Beyond technical skills: How resilience, curiosity, and cultural alignment drive long-term professional growth.
In this conversation, Melissa Jones, Chief Human Resources Officer of CSAA Insurance Group, joins Adam Mendler to reflect on the skills and mindset that support a successful career. Drawing on a path that began far from human resources and eventually led to the C-suite, Jones discusses the personal qualities she believes matter most, including resilience, humility, curiosity, and optimism, and makes the case that these are skills a person can develop rather than traits someone is simply born with.
The discussion then moves from individual development to the workplace. It examines why cultural and values fit matters for both job seekers and employers, and how each side can assess it, from researching a prospective employer to using values-based interview questions and employee resource groups. Jones shares her perspective on leading people well, including aligning individuals with the right roles and developing talent rather than holding on to it, along with a practical approach to adopting AI that centers on mindset rather than specific tools. The conversation closes with her organization's holistic, four-pillar approach to employee well-being and her advice on the habits that help people continue to grow throughout their careers.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
Motivational & Leadership Speaker
Adam Mendler is a nationally recognized authority on leadership, renowned for his unique ability to deliver perspective-shifting insights shaped by interviewing more than 500 of America’s most successful leaders. The creator and host of the top-rated business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, Adam regularly elicits insights from America's top CEOs, founders, athletes, celebrities, and political and military leaders. A keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations, Adam has written extensively on business and leadership, having authored more than 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc., and HuffPost. A Los Angeles native and lifelong Angels fan, Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA, serves on the board of UCLA’s Master of Applied Statistics & Data Science program, is an emeritus member of USC’s Board of Governors, and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders.
CSAA Insurance Group Board of Directors
Melissa Jones is the executive vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer for CSAA Insurance Group. With more than 100 years of experience serving AAA members, CSAA Insurance Group offers automobile, homeowners, and other personal lines of insurance to AAA members through AAA clubs. CSAA Insurance Group has been rated A or better by AM Best for more than 90 years and is one of the top property and casualty personal lines insurers in the United States. Ms. Jones leads the company’s Human Resources efforts, including corporate culture; talent acquisition and management; leadership development; total rewards, employee communications and strategic events; enterprise change management; charitable programs; inclusion and belonging; external affairs; agent and agency communications; and sustainability. She is part of a leadership team that cultivates innovation in a customer-driven organization focused on serving AAA members during life’s uncertainties. Under her leadership, the company has achieved a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate equality index for LGBTQ+ workplace equality, and she cofounded the company’s Women’s Professional Network, which was created to empower women to take risks, use their voice and make an impact in the workplace and in the community. She is also the executive sponsor of the Black Employees Association. Ms. Jones has been recognized with the Industry Leader Award from the Professional Business Women of California. She received a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from California Polytechnic State University and her MBA from Brandman University.
