Valerie (Kloecker) Weingarten

Valerie (Kloecker) Weingarten

VP, Global Talent Acquisition - F5

For Valerie Weingarten, a career in talent acquisition wasn't part of the original plan.

Fresh out of college, she had aspirations of becoming a doctor. But after gaining firsthand exposure to the medical field, she realized that while she was passionate about helping people, medicine wasn't the right path for her.

Instead, she found herself entering the workforce during the height of the dot-com boom, taking a temporary role at a startup and discovering an entirely different way to make an impact.

What started as an entry-level opportunity quickly introduced her to the world of recruiting, immigration support, relocation programs, and employee experience. More importantly, it showed her how talent influences every aspect of a business.

"I was drawn to the people side of things," Weingarten explains. "I loved the opportunity to help people while also understanding how the business worked."

That curiosity would become the foundation of a career spanning more than 25 years in talent acquisition and people leadership.

Building a Career Through Curiosity

As her career progressed, Weingarten found herself increasingly fascinated by the intersection of people and business strategy.

Recruiting offered a unique vantage point—one that allowed her to understand virtually every function within an organization while helping leaders build teams capable of driving growth.

"You become a 15-minute expert in everything," she says.

That combination of learning, problem-solving, and relationship building became a constant throughout her career, leading her through leadership roles at some of the world's most influential organizations, including Salesforce.

Today, Weingarten serves as a talent leader at F5, where she is helping shape talent strategy during a transformative period for both the company and the broader technology landscape.

Although she joined F5 relatively recently, she brings with her years of experience leading talent initiatives through periods of rapid growth, innovation, and technological change.

Talent Leaders as Strategic Business Advisors

As organizations continue to navigate unprecedented shifts in technology and workforce dynamics, Weingarten believes the role of talent leaders has become more important than ever.

While conversations around artificial intelligence often focus on automation and efficiency, she sees a much larger opportunity.

For her, the future of talent acquisition isn't simply about adopting new tools—it's about becoming a strategic advisor to the business.

"What holds true is how we think about being valuable to our business," she says.

Because talent remains one of the most important assets any company possesses, talent leaders have a unique opportunity to help organizations understand workforce trends, identify emerging skill gaps, and make smarter decisions about future growth.

As AI continues to reshape industries at an unprecedented pace, Weingarten believes recruiting leaders must remain deeply connected to what's happening in the talent market.

"The talent acquisition space is getting more and more about understanding where talent is and what's trending in our global market," she explains.

By bringing those insights directly to leadership teams, talent professionals can help organizations move faster, adapt more effectively, and stay competitive.

Leading Through Transformation

Throughout her career, Weingarten has witnessed multiple waves of technological transformation.

From the rapid growth of internet companies during the dot-com era to today's AI revolution, she has learned that while technologies change, the core purpose of talent acquisition remains remarkably consistent.

Organizations still need great people.

Leaders still need trusted advisors.

And businesses still rely on talent teams to help them navigate uncertainty.

While many predict that AI will dramatically alter the future of work, Weingarten believes the most successful talent leaders will be those who focus on helping their organizations understand and adapt to those changes rather than simply reacting to them.

That means staying informed, remaining curious, and continually providing strategic guidance based on what is happening across the broader talent landscape.

Advice for Talent Leaders Heading Into 2026

As organizations prepare for the next chapter of workforce transformation, Weingarten encourages talent leaders to focus on the value they bring to the business.

Technology will continue to evolve.

Markets will continue to shift.

New challenges will emerge.

But the ability to understand talent trends, provide strategic insights, and help businesses make better decisions will remain essential.

"If talent leaders can position themselves within the business as strategic advisors and continually share what's happening in the talent marketplace," she says, "we will continue to have a seat at the table and help shape where the business is going and how fast they can get there."

For Weingarten, the future of talent acquisition isn't about keeping up with change—it's about helping organizations navigate it.

And that starts by ensuring talent remains at the center of every business conversation.