Interview with Assaf Schwartz, VP HR at Cynomi

Introduction

Assaf Schwartz is a people leader who bridges business hustle and human insight, proving HR thrives when rooted in real-world grit. From sales roots in defense and ad tech startups like Supersonic (acquired by IronSource) to building teams in New York and transitioning to HR at 32, he's led recruiting at AppsFlyer and now serves as VP HR at Cynomi, a Series B cyber SaaS firm with 80 employees across Israel, London, and the US. In this interview for the Top HR to Follow list, we unpack his lateral career moves, the art of indirect influence in HR, and why true leadership means caring enough not to let talent settle. Assaf's no-BS, results-driven yet deeply empathetic style - blending sales savvy with radical candor - inspires HR pros to see people as the ultimate differentiator in an AI era.

So, who are you, Assaf? Tell me a bit about your current role.

"I'm Assaf Schwartz, and I serve as VP HR at Cynomi. We're a cyber company that raised a Series B round earlier this year, and right now we have about 80 people. We also have offices in Israel, London, and the United States. It's pretty standard tech work, with our main focus on the US market, and we do SaaS in a B2B model."

You didn't start in HR, right? Most HR folks climb the traditional ladder from coordinator roles, but you took a different path.

"Yeah, I should probably explain what's going on in my LinkedIn experience. I only entered tech at age 32, after my army service, and then I got a degree in economics. After the army, I really wanted to be a copywriter, so I took a course for that. But in 2008, there were no jobs in advertising agencies, and honestly, I wasn't that great at it anyway. So, I ended up joining a low-tech defense company through an army connection, and I started in sales, just as a basic salesperson. It was pretty boring, to be honest.

Then, I moved to a startup in advertising tech called Supersonic, which was later acquired by IronSource. I knew the founders, and it was one of those classic situations where they said, 'Come on Monday, we're growing, and you're capable with your connections, even if you don't know much about tech yet.' I began as an assistant account manager, got some clients, and worked on growing them. Things moved really fast after that, and within a year, they sent me to New York to run the business there. I lived there for four years, managing the whole thing - it was way over my head, jumping into the big agencies world. The first year was tough, with real imposter syndrome, but it got better over time. I built a good team by surrounding myself with people who were smarter and better than me."

How did you transition to HR?

"We came back to Israel because it was cold, and we had family reasons - we didn't see ourselves raising kids there. It was all pretty random, and there wasn't much exciting work in business when I returned, but the company still wanted me to stay on. Then, a friend suggested, 'Why not try HR?' He pointed out that people always came to me for career advice, book recommendations, and I seemed to have a natural connection with people. I thought, that sounds cool, even though I had no idea what it really meant. So, I gave it a shot.

I started in learning and development at IronSource for about a year, but it didn't quite fit. After that, I connected with AppsFlyer, and things moved from there. The whole shift to HR felt accidental. For me, my mantra has always been to not see a career as a straight vertical climb. Instead, it's about a set of skills, what excites you, and what pulls you in. Whether it's called HR, marketing, sales, or product - if it fits, go for it. Sure, there's a cost because you often reset your level when switching sideways, but it's been such a rewarding experience. You start to see how similar many roles really are. Even in HR positions, I've taken on stretch assignments that are more operational, data-focused, and results-oriented. I like blurring those strict role boundaries."

What drew you to HR specifically, and why does it fit now?

"When I first got into HR at AppsFlyer, the real entry point was managing all the recruiting. And recruiting is a lot like sales, you know? Good recruiters and leaders of recruiting teams understand that the whole process is basically a sales motion. You run a funnel, and you're selling a product - in this case, the career opportunity or the role. It's the same deal: Whether it's outbound efforts like sourcing candidates or inbound from job posts and sites, just like in sales. Then, you have to sell them along the way, through the entire hiring or sales process. So, it felt very familiar, especially since it's so data-driven, which is where I always felt comfortable.

We built our recruiting team like a sales organization. We put a strong emphasis on our brand to attract people, how we close candidates, and making it all data-backed and focused on real results. Because of that, the transition was relatively smooth. If someone from business is thinking of moving to HR, I always recommend starting with recruiting - it's a great entry point. And within a company, it pulls you into the broader HR world, especially when you're leading a team. That's when you dive deeper into other HR areas, and you see the parallels.

The biggest overlap, in my view, is leadership itself. Whether you're managing HR folks, sales teams, or customer success, psychologically, we're all the same kind of people. It's about what motivates us, our strengths, how you build and keep a team, and how you hire right. I leaned into that a lot, by hiring and developing people who were more talented than me in their areas. Then, the team's overall strengths became powerful, and even where I lacked experience, I made sure to have experts until I caught up. Interactions with people are key everywhere. HR is like internal people management, while sales or customer success is about clients, but the psychology is pretty similar. Of course, there are tons of differences you learn along the way, and you can't just drop into HR without effort - it takes time, just like any role. People sometimes think HR is simple or that anyone can do it, but no, it's a full profession that requires real time to get good at."

What do people outside HR not understand that those in it know?

"HR sits in an interesting spot in the organizational structure - it's part of G&A, along with finance and legal. These are support functions, what we'd call the 'rear echelon' in IDF terms. And that makes it really challenging, because your way to deliver results isn't direct. It's all through other managers, through smart hiring, through people and processes. You can't just come in and say, 'Okay, our values are now X, let's implement it tomorrow.' That's different from sales, for example, where you can decide, 'Tomorrow we change our pitch and go.' In HR, everything goes through processes, it takes time, and there's a lot of gray area.

So, if a manager doesn't know how to hire well or structure interviews properly, you're not the one doing most of the screenings or final calls - you're supporting them. I think people outside don't realize how tough that is. You really need skills in influencing and guiding. And honestly, I'm still not at the absolute top level myself when it comes to things like shifting culture, changing behaviors, or truly empowering people."

Leadership seems central to you - how do you distinguish it from management, and why is it key?

"It's the classic difference between management and leadership that everyone talks about. Management is about handling the operations - setting KPIs, daily routines, the tools you use, and how you measure progress. And you can apply that to pretty much any team without much change. It's super important, no doubt.

But we're all people at the end of the day - complex, sensitive, and psychological creatures who are different from each other and even change from day to day. You have good days and bad days, family stuff comes up, and everyone has their unique personality. A leader knows how to create something bigger than the sum of its parts. That means hiring the right people for the current tasks and the team's overall mix, keeping everyone's motivation high, placing them in roles where their strengths shine, and helping develop their skills and confidence. Plus, dealing with the conflicts that always pop up in teams, like communication issues or different styles - those are inevitable in any organization.

Without that leadership touch, you might be a great operations manager, but you don't necessarily need to manage people directly for roles like product manager, architect, or even HR business partner - those are heavy on processes and collaboration. That's fine, but if you want to make your people truly amazing and drive the company's success through them, leadership is essential. Sadly, it's not taught or valued enough in many places. The way we select managers is often not thorough enough. The default tends to be promoting the best individual performer or the one who's been there longest and then they make every mistake in the book. By then, it can be too late sometimes. Leadership is a huge passion for me, and a lot of what I write and share is about it, because I believe it's the real differentiator. It separates teams that function okay, even above average when things are smooth, from those that truly soar, stand strong in tough times, grow through challenges, and deliver outstanding work."

What excites you most in your day-to-day as VP HR - what consistently fulfills you?

"It's incredibly fulfilling for me to sit down with a manager and talk through a team dilemma or challenge we're facing. We co-coach each other to figure out solutions, like what steps to take next or how to handle feedback in one-on-ones - whether it's giving praise, pointing out areas to improve, or deciding on team actions.

In recruiting, I see a huge impact too. I always try to emphasize to managers just how critical hiring is for success. I've learned the hard way that people don't change that much at their core. Most of us are shaped by our genetics, family, and society by around age 12 or 13, and we enter the workforce pretty set. A manager can influence maybe 20% - that's a lot - but you can't overhaul the foundation. Often, managers spot an issue, like communication problems, and think, 'It's okay, they'll arrive and we'll fix it.' But sometimes, those are things you shouldn't hire to solve.

What really fills me up is discussing candidates and guiding decisions. For instance, I might say, 'I think they don't quite fit, even if they check the boxes on paper, because of these reasons.' Or, 'Actually, they do fit - maybe something's missing on paper, but look at their potential, their learning ability, collaboration skills, and positive energy. They might have a slow start, but they'll make a strong long-term impact.' With some patience, you help move things forward. Even though you rarely touch things directly - it's more from the sidelines - you end up influencing the whole organization, from top hires to everyone else, through conversations, frameworks, or training. That's what makes it so exciting."

Many might think HR is disconnected from business, but you emphasize the link - how does that play out daily?

"I love connecting HR to the business, starting with how we measure success. That's the analytical, results-oriented side in me. Think about it: At the end of the year, when the CEO asks if I've done a good job or not, what are they basing it on? There are pretty standard metrics for HR - I didn't invent them, you can find them anywhere online or even ask AI.

First, there's hiring: Did we hire the right people at the right time? Then, engagement - how motivated and proud people feel about the company. Attrition is key too - how many leave for reasons we could have prevented? And development, like how many got promoted, moved internally, or learned new skills.

These metrics directly tie to business health. If they're strong, at least on the talent and people side, the organization is solid. Sure, a bad product or strategy can limit growth - think selling pizzas in a market, no matter how great your team, revenue has caps. But the opposite is true too: An amazing product in a huge market can fail if the organization crumbles, like many classic cases we've seen - think Nokia or Blockbuster.

To gauge org health, I look at those metrics first. They tell a clear story, even in smaller companies - you don't need 1,000 people to measure. High engagement scores, low attrition, good promotion or internal mobility rates all signal a healthy structure. It doesn't guarantee overall success, but it builds the core foundation for an amazing org.

From there, it moves to projects. If attrition is high, what do we tackle? Improve hiring? Boost retention? Do one-on-ones across the org? Train managers on conversations like giving status updates or recognition? You analyze why a metric is off and plan actions to fix it. The data usually paints a beautiful picture of what's really going on in a department or the whole org, and it works well."

You're known as a strong, impactful manager - how do you define good management in practice?

"I've thought about this a ton - read so many books on it. Today, I'd say I'm a good manager, maybe good-plus, but I started out pretty low. What drove me was curiosity, hunger, and a competitive spirit to get better. I learned a lot, and in the end, I distilled it down to two big pillars. I even created a training for managers with about 19 things I believe in, but here are the essentials: First, a good manager delivers results. Management isn't just about making everyone feel good, motivated, or supported - that's a means to an end. The real goal is outcomes. I tell people that the worst thing for your career is having a manager who doesn't deliver results. Everything gets stuck - the team doesn't advance, you don't get resources or power, and it trickles down. It's better to have a tough but effective manager, even if they're not super caring, than the reverse.

Second, it's about genuine care for the people on your team. You truly want them to succeed and be happy. This isn't something you can teach, which is why when screening for managers, you have to check for it. Only step into that role if you really want to empower people and help them shine, because without it, you won't get results at scale. Even those 'hard' managers who seem tough on the outside? Deep down, they care - they're soft-hearted and inspire loyalty.

This care shows up in small ways, like noticing if someone's off and checking in: 'Hey, everything okay? I saw you seemed down.' That can uncover issues, like a tough conversation that day, and you solve it through talk or action. But it's radical care too - if someone's not performing or fitting, you don't let them suffer or stagnate. You give feedback on improvements, and if needed, help them move on - all from a place of caring, not cold detachment.

So, when I boil it down, you need results focus plus real care for your team. That's not the whole story - there are more tactics - but with these basics, you'll be a solid manager."

What's one management principle you've carried to every team you've led?

"I really value transparency, and it's something I bring to every new team or when onboarding someone. For instance, every new hire or when I join a new group, I have this slide deck of my core values that I present. I share what I believe in, and one key part is how transparency translates to feedback for me.

I tell them we have to be completely open with each other - about what we're doing well, where we're falling short, what motivates or demotivates us, our strengths and blind spots. And I actively invite people to give me feedback. It works more often than you'd think, and it always thrills me. Just recently, a team member pointed out something small in a Slack message from a week ago. I responded, 'That's awesome you shared - it stuck with you, and you brought it up.' To me, it's a privilege to foster that kind of environment where people feel safe raising even tiny nuances. Another manager might brush it off as no big deal.

I want that transparency to flow within the team too, from a place of empowerment and care. Obviously, feedback isn't about personal annoyances - those go to one-on-ones. But real issues? Let's put them on the table. Almost every internal problem I've seen stems from poor communication. So, this open communication with radical feedback is something I swear by - it builds trust and helps everyone grow."

If you had to define your people philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

"My approach to people? Care about them enough not to let them settle - I care about you so much that I'm responsible for helping you be excellent."

Was there a pivotal moment or person that shaped your values as this kind of manager?

"There wasn't one big event or person that changed everything for me. Instead, it came from hands-on experience, reading a ton of books, trial and error, and really helpful feedback from my teams along the way. That feedback kept me on track and helped me adjust.

The only moment that stands out as kind of pivotal was my first management workshop. It was that classic external session, about two or three days long, right at the start when I first got a team. I walked out of it realizing I wasn't a good enough manager yet - there was so much more I needed to learn about leading people effectively. At the opening, the CEO even recommended four books, and I devoured them all in a month. From there, I kept reading like crazy.

That experience was a wake-up call: I needed to get my act together because I owed my team a higher level of leadership. It pushed me to raise my game and commit to growing as a manager."

Looking ahead: What's the biggest challenge for HR in the next decade?

"It's tough to predict exactly with how fast things are changing, but if we're talking automation and AI - which we have to - almost everything operational in HR will get automated. I've seen a lot of HR teams stuck in ops mode, like handling day-to-day HR operations, and that's not the strategic side where you're influencing the whole organization.

Teams or VP HR roles that are super operational will likely shrink a lot because of that automation. Now's the time - better late than never - to focus on the higher-value stuff: How do we hire smarter? How do we develop leaders? How do we design organizations and manage talent? These areas are complicated and full of nuance, and as long as we have humans working in companies, we'll need people to plan and oversee them - machines can't handle that subtlety yet.

So, we'll see a shift, where ops roles fade almost completely. Maybe just one person coordinating the systems to make sure they run smoothly. Keeping the human factor relevant will be the big challenge - but it's not just some romantic idea. From a business standpoint, AI is making everything more accessible and similar. Bots can handle recruiting, marketing, coding - all open to everyone. So, what sets you apart? It's the people who can integrate all that and execute it the best, fastest, and smartest. The need for top talent will only get more intense, because the rest will be leveled out."

What professional mistake taught you the most?

"When I moved to New York, I came in way too bullish, full of ideas about how to build things, with plans, goals, and all that. But after about a month, I got some major pushback from the team. At first, I took it personally - I was a young manager, thinking, 'They don't get my vision,' or whatever.

But then I realized I just hadn't adapted to the situation. Here's a tip for anyone stepping into a new role, especially in management: Take a beat when you arrive. It could be a week or even a month - stay quiet, don't push an agenda right away. Instead, observe where the team is at, who the people are, what they do well, what they enjoy, and where the gaps are.

That was a huge lesson for me: It's not about being right; it's about being smart. You have to know how to work within a human organization, not just charge ahead."

One tip for someone shifting careers to HR today?

"Get comfortable with the fact that you can't accomplish much in HR without others' support. HR doesn't succeed in isolation - everything happens through collaboration with people around you.

Early on, when I switched, that indirect nature was frustrating. I'd think, 'Okay, now I have to wait for the next one-on-one, or retrain this manager on hiring because they skipped steps.' It all moves through others.

Now, it doesn't bother me because I get it completely. If you're coming from something more direct, like product or sales where you can push forward on your own, know that HR is different - but in a great way, because it lets you influence the entire organization. It just takes patience, building the right relationships, and matching paces. Some people will run with you quickly; with others, it might take six months to build real rapport."

Conclusion

Essentially, Assaf Schwartz redefines HR as a force multiplier - blending sales acumen with unyielding people focus to drive results through empowerment. His journey shows careers needn't be linear; true impact comes from adaptability, radical care, and keeping humans central amid AI's rise. As HR evolves, Assaf's call to measure deeply, lead boldly, and hire wisely reminds us: In a commoditized world, exceptional people - and those who nurture them - remain the edge. Thanks to Assaf for this raw, insightful dive - it's fuel for any leader building teams that endure and excel.