Interview with Galit Gold, EVP HR at Mend.io

Introduction

Galit Gold is an authentic HR powerhouse who blends empathy, business clarity, and bold leadership to drive real organizational impact, all while staying true to her roots. Hailing from the Golan Heights, she served as an army officer, was chief of staff to Bezeq's CEO, consulted on org development, built HR from scratch at Kali Group, and dove into hi-tech almost six years ago as EVP HR at Mend.io - a move that marked a significant leap into a fast-scaling, global, and technology-driven environment, expanding her leadership scope. Known for her honesty, strategic clarity, and ability to translate AI into practical business and people outcomes, Galit shares openly on social media, inspiring with vulnerability and wisdom. Her leadership is grounded in personal resilience and a willingness to speak uncomfortable truths.

In this interview for the Top HR to Follow list, we explore her journey shaped by home values, military grit, personal challenges like Bell's palsy, and the art of tightrope-walking change. Galit believes the future of HR is not softer, it is smarter and braver. In an era shaped by AI and constant disruption, she calls on leaders to think sharper, act faster, and remain deeply human.

Galit's philosophy - leading with clarity, truth, and heart - equips HR pros to navigate uncertainty and build growth where stability and disruption coexist.

Galit, what are you most looking forward to when you wake up for work each morning, and what still excites you after so many years?

"I'm always eager to see real movement in the organization and among people, not just activity, but growth under pressure. What thrills me most is when someone chooses courage over comfort and takes a step they once wouldn't have dared to take. It excites me to watch people grow and discover abilities they didn't know they had.

Those human breakthroughs, especially in a world accelerating faster than ever, keep the fire alive, no matter the years."

In a nutshell, what's your title, and a quick overview of your career path?

"My title is EVP HR at Mend.io. And a bit about me: I'm a collection of contrasts- rooted in the Golan, living in the city. I enjoy fine dining, yet I'm just as comfortable sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag. I care deeply about people, and I'm equally fascinated by how technology and AI reshape how we lead them.

My path moved fast. I was an officer in the army for several years, then Chief of Staff to the CEO at Bezeq, which exposed me early to complex leadership, high-stakes decisions, and the weight of organizational responsibility. From there, I moved into consulting and organizational development. After several years, I realized I didn't want to advise from the sidelines, I wanted a seat at the decision-making table, so I built HR at Kali Group.

Almost six years ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone and moved into high tech. That move proved to me that reinvention is not a one-time act, it's a leadership muscle."

Which stops along the way shaped your worldview as a manager and HR leader?

"I can trace my worldview as a leader to several defining stops. The first was my home and especially my great-grandmother, who lived with us and spoke only Romanian. She loved me with unusual intensity and sensitivity. Growing up alongside her, I learned to read what is not said, to notice what others overlook, and to understand that people are always carrying more than what is visible. From my parents, I absorbed a deep commitment to excellence and continuous learning. That combination of high standards and deep empathy still defines how I lead.

The army followed. Years of leading in complex, high-pressure environments taught me to make decisions with incomplete information and to take responsibility without hesitation.

The next stop as Chief of Staff to the CEO at Bezeq gave me a rare vantage point into strategic motion- how priorities shift, how authority is delegated, and how leadership choices ripple across an entire organization.

A more personal stop was Bell's palsy. For six months, I lived with uncertainty about whether my face would return to normal. That period strengthened my ability to function without control and reinforced the importance of proportion.

At Kali, I was entrusted with building HR infrastructures from the ground up. Being stretched, recognized, and held to high expectations sharpened my belief that when people feel seen and challenged, they grow.

Today, in a fast-scaling global tech environment, I lead with the same balance: seeing people deeply while pushing them beyond their comfort zones. I believe strong systems and strong human understanding are not opposites, they are partners in building real impact."

Did you know early in your professional path that EVP HR was your calling, or did it develop over time?

"I didn't have the title in mind early on, but I was always drawn to leading people and being in positions where I could create meaningful, wide-scale impact. Over time, I realized HR is where I can combine human leadership, excellence, and real business influence, not as a support function, but as a force that connects people to performance.

Many people still see business and HR as opposing forces. I've never accepted that divide. For me, strong HR integrates business clarity with deep human understanding within the organization and through the way we model leadership in practice. That's where real impact happens."

Tell us about your approach to managing people, leading HR, and linking it to the business.

"My approach to managing people starts with autonomy and strengths. I believe people perform at their best when they understand their unique value and are trusted to own their space. At the same time, autonomy without direction is chaos, so I insist on clarity, high standards, and honest feedback. Continuous improvement is not optional; it's part of the culture.

When it comes to leading HR, I treat it as an operating system for the organization. We work in cycles - listening, testing assumptions, refining, and measuring impact. HR should not operate in parallel to the business, it must be embedded in its priorities and accountable for outcomes.

Linking HR to the business means translating people strategy into performance. It's about ensuring that motivation, structure, and execution are aligned with where the organization is heading."

How do you balance the human need to stand with people, see them, navigate sensitively, against business needs - in two words, the bottom line?

"We balance it through truth. Clear, respectful honesty, especially in hard moments, allows people to face business reality without feeling diminished.

Standing with people and protecting the bottom line are not opposites. Truth builds trust, and trust makes hard decisions possible."

You often talk about connecting data to people and data-driven decisions. Can you bring that down to practice - where does it meet you daily?

"Data creates clarity. It cuts noise, surfaces truth, and allows me to make clean, fast decisions. In my daily work, I operate at the intersection of intuition, emotion, and data, with data as the anchor.

I rely on data in performance conversations, workforce planning, and strategic hiring decisions. I look at combined signals - turnover trends, engagement data, hiring performance, and early organizational indicators, to anticipate patterns rather than react to them.

My intuition is often strong, but data protects the organization from bias and distortion. It keeps decisions fair, measurable, and aligned with long-term business direction."

I really hear a thread running through all the recent questions - truth, honesty, trust. And how data and business needs actually support that, rather than clash. Can you share one example of a major decision grounded in data?

"One significant example was when we shifted part of our hiring strategy to Poland. There was strong resistance at first, concerns about quality, culture fit, and long-term impact.

We analyzed hiring, performance, and turnover data together, alongside engagement and cost indicators. The pattern was clear: the move had strong potential not only financially but also for retention and satisfaction.

We made the decision and measured the impact carefully before and after. The results spoke for themselves: beyond the financial impact, the real added value was discovering strong talent in Poland and seeing high satisfaction levels among both employees and managers after the shift. What began with skepticism turned into recognition. That's the power of connecting data to business direction, it gives you the confidence to lead change and prove it."

2020 wasn't like 2022, 2022 was not like 2025, and 2026 looks like AI chaos or clarifying chaos. What are the key challenges VP HRs face today in orgs?

"The core challenge today is balancing routine and transformation. Organizations are expected to move at an exponential pace, embed AI, scale capabilities, and rethink core processes, while still delivering consistently.

At the same time, people are carrying real weight. Some return from reserves, others face overload and burnout. The organization must create technological clarity and speed, as well as emotional resilience and capacity.

For me, the challenge is dual: drive fast, strategic change, and build an environment strong enough to hold people through it. Not just manage transformation, but enable it in a way that sustains performance and humanity."

One tip you'd give to an HR reader on balancing that need for a stable routine as much as possible with changes in the world, personal life, and business?

"The balance starts with accepting that tension is part of the role. You don't eliminate it, you learn to hold it.

My advice would be to define what must remain stable: your values, your clarity of direction, your expectations, and communicate that consistently. When people know what is solid, they can cope with what is shifting.

Change becomes less threatening when there are anchors. Define what must stay stable, and let everything else evolve."

How do you see the right connection between business leadership and HR?

"The right connection is a real partnership. HR shouldn't react to strategy, it should help shape it. That means sitting at the table, understanding the business deeply, and sharing accountability for outcomes."

There's often criticism that HR is just operations or fluff, but it's truly a key figure that influences strategy and steers the ship alongside leadership. What, in your eyes, differentiates an HR that truly grasps the strategic side from one stuck in therapeutic areas?

"It does happen. People bring their whole selves to work - challenges at home, internal conflicts, moments of doubt.

When someone feels safe enough to drop the mask, that's meaningful. Not because HR replaces personal life, but because work is part of life.

Those moments remind me that leadership is never just operational. It's human."

You've talked a lot with me about truth and honesty, and you're yourself very open, human, and connected. How do you believe real trust is built in an org - between HR and org/management, and among employees?

"Trust is built through consistency. Saying the same thing in calm times and in difficult ones. Showing up, especially when it's uncomfortable.

Honesty matters, but so does presence. Leaders who stay visible during hard moments build credibility.

Psychological safety is not about comfort, it's about allowing mistakes, learning openly, and not hiding reality. That balance creates trust."

HR is a function constantly walking a tightrope, a thin wire, juggling all places and people - employees and management, business and human needs. Was there a moment where your influence on people went beyond work?

"I'm hesitant to say it, but it's probably another engine for me. Yes, it happens. It happens daily when people share challenges at home or in relationships, or when they share internal conflicts.

When people open their hearts a bit and drop the masks, and suddenly we're not just in work things - yes, I definitely see those moments."

How do you see the HR role evolving in the coming years?

"The HR role will increasingly operate on two parallel axes: deep analytics and human leadership.

We will be responsible for building the organization's adaptation muscle, how it learns quickly, shifts direction, embeds AI, and maintains resilience under pressure.

HR will become less of a function and more of an operating system. The role that shapes learning culture, change pace, leadership quality, and people's ability to perform in complexity.

None of that happens alone. I'm fortunate to work with an exceptional HR team whose depth, courage, and professionalism turn vision into real impact."

Is there a value that guides you both in career and personal life?

"Two values guide me: authenticity and love.

Authenticity means showing up without masks, being direct, grounded, and not taking myself too seriously.

Love, for me, means caring deeply about people's growth and success. It may not sound typical in business language, but I believe organizations perform better when leadership is both honest and wholehearted. I try to bring that into my work, my home, and the circles around me."

A figure or event from your career that significantly influenced who you are as a manager?

"The first is Michal Hameiri. When I was a student and Chief of Staff at Bezeq, I read an article about her and thought, 'I want to lead like that.' I reached out to her, and she invited me to meet at her home. That moment began a relationship that deeply influenced me. Beyond her impressive career, what impacted me most was her blend of strategic depth, creativity, and managerial courage, and her ability to lead without giving up her heart. From her, I learned that excellence and humanity are not in conflict. She leads by example, with confidence and humility.

The second is Yafit Molcho, an exceptional organizational consultant and leader. She embodies a rare combination of softness and strength, deep knowledge, authenticity, and a willingness to push people to their edges without becoming performative or overly agreeable. She models what it means to be both strong and genuine.

I'm fortunate to learn from both of them. They stretch me to my edges and remind me never to lose my center."

Do you think everyone needs a mentor in their career?

"Unequivocally, yes. And not just one.

At every stage of my career, I've intentionally surrounded myself with two or three mentors, each bringing a different lens: one sharper on business, one on leadership depth, one on personal growth. No single person sees your blind spots fully.

A mentor doesn't give you answers, they expand your thinking and shorten your learning curve. And as you grow, you need new friction. So mentorship isn't a one-time relationship. It evolves with you."

One tip you'd give to an early-career HR woman who wants to reach a position of influence like yours in an org?

"Learn the business deeply, and stay radically curious. In a world shaped by AI, your relevance depends on how fast you learn and adapt.

Build your influence in hard rooms, not comfortable ones. Understand trade-offs, speak when it matters, and be willing to hold tension.

Carry courage, boldness, and heart in equal measure. Keep stretching your edges, don't wait for permission to grow."

A small thing that still challenges you daily?

"The daily challenge is evolving at the speed the world demands, without losing my center."

And to close, one small thing people don't know about you?

"That every evening, I still lie down next to my youngest daughter in the dark.

With each of my three children, I created a simple ritual: lights off, lying side by side, no eye contact, just voices. We each share one good thing that happened that day and one thing that was hard.

The darkness makes it easier. There's no performance, no masks, just honesty. It's a small moment, but I believe those quiet exchanges built the trust and communication we have today."

Conclusion

Ultimately, Galit Gold embodies HR's evolving heart: A tightrope walker of data and empathy, strategy and soul, who turns challenges into growth through unapologetic authenticity. Her path - from Golan fields to army command, corporate heights, personal trials, and hi-tech reinvention - proves resilience and reinvention fuel impact. As AI accelerates, Galit's vision of HR as org OS reminds us: In chaos, the leaders who connect truth to action, heart to business, build not just teams, but legacies. Heartfelt thanks to Galit for this genuine, inspiring conversation - a reminder that real influence starts with being real.