The women in HR on this list are reshaping how organizations think about people, culture, and work. Whether you're looking for fresh perspectives on talent strategy or practical guidance from leaders who've navigated real challenges, these voices are worth your attention. Follow them to stay sharp, challenge your thinking, and bring stronger ideas back to your team.
Top 14 Women in HR
Below are the profiles of the top women in HR, covering who they are and the impact they've made in this space.
Nickle LaMoreaux
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at IBM
New York, United States
Focus area:
#Future of work#AI in HR#Workforce transformation#Skills development
Nickle LaMoreaux is IBM’s senior vice president and chief human resources officer, leading global people strategy after more than 25 years across HR, software, services, and markets worldwide.
She is helping IBM…
Connect with Nickle:
Donna Morris
EVP & Chief People Officer at Walmart
Bentonville, United States
Focus area:
#Workforce transformation#Skills-first talent#Career mobility#Employee experience#Future of work
Donna Morris is Walmart’s executive vice president and chief people officer, leading global people strategy after more than 17 years at Adobe, including over a decade as CHRO and people leader.
At…
Connect with Donna:
Kelly Jones
Chief People Officer at Cisco
United States
Focus area:
#People strategy#AI workforce transformation#Talent development#Employee wellbeing#Hybrid work
Kelly Jones is Cisco’s chief people officer, leading People & Communities after 19 years at the company across talent acquisition, workforce programs, operations, and executive strategy.
Jones uses data to guide how…
Connect with Kelly:
Jeanett Modise
Group Chief People Officer at Absa
Western Cape, South Africa
Focus area:
#Human capital strategy#Culture transformation#Talent management#Employee experience#Digital transformation
Jeanett Modise is Absa Group’s group chief people officer, whose career includes senior roles in Sanlam, SAP, AngloGold Ashanti, IDC, Mutual & Federal, and Hewlett Packard.
At Absa, she focuses on workplace…
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Pradheepa Raman
Chief People Officer at GlobalFoundries
Focus area:
#Talent management#Employee wellbeing#Workforce development#Inclusive culture#People analytics
Pradheepa Raman is chief people officer at GlobalFoundries, where she leads HR worldwide. She previously held senior talent and workplace change roles at Stanley Black & Decker, Samsung, and Avaya.
At GlobalFoundries,…
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Stephanie Kramer
Chief Human Resources Officer at L’Oréal North America
Focus area:
#People strategy#Employee experience#Talent development#Working parents#Business leadership
Stephanie Kramer is L’Oréal North America’s chief human resources officer and longtime executive. She's also an author with earlier roles in brand leadership and marketing globally.
Kramer leads HR work across hiring,…
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Yolanda Seals-Coffield
Chief People & Inclusion Officer at PwC US
Stamford, United States
Focus area:
#Employee experience#Inclusion#Talent development#AI adoption#Workplace culture
Yolanda Seals-Coffield is PwC US chief people and inclusion officer, leading the firm’s People & Inclusion organization after more than 14 years working across employee experience.
Seals-Coffield helps employees grow their careers,…
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Gina Marina P. Ordoñez
SVP & Chief People Officer at PLDT
Philippines
Focus area:
#People strategy#Employee experience#Talent management#Workplace transformation#Organizational change
Gina Marina P. Ordoñez is senior vice president and chief people officer for PLDT, bringing more than 24 years of experience across people, transformation, service, and banking.
Ordoñez directs human capital initiatives,…
Connect with Gina:
Lori Knowles
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Memorial Hermann Health System
Houston, United States
Focus area:
#Healthcare workforce#Talent development#Employee wellbeing#Retention#Employee experience
Lori Knowles is Memorial Hermann Health System’s senior vice president and chief human resources officer. She serves as its top HR executive and a strategic partner to system leadership in healthcare.
Knowles…
Connect with Lori:
Robin Corralez
Chief People Officer at PandaDoc
St. Petersburg, United States
Focus area:
#People strategy#Change leadership#Performance management#Organizational design#Workplace culture
Robin Corralez is chief people officer at PandaDoc, where she leads HR for the global software company. Her experience includes workplace culture, hiring, and business operations.
She has helped PandaDoc reorganize teams,…
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Sara Wechter
Chief Human Resources Officer at Citi
New York, United States
Focus area:
#Talent strategy#Pay equity#Hybrid work#Learning and development#Employee relations
Sara Wechter is Citi’s chief human resources officer, leading talent strategy, recruiting, learning, rewards, employee relations, and other people functions across the global bank worldwide.
Under Wechter’s leadership, Citi has addressed workplace…
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Francine Katsoudas
EVP & Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco
Los Gatos, United States
Focus area:
#Organizational transformation#Leadership#Workplace culture#Social impact#AI readiness
Francine Katsoudas is Cisco’s executive vice president and chief people, policy and purpose officer. She has worked at Cisco for three decades and leads its global work on employees, policy, and social…
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Lucy Adams
HR Author & Disruptive HR CEO
London, United Kingdom
Focus area:
#HR transformation#Employee experience#People-centered HR#Organizational change#Leadership
Lucy Adams is CEO of Disruptive HR, a former BBC HR director and author of HR Disrupted and The HR Change Toolkit. She focuses on changing how organizations lead and manage their…
Connect with Lucy:
Tracie Sponenberg
Fractional & Advisory Chief People Officer
Concord, United States
Focus area:
#Frontline workforce#People strategy#Manufacturing HR#Distribution HR#HR technology
Tracie Sponenberg is a fractional and advisory chief people officer who spent 25 years leading HR in frontline businesses, including nine years as CPO at The Granite Group in distribution.
Sponenberg advises…
Connect with Tracie:
Selection Methodology
I selected the leaders on this list based on their relevance, demonstrated expertise and impact, professional credibility, and ongoing contributions to the field.
I look for evidence such as leading meaningful initiatives or delivering notable results within their organizations, developing influential ideas or practices, publishing research or educational resources, speaking or teaching, and other contributions that demonstrate impact within their work or the broader field.
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