14 Leadership Development Leaders in California.
- Jonno White
- Aug 10
- 5 min read
14 Leadership Development Leaders in California.
Leadership development in California sits inside some of the state's largest and most complex employers. Universities, health systems, technology companies and public institutions are all trying to build the skills, confidence and shared habits their people need for what comes next.
This list brings together people whose current roles connect learning, talent, organisation development, employee experience or workforce capability. It is a practical starting point for anyone who wants to understand the people helping large California employers grow stronger leaders.
Dianna Henderson.
Dianna Henderson is Vice President of Systemwide Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer at University of California. In June 2026 she shared the University of California salary programme letter and linked employee development with the annual review process.
Systemwide people strategy has to connect employee support, development and large-scale change across many campuses. That makes Dianna a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Annie Prozan.
Annie Prozan is Talent and Organization Development Director at University of California Office of the President. She leads a UC Office of the President team that sits across talent and organisation development and learning and development.
Her work shows how a central people team can make development practical for a complex employer. That makes Annie a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Terri Winbush.
Terri Winbush is Campus Chief Human Resources Officer at University of California San Diego. UC San Diego People Leader Summits give managers a direct line to HR updates, tools and live questions with Winbush.
Leadership development becomes more useful when it is built into the everyday support system for managers. That makes Terri a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Shaun Travers.
Shaun Travers is Executive Director for EDI Learning and Professional Development at University of California San Diego. He partners across UC San Diego to build learning and growth around equity, diversity and inclusion.
His remit connects leadership growth with the systems and relationships that shape belonging at work. That makes Shaun a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Laura Dannels.
Laura Dannels is Chief Human Resources Officer, Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Senior Vice President of Human Resources at University of California San Francisco and UCSF Health. At Wellstar she launched CareerCare, a career pathways programme designed to build talent pipelines and remove barriers to progression.
Her career pathways experience makes workforce growth and leadership development part of one connected system. That makes Laura a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Jeffrey Chiu.
Jeffrey Chiu is Vice President and Assistant Vice Chancellor, Talent Management and Operations at University of California San Francisco and UCSF Health. He oversees talent acquisition, compensation, learning and organisation development, labour and employee relations and HR business partners.
His portfolio shows why leadership development works best when it is tied to the full talent system. That makes Jeffrey a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Elizabeth Zacharias.
Elizabeth Zacharias is Vice President for Human Resources at Stanford University. Stanford University Human Resources links talent management and workforce strategy with skill building, mentorship and manager effectiveness.
Her remit makes development a visible part of how a large university manages its workforce. That makes Elizabeth a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Deborah Yount.
Deborah Yount is Chief Human Resources Officer at Sutter Health. Sutter Health connects her people strategy with expanded learning, leadership development and clearer career pathways across the health system.
Her work makes a strong case for treating learning as part of workforce readiness rather than a separate course catalogue. That makes Deborah a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Greg Holmes.
Greg Holmes is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Kaiser Permanente. His remit includes organisational capability, career pathing and development alongside talent acquisition, inclusion, performance and total rewards.
The breadth of his remit shows how capability building sits beside the core work of a national people function. That makes Greg a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Lionel Sims.
Lionel Sims is Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals at Kaiser Permanente. He is named in a March 2026 Kaiser Permanente message to Northern California employees as a senior human resources leader.
His role sits close to the employee experience and the practical work of keeping a large care organisation aligned. That makes Lionel a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Nathalie Scardino.
Nathalie Scardino is President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. She leads Global Employee Success and reskilling programmes such as Career Connect as Salesforce adapts to AI-enabled work.
Her work makes reskilling and career mobility central to how a major technology employer develops people. That makes Nathalie a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Lori Castillo Martinez.
Lori Castillo Martinez is Executive Vice President of Performance and Workforce Innovation at Salesforce. She leads talent strategy that includes talent mobility, leadership development, workforce innovation and upskilling.
Her remit shows how development can be tied to movement, performance and changing work design. That makes Lori a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Frank Hurtarte.
Frank Hurtarte is Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer at California State University system. He leads HR strategy across the CSU system's 23 campuses and holds a master's degree in organisational development.
His role connects organisation development thinking with the scale and complexity of a statewide university system. That makes Frank a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
Tammy Kenber.
Tammy Kenber is Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer at University of California Davis and UC Davis Health. Her priorities include people and the employee experience from candidacy through retirement, with the HR strategy grounded in partnership and innovation.
Her work keeps employee experience, change and organisation-wide development connected. That makes Tammy a useful person to follow as California employers keep investing in practical leadership capability.
A final thought.
The strongest leadership development work is close to the real work of an organisation. It helps people make better decisions, lead through change and build workplaces where capability can keep growing.
If this list helped you find a leader to follow, share it with someone who is building a stronger organisation.