By Zee Johnson
Some say that leaders are born. While that may be true, many leaders have dedicated years to learning and developing the very skills that have carried them through the ranks. Not only have they committed their lives to studying the ins-and-outs of their industries, but they’ve done so by collaborating with peers and employees, realizing that true leaders are always students devoted to deepening their knowledge base.
The 2023 CHRO of the Year Award finalists are trailblazers who have made impactful decisions and initiatives that have transformed their organizations and readied them for the next level. Read more on these bright individuals who are pushing progression and creating the blueprint for workforces of the future. The winners will be announced at the 10th annual CHRO of the Year Awards Gala in Las Vegas.
Ramona Agrela
Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer
University of California, Irvine
As Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer at the University of California, Irvine, Ramona Agrela is a forward-thinking visionary who formed many high-impact programs that positively influenced more than 11,700 employees. Some of the most notable initiatives include the formation of The Employee Experience Center (EEC), a single-stop source for all employee questions and concerns about benefits, payroll, hiring, policies, events, and more; the elimination of annual performance reviews in favor of more regular, casual check-ins; and the deployment of a team of compensation experts to ensure the university offered fair pay across the organization, correcting any discrepancies found.
Elisa Bannon-Jones
Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer
GNC
Elisa Bannon-Jones, senior vice president and chief people officer at GNC, successfully promoted a people-first culture by instituting policies rooted in innovation, positivity, collaboration, and performance. In her first 60 days on the job, she had a key focus on acquiring and developing talent. She assembled a talent strategy road map that embedded DEI into all talent processes and programs to strengthen diverse hiring and enhance the recruitment process for future hires. The company also works with college students through internships to establish a strong recruitment network of early talent for future opportunities.
Cindy Blendu
Chief Transformation Officer and Chief HR Officer
Clearwater Analytics
Upon joining Clearwater Analytics in 2018, Chief Transformation Officer and Chief HR Officer Cindy Blendu set her sights on talent acquisition and retention. When she noticed heightened attrition from tenured employees during The Great Resignation, Blendu created structural policy changes that included upskilling, pay bands, renewed hiring strategies, recognition programs, and hybrid work options to better align with a new reality. Since then, attrition has improved by 10% and the company’s latest employee satisfaction survey results tied for the highest score in the last four years.
Pablo Brizi
Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer and Corporate Affairs
Hilton Grand Vacations
Pablo Brizi, executive vice president and chief human resources officer and corporate affairs for Hilton Grand Vacations, oversaw the company’s recent acquisition of Diamond Resorts, making it one of the largest vacation ownership companies in the world. This feat called for his well-equipped team to work around the clock to develop and execute a plan to smoothly transition and merge both companies in just six months. The team implemented health benefits coverage, payroll, a new compensation framework, IT and system integrations, and more for over 10,000 workers.
Anne Buchanan
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
The Guitar Center Company
At The Guitar Center Company, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Anne Buchanan and her team are dedicated to ensuring workers have a voice. With this foundation, the company focuses on investing in products that put people at the center, each with feedback groups to develop an inclusive, engaging, and collaborative community. Some of the programs Buchanan launched include “AwardCo,” which provides on-the-spot recognition to associates and an internal intranet that focuses on engagement. Soon thereafter, the number of retail employees interacting with daily correspondence jumped from 17% to 60% and two corporate support centers went from 22% engagement to more than 90%.
Daniel G. Chappell
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Seacoast Bank
Dan Chappell joined Seacoast Bank as chief human resources officer and executive vice president nearly 10 years ago and has led the company through 16 value-adding acquisitions. In fact, in 2022 alone, there were three acquisitions within six months, increasing Seacoast’s assets from $10.3 billion to $15.6 billion. But Chappell’s priority wasn’t just growth, it was also ensuring a seamless transition for customers and employees. After numerous town hall events, in-person visits, and meetings, his team provided job placements for more than 80% of the acquired employees and obtained an offer acceptance rate of more than 90%, leading to a 40% population spike.
Stephane Charbonnier
Chief Human Resources Officer
L’Oréal USA
L’Oréal USA’s Chief Human Resources Officer Stephane Charbonnier has supported his company in many aspects, most namely by leveraging data-driven talent strategies and supporting greater well-being initiatives. He and his team launched a global HR platform for U.S. employees after four years of planning. This allowed all employees to collaborate and utilize shared systems through an enhanced user interface. He also developed a holistic approach to employee well-being inclusive of mental, physical, and financial wellness offerings. Employees saw better family planning and reproductive health benefits, updates to parental leave, and personalized financial guidance with access to a financial advisor.
Karyn DeFalco
Chief People Officer
Millennium Trust Company, LLC
Upon joining Millennium Trust Company in 2021, Karyn DeFalco has championed a number of successful initiatives, including a total HR transformation and a heightening of employee engagement. She introduced an enterprise social network that helps connect and engage team members across the company, no matter where they were stationed. She also established learning and development centers, talent management programs, total rewards initiatives, and more, resulting in the overall workforce growing from 442 employees mainly stationed in Illinois to a workforce of 1,139 employees in 42 states, with 68% being remote.
Melissa DiMuro
Chief People and Culture Officer
Limbach Holdings, Inc.
Melissa DiMuro joined Limbach Holdings in January 2021 as the first chief people and culture officer. From the beginning, she set her sights on being an employer of choice and that required work on retention, leadership development, succession planning, and culture. With this in mind, she implemented a monthly reporting process for each business unit to present the progress they’ve made against corporate initiatives with plans to improve where needed. And through training, coaching, and measurements, the company saw a 29% reduction in attrition, saving $2.4 million.