“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

Compliance Training Doesn't Have to Suck: The Ethena Story with Roxanne Petraeus, CEO

Mar 13, 2025

44:14

Kelli and Nolan are joined by Roxanne Petraeus, CEO of Ethena, to talk about her journey from the US army to founding an HR tech company. She shares her views on leadership, the distinction between training and learning, and building a culture of intellectual meritocracy in a remote-first environment.

The conversation explores how compliance training evolved from her military experiences, covers the role of Chief People Officers, and reveals how military discipline shaped her approach to building high-performance tech cultures without superficial perks.

*Email us your questions or topics for Kelli & Nolan: hrheretics@turpentine.co

For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/

HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.

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KEEP UP WITH ROXANNE, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Roxanne: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanne-bras-petraeus-2292b8109/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

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RECOMMENDATIONS:

Ethena: https://www.goethena.com/

‘We’re not recording’ podcast with Roxanne Petraeus:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTcvuUiuTe9nFXLMIPy4gjHv67-bFl8Do

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro