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"I have found that teams move faster when leaders are honest about tradeoffs, simplify what really matters, and create clarity on what people need to start, stop, and continue doing," the leader shares.
As AI and digital tools become more embedded in the workplace, Ilja Rijnen (pictured above), VP People Partner APAC & Global Head of Talent Development NPE Division, GEA Group, sees their greatest value in helping leaders and HR teams make better, faster, and more evidence-based decisions.
For Rijnen, technology can meaningfully improve people outcomes by reducing administrative drag, surfacing workforce patterns earlier, and improving visibility on issues that may otherwise be missed or addressed too late. He stresses that decisions should not be handed to AI. While digital tools can analyse information at scale and identify useful patterns, leaders still need to decide what requires human discernment, context, ethics, and accountability. The real value, he says, is in strengthening leadership thinking — not removing it.
This pragmatic view is shaped by Ilja’s work leading the people agenda across APAC in a complex, engineering-driven environment. In his role, he partners closely with senior business leaders on organisational transformation, leadership effectiveness, and talent strategy.
With experience across global and regional roles, Ilja brings a commercially grounded approach to HR, particularly in navigating large-scale transformation and capability building in industrial organisations. His focus is on building high-performing teams, strengthening execution, and aligning organisational design with business priorities.
In this interview with Mary Ann Bundukin, Ilja shares his perspective on how AI can improve people outcomes, why human judgment must remain non-negotiable, and why transformation often stalls when old habits remain stronger than the new direction.
Check out the full conversation below:
Q As technology becomes more embedded in our daily lives, what’s one way you have seen AI or digital tools meaningfully improve people outcomes?
One of the clearest benefits is better decision support for leaders and HR teams. AI and digital tools can reduce administrative drag, surface patterns faster, and improve visibility on workforce issues that might otherwise be missed or addressed too late. That can materially improve people outcomes because decisions become more timely, more consistent, and more evidence based.
But this only works if leaders stay clear on the role of judgment. Not every decision should be handed to AI. AI can support analysis, identify patterns, and help process information at scale, but leaders still need to decide what requires human discernment, context, ethics, and accountability. For me, the real value is not replacing leadership thinking, but strengthening it.
The organisations that will benefit most are the ones that are explicit about what AI should do, what it should not do, and where human judgment must remain non-negotiable.
Q Leading through rapid transformation isn’t easy. What mindset shift has helped you lead teams more effectively through change?
The biggest shift is to stop treating change as a communication exercise and start treating it as a behaviour challenge. Most transformations do not stall because the messaging was weak. They stall because old habits remain stronger than the new direction. That means leaders need to focus less on communication volume and more on visible choices, routines, decision quality, and what gets reinforced every day.
I have found that teams move faster when leaders are honest about tradeoffs, simplify what really matters, and create clarity on what people need to start, stop, and continue doing.
"Change becomes more credible when behaviour changes first. That is where leadership must be most visible."
Q We often talk about becoming more tech savvy while staying human centric. What's one way you personally try and maintain that balance?
I try to start with the human problem, not the technology. Before introducing any tool, I ask a simple question: what friction are we actually trying to remove for employees, managers, or the business? That keeps the conversation grounded. Technology should improve the quality of work, decisions, and experience, not just create the appearance of progress.
I also believe leaders must stay close to lived reality. Dashboards help, but they do not replace listening. So I balance data with dialogue: looking at signals, then testing them through real conversations. That is how you stay tech enabled without becoming people detached.
READ MORE: Beyond the "lazy worker" myth: Are legacy systems failing to reward young talent?
Lead image / Provided
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