Adam McKinnon, PhD.

Captain
DISC Type : DS

Director of People Analytics & AI at Arm

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, United Kingdom

Overview

Adam is the Director of People Analytics & AI at Arm, leveraging his PhD from Monash University to transform employee insights into business value. He has a history of pioneering machine learning in HR at major firms like Reece Group and Merck. People hes worked with often describe him as a visionary, diligent, and organized mentor.

Outside of his corporate role, Adam is passionate about building the professional community in his field. After five years in Australia, he and his family, including his daughter Freyja, have recently relocated to the United Kingdom, marking a significant personal and professional transition.

He single-handedly launched a free, centralized job board for people analytics roles, which now lists hundreds of positions across multiple continents.

Personality Overview

Decisive But Calm

Consummate Professional

Output-Driven

They exhibit a rare combination of being result-oriented but patient at the same time.  They are very professional in their approach and can weigh multiple perspectives together. They might take some time to make their mind up but once they do, they don't change it easily.

Topics They Care About

People Analytics
His core expertise involves creating people data ecosystems to identify problems and drive business performance, a practice he has pioneered at multiple global companies.
AI in HR
He has a specific focus on applying AI, machine learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to optimize HR service delivery and gain deeper insights from employee data.
HR Technology
He has experience managing HR tech budgets and implementing new platforms for recruitment and communications to enhance organizational efficiency and strategic growth.

Media Appearances

Adam D McKinnon – People Analytics Blog (personal site with bio mentioning role as Director of People Analytics & AI at Arm). Featured in adam-d-mckinnon.com

See Now

Work History

11-2025
Director of People Analytics & AI at Arm
3-2021 - 10-2025
Head of People Platforms and Analytics at Reece Group
9-2020 - 3-2021
People Analytics Insights Lead at QBE Insurance
5-2018 - 7-2020
Advanced People Analytics Consultant at Merck Group
3-2014 - 4-2018
Director Of Client Services at Mercer

Education

2006 - 2011
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) from Monash University
2003 - 2004
Postgraduate Certificate from Financial Services Institute of Australia

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 11 Location : Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Director of People Analytics & AI at Arm
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Insights For Selling To Adam

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Suggest clear next steps with confidence, don't be vague or hesitant
  • You can spend time on BANT (or other qualification methodology) but keep it to the point
  • Focus on the results that your product produces, expect some strategic questions in return

DONT's

  • Don't focus too much on mutual contacts or bother about other stakeholders, focus on them
  • Don't take their patience for granted, avoid long-winding sermons
  • Don't shy away from asking hard questions, but be extra polite

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Adam is

  • Strong proof of impact and their conviction will matter the most, but they wouldn't want to act unilaterally either
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Adam

  • They will say no if they are not convinced but you will have to prompt them.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Adam move?

  • They will want to understand things well but can move fast once they have a clear picture.
  • Can Adam take some risk or not?

  • They have good risk tolerance but are likely to think it through once or twice.

You And Adam

Personality Compatibility


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