Up Next @ Work, Episode 41 with Thomas Otter, General Partner at Acadian Ventures

In this episode of Up Next at Work, Jeanne Achille welcomes Dr. Thomas Otter, General Partner at Acadian Ventures and a longtime leader in HR technology, product development, and venture capital. Drawing on three decades of experience, including leadership roles at Gartner and SAP SuccessFactors, Thomas shares his perspective on the innovations, emerging markets, and entrepreneurial ideas that will shape the next generation of workplace technology.

While artificial intelligence dominates the conversation, Thomas challenges leaders to look beyond the hype and focus on the bigger opportunity: rethinking the relationship between people and technology. He argues that the future of work needs more than smarter software. It needs a renewed focus on human ingenuity, thoughtful work design, accountability, and the real problems organizations are trying to solve.

Key Highlights:

• Africa's Emerging Workforce: Why Africa's young and growing population represents an important opportunity for global employers, local entrepreneurs, and the future of work.
• Building the Next Generation of HR Tech: Why established organizations should work with startups, share their real-world challenges, and help emerging innovators develop solutions that address unmet needs.
• What Venture Capitalists Look For: Thomas shares why successful innovation depends on finding ambitious, creative founders who can envision possibilities others haven't yet considered.

Dr. Thomas Otter has 30 years of experience in HR and work technology, having previously held roles at Gartner, where he contributed to influential HR technology market analysis, and SAP SuccessFactors, where he led a product organization. Today, he's General Partner at Acadian Ventures, where he works with emerging companies developing the next generation of workplace solutions. Connect with Thomas on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Substack, Work in Progress, for more insights.