Nickle Lamoreaux on promotions
From CHRO Conversation with Nickle LaMoreaux, Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer at IBM · · USC Darla Moore School of Business
“We use an AI agent to draft emails to 30,000 managers kicking off the promotion cycle and give customized reports that say, 'Anthony, here's who's eligible in your team.' HR business partners then spend time making sure we've promoted the right people and coaching managers on how to have difficult conversations.”
On , Nickle Lamoreaux, Senior VP & Chief Human Resources Officer at IBM Common Stock, spoke about promotions during CHRO Conversation with Nickle LaMoreaux, Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer at IBM on USC Darla Moore School of Business.
About Nickle Lamoreaux
Nickle LaMoreaux, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at IBM, has been a prominent voice on the integration of artificial intelligence into human resources. In multiple interviews and podcast appearances throughout 2024 and 2025, she has described IBM’s approach as “client zero,” meaning the company tests its AI technologies internally before offering them to clients. LaMoreaux stated that IBM’s digital AI agent handled approximately 11 to 12 million interactions in 2024, with a 94% containment rate for inquiries. She emphasized that AI is used to automate transactional tasks such as updating addresses or processing transfers, but that IBM has a policy that “AI is never a decision-maker” on talent matters, with a human always remaining in the loop. LaMoreaux noted that the shift is moving from simple AI assistants to more sophisticated “agents” that can ask follow-up questions and perform personalized tasks, such as creating customized learning roadmaps for employees. LaMoreaux has also discussed how AI is reshaping the HR profession itself. She cited an internal study that found 65% of HR business partners’ time was spent on routine transactional work, which AI now handles, freeing them to focus on leadership coaching and complex employee conversations. She described IBM’s decision to make its AI chatbot the primary entry point for HR inquiries, a move that initially required shutting down traditional phone and email channels to drive adoption. LaMoreaux has advised HR leaders to align AI use cases with their company’s culture and business strategy, and to ask not just whether AI can do something, but whether it should. She has also stressed the importance of continuous learning, transparency, and domain expertise for HR professionals navigating this transformation.