Alim Dhanji on AI in society
From Reinventing HR: Courage, Curiosity, and the AI-Ready Workforce · · Cleary
“HR professionals and HR leaders can have a greater impact not only in business but also in shaping the implications of AI in society. This creates purpose because it will change how people graduate, learn, and are employed.”
On , Alim Dhanji, Chief Human Resources Officer at TD SYNNEX CORPORATION, spoke about AI in society during Reinventing HR: Courage, Curiosity, and the AI-Ready Workforce on Cleary.
About Alim Dhanji
Alim Dhanji, Chief Human Resources Officer at TD SYNNEX, has been speaking publicly about the role of HR in AI transformation and the importance of business acumen for HR leaders. Dhanji, who previously served as president of Adidas Canada and held roles at Equinox and Citigroup, said he believes CHROs are positioned to become CEOs, calling it "the era where CHROs become CEOs." He has argued that HR should focus on "effectiveness and elevating value" rather than just efficiency, and that the function can "create new value, new roles." Dhanji stated that the CIO and he are "joined at the hip" at TD SYNNEX, and described AI as an opportunity for HR to "take the leadership position in the AI dialogue" by rethinking how work gets done. He has also said that "true change happens at the manager level" and that organizations need to align rewards with behaviors to support high performance. Dhanji has discussed his career path of moving in and out of HR, including running a P&L as president of Adidas Canada, and said that experience gave him "perspective on the pressures business leaders face." He has described the current moment as "the most exciting moment for HR" and argued that HR professionals can have "a greater impact not only in business but in shaping the implications of AI in society." Dhanji has also noted that the traditional career ladder is giving way to "a lattice of tours of duty, rotations, and gig work." He has encouraged leaders to "jump in" with AI experimentation, saying "I don't think you're going to do anything that's going to draw down the share price."