Celebrating SPA Members Recognized Among the Top People Analytics Influencers
We are proud to share that several members and close collaborators of the Society for People Analytics (SPA) have been recognized by Polinode as recent Top People Analytics Influencers.
This recognition is part of the People Analytics Network Census (PANC)—a global initiative that leverages Organizational Network Analysis to map the People Analytics ecosystem and identified top influencers across five categories: Overall Influencers, Networking Influencers, Mentorship Influencers, Technical Influencers, and Influencers Outside the U.S. The result is a thoughtful and data-driven list spotlighting the most impactful voices in our field. There is much more work to come from PANC both for the current year and future years.
Several SPA members and community contributors appear on the list, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate them and the collective momentum of our profession.
🏆 Top 20 Overall People Analytics Influencers
These individuals are helping shape the field through thought leadership, innovation, and meaningful impact (listed alphabetically):
Al Adamsen – Future of Work Project
Alexis Fink – SIOP
Amit Mohindra – People Analytics Success
Andrew Pitts – Polinode
Cole Napper – Lightcast
Dave Ulrich – University of Michigan
David Green – Insight222
Dawn Klinghoffer – Microsoft
Heather Whiteman – University of Washington
Ian OKeefe – ikona Analytics
John Boudreau – University of Southern California
Josh Bersin – The Josh Bersin Company
Mark Hanson – Lightcast
Michael Arena – Syndezo & Connected Commons
Michael Moon – AbbVie
Patrick Coolen – Kennedyfitch
Richard Rosenow – One Model
Rob Cross – i4cp
Stacia Garr – RedThread Research
Stephanie Murphy – UnitedHealth Group
🤝 Top 3 Networking Influencers
Recognized for building bridges, strengthening networks, and advancing the profession through connections (listed alphabetically):
Annika Schultz – Roblox
Barry Swales – Tucana
Greg Pryor – Connected Commons
🧭 Top 3 Mentorship Influencers
Recognized for investing in the next generation of People Analytics leaders (listed alphabetically):
Greg Pryor – Connected Commons
Lexy Martin – Redirecting.work
Michelle Deneau – Cloudflare
💻 Top 3 Technical Influencers
Recognized for pushing the boundaries of technical innovation in People Analytics (listed alphabetically):
Kevin Erikson – Novartis
Kevin Stanek – Gilead Sciences
Michael Walsh – Eaton
🌍 Top 10 Influencers Outside the United States
Celebrating global impact in People Analytics across continents:
Adam McKinnon (Australia) – Reece Group
Barry Swales (Spain) – Tucana
David Shontz (Germany) – Nokia
Jaap Veldkamp (Netherlands) – ABN amro
Kinsey Li (United Kingdom) – EY
Leopoldo Torres (Mexico) – LET Consulting Partner
Ludek Stehlik (Czech Republic) – Sanofi
Martha Curioni (Italy) – People Analytics Consultant
Rafael Uribe (Colombia) – Inwork
Sanja Licina (Argentina) – QuestionPro
🔎 Why This Matters
This recognition isn’t just a celebration of individuals—it’s a reflection of the momentum in our field and the excellence within the People Analytics community. These individuals exemplify the kind of vision, collaboration, and data-informed thinking that continue to shape the future of People Analytics.
We’re proud to see SPA members and close collaborators featured among those honored. Their recognition highlights the depth of expertise and influence within our network, and we celebrate all our members, chairs, and partners who are driving meaningful impact across the profession every day.
Full list and methodology available here:
👉Polinode Blog: Top 20 People Analytics Influencers and More from the PANC
Get Involved with SPA
SPA is actively seeking members to contribute to its various initiatives. If you're passionate about people analytics and want to make a difference, visit societyforpeopleanalytics.org to learn more about how you can get involved.
