Introduction

As the global workforce continues to age, it is increasingly vital for organizations to have both efficient succession plans and effective knowledge sharing between their employees. Julie Berko, Director of the Office of Human Resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), joins the Talent Angle to discuss how organizations can leverage data to enable knowledge sharing and simplify succession planning. She also explains how organizations can identify future skills needs and build strategies to develop them.

Julie Berko boasts more than 30 years of human resources experience, honored with the 2022 Presidential Rank Award. A Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, she champions workplace flexibilities and employee well-being. Julie pioneered the FAA's Work/Life program and geriatric care management. At NIH, she instituted the Leave Bank program, Maxiflex, and telework expansion, meeting 100% employee needs. Her initiatives fostered diversity, inclusion, and swift response to COVID-19, enabling quick transition to maximum telework for 75% of the workforce. Julie served on the NIH Child Care Board, Health and Wellness Council, and co-chaired the 2023 Federal Human Capital Collaborative Forum. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from American University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Howard University.

Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Peter is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth) and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.