreneurial, “permission to build” culture, the “golden thread” that connects hiring, development, performance, and rewards, and why co-creation with business stakeholders is non-negotiable for adoption. She details standing up an AI council to accelerate execution (not just add headcount), rebuilding performance in weeks by leveraging internal and external networks, and the leadership practices that keep pace and boundaries intact. Expect practical insights on stakeholder management, change enablement, and building trust-rich teams where no task is too small—and where programs are rooted in what employees actually need. Timestamps [00:45] – Guest intro: Alvarez & Marsal’s global footprint and Jen’s remit [01:48] – HR team structure, enabling firm growth and operating model focus [02:44] – The “golden thread” across hiring, development, performance, and rewards [04:34] – Entrepreneurial culture: permission to pitch, build, and move fast [05:30] – Case study: rebuilding performance in weeks by tapping networks [09:13] – What’s ripe for disruption: AI’s role and A&M’s HR AI council [10:52] – Sustainable execution: pacing, boundaries, and avoiding burnout [15:20] – Co-creation and change management: turning stakeholders into champions [16:49] – The rising bar for HR: consultative skills, data, and business fluency [20:05] – Closing mindset: keep the human experience at the center Takeaways - Build the “golden thread” that links hiring, development, performance, and total rewards to a consistent people experience. - Co-create programs with business leaders to drive trust, relevance, and real adoption. - Use AI and data to accelerate execution and quality—not to simply expand headcount. - Set clear pace and boundaries; design roadmaps that prevent burnout while meeting growth goals. - Equip HR with consultative skills (stakeholder management, change enablement) alongside deep functional expertise. - Cultivate a trust-first team culture—no task too small, raise your hand early, and support each other to the finish line. Sponsor AllVoices brings all your employee relations work together in one place. No more jumping between spreadsheets, emails, and legacy systems just one place to document and manage reports, cases, investigations, and performance conversations. It helps you run a more consistent process, takes busywork off your plate with AI, and makes it easier to spot trends early, so you can work proactively, not just put out fires. See a demo at https://www.allvoices.co/