Cammy Wang

Cammy Wang

CEO/Founder, Phoenix Arising College and Career Consulting (PAC3)

Like many professionals in talent leadership, Cammy Wang did not begin her career inside a traditional HR or recruiting function.

Her path into recruiting evolved organically through a combination of education, outreach, mentorship, and leadership roles that all shared one common theme: helping people discover opportunity.

“My recruiting background is pretty diverse,” Cammy explained. “When I was in grad school, I was actually recruiting talent like models, musicians, and actors.”

What began as a creative and people-centered role eventually expanded into a much broader career built around relationship-building and community impact.

Over the years, Cammy developed an extensive background in education, workforce development, and outreach—working with universities, students, and professional candidates across multiple stages of their careers.

Whether she was recruiting students for universities, leading career development workshops, or helping organizations identify strong talent, recruiting consistently remained at the center of her work.

At one point in her career, she worked as a Career Development Facilitator within workforce development agencies, where she regularly led workshops focused on resume writing, interview preparation, career planning, and professional development.

That experience gave her firsthand exposure to the challenges candidates face while navigating competitive job markets—and reinforced the importance of mentorship, communication, and accessibility throughout the hiring journey.

Today, Cammy serves as a Director of Marketing at , where her role combines both financial education and talent development.

In addition to helping clients with financial planning, she actively recruits, mentors, and trains professionals within her own organization.

“So there’s two aspects of what I do,” she shared. “Helping people with financial planning, but also recruiting talent onto my team and helping train them.”

That blend of leadership, coaching, and outreach has become a defining characteristic of her professional philosophy.

A Career Built on Relationships and Mentorship

When reflecting on the people who shaped her leadership style, Cammy consistently returned to one central idea: relationships matter.

Many of the individuals who influenced her most were not traditional recruiting executives, but educators, mentors, and community leaders who demonstrated the long-term impact of investing in people.

One of the most influential figures in her career has been Hualing Coffey, a senior leader at and one of Cammy’s longtime mentors.

Cammy describes her as a visionary leader who combines strategic thinking with deep care for the people she leads.

“She pours a lot of love and positivity into people,” Cammy explained. “She stretches vision and helps people believe in what’s possible.”

Another major influence was the late Dr. Jolita Reynolds, a former senior policy leader at the who taught Cammy the importance of communication, leadership, and relationship-building while working in education policy.

Dr. Reynolds emphasized that leadership is ultimately about how people interact with and support one another—regardless of title or position.

Cammy also credits one of her early teachers, Doug Sterling, for shaping her perspective on advocacy, positivity, and seeing the good in others.

Across all three influences, a common thread emerges: leadership is about service, encouragement, and helping others grow into their potential.

Those lessons continue to shape how Cammy approaches recruiting, mentorship, and business leadership today.

AI as a Tool for Expansion and Empowerment

Unlike many professionals who initially approached AI with hesitation, Cammy viewed the rise of AI as an opportunity to learn and adapt.

“When I don’t know something, I go learn about it,” she said.

Over the past several years, she immersed herself in online courses, seminars, and AI training programs to better understand how emerging technology could support recruiting, outreach, marketing, and career development.

What she discovered was not something to fear—but something capable of dramatically expanding productivity and creativity.

“I think it’s a very powerful and incredibly empowering tool if you know how to use it,” she explained.

From resume optimization and interview preparation to marketing campaigns, social media strategy, and candidate outreach, Cammy sees AI as a transformational force that can help both recruiters and candidates operate more effectively.

Her perspective is particularly informed by her background in workforce development, where she spent years helping job seekers prepare for competitive opportunities.

Today, she sees AI as a resource that can reduce barriers for candidates by helping them better prepare resumes, improve applications, and navigate hiring systems more strategically.

At the same time, she believes recruiting professionals can leverage AI to streamline repetitive work, improve communication, and scale outreach efforts more efficiently.

For Cammy, the most important factor is not whether AI exists—it is whether leaders are willing to learn how to use it responsibly and effectively.

“The landscape has definitely changed,” she said. “If you can use the tool and know how to use it, it’s also a huge time saver.”

A Leadership Philosophy Rooted in Growth

One of the most striking aspects of Cammy’s perspective is her openness to continuous learning.

Throughout her career, she has consistently embraced new environments, new technologies, and new opportunities to grow.

That adaptability has allowed her to move fluidly between education, workforce development, marketing, recruiting, and leadership while maintaining a strong people-centered philosophy.

Rather than viewing recruiting as a narrow HR function, she sees it as an extension of mentorship, communication, and community-building.

That mindset has helped her succeed across multiple industries and leadership environments.

Her Advice for Talent Leaders in 2026

As recruiting continues to evolve alongside AI and automation, Cammy encourages talent leaders to approach change with curiosity rather than resistance.

“I would tell people to open their awareness to it,” she said. “Learn about it more, don’t be resistant, and really embrace it.”

In her view, AI has the potential to expand creativity, improve efficiency, and create entirely new opportunities for recruiters and business leaders alike—provided it is used ethically and thoughtfully.

She believes the leaders who thrive in the future will be those willing to continuously learn, adapt, and explore new ways of working.

At the center of her philosophy is a belief that technology should enhance human potential rather than replace it.

For Cammy, recruiting has always been about helping people discover pathways toward growth, opportunity, and success.

That people-first mindset—combined with her enthusiasm for innovation, mentorship, and leadership development—is what makes Cammy Wang a standout voice in this year’s Talent 100 Awards.