Rachele Focardi — Leading the Multigenerational Workforce

Leading Global Expert on Generational Diversity

Future of Work Strategist

TEDx and Keynote Speaker

No.1 Best Selling Author

Linkedin Top Voices

Top HR Influencer

Top 10 Most Powerful Women in HR

University Lecturer

MENSA Member

Gen X

About Me

I believe the future belongs to all generations—equally. The challenges we face today are too complex, too interconnected, for any one generation to solve alone. They demand collaboration across ages, backgrounds, and lived experiences. For over two decades, I’ve explored how generational context shapes the way we work, lead, and communicate—and what it takes to bridge differences through empathy, understanding, and shared purpose. As a leading voice on generational dynamics, bestselling author, and TEDx speaker, I help organizations foster meaningful collaboration across generations. I was honored to be named one of the 6 most influential women in the new world of work, and received the “Pioneer” award for championing generational equity and building inclusive, multigenerational workplaces.

In the early 2000s, I spearheaded the Employer Branding movement across the United States, Europe, and Asia—guiding hundreds of organizations as they responded to rising generational expectations and developed their first Employer Value Propositions and broader employer branding strategies. Today, I continue driving change through XYZ@Work and as Chair of the Multigenerational Workforce Committee at the ASEAN Human Development Organization. I am also Senior Partner at Start Reverse, lecturer and facilitator for Duke Executive Education and Emeritus, docent at USI in Switzerland, and a contributor to Channel News Asia, HRM Magazine, and other top global media. Previously, Chief Strategy Officer for Universum and Anchor/International Correspondent for CNBC, I am also a member of MENSA.

Having worked across five continents, I bring a global lens grounded in deep regional and local insight—helping employers understand how generational expectations shift across cultures, and how to build environments where all generations can thrive.

Employers, universities, and executive education programs engage me to lead generational transformation—through leadership development workshops, strategic advisory, experiential learning, and cross-generational initiatives.
Media platforms regularly turn to me for insights on how generations are reshaping the workplace, influencing consumer behavior, and redefining culture and society at large. My work has been featured in Forbes, CNN, Harvard Business Manager, Channel News Asia, and many other leading global publications. My book “Reframing Generational Stereotypes” published by McGraw Hill and translated in Italian (Hoepli) and Mandarin (Cheers Publishing) is positioned as an invaluable guide for leaders, HR professionals, educators, and changemakers seeking to unlock the power of intergenerational collaboration in the workplace and beyond.

At my core, I’m a voice for generations—carrying forward the stories that bridge divides and remind us that what defines each generation is rooted in context. And that context is worth understanding.
Because generational progress isn’t a race. It’s a relay. And when we pass the baton to one another with intention, we create a future greater than any one generation could build alone.
Generational understanding isn’t just a conversation—it’s a business imperative. It belongs in classrooms, offices, boardrooms, and every space where decisions are made and futures are shaped.