First winners of the new Pacesetters program announced at The Josh Bersin Company annual conference, which has achieved a sell-out attendance this year
Seven categories of achievement recognized, with 16 winners in total
Winners included large global blue-chip organizations such as Emirates, New York Life, and Workday, alongside high-performing sector challengers like TomTom and 2degrees
The Josh Bersin Company, the world’s most trusted HR advisory firm, today announced the first 16 winners of its prestigious new HR Pacesetter recognition program at its sold-out fifth annual HR leadership conference, Irresistible 2026.
Across the seven main HR Pacesetter recognition program categories of AI Transformation, Employee Experience, HR Transformation, Learning & Development, Supermanager & Leadership Development, Talent Acquisition & Mobility, and Talent Management, HR organizations in fields ranging from cybersecurity to real estate, location services to education, were honored for using technology and process redesign to drive improvement in their companies.
Winning organizations included:
2degrees
Cisco
Compass Group North America
Emirates Group
Experian
HiBob
Keurig Dr Pepper
Miele & Cie. KG
New York Life
Providence Health System
Scentre Group
Seneca Polytechnic
SentinelOne
SoftServe Inc.
TomTom
Workday
The list reflects the breadth of HR excellence and highlights just how strategic the HR function has become in modern business.
Winners were presented with their awards at a gala evening experience (June 9. 2026) at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Located in Exposition Park, alongside the California Science Center, delegates were welcomed into the African Mammal Hall for the ceremony, followed by a specially hosted dinner on-site.
The evening marked a special highlight of the Irresistible 2026 conference, hosted by Irresistible partner USC Marshall School of ExecutiveEducation in downtown Los Angeles.
What is a Pacesetter?
The Josh Bersin Company defines a Pacesetter as an HR team that pioneers creative solutions, embraces new technologies, and puts people at the center to drive measurable business impact.
To highlight achievements, The Josh Bersin Company surveyed its ecosystem to understand whether teams had:
Implemented an AI-first HR operating model
Redesigned leadership frameworks for the age of AI
Entries were assessed on a set of pre-determined pacesetter criteria, including whether initiatives were innovative and business-specific, demonstrated an iterative approach to change, and were grounded in clear metrics and people or business data to inform decision-making.
Digitally transformed their talent acquisition function
Rolled out organization-wide AI upskilling programs
Reinvented talent processes to better support frontline employees
Worked cross-functionally to solve a major business challenge
Commenting on the Pacesetter awards, Josh Bersin Company CEO and global industry analyst Josh Bersin said:
“For the past three years, we’ve been astonished by the growing confidence and depth of impact of a few highly motivated HR change leaders.
“It seems like no matter the industry, HR practitioners determined to make a positive difference across their teams and organizations are seizing on innovative tech and new thinking.
“It’s been fascinating and genuinely inspiring to talk to all the candidates for this inaugural Pacesetter awards—and even more satisfying to see them get their moment in the spotlight at the awards ceremony.
“The gauntlet’s been thrown down: will your team be an HR Pacesetter in 2027? The answer should start with a careful look at what this year’s honorees did to change their employees’ worlds for the better.”
