Why the Best Executives Won’t Stay in One Function

What if the future of executive leadership is less about specialisation and more about range?

For years, senior leaders have been encouraged to go deeper into a single function.

But in this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I sit down with Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Administrative Office & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, to explore a different model: the dual executive.

Joshua started his career as a lawyer before moving into a broader cross-functional leadership role spanning legal, HR, facilities, regulatory and other operational responsibilities. He argues that this breadth has made him a stronger executive because it forces leaders to understand the business beyond their original area of expertise.

And as AI makes specialist knowledge easier to access, that ability to operate across functions may become even more valuable.

5 things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Why Joshua believes the traditional single-function executive model may be starting to break down, and what could replace it
2. The career move that took Joshua from law into HR and broader business leadership, and what it taught him about stepping outside your expertise
3. Why AI could make it easier for executives to lead functions they were never formally trained in, and what still cannot be outsourced to technology
4. The three leadership qualities Joshua believes will become far more important as AI changes how executives work
5. How taking responsibility for multiple functions can actually strengthen succession planning rather than create a leadership risk

🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Leapsome

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