Founder · since 2011 Making HR the most innovative profession in the C‑Suite.
21 years in HR: Wargaming, Preply, iDeals, Starlightmedia, Alfa-Bank, PeopleForce. Certified PHRi, SHRM-CP, HCI sHRBP; HRCI representative in Eastern Europe. Founder of Mike Pritula Academy; built PapaHR, an AI-native HR platform, as CPO and keeps developing it. #1 HR instructor on Udemy and author of 200+ HR books on Amazon.
Strategic HR is not "personnel admin" or a "support function". It is the CEO's partner that moves revenue, margin and company value. If your HR team still spends its days printing employment orders, something is wrong.
I have been writing about AI in HR since 2019. Since then the story has moved from "AI will change HR soon" to "AI is already inside every process". Teams that adopt AI now gain the advantage. Teams that wait give the market away.
21 years in HR: Wargaming, Preply, iDeals, Starlightmedia, Alfa-Bank. I built HR from scratch four times. I teach what I have implemented myself, not what I read in HBR. Academy courses include only tools that already work.
Recruiting, onboarding, core HR processes. The start of 21 years of continuous work in the HR function.
Online learning for HR practitioners, long before Zoom and mass EdTech.
The academy launches under its own brand. Since then the course catalog and the student geography have kept growing.
Webinars on WizIQ and ClickMeeting before Zoom existed. The academy's first online course and the "recorded lessons + homework" format.
Mike becomes the HR Certification Institute representative in Eastern Europe. 10+ test centers launched in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, where HR professionals could not take international exams before.
Three years before the public release of ChatGPT, Mike publishes his first materials on artificial intelligence in HR. Since then, a constant focus where HR meets AI.
Right after the ChatGPT release, the academy launches courses on ChatGPT, AI and robots in HR. By the end of the year there are 9 of them in the catalog.
An AI-native HR platform that Mike built and develops himself as CPO. 30+ modules, from employee records to goals, reviews and surveys.
Mike Pritula Academy today is the largest independent HR education platform. NPS 80, new courses every week, 155+ courses already in English, with more being translated. The goal is to make HR the most innovative profession in the C‑Suite.
From an EdTech unicorn to a bank, from media to HR tech. Wargaming, Preply, iDeals, Starlightmedia, Alfa-Bank, PeopleForce. Every company meant a new level of HR maturity and new tools that later became academy courses.
The makers of World of Tanks. Total Rewards for 2,800 employees, job evaluation for 2,000 roles (Radford/HAY), $10M+ in savings.
An EdTech unicorn valued at $1.2B. Mike built the HR system and team: headcount grew from ~50 to 110+ in 11 months, eNPS from 30 to 70.
Global SaaS for virtual data rooms. HR from scratch: OKRs in 85%+ of teams, time-to-fill down from 90 to 60 days, turnover down from 35% to 25%.
One of Ukraine's largest media groups (STB channel). An HR team of 20, 2,000 hires in 3 years, the company grew from 800 to 2,500 people.
First HR role, 2005. A highly regulated environment, a complex HR function and strict compliance requirements.
An HR tech platform: HRIS, performance, recruiting, surveys. Role: HR Evangelist and Product Advisor, where HR knowledge becomes a product.
All three institutes are the global gold standard of HR certification. Mike passed each exam and teaches others to prepare for the HRCI and SHRM exams; since 2018 he has been the HRCI representative in Eastern Europe.
Professional in Human Resources — International
A global certification for HR practitioners from the HR Certification Institute. It confirms mastery of operational HR: recruiting, performance management, development and employee relations.
Society for Human Resource Management — Certified Professional
A US certification from the world's largest HR association. Recognized by employers worldwide, especially in the US and in multinational corporations. Focus: strategic HR and business partnering.
Human Capital Institute — Strategic HR Business Partner
A certification for HRBPs from the Human Capital Institute: business acumen, influence on top management, turning HR into a strategic function.
An official agreement with HRCI. 10+ test centers launched in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, where HR professionals could not take international exams before. HRCI exam prep courses in 10+ countries.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Diagnosing, Fixing, and Future‑Proofing Your People Function
How In‑House EB Managers Build a Measurable System in the AI Era
The Non‑Technical Recruiter's Playbook
The In‑House Manager's Operating Manual
The Operating System for Building, Scaling, and Running a High‑Performance Business
From Order‑Taker to Strategic Business Partner
How to Build a Compensation and Benefits System That Attracts, Retains, and Motivates
A Practical Guide to Building, Leading, and Growing High‑Performing Teams
A Step‑by‑Step Guide to Building, Defending, and Executing a Winning People Strategy
200+ books on HR, AI in HR and business.
In 15 years Mike has built an ecosystem of HR products: an academy with 170K+ students, the HR platform PapaHR and YouTube channels about HR. Each product strengthens the others.
The largest independent HR education platform
Since 2011. 185+ courses, 170,000+ students since 2012, learners in 185 countries. NPS 80. Programs are built on the international standards of HRCI, SHRM, CIPD and HCI. A $1,000 yearly subscription opens 175+ courses, 155+ already in English, with more being translated.
An AI-native HR platform with the academy's methods built in
As CPO, Mike built PapaHR himself and keeps developing it. 30+ modules: employees and org structure, hiring, 30‑60‑90 onboarding, goals and reviews, pay and grades, engagement surveys. An HR person or a team lead can launch it, no separate HR department needed.
Try PapaHR →The academy's HR channels
Interviews, case breakdowns, reviews of HR trends and AI tools. 2× Silver Play Button from YouTube.
Not theory: results in the HR function and in online learning. Behind every number are thousands of people whose careers changed.
Where the HR community listens to Mike and which areas of his expertise it relies on.
1.9M course enrollments across 600 HR courses. Mike teaches what he has applied in HR functions himself.
Two academy channels passed 100,000 subscribers: 250K+ and 200K+. Interviews, cases and AI tools for HR.
An official agreement with the HR Certification Institute. 10+ test centers in the region and HRCI exam prep courses in 10+ countries.
A yearly academy subscription opens 175+ courses, 155+ already in English (more are being translated), new courses every week, the HR community chat and Accredible certificates. $1,000 a year instead of paying for each course separately.
HR should be the most innovative profession in the C‑Suite.