Cory Hymel

VP of Product & Research @ Gigster | Innovating on the Future of Work

//--In my own words
Washed software engineer that was better at telling stories and painting visions that writing code. I usually find myself working in research or innovation teams due to attention deficient and boredom with solvable problems. I very much enjoy speaking, teaching, and sharing things I've learned with others. 


//--In my PR teams words
The root of Cory’s passion for the connected nature of tech enhancing the future of work began in the early 2000s in robotics research initiatives for the FedEx Institute of Technology. He went on to pioneer mobile helping enterprises develop strategies to mobilize staff workflows and collaboration in the pre-enterprise project management app era of “BYOD to work” in the mid-2010s. Seeing the promise of physical and digital integration, Cory brought physical products to life leading the Connected Technologies division at a hardware development firm. Beginning in 2018 Cory began researching and leading the Future of Work at Gigster as VP of Product and Research advocating for leveling outdated hierarchical structures within organizations. Cory is a futurist with the goal to continuously question the status quo. His research answers the questions that will define how the innovations of today will impact the work of tomorrow.

Head of Academic Partnerships

Helping lead research with Stanford and Berkeley into how distributed teams work at scale.

Rimac Technology

• Senior leadership advisor on HR strategy, EVP, leadership competencies and organizational culture fitness
• Quarterly HR KPI group management & shareholder reporting; HR Controlling 
• Led employee engagement surveys, root-cause analyses & engagement improvement workshop design
• HR Champion for ESG & DEI
• Designed talent mobility, career trajectory & values-based recruiting frameworks to scale HRBP, L&D & TA impact
• Led the digitalization of core HR processes; including talent mobility processes optimizing onboarding, cross-boarding within Rimac Group legal entities and offboarding asset reallocation 
• Led salary benchmarking & range calibration; ESOP & LTIP compensation model budgeting & allocation

Strategic HR Development

BUFFED.

In the world of esports, to “BUFF” is to reinforce, invigorate, make stronger. I help scaling tech companies build high-performing, sustainable cultures. 

In other words, I help their teams get BUFFED. 

"Upskilling Me Softly" biweekly newsletter is a part of the BUFFED method, showcasing one original leadership competency for the future of work. Subscribe for free.

Fractional Talent & Culture Architect

• Led culture integration for 20+ international teams, aligning leadership models across regions
• Developed an EVP framework, embedding company values into L&D, onboarding, and retention initiatives
• Designed DEI and engagement programs, strengthening cultural alignment and team cohesion
• Optimized scalable onboarding and integration processes, improving leadership transition success rates

Organizational Culture Advisor

• Designed and launched First-time and Senior leadership programs for 50+ leaders, increasing engagement from single digits to 85% and reducing turnover by 10%
• Developed a competency-based career framework, linking learning to internal mobility and succession planning
• Led leadership coaching, engagement workshops, and digital learning adoption, building a sustainable talent pipeline
• Implemented HR analytics to track program success, optimizing leadership development initiatives

Talent Strategy Program Lead

University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business

• Designed & delivered leadership training on organizational storytelling and change leadership for 15+ organizations, enhancing engagement, retention & succession planning
• Taught Creativity & Innovation Management to international Master’s students, and led "Hacking Hackathons" workshops, fostering innovation & agile problem-solving in the development of future leaders

Associate Lecturer & Workshop Facilitator

Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company

• Served as the General Manager’s strategic advisor, leading performance management across Marketing, HR, Finance, and Commercial Excellence
• Partnered with the Board of Directors & Regional Leadership to optimize operational excellence and benchmarking across multiple markets
• Led strategy-to-business plan execution, ensuring functional alignment & cross-market impact
• Designed & managed Total Company KBI scorecards, enabling data-driven decision-making at the highest level before proceeding to strategy implementation

PMO & Organizational Effectiveness Lead

• Led BU Adria’s organic growth program end-to-end, reporting to the General Manager
• Designed empirically tested innovation & change management frameworks, securing executive buy-in (TCCC & CCHBC)
• Led a core team of 12 senior managers without formal authority, scaling best practices to a 50+ member team
• Advised Group Innovation leadership on scaling strategies across 28 countries within The Coca-Cola System

Innovation Program Manager

• #1-ranked international talent program selectee, reporting directly to the BU HR Director
• Led compensation & benefits coordination and policy integration across three countries
• Drove HR process transformation & change management, leading cross-functional teams
• Optimized business performance scorecards and successfully implemented Cornerstone/SAP across 3 countries with different HR processes

HR Controlling & Business Process Analyst

Teva Pharmaceuticals

• Supported local change management & tailored communications for a global HR digital transformation (SAP SuccessFactors).
• Standardized HR processes across global operations, ensuring alignment & efficiency.
• Designed & delivered specialized training to enhance adoption & user proficiency.
• Conducted global UAT (QA testing) to optimize HRM system performance & functionality.

Human Resources Generalist

I help scaling tech companies build sustainable workplace cultures and high-performing teams. 

With a PhD in Organizational Psychology and an MBA in Organizational Design, I bring a decade of experience in leadership development, culture transformation, and HR process optimization for pre-IPO tech and fintech scale-ups/unicorns.

I specialize in designing no-nonsense, scalable solutions for talent management, employee engagement, and organizational performance optimization, ensuring companies grow efficiently while retaining top talent. 

My work balances strategic expertise with a human-centered approach, helping leaders drive growth and sustainability. 

As a published author I continue to research organizational culture, behavior, and the future of the modern workplace, with a focus on prioritizing human capital sustainability to combat burnout and safeguard mental health.

Compliance with Ethical Guidelines & CoC: All opinions expressed are my own.

taplio

The Battle

Cory Hymel

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