Get your free essentials of employment low manual

The CHRO’s agenda has never been more daunting since the coronavirus pandemic erupted last year. Organizations have by and large met innumerable challenges in response to the outbreak —a feat impossible to achieve without the resilience shown by HR Leaders.

In the months since the outbreak, HR Leaders had to reimagine the basic tenets of an organization. With their profound and immediate changes, companies became more human, collaborative, and were successful in creating an employee experience that is meaningful.

We have witnessed a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift to remote work, the unprecedented acceleration of automation and digitization, and the reallocation of resources to better organize for a post-pandemic future of work. Our Top CHROs of the Year are HR Leaders who have shown resilience, agility, and operational excellence in reflexively explaining  “who we are” as an organization, “how we grow,” and “how we enhance employee experience.”

To usher in the future of work, these HR Leaders created solutions that are creative, adaptable, and robust. For our January 2022 issue, we spoke with CHROs about their success in rolling our initiatives that helped strengthen their organization’s ability to drive change in leadership excellence, culture, and employee experience.

It was a difficult decision to narrow down to just eight people, as there are so many influential HR leaders. These are the men and women who helped propel a transformation by facilitating monumental changes to make their companies future-ready. Below are the thought-provoking CHROs we selected, whom you should definitely be following on LinkedIn.

Charlie-Ackerman

Charlie Ackerman

Sr. Vice President Human Resources, Bosch North America

As a global HR leader, thought leader, and mentor to thousands, Charlie Ackerman is a shining example of someone who has little doubt about what drives him, what he hopes to accomplish, and what sort of example he wants to set for aspiring CHROs along the way. His transformative, visionary and charismatic leadership style is forged by determination and persistence in the face of daunting HR challenges, and shaped by a deep understanding of the importance of data that guides him on a global stage as he looks to bring about positive change in the world of work.

Read More
Gloria-Chen

Gloria Chen

Chief People Officer & EVP, Employee Experience, Adobe

Gloria Chen brings new meaning to “human” and “resources” as she leads 25,000 employees across the globe. At the core of Adobe’s success is Chen’s expeditious response to developing solutions to an unprecedented challenge last year. Under her HR leadership, Adobe has forged an outstanding performance culture where it has consistently hit or exceeded corporate goals. Talking to The HR Digest, she describes how the company reimagined employee experience and expectations during Covid-19 and how resilience can set you up for future success.

Read More
Lisa-van-Capelle

Lisa van Capelle

Chief Human Resources Officer, Syneos Health

Lisa van Capelle’s contagious, people-centered approach mirrors the philosophy of Syneos Health. People at Syneos Health are not only passionate about what they do but also how their work impacts the world around them. Guided by Lisa’s mission, the company’s HR team has strengthened employee connectivity during the pandemic and solidified the overall employee experience.

Read More
Mary-Hassett

Mary Hassett

Chief Human Resources Officer, Lam Research

Whether it’s initiating HR strategies at Lam Research or elevating the company to the peak of success, the CHRO ushers a caring approach that brings out the best in everyone. Mary Hassett has not only helped redefine the traditional role of CHRO at the company, but also changed the perception of what an HR Leader can do for people. In an interview with The HR Digest, Mary Hassett explains how HR can connect and collaborate with people as we journey through the new world of work.

Read More
Monique-Herena

Monique Herena

Chief Colleague Experience Officer, American Express

As one of the world’s most admired brands whose success depends on consumer trust, American Express puts a premium on leaders with vision, integrity, and the perseverance to win. Integrity, resilience, and commitment — these are the values that Monique Herena, CHRO at American Express, utilizes to achieve DE&I excellence. Today, as one of the top HR Leaders out there, Herena breaks a lance for greater diversity in the boardroom; she is not afraid to put forward profoundly ambitious ideas.

Read More
Tracy-Layney

Tracy Layney

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Levi Strauss & Co.

How can HR Leaders utilize an employee-centric approach, from rethinking talent to revolutionizing leadership? At Levi Strauss & Co., Tracy Layney and her human resources teams work relentlessly, fiercely, and seamlessly to ensure the most holistic approach to employee wellness. It’s no wonder that Levi’s employee-centric management approach has been effective in today’s environment. In a remarkable interview with The HR Digest, Layney discusses ERGs, the enduring value of ‘manager reset training’, and creating opportunities for women in the boardroom.

Read More
Carey-Pellock

Carey Pellock

Chief Human Resources Officer, Neustar

Carey Pellock, CHRO, Neustar is hard at work to build a winning culture. At the core of this transformation is a people-driven strategy keeping people at the heart of everything. In a remarkable interview with The HR Digest, Pellock explores meaningful transformation, talent in today’s landscape, performance management, and creating greater diversity and inclusion at Neustar.

Read More
Pat-Wadors

Pat Wadors

Chief Human Resources Officer, Procore

“We are a people-first company,” says Pat Wadors as she outlines how Procore has stayed on track amid uncertainty through and beyond the Covid-19 crisis. When Pat Wadors was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer of Procore, she quickly emerged as one of the most cherished leaders in the company. In a remarkable interview with The HR Digest, Wadors describes Procore’s unique approach to belongingness initiatives, the changing nature of the HRM, and how she creates a safe and inclusive culture for everyone with her own fresh approach.

Read More

This story first appeared in the January 2022 issue of The HR Digest magazine.