Gioia Woo
Gioia Woo
Sr. Director, Talent Acquisition & DEI, Tandem Diabetes Care
Gioia Woo’s path into talent leadership wasn’t linear — and that’s exactly what makes her perspective so grounded.
She began her career across a range of industries, early HR generalist work included, before gradually being pulled toward talent acquisition. What started as hands-on recruiting roles eventually evolved into leadership — a shift she’s been navigating consistently since around 2012.
“I loved being able to represent a business — its values, its purpose — and align that with really great talent,” she says.
For the past 11 years, Gioia has built her career in the medical device industry, a space she never originally planned to enter — but one that has proven deeply rewarding.
From Recruiter to Strategic Partner
Throughout her career, Gioia has always worked in-house, never agency-side. That exposure allowed her to fully immerse herself in the businesses she supported — understanding not just roles, but the broader organizational strategy behind them.
As her career progressed, leadership became a natural next step.
Today, she leads a 12-person talent acquisition team, while also supporting her organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion function. In addition to a dedicated DEI leader, she provides indirect leadership across inclusion communities and a DEI council that spans the organization.
Her focus has shifted from filling roles to solving business problems.
“The work that energizes me most is the big challenges,” Gioia explains. “Workforce planning, large hiring pushes, and partnering with senior leaders to figure out how we’re going to make growth happen.”
Whether it’s a sales expansion or a tight hiring timeline, Gioia thrives at the intersection of strategy and execution — translating business goals into clear, achievable talent plans.
Leading Through Complexity
A recurring theme in Gioia’s work is collaboration.
She works closely with executive leaders — including SVPs — to answer complex questions: where to hire, what profiles to prioritize, and how to move quickly without sacrificing quality.
Once the strategy is clear, her role becomes one of alignment and motivation.
“Going back to my team and saying, this is the goal — how are we going to make it happen? That’s the part I love,” she says. “Thankfully, I have a high-performing team that consistently rises to the challenge.”
Navigating AI in a Regulated Industry
As AI continues to reshape recruiting, Gioia approaches adoption with both curiosity and caution — especially within a highly regulated medical device environment.
Tools like LinkedIn’s AI features, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT have become valuable thought partners — helping her team brainstorm, refine messaging, and work more efficiently. At the same time, compliance remains non-negotiable.
“We’re always mindful of FDA compliance,” she explains. “AI can support our work, but it can’t compromise how we operate.”
Efficiency is where Gioia sees the greatest impact so far — faster sourcing, improved screening, and more personalized candidate outreach — without losing the human element.
“The human side is critical,” she says. “AI will never make decisions for us.”
She points to a commonly shared idea that resonates deeply with her approach: it’s not AI that replaces people — it’s people who use AI effectively who will outpace those who don’t.
Advice for Talent Leaders Looking Ahead
As the industry moves further into 2026, Gioia’s advice is clear:
Stay open. Keep evolving.
“Don’t get stuck in old habits just because that’s how it’s always been done,” she says. “Technology, cybersecurity, candidate authenticity — everything is changing fast.”
For Gioia, growth isn’t optional. Talent leaders must continuously sharpen their skills, question their assumptions, and adapt — or risk falling behind.
“If you stop growing,” she says, “you can quickly become irrelevant in this market.”
