Best Manager Ever: Carol Mahoney - Human First Leadership
04/30/25 • 43 min
Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others.
Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the needs of her team and org.
In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Carol,
and they cover:
- What human first leadership actually means
- The importance of co-creating mutually beneficial working relationships
- Operationalizing values and intentions into a consistent culture
- Fostering a safe space for concerns and doubts
Check out Carol’s new venture, élan Talent Management
Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills
Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou
Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast
This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Carol Mahoney is a seasoned Chief People Officer. She’s well known for her work operationalizing the famously beloved company culture at Gainsight. She’s also served as the SVP of People and Culture at Zoosk and SVP of HR at LivingSocial, among others.
Carol's direct reports praise her ability to get things done, while creating a positive culture and showing up as her authentic self. She is recognized for setting high standards and being a strong yet supportive leader, and for adapting to the needs of her team and org.
In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Carol,
and they cover:
- What human first leadership actually means
- The importance of co-creating mutually beneficial working relationships
- Operationalizing values and intentions into a consistent culture
- Fostering a safe space for concerns and doubts
Check out Carol’s new venture, élan Talent Management
Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills
Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou
Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast
This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous Episode
Best Manager Ever: Helen Min - Scaling Impact Through Effective Management
Helen Min is a venture partner at True Ventures, and an investor and advisor to over 50 early-stage enterprise software and fintech companies. Helen has a notable background leading global marketing and communications at companies like AngelList, Plaid, and Quora and was an early marketing leader at Dropbox and Facebook.
Helen’s direct reports highlight her genuine care for the team, her support for their growth and development, her polished approach to communication, and her ability to involve the team early in strategy and planning.
In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Helen,
and they cover:
- Helen’s background, from joining the early marketing team at Facebook to leading global marketing and comms teams, and now ultimately investing and advising
- Good vs. bad reasons to want to be a manager
- The most rewarding and hardest parts of being a manager
- Long-term benefits of authentic relationship-building
- When and how to bring the team into project planning
- Making the most of 1:1s
- Inquiry as an under-utilized manager superpower
- Helen’s transition into VC, and how she leverages operating experience as an investor
Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills
Connect with our show’s producer Alexis Ramdaou
Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast
This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Next Episode
Best Manager Ever: Luis Duarte - Build Your Own Mold
Luis Duarte is the CEO and co-founder of Amoofy, an AI-guided storytelling platform. Luis has a rich background as a three-time entrepreneur, and a leader in philanthropy and impact investing.
Luis's direct reports describe him as an amazing listener, who is able to bring a sense of calm to chaos. They praise his willingness to take on short-term challenges for long-term gains and his focus on building trust.
In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Luis,
and they discuss:
- Luis’ unique approach to leadership that emphasizes empathy, risk-taking, and redefining success beyond traditional metrics
- How and when to take on short-term pain for the long-term vision
- Values-driven hiring
- Living by your own definition of success
- How to find roles that are the right fit – or build something where you will be the best fit
If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode of Best Manager Ever, reach out: [email protected]
Check out Fort Light to level up your leadership skills
Connect with our show’s Producer, Alexis Ramdaou
Nominate your Best Manager Ever for the Podcast
This is a Production of Fort Light and Now it’s Hear
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/best-manager-ever-598249/best-manager-ever-carol-mahoney-human-first-leadership-90342363"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to best manager ever: carol mahoney - human first leadership on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy