If people are a company’s greatest asset, then CHROs have a lot riding on their shoulders.
From delivering a winning culture to introducing fresh recruitment strategies, they are stewards and strategists who are responsible for a company’s talent and performance blueprint -all of which drives the business forward. To honor the contributions of these incredible leaders, HRO Today is proud to present the annual CHRO/HRD of the Year Awards.
2026 CHROs of the Year
Small Market
Tina Campbell
Chief HR & Administration Officer
Citizens First Bank
Mid-Market
Paul Gregory
Chief People and Culture Officer
Securonix, Inc.
Large Market
Jill Larsen
Chief People Officer
Synopsys
Sustainable Workforce
Rosemary Sheehan
EVP & Chief People Officer
Hartford HealthCare
Non-Profit
Logan Carmichael
Chief People & Culture Officer
Pittsburgh Water
Lifetime Achievement
Kelly Jones
Chief People Officer
Cisco
2026 Leaders of Distinction
Garri Brown
Vice President, People & Culture
Port of New Orleans
Jean Casner
SVP, CHRO
embecta
Andrew Dawson
Chief People Officer & Head of Corporate Affairs
BVI
Courtney Eidel
CHRO
Community Options
Patricia Frost
Chief People and Places Officer
Seagate Technology
Varun Gautum
Head – Talent Supply Chain
Persistent
Andrea Giraldo
VP of People Ops & Employee Relations
Wizeline
Ivory Harris
SVP & CHRO
AGCO Corporation
Patty Johns
Chief People & Culture Officer
Meridian Credit Union
Stephanie Manzelli
Chief People Officer
Employ.
Deborah Maynard
formerly CHRO
Coast Mental Health
Shweta Rani
Chief People and Culture Officer
Zinnov
Kendrick Russell
CHRO
University Medical Center
Riya Sood
formerly CHRO
OpSec Security
Aly Sparks
Global CHRO
LHH
Lisa Sterling
Chief People Officer
Perceptyx
Joshua Townsend
Chief People Officer
Children’s Home Society of North Carolina
Michael Van Aken
Chief People Officer
Acosta Group
Amy Cappellanti-Wolf
EVP and Chief People Officer
Dayforce
2025 CHROs of the Year
Small Market
Laura Muir
CHRO
Polaris Transportation Group
Mid-Market
Robin Corralez
Chief People Officer
PandaDoc
Large Market
Pradheepa Raman
Chief People Officer
GlobalFoundries
Sustainable Workforce
Daniel G. Chappell
EVP & CHRO
Seacoast Bank
Non-Profit
Lori Knowles
SVP & CHRO
Memorial Hermann Health System
Lifetime Achievement
Terilyn Juarez Monroe
Chief People Officer
Guardant Health
2025 Leaders of Distinction
Dr. Archana Arcot
Chief People Officer
Unifi Aviation
Emily Barron
Chief People Officer
Basis Technologies
Nate Bigler
Chief People Officer
St. Luke’s Hospital
Garri Brown
Assistant Vice President and Chief People & Culture Officer
Port of New Orleans
Gary Burrus
Executive Officer of Human Resources
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Logan Carmichael
Chief People & Culture Officer
Pittsburgh Water
Kenneth Ceaser
Chief People & Culture Officer
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Kathy Claytor
VP & CHRO
Formerly Delta Dental of Virginia
Teresa Czubak
Chief People Officer
Madison Logic
Patrick Daniel
CHRO
GAT – Airline Ground Support, Inc.
Margaret Driscoll
Chief People & Culture Officer
Blackbaud
Nancee Gerlineau
CHRO & CAO
UCS Forest Group
Paul Gregory
Chief People and Culture Officer
Securonix
Lisa King
Chief People Officer
MedeAnalytics
Jeff Krupp
CHRO
Inotiv
Deborah Maynar
CHRO
Coast Mental Health
Melissa Morrow
Partner & Chief People Officer
Calcium+Company
Lisa Nadler
CHRO
Integral Ad Science
Denise Nichols
Chief People Officer
Fortitude Re
Billy Parsons
CHRO
EyeCare Partners
Riya Sood
CHRO
OpSec Security
Rachel Stephens
SVP HR & Facilities
MODE Global
2024 CHROs of the Year
Small Market
Margie Harris
EVP & CHRO
Tellurian Inc.
Mid-Market
Melissa DiMuro
Chief People
Culture & Marketing Officer
Limbach
Large Market
Maryjo Charbonnier
CHRO
Kyndryl
Sustainable Workforce
Gianna Driver
CHRO
Exabeam
Non-Profit
Nakesha Lopez
EVP, Chief People & Culture Officer
Formerly Advocate Health
Lifetime Achievement
Kathleen Weslock
CHRO
Ansys, Inc.
2024 Leaders of Distinction
Mia Arnesano
CHRO
Flores Financial Services, Inc.
Crystal Ashby
EVP, Chief People, DEI, & Communications Officer
Independence Health Group
Logan Carmichael
Chief People & Culture Officer
Pittsburgh Water
Robin Corralez
Chief People Officer
PandaDoc
Evelyn Costa
CHRO
Oasis Marinas
Teresa Czubak
Chief People Officer
Madison Logic Inc.
Kimberly Dorsett
CHRO
Momentus Capital
Kathy Claytor
VP & CHRO
Formerly Delta Dental of Virginia
Nicole Eisenbarth
CHRO
Elite Roofing Supply
Paul Gregory
Chief People and Culture Officer
Securonix
Janet Hanofee
CHRO
ITC Federal
Melissa Jones
EVP & CHRO
CSAA Insurance Group
Donald Knight
Chief People Officer
Greenhouse
Jeff Krupp
CHRO
Inotiv
Rachel Miller
CHRO
Roebbelen Contracting, Inc.
Rebecca Port
Chief People Officer
10x Genomics
John Riley
CHRO
UBank
Toni-Ann Sforza
Chief People & Experience Officer
Municipal Credit Union
Cheryle Teague Weaver
Head of Human Resources
AG&E
Riya Sood
CHRO
OpSec Security
2023 CHROs of the Year
Small Market
Camye Mackey
EVP, Chief People, DE&I Officer
Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena
Mid-Market
Alex Kweskin
EVP & CHRO
Banc of California
Large Market
Tracy Layney
EVP & CHRO
Levi Strauss & Co.
Sustainable Workforce
Sarah Fass
CHRO
Bridgewater Associates
Non-Profit
Kathleen Federico
SVP, Chief People, Brand,
& Communications Officer
The MITRE Corporation
Lifetime Achievement
Melissa Werneck
EVP & Global Chief People Officer
The Kraft Heinz Company
Innovation
Nancy Hauge
CHRO
Automation Anywhere
2023 Leaders of Distinction
Ramona Agrela
Vice Chancellor and CHRO
University of California, Irvine
Elisa Bannon-Jones
SVP and Chief People Officer
GNC
Cindy Blendu
Chief Transformation Officer & CHRO
Clearwater Analytics
Pablo Brizi
EVP, CHRO & Corporate Affairs
Hilton Grand Vacations
Anne Buchanan
SVP & CHRO
The Guitar Center Company
Daniel G. Chappell
EVP & CHRO
Seacoast Bank
Stephane Charbonnier
CHRO
L’Oreal USA
Karyn DeFalco
Chief People Officer
Millennium Trust Company, LLC
Melissa DiMuro
Chief People & Culture Officer
Limbach Holdings, Inc.
Melissa Dreuth
Chief of Staff to the CEO & Chief People Officer
Planful, Inc
Gianna Driver
CHRO
Exabeam
Betzy Estrada
EVP & CHRO
Urovant Sciences, Inc.
Annette Favorite
SVP & CHRO
West Pharmaceutical Services
Dale Fisher
Assistant Superintendent for HR
Deerfield Public Schools District 109
Jennifer Foreman
CHRO
Charter Schools USA
Margie M. Harris
EVP & CHRO
Tellurian Inc.
Stephanie Holloman
Assistant Chief/Human Resources Director
Orange County Fire Authority
Diljot Kaur
VP People & Culture
Softbank Energy
Einav Lavi
CHRO
Qualitest
Rachel Miller
CHRO
Roebbelen Contracting Inc.
Melissa Morrow
Partner & Chief People Officer
Calcium+Company
Diane Psaras
EVP & CHRO
VITAS Healthcare
Suzanne M. Sanchez
CHRO
Empower
Kevin Silva
CHRO
Voya Financial
Betty Thompson
Chief People Officer
Booz Allen Hamilton
Janine Walter
CHRO
Galway/EPIC Brokers
2022 CHROs of the Year
Small Market
Ray Khuo
Chief Human Capital Officer
BlueHalo LLC
Mid-Market
Deb LaMere
CHRO
Datasite
Large Market
Mai Lan Nguyen
SVP Human Resources
Schneider Electric
Sustainable Workforce
Kathleen Pai
Chief People Officer
N-able
Non-Profit
Carmen Canales
SVP & Chief People Officer
Novant Health
Lifetime Achievement
Cecilia McKenney
SVP & CHRO
Quest Diagnostics
2022 Leaders of Distinction
Michelle Eisner
SVP & CHRO
SBA Communications Corp
Jeannie Fissinger
SVP Policy & Training Development
Healthcare Services Group, Inc.
Andrea Giraldo
Head of People – Americas
Monstarlab
Sara Hill
CHRO
Intricon
Global Operations
Zoetis
KnowBe4
LPL Financial
The RealReal
CHRO
Minnetronix Medical
Chief People Officer
Namely
VP Human Resources
Cincinnati Incorporated
CHRO
Cielo
2021 CHROs of the Year
Non-Profit
David Cook
SVP HR & Chief People Officer
TriHealth
Mid-Market
Kristine Meade
EVP & CHRO
North American Partners in Anesthesia (NAPA)
Enterprise
Kathie Patterson
CHRO
Ally Financial, Inc.
Sustainable Workforce
Susi Takeuchi
CHRO
UCLA Health
Lifetime Achievement
Denise Williams
Chief People Officer
FIS Global
2021 Leaders of Distinction
Chief People Officer
UpWork
CHRO / Chief People and Culture Officer
Atrium Health
CHRO
Datasite
SVP & CHRO
Lumentum
2020 CHROs of the Year
Non-Profit
Alex Smith
CHRO
City of Memphis
Mid-Market
Jill Geimer
Managing Director,
Head of HR
Ecentria
Enterprise
Elisa Bannon-Jones
EVP & CHRO
Pep Boys
Sustainable Workforce
Rebecca Sinclair
Chief People & Communications Officer
America Tire Distributors
Lifetime Achievement
Mike Yonker
EVP & CHRO
Marriott Vacations Worldwide
2020 Leaders of Distinction
2019 CHROs of the Year
Non-Profit
Darryl Varnado, Chief People Officer – Children’s National Health System
CEO Partnership
Jeanie Heffernan, EVP & CHRO – Independence Health Group
Mid-Market
Sean Kimble, VP of Human Resources – USA Compression
Enterprise
Max Lagenkamp, VP of HR and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer – Cintas
Sustainable Workforce
Jacqueline M. Welch, CHRO & Chief Diversity Officer – Freddie Mac
Lifetime Achievement
John Murabito, EVP & CHRO – Cigna
2019 Leaders of Distinction
Marissa Andrada, Chief People Officer – Chipotle Mexican Grill
Nancy Hauge, CHRO – Automation Anywhere
Marcus Griffin, HR Director – Dufry
Jill Geimer, Managing Director, Head of Human Resources – Ecentria
Bonnie Daniels, SVP of Culture & People Services – MiTek Industries, Inc.
Roger Casalengo, SVP – Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions
Leigh Anne Baker, CHRO & Corporate Vice President – Cargill
Tanya Axenson, Vice President, Human Resources – Aerotek
Andrea Larsen, CHRO – Advisor Group
Alan R. May, Chief People Officer – Hewlett Packard Enterprises
Linda Nedelcoff, EVP, Chief Strategy & Human Resources Officer – CUNA Mutual Group
Kathie Patterson, CHRO – Ally Financial
Rebecca Sinclair, Chief People, and Communications Officer – American Tire Distributors
Anna Spriggs, Chief Human Resources and Administration – Truth Initiative
