Jennifer Lopp
Jennifer Lopp
Head of Talent Acquisition and Workforce Strategy - American Electric Power
For Jennifer Lopp, recruiting started with a simple conversation.
Having always enjoyed connecting with people, Jennifer was volunteering for a United Way campaign when she met someone working in talent acquisition.
After learning more about the profession, she realized it perfectly aligned with her passion for building relationships and helping people.
That conversation inspired her to make the pivot into recruiting, launching a career centered on people, connection, and talent.
Learning from Leaders Who Shaped Her Approach
Looking back, Jennifer credits several leaders with influencing the way she approaches talent acquisition today.
The first is Nandita Kumar, who taught her the importance of recruiting data.
Jennifer describes Nandita as someone who helped her understand how data can drive stronger hiring decisions and make recruiting more strategic.
She also credits Shea Factory, a recruiter who worked on Jennifer’s team.
Although Jennifer was Shea’s leader, she learned a tremendous amount from Shea’s approach to candidate relationships.
Working alongside someone so committed to creating exceptional candidate experiences reinforced the importance of treating every candidate as an individual rather than simply another application.
How AI Is Changing Recruiting
Jennifer believes AI has dramatically changed recruiting by creating an explosion in candidate volume.
While AI has made applying for jobs easier, it has also increased the number of applications recruiters must manage.
Despite these efficiencies, Jennifer believes it is more important than ever to preserve the human side of recruiting.
“No one wants to feel like they’re just applying to a black box,” she says.
When too much of the hiring process is automated, both candidates and recruiters can begin to feel disconnected.
For Jennifer, maintaining personal interaction throughout the recruiting journey remains essential.
Advice for Talent Leaders Heading into 2026
Jennifer encourages talent leaders to embrace AI rather than fear it.
The key, she believes, is understanding where AI creates value and where people should continue leading the process.
Administrative tasks and repetitive work are ideal opportunities for automation, allowing recruiters to spend more time where they create the greatest impact.
Candidate experience, relationship building, and human connection should remain firmly in the hands of recruiters.
By thoughtfully balancing technology with personal interaction, talent teams can improve efficiency without sacrificing the trust and relationships that define great recruiting.
Through her people-first philosophy and practical approach to AI, Jennifer Lopp represents the kind of talent leader helping the recruiting profession embrace innovation while keeping candidates at the center of every hiring experience.
