Interview with Hadas Almog, Chief People Officer at Cloudinary

Introduction

Hadas Almog is a visionary HR leader who connects the dots between business evolution and human potential, turning complexity into clarity for thriving organizations. With a unique blend of computer science roots and sociology/philosophy insights, she's built HR functions from scratch, scaled global teams in hi-tech (including American and Israeli corporates with mergers), advised startups through growth phases, and now steps into her new role as Chief People Officer at Cloudinary.

Beyond her day job, Hadas is a passionate writer and speaker on LinkedIn, exploring trends like gender equality, neurodiversity, mental health, and the sweet spot between productivity and business outcomes and humanity, people and care. In this interview for the Top HR to Follow list, we delve into her entrepreneurial journey, the thrill of decoding org "operating systems" amid AI-driven change, and why HR must lead proactive transformation to stay relevant. Hadas's systemic, optimistic lens - simplifying chaos while honoring humanity - positions her as an essential guide for leaders navigating uncertain futures.

For someone who doesn't know you at all, can you introduce yourself in a couple of sentences?

"I always say I have my day job as Chief People in hi-tech organizations, but I also have a mission, an inner call, a purpose, and passion that I don't separate from it. Over the years, I've realized they go hand in hand - there's a real symbiosis there. So, alongside that, I create content on social media, and I've discovered I help people understand themselves better. In that way my gift of writing is my legacy and gift to the world. To be able to touch people, help them reflect, and sometimes make decisions on their lives and relationships, and not only careers.

I connect upcoming trends with my experience, knowledge, and worldview. But there are other areas too, like gender equality, neurodiversity, mental health, and all that comes under humanity in the workplace - the ability to balance business, productivity, and people. That's what I write about, lecture on, engage with, research, and try to find the sweet spot for. Because of that, it's not just my day job; my mission reaches people's hearts through writing, creates impact, and innovates. And beyond that, it's about the things that interest me."

After years in HR across different roles and scales, what are you most looking forward to in your work as Chief People Officer?

"I think it really ties back to my mission, because the combination you mentioned - the connections - is key. If I have a gift, it's from my experience and knowledge, but also from some innate ability to link worlds and understand one through another. So, in this changing world full of uncertainty, what excites me is helping organizations and people grasp their operating system.

Then, from there, we create some kind of anchor for them. That's what drives me, what lights me up. And it's truly on a daily level. Sure, we're doing the same operations in different organizations with different people, but because the world is changing so fast, and everything impacts the world of work - from COVID and hybrid setups to AI - these are massive shifts that have been building for five or six years now.

I think that's when the tectonic plates started moving, and that's where I really started to flourish. That's where I see my biggest value - for employees, managers, and the organization as a system. It's about understanding the operating system. If you're asking what thrills me, that's it."

Tell me a bit about your career path. Did you plan to end up in HR, or did it evolve that way?

"You know, it pretty much evolved that way. I'm not a classic HR person who grew up through recruiting, therapy, or assessments. Actually, my analytical side is very strong. I studied computer science and thought I'd be a programmer until I realized it's really about people. It's not just technology, but implementing and using it.

In the end, I went on to study sociology and philosophy because that's what truly interested me. And so, I started managing and building people-related departments. I'm someone who's very entrepreneurial - there's a lot of initiative in me. I always bring innovation, a different angle, do things differently, ask why, and challenge the status quo. That's what I bring everywhere, and it's my passion too.

Because of that, no matter the role in my career, I quickly moved to building HR departments - I'm a builder at heart. I have a systemic view, meaning I see the big picture easily. Like you said about connecting dots, I naturally see the system first, without even trying. So, I really started not from recruiting or organizational consulting, but specifically from setting up HR departments.

That said, when I joined Celcom, I landed in an existing HR department, and later I moved to hi-tech. What drew me was the global aspect, the multicultural complexity - the more intricate it is, the more I thrive as the puzzle-solver. Give me complexity to crack, and I flourish. Give me the operating system to decode, like you mentioned with the anchor, give me grounding in messiness.

I'll simplify it, understand it, and help people grasp the complexity so they can navigate it better. I am good at seeing patterns and cracking the system. That's what fascinates me, and what I've been doing for years. So, I always sought more complex systems - more global, more layered: American corporate, then Israeli corporate, places with acquisitions where you constantly bridge cultures and create that grounding for continuity. Those are the spots I love.

My career is built that way: Startups too, because after many years in corporations, the startup ecosystem exploded. Suddenly, this whole story of going from small startup to hyper-growth to scale - for me, that's the sociological side of what changes, how, and why. As a consultant during COVID (one of the startups I worked with closed), when you're in one org, you're heads down, immersed.

And if the people are first-time entrepreneurs, they lack perspective from many orgs, so they think their problems are unique - because of them, the market, product, people, size, investors. But as a consultant or with a versatile career, you realize there's no such thing. Most challenges are very similar. And, not to sound harsh, but even the personalities tend to be alike. I'm not categorizing people, but there's a recurring thread. We are all still in a cave in a way of homosapience.

As orgs grow and decentralize, issues like collaboration, alignment, communication come up. How do you manage performance, give feedback? How do you attract and retain top talent, and what about those who don't fit the role, org, or time? How do you give them feedback, help them grow or move on? Every growing org will tell you they have a tough conversation problem, because at the end, it's people.

It's hard for us to give tough feedback. The people we work with often become friends. Sitting someone down - not just for layoffs, but development, feedback, reminders - stepping out of comfort zones, being uncomfortable - those skills are crucial but really tough. It's hard in all orgs, for most managers, and especially in global management."

At some point, you were also independent, right? What did you learn from that phase that you might not have inside an org?

"First, I learned that the challenges are truly similar across places. And the more orgs you work with, the more you understand that, and the more confidence you build in your own value - what you bring to an org.

I think when you're independent, you internalize that deeply. Every minute counts - the entrepreneurial experience of marketing, billing, delivering value constantly. In an org, you have this sense of 100% time. Yes, you need to excel and be talented, maximize your value, but what is value at the minute level? Constantly at 100% output.

If I'm with another client every hour - doesn't matter, or the same one - it has to deliver value. I believe every CHRO should go independent, and every independent should be a CHRO, to truly understand this depth. Wow, actually, that connects to another conversation we recorded in a podcast with Ra'eli - always be employable, always independent."

Those transitions - telecom, hi-tech, independent, employee - were they planned, or more of an evolution?

"You know, I try to plan my career very intentionally, and that's how I advise friends and mentees who come to me - how to manage your career. You need to know what each move adds to the next. For example, now you're adding global experience, or supporting only R&D, now also go-to-market.

You're adding monetization to your portfolio, boosting your employability - another layer. So, when we transition, sometimes it's name-dropping the company - a recognizable one where people say, 'Wow, she worked at Amazon, Google.' Or, sorry, she worked in startups, with US, global.

Really, each time I'm adding something, and I have a career story I can clearly articulate: I didn't do the same thing in another org. So, what did I learn? What did that role or team give me? It was always global work, English, cross-company projects, AI exposure - something.

Often, I moved from managing an Israeli team to global, or suddenly did M&A in a group with acquisitions. I think everyone needs to manage their career proactively and reflect backward - analyze it to have a clear narrative of this portfolio.

To monetize it, in terms of employability: Here I gathered this, there that, here another. We're not just passing time, accumulating friends - it's crucial."

Your perspective is so broad - looking at roles, people, the company. It feels like you always connect them.

"You're right, I do that all the time. Wait, don't talk - moment of truth, I connected it."

From your knowledge, experience, and personal view as someone so skilled in analysis and insight, how do you define a good CHRO today - in a world where we know what happened up to 3:19 PM, and now entering 3:20?

"Yes, you know, HR has this evolution: From providing service and support to employees, being their advocate, and gradually becoming a business partner. But today, it's way more than that - it's truly leading transformation. Especially in the AI world, orgs need the most help balancing people, humanity, and trust with business.

And knowing how to rebuild organizations, because everything is changing with AI, agents, how orgs will be structured, processes entirely different. Think: If everything's real-time - surveys, coaching, everything - we're not doing annual org surveys, analyzing, then rolling out plans anymore. Employees are constantly monitored, getting micro-feedback in real-time - not just from managers, but from surveys and systems.

It's a totally different experience - stressful and draining, but there are so many shifts. Same with org structures. Even hiring formulas: Today, you go to an org and say, 'How many headcount? I'll tell you how many recruiters you need' - there's a formula. Sure, it depends on go-to-market vs. development, locations, but it's mathematical.

Same for sales team sizes, SDRs per account exec, ARR per rep - that's productive org. There are tons of benchmarks for efficient structures. But now, I'm saying, no - if I need only two recruiters not ten, because I need two recruiters and four agents, not ten recruiters.

Forget knowing who the recruiters are, their profiles - the ratio changes completely, roles change, structure changes. Now, CFOs and boards come to orgs saying, 'Where's the money? We've thrown millions at tools, training, enablement for three years, and see no ROI.' And, you know what? Fire 10-20% already, because no way...

But orgs know how to fire low performers; they don't know how to rebuild work and teams. It's not even about performance anymore - it's about the type of work and new ratios. So, today, circling back to what CHROs need to do: Come in and say, 'I'll help you do it; I'll lead what's needed.' Because even an org wanting to be acquired now - private equity or whoever says, 'You can't be 3,000 people for that product; in the AI era, you need 1,000.'

Orgs don't know how to cut more than 10-20% - they trim low performance, close inefficiencies, but rebuilding? They don't. And they won't be relevant - no one buys them. So, the CHRO who understands this, the ability to rebuild the org and grasp what work means - that's why I say if we came from adjustment, therapy, consulting, but if we don't come from data analytics, org methods, industry management, even product - we won't lead this transformation.

If we stay only in adoption, learning and development for AI - just courses, bringing consultants on tools - no. The ability to make the org and employees relevant is much bigger. So, I think we have a huge opportunity here. We're not in the game yet, but I'm optimistic. We have a leadership chance because no one sees the org like we do - everyone's in trouble, and whoever dares experiment and lead will win. So, there's opportunity."

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

"So, this really leads into that. I think it's about coming from additional, different disciplines. It's about daring to lead managers toward adaptive leadership, not fearing, showing them - partnering at this survival table.

Not just from a title perspective - now it's from a practice hat: Product, business hat. And I think that's an amazing hat, because we're all in the same boat of uncertainty. Until now, CEOs, GMs, business leaders would come to HR saying, 'You execute; we know the product roadmap, market, industry - we have McKinsey, Accenture, Bain.'

And you're inbound: Need to hire for funding, fire for inefficiency, restructure for change, work on brand for attrition, motivation and engagement for turnover. That was the conversation until now. Today's conversation isn't reactive anymore - it's proactive from the eyes forward. So, that proactivity is very different.

And it's understanding people and work. Meaning, understanding employees and the work they do. Until now, we were heavy on understanding employees - their feelings, motivations. Now, we haven't fully grasped their work - that was 'the business, the product.'

Now it's flipped: We must understand their work, because that's what's changing most - the work itself. So, I think it's shifting from understanding employees' emotions and motivation to understanding the org's work."

To wrap up, how can a CHRO strengthen her position in the org, move toward a more business-oriented role - in the CEO's or overall world?

"Once she speaks that language, she doesn't get pulled into drama - which is always reactive. She brings a presence that's unflappable, from all the uncertainty and panic - and that's incredibly calming. People always tell me there's this spine, this center: 'Okay, come on, I'm listening, present' - it's very reassuring. I don't dive into the drama of uncertainty.

First, I'm there. And as she speaks this language - understanding work changes, learning AI tools, even asking questions (even without answers) - she starts probing: How do we measure? What do we do? Something different from the automatic processes, even hiring: For every role, pause and ask why, looking at the work.

Take analyst: Maybe the profile's the same, or maybe the work changed - now analysts need to be developers from dev, not ops, because it's real-time. Just pausing on one role, diving in - I think that's already a shift, starting to ask questions."

Conclusion

Hadas Almog illuminates HR's pivotal pivot: From reactive support to proactive architects of relevance, decoding work's transformation in an AI world while anchoring humanity. Her career - a deliberate mosaic of global builds, indie insights, and bold connections - shows how systemic thinking turns chaos into opportunity, ensuring orgs (and people) don't just survive but thrive. As uncertainty accelerates, Hadas's call for daring, work-focused leadership reminds us: HR isn't just essential; it's the navigator redefining efficiency and empathy. Deep thanks to Hadas for this grounded, eye-opening exchange - a blueprint for CHROs ready to lead the rebuild.