Lauren Jackman brings a deeply analytical lens to her role as SVP of Culture, Experience & Learning at Medallia. She leads the charge in ensuring the company’s environment is not just productive, but truly inclusive—a place where people can genuinely thrive.
Jackman is focused on ensuring that the strategies behind employee experience and learning are rooted in measurable, human-centric insights.
From Stanford PhD to Workplace Architect
Jackman’s path to HR leadership was unconventional. She began in the field of academia, pursuing a PhD in Social Psychology at Stanford. While she loved the direct impact of teaching and working with students, the required research and publishing wasn’t fulfilling.
The pivot came when a classmate interviewed at Medallia, mentioning a teaching-focused role that caught Lauren’s attention.
“After visiting the Medallia office and meeting my soon-to-be boss, I was inspired by both the environment and the chance to apply social psychology in a real-world setting,” she shared.
Jackman realized Medallia was grappling with the same complex human issues she had spent years studying. The corporate role wasn’t just a job, it was a unique opportunity to use her deep academic background to help build a more inclusive workplace, a mission that ultimately pulled her away from a traditional academic career and into HR leadership.
Who is/was your biggest influence in the industry?
I always try to listen and observe what different companies are doing. For example, I subscribe to several Fortune newsletters to stay on top of trends. I also think back to my first leader at Medallia, Corey Barker, who now works in leadership development and was a big influence on me.
Beyond industry peers, I draw a lot from social science and academia. I’ve been incorporating ideas from Connect by David Bradford and Carole Robin, who teach the legendary Interpersonal Dynamics course at Stanford Business School. Their work on building authentic connections feels incredibly relevant. I also frequently use a cultural model by Hazel Markus, a professor I worked with at Stanford. So, while not all of my influences come directly from HR, these individuals and their bodies of work have been very inspiring to my leadership approach.
What is your best mistake and what did you learn from it?
I love the idea of a best mistake, it’s such a growth-mindset way of framing things. The one that stands out for me was when I thought I was ready for a promotion that didn’t come through. I was upset, and for a few weeks I carried that frustration into work. My new leader, who hadn’t made the decision but witnessed it, eventually told me: your feelings are valid, but you can’t bring this energy forever, either let it go and focus on what you want here next, or find a new place.
She was right, and that conversation shaped how I approach setbacks and change. It taught me to lead with clarity about what I want, rather than getting stuck in past disappointments. That shift has made me much more adaptable, which is critical in navigating a high-change environment.
What’s your favorite part about working in the industry? What’s your least favorite part, and how would you change it?
For me, it’s two things. First, I love being in the experience management space because experiences really matter. We interact with companies every day, and I want those experiences to be positive. That impact feels meaningful.
Second, being part of a people and culture team at an experience management company is especially inspiring, because we get to “drink our own champagne” and model the best practices we promote. As a social psychologist, I’m drawn to identifying and working through human problems because at the end of the day, people are the ones who create and shape everything. If people aren’t the focus, then what’s the point? That’s why this is the only place I see myself in the corporate world.
In terms of my least favorite part, coming from an academic background, I had to adjust to how fast business moves. In academia, to say you “know” something means you’ve researched, replicated, and validated it, but in business, you may have to move at a much quicker pace. While there’s value in moving quickly, sometimes the pressure to make fast decisions isn’t what’s best for everyone. I’ve learned to grow more comfortable making the best decisions possible, even sometimes with limited information or timeframes, but that adjustment has definitely stood out for me as a hurdle.
It sounds like through your experience you really care about people, and you want to help them feel safe and comfortable, which is important in the industry. Please elaborate here.
When people interview for jobs, they show up as their best selves: prepared, polished, and on time. But in real life, that’s not always possible. Things go wrong, mistakes happen, and they can’t constantly live up to that “interview self.” That’s why creating a safe environment matters. When people feel comfortable being honest, admitting mistakes, asking for help, sharing half-formed ideas, companies garner trust, foster stronger relationships, and ultimately receive better outcomes. At Medallia, our leadership program is built on that premise: the company runs better when leaders know each other as people, not just as roles.
How can company leaders make HR a value within their organization?
One way is by truly listening to HR leaders and understanding the role of people and culture teams. Their job isn’t to decide what the culture is, that comes from leaders. However, HR can reinforce and embed the organization’s mission, values, and purpose through policies, processes, and programs. For that to work, leaders need to clearly articulate what matters to them and then partner with HR to make sure it shows up consistently. Otherwise, values feel hollow. When leaders talk about culture and actually live it, HR can make it real and sustainable.
Where do you see the industry heading in five years? Or are you seeing any current trends?
AI will transform a huge amount of our day-to-day work, maybe even leadership development with things like AI coaches. I’m demoing a few now, and even if they’re not fully there yet, I want to see what’s possible. But one thing that often gets lost in AI conversations is that it only matters to what extent it serves people. What’s human will remain essential. The way we learn, and how we generate and organize knowledge will shift a lot, but people will always be at the center.
As far as current trends, reskilling and upskilling are always top of mind. Of course, the whole work-from-home versus office debate is still evolving as well.
What are you most proud of?
I think the team I have now is awesome, and the work we do is both interesting and valuable. I’ve worked hard to carve out a role that reflects my interests while clearly demonstrating the impact on the organization. I’m proud of having built a strong team that brings real value.
In terms of specific achievements, founding new areas of the business, like our diversity practice at Medallia, and supporting Heather Jin in launching Medallia.org and our sustainability practice, always makes me proud because we’re delivering something new that Medallia needs to be successful, and we get to learn about and shape what that looks like together.
Being Fair Pay Workplace certified, which we recently renewed, is another key achievement. A strong pay equity practice is foundational to embedding diversity into how you run the business, beyond celebrating events or holidays. Compensation decisions are critical, and having this as a solid foundation strengthens our overall focus on creating a fair environment where all employees can thrive.
Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?
My advice is to find a company whose product you genuinely like and care about, and a leader you can learn from– someone who will think creatively about your career. Also, make sure you connect with the company’s values, mission and purpose. Over time, you’ll figure out the company size or stage you prefer, but fundamentally, if you don’t care about the product or can’t connect with your leadership, it’ll be much harder. Work is hard, so those foundations really matter.