Julie Tomasik
AAA Mountain West Group
“I don't think it's AI versus humans. It's humans who know how to utilize AI with empathy and impact.”
Julie Tomasik has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing the 100 most exceptional leaders and practitioners in talent acquisition. Honorees are selected by the Talent 100 committee from thousands of nominations and candidates across the industry, chosen for the impact of their work, the depth of their craft, and their influence on the future of recruiting. This is Julie's story.
Julie Tomasik's path into talent acquisition did not begin in recruiting. It began in branch operations and sales leadership, where she spent years leading teams, developing employees, and driving business performance. Across all of those experiences, one theme kept surfacing above the rest: people.
For Julie, leadership was never simply about operations, metrics, or business outcomes. It was about helping people grow, supporting their development, and creating environments where individuals could thrive. That people-first mindset is what ultimately led her into talent acquisition approximately three and a half years ago. "I'm just a people-first leader, first and foremost," she explained.
The transition felt natural. Rather than viewing recruiting as a completely different discipline, Julie saw it as an extension of what she had always enjoyed most: connecting with people, developing talent, and helping organizations build strong teams. Since making the move, she has fully embraced the profession and continues to play an active role in helping organizations navigate a rapidly evolving hiring landscape.
At the core of her approach is a belief that talent acquisition is ultimately about people. While technology, processes, and strategies continue to evolve, she believes lasting success comes from understanding individuals, building relationships, and helping others reach their potential. That philosophy shapes both how she leads teams and how she approaches hiring. Whether she is working with candidates, business leaders, or fellow talent professionals, Julie emphasizes trust, development, and authentic partnership. Talent acquisition, in her view, is not simply about filling roles; it is about helping people and organizations succeed together.
Finding Energy in an Evolving Industry
Ask Julie what excites her most about the work today, and the answer is the pace of change. Few industries are experiencing as much transformation as recruiting, particularly with the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence and new technologies. Rather than viewing those developments with uncertainty, she sees tremendous opportunity. She is energized by the possibilities AI can create for recruiters and talent teams, while also recognizing the responsibility that comes with adopting new technologies.
"I don't think it's AI versus humans," she explained. "It's humans who know how to utilize AI with empathy and impact."
That perspective has become a guiding principle for how she views the future of recruiting. AI can create efficiencies and unlock new capabilities, but the human side of talent acquisition, she believes, must remain at the center of every hiring process. For Julie, the future belongs to organizations that successfully combine technological innovation with empathy, emotional intelligence, and meaningful human connection.
While many conversations about AI focus on automation and efficiency, Julie consistently returns to the importance of preserving humanity within recruiting. She believes AI should serve as a tool that enhances recruiter effectiveness rather than replacing the human judgment, empathy, and relationship-building that define great talent acquisition. As organizations continue experimenting with AI-powered solutions, she sees an opportunity for recruiters to elevate their strategic impact: by allowing technology to handle repetitive tasks and administrative processes, recruiters can spend more time on relationship-building, candidate experience, and leadership partnership. The key, according to Julie, is ensuring that technology supports human connection rather than diminishing it.
Navigating a Shifting Recruiting Landscape
Over the past year, Julie has observed significant changes in both candidate expectations and business needs. Talent acquisition teams, she notes, are operating in an environment where priorities continue to shift rapidly. Candidates are seeking different experiences, organizations are facing new workforce challenges, and business units often arrive with highly specialized hiring needs. Within large organizations, those needs can vary significantly across departments, functions, and lines of business, which means talent acquisition leaders must be more adaptable than ever before.
Success today, in her view, requires recruiters to move beyond traditional hiring approaches and embrace a more consultative role, acting as strategic partners who understand both the needs of the business and the motivations of candidates. That means staying innovative, remaining flexible, and continuously building trust with internal and external stakeholders. Strong partnerships, she believes, have become one of the most important differentiators for talent teams navigating today's hiring environment.
Recognizing Leadership in the Talent Community
Julie also places real value on collaboration and on learning from fellow talent leaders. Asked to name another professional making an impact in the industry, she highlighted Paul Tang. Having served alongside him on an advisory council, she described him as a strong thought partner whose insights and leadership have contributed meaningfully to talent acquisition discussions and strategy. For Julie, professional relationships like that one represent an important part of continued growth and innovation within the talent community.
Advice for Talent Leaders in 2026
As talent acquisition continues evolving, Julie encourages leaders to remain adaptable, innovative, and people-focused. Her advice is to embrace AI as a tool that enhances recruiter effectiveness, to preserve empathy and human connection throughout the hiring process, and to stay adaptable as candidate expectations continue to evolve.
From there, she points to the fundamentals that hold the rest together: building strong partnerships with both business leaders and candidates, maintaining a strategic and consultative approach to talent acquisition, investing in leadership development and team growth, and leveraging technology while keeping people at the center of decision-making.
For Julie Tomasik, in other words, the future of recruiting will not be defined by technology alone. It will be shaped by talent leaders who successfully combine innovation, adaptability, empathy, and human-centered leadership to create meaningful experiences for candidates, teams, and organizations alike.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Julie. We are honored to welcome Julie Tomasik to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Julie. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.
