Podcast: Aparna Chitale — Hiring for the Runway, Not the Role

Aparna Chitale, Chief People Officer and Executive Vice President of Astronaut Operations at Virgin Galactic, holds a seat few HR leaders ever get, with one foot in people strategy and one in the customer business. Her career runs from first HR leader at Avaya India to a decade at Disney leading HR for the international parks. We explore how employee experience shapes the astronaut journey, why Aparna hires for a five- to 10-year runway, and what it takes to build a function from a blank canvas. She also shares the interview question she relies on and the bias she works to overcome.