Scott Pulsipher on Reimagining Higher Education, Innovation with Accountability, and Creating Opportunity at Scale

Scott Pulsipher on Reimagining Higher Education, Innovation with Accountability, and Creating Opportunity at Scale

This week, Jessica sits down with Scott Pulsipher, President of Western Governors University, to explore how education must evolve to meet the realities of a rapidly changing world. Drawing on his background in technology, business, and leadership, Scott shares why traditional assumptions about higher education are breaking down and what it takes to build an institution designed around outcomes rather than convention. Scott explains how WGU grew into one of the largest universities in the country by focusing relentlessly on student success, affordability, flexibility, and competency rather than seat time. He discusses why innovation requires both autonomy and accountability, how an innovation bias became part of WGU’s culture, and why organizations must continually challenge their own assumptions if they hope to remain relevant. The conversation also explores the future of learning in an era shaped by artificial intelligence, accelerating technological change, and shifting workforce demands. Scott reflects on the role of education as a pathway to economic and social mobility, the importance of stewardship in long term leadership, and why institutions must be willing to reinvent themselves before the world forces them to. At its core, this episode is about building systems that create opportunity, leading with purpose rather than tradition, and preparing people not just for today’s challenges, but for a future that is arriving faster than ever. About Scott Pulsipher Scott Pulsipher serves as president of Western Governors University (WGU), the nation’s first and largest competency-based university, leading all academic, operational, and organizational functions. Pulsipher came to WGU in 2016 and blends a personal drive for making a difference in the lives of individuals and families through education and a passion for technology-powered innovation. At WGU, he is driving continuous innovation to improve student outcomes by focusing on rapidly advancing curriculum quality, new faculty models, data-driven learning, and an innovative cost model. In 2020, EdTech Digest named him one of the Top 100 Influencers in EdTech. Pulsipher chairs the President’s Forum, a collaborative network of nearly 20?college and university presidents committed to the reinvention of higher education.He also serves as a member of Handshake’s Impact Advisory Board, and on the board of the American Council on Education. Before coming to WGU, Pulsipher had more than 20 years of leadership experience in technology-based, customer-focused businesses, including Amazon, Sterling Commerce (now part of IBM), and two successful startups that traverse retail, supply chain, banking, payments, and manufacturing sectors. Pulsipher holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Harvard University.   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-pulsipher-5735143/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-pulsipher-5735143/]             Website: https://www.wgu.edu/ [https://www.wgu.edu/]   Host: Jessica Kriegel   Culture Partners LinkedIn:  [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/]linkedin.com/company/culturepartners [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/] Website:  [https://jessicakriegel.com/]jessicakriegel.com [https://jessicakriegel.com/]LinkedIn:  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel]linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel]Instagram:  [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/]@jess_kriegel [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/]Website:  [https://culturepartners.com/]culturepartners.com [https://culturepartners.com/]

Reverend Eric J. Hall on Spiritual Care, Whole Person Healing, and Bringing Meaning into Modern Leadership

This week, Jessica sits down with Reverend Eric J. Hall, CEO of the Spiritual Care Association, to explore the often overlooked role of spiritual care in both healthcare and organizational leadership. Drawing on decades of experience across healthcare, nonprofit leadership, and chaplaincy, Eric shares a compelling perspective on why caring for the human spirit is not optional—but essential to true healing and performance. Eric explains how spiritual care differs from religious care, reframing it as the pursuit of meaning and purpose that applies to everyone, regardless of belief system. He walks through the growing body of research showing that integrating spiritual care into healthcare improves outcomes, shortens recovery times, and supports both patients and staff in high-stakes environments. The conversation also explores the expansion of chaplaincy beyond hospitals into corporate environments, first responders, and everyday workplaces. Eric addresses common misconceptions, the challenges of funding and perception, and why organizations that invest in supporting the whole person ultimately see stronger culture, retention, and engagement. About Reverend Eric Hall Rev. Eric J. Hall is president and CEO of HealthCare Chaplaincy Network™, a 55-year-old global nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the integration of spiritual care in health care to increase patient satisfaction and help people faced with illness and grief find comfort and meaning—whoever they are, whatever they believe, wherever they are.  HCCN is a leader in clinical pastoral education and spiritual care research, and provides professional chaplaincy services at major health care institutions in New York, including Hospital for Special Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and NYU Langone Medical Center. Since Rev. Hall joined the New York-based HCCN in August 2013, the organization has been making important advances in clinical pastoral education, research into the evidence of the value of chaplaincy interventions, and alliances with like-minded organizations.  He has also led the organization’s expansion beyond traditional hospital bedside chaplaincy by innovating a suite of cost-effective, technology-driven programs and services to provide spiritual support to individuals and their families throughout the health care continuum—whether in hospital or outpatient settings, hospice, long-term residences, or at home. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-j-hall/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-j-hall/]              Website: https://ericjhall.org/ [https://ericjhall.org/] Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com [https://jessicakriegel.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel] Instagram: @jess_kriegel [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/] Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com [https://culturepartners.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/]

Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers: Reaching Modern Readers and Leading in a Changing Publishing Landscape

This week, Jessica speaks with Jon Yaged, CEO of Macmillan Publishers and longtime publishing executive, to explore how books, reading habits, and consumer expectations are evolving in a rapidly changing world. With experience leading major book organizations through growth and transformation, Jon shares a grounded perspective on what it takes to keep reading relevant in an era defined by constant distraction and shifting attention. Jon explains how successful book companies think beyond individual titles and instead focus on building lasting relationships with readers. He walks through the realities of scaling a modern publishing business, from understanding changing consumption patterns to creating experiences that meet readers where they are. He also reflects on the role of leadership in balancing commercial performance with the deeper mission of fostering curiosity, learning, and long term engagement. The conversation also explores how technology, distribution, and audience behavior are reshaping the industry, and why adaptability has become a core requirement for publishers and leaders alike. Jon shares insights on building teams that can operate through uncertainty, staying focused on the customer, and continuing to invest in books as a meaningful and enduring medium. About Jon Yaged Jon Yaged is Chief Executive Officer of Macmillan Publishers. Jon previously served as President, Macmillan Publishers, and President & Publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. During his tenure as CEO and President, the company recorded the highest revenue and operating income in its history. Over the course of his 20-year career in children’s publishing, Jon oversaw the publication of many bestselling books while working with critically acclaimed, award-winning authors and illustrators, including Katherine Applegate, Leigh Bardugo, Angeline Boulley, Eoin Colfer, Taye Diggs, Shane W. Evans, Jimmy Fallon, Jules Feiffer, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Marissa Meyer, Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, and Gene Luen Yang.  Jon is passionate about fostering publishing programs that reflect the communities in which we live. He is committed to leading a company that invests in its employees by creating a culture of collaboration, mentorship, inclusion, and innovation. Jon began his publishing career at The Walt Disney Company, reaching the level of Vice President, US Publisher, Disney Book Group. He also served as Chief Operating Officer of a social media marketing company and, before joining Disney, he practiced entertainment and technology law.  Jon currently serves on the Boards of the Association of American Publishers, National Book Foundation, and National Coalition Against Censorship. He has a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the George Washington University. Jon lives with his family in New York City. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonyaged/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonyaged/]              Website: https://us.macmillan.com/ [https://us.macmillan.com/] Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com [https://jessicakriegel.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel] Instagram: @jess_kriegel [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/] Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com [https://culturepartners.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/]

Lothar Schupet on Building a Brand from Scratch, Aligning Culture at Scale, and Leading Through Global Complexity

This week, Jessica sits down with Lothar Schupet, Acting CEO of Zeekr EU, to explore what it really takes to build a premium brand from the ground up in one of the most competitive and complex industries in the world. With more than 25 years in automotive, Lothar brings a rare perspective on the shift from legacy organizations to high-speed, startup-like environments. Lothar shares the realities of launching a new brand in Europe, from designing products without historical customer feedback to building distribution, infrastructure, and operations simultaneously across multiple markets. He explains why early success depended on hiring “doers” who could operate without structure, and how the next phase required layering in deep industry expertise to stabilize and scale the business. The conversation also dives into culture as a performance driver. Lothar reflects on the challenge of aligning teams across dozens of nationalities, backgrounds, and legacy mindsets, and how clear cultural beliefs, like trust paired with accountability, enabled faster decision making, decentralized ownership, and sustained growth. He offers practical insight into embedding culture through repetition, leadership modeling, and systems that reinforce behavior over time. About Lothar Schupet Lothar Schupet is the Acting CEO of Zeekr Europe, a role he assumed in January 2025. Prior to this, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Head of Commercial Operations at Zeekr from January 2023 to December 2024, overseeing sales, network development, financial services, logistics, training, and retail operations. Lothar's extensive experience in the automotive industry and his leadership roles across various European markets position him to drive Zeekr Europe's growth and expansion in the electric vehicle sector. Lothar holds a Master's in International Business from Grenoble Graduate School of Business. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lothar-schupet-a354a21/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lothar-schupet-a354a21/] Website: https://www.zeekr.eu/ [https://www.zeekr.eu/] Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com [https://jessicakriegel.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel] Instagram: @jess_kriegel [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/] Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com [https://culturepartners.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/]

Jerry Golden on Multiplying Team Impact, Translating Between Power Centers, and Leading Through Purpose at Lyft

This week, Jessica sits down with Jerry Golden, Chief Policy Officer at Lyft, for a wide-ranging conversation about how great leaders scale their influence by building teams that multiply results rather than simply adding to them. Drawing on his experience operating at the intersection of government, technology, and community stakeholders, Jerry shares why the most valuable leadership skill is not being the smartest person in the room, but connecting the right people, ideas, and priorities to move complex work forward. Jerry explains the reality of serving as a translator between fundamentally different worlds, fast-moving tech organizations and slow-moving policy environments, and why credibility, active listening, and shared purpose are the only path to lasting alignment. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at how rideshare policy is shaped, how Lyft approaches expansion into new global markets, and why the future of mobility will be a hybrid of human drivers, autonomous technology, and new access models designed for underserved populations. The conversation also explores the human side of leadership: gratitude as a daily practice, generosity as a performance advantage, and the responsibility leaders have to create environments where candor and mutual growth are possible. Jerry reflects on social impact initiatives like Lyft Up, the role of transportation in unlocking economic opportunity, and why maintaining independence and flexibility is essential for both drivers and riders in a changing economy. About Jerry Golden Jerry Golden is Lyft’s Chief Policy Officer, leading Lyft’s global policy development, government and public‬ affairs, social impact, and driver and rider advocacy. His team works at the intersection of advanced‬ technology and transportation innovation, shaping the future of mobility with policymakers and‬ stakeholders at the local, state, national, and international levels.‬  Jerry is an accomplished policy leader with a history of using technology to bring people together. Before‬ joining Lyft, he led public policy and government affairs teams at Eventbrite, the Internet Association,‬ Vanguard, and Nationwide, building trusted relationships with policymakers and stakeholders to elevate‬ each organization’s impact. Earlier in his career, he also represented the American Council of Life Insurers‬ and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.‬ Jerry has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Richmond and a Master's degree in International‬ Commerce and Policy from George Mason University. He and his husband live in Washington, DC and have‬ two sons, Boston Terriers named Bertie and Alfie.‬ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrygolden1/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrygolden1/] Website: https://www.lyft.com/ [https://www.lyft.com/] Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com [https://jessicakriegel.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel] Instagram: @jess_kriegel [https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/] Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com [https://culturepartners.com/] LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners [https://linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/]