23 People and Culture Leaders in Austin to Know

Last updated: 6 August 2026.

Austin’s people and culture work is spread across technology, higher education, infrastructure, professional services, healthcare and community organisations. That variety matters because the best people practices are shaped by the work an organisation is here to do.

This is a recognition directory, not a ranking. It brings together 23 leaders whose public roles connect with culture, talent, learning, employee experience or the systems that help people do good work.

Some lead the whole people function. Others own a specialist part of it. Together, they show the range of work involved in building organisations where people can contribute, grow and trust the way decisions are made.

1. Jenn Saavedra

Chief Human Resources Officer, Dell Technologies

Jenn Saavedra leads Dell Technologies’ Global Human Resources and Facilities function. Her remit connects people strategy, culture and organisational performance at a genuinely global scale.

Dell’s profile also notes her background across talent development, culture, business partnering, strategy and learning and development. That range makes her a useful example of how the people function can grow with a complex technology organisation.

2. Andrea Clayton

Chief People Officer, TELUS Digital

Andrea Clayton brings a global people lens to TELUS Digital, with a focus on placing team members at the centre of a culture of innovation and growth.

Her public profile describes experience with organisations of more than 10,000 employees, mergers and acquisitions, HR integration, equity plans and compensation. Those are the practical systems behind culture when an organisation is changing quickly.

3. Karen Herckis

Chief Human Resources Officer, DISCO

Karen Herckis oversees People-related functions at DISCO, including HR business partnership, talent acquisition, HR operations, compensation and benefits, and learning and development.

Her path from marketing and communications into HR leadership is a useful reminder that strong people work often sits at the intersection of communication, systems and trust. She joined DISCO in 2022 and became CHRO in January 2024.

4. Meredith Crouse

Chief Human Resources Officer, Bonterra

Meredith Crouse serves as Bonterra’s Chief Human Resources Officer, placing the people function alongside the other executive responsibilities that support a social impact technology business.

The role matters because purpose-led organisations still need clear people systems, sound leadership development and an employee experience that can support the mission. Her place on Bonterra’s leadership team makes that connection visible.

5. Gill Godfrey

Chief People Officer, Storable

Gill Godfrey heads up Storable’s People Operations and brings a clear focus on the relationship between culture and organisational performance.

Her background includes change management and organisational design, as well as extensive study of how adults learn and adapt. That combination is especially relevant in a growing technology business where culture has to be designed as well as described.

6. Jennifer Stanley

Principal and Director of People Operations, TBG Partners

Jennifer Stanley is Principal and Director of People Operations at TBG Partners, where her team focuses on making work work for designers.

TBG describes her as bringing 20 years of strategic HR and business operations experience in architecture and design. That sector context matters because people systems have to fit the way creative and technical teams actually work.

7. Jim Chuckas

Vice President of Human Resources, Austin Industries

Jim Chuckas was named Vice President of Human Resources at Austin Industries in 2025 after more than 40 years in HR across engineering, real estate and professional services.

His experience spans talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation and benefits. For an industrial and infrastructure business, that broad remit shows how people leadership connects workforce capability with operational reality.

8. Robert Kasubinski

Vice President of People, Austin Industries

Robert Kasubinski leads human resources, employee relations, craft and staff hiring, training, retention and workforce development for Austin Industrial.

He joined the company in 2016 after 26 years with Marathon Petroleum and Marathon Oil. His work shows the importance of building people systems that serve both professional teams and skilled workforces.

9. Tina Hernandez

Director of Human Resources, Tarantino Properties

Tina Hernandez is responsible for payroll and benefits activity for more than 500 employees at Tarantino, including insurance, workers’ compensation and the company’s 401K plan.

Her remit also includes hiring, employee recognition, policy and payroll technology. It is a grounded example of people leadership where the employee experience depends on getting everyday systems right.

10. Kris Potrafka

Vice President of Human Resources, Ambiq

Kris Potrafka leads Ambiq’s global HR organisation and focuses on people, culture and organisational health as the technology company grows.

Ambiq describes his experience across NXP, AMD, Cisco Systems, MySpace and Sun Microsystems. The common thread is building HR practices that support technical talent, collaboration, development and performance.

11. Amanda Cooper

Director of Human Resources, OriGen Biomedical

Amanda Cooper was promoted to Director of Human Resources at OriGen Biomedical, a role that places the people function close to the needs of a specialised biomedical organisation.

The role is a reminder that people leadership is not one-size-fits-all. In a regulated and technical environment, hiring, development and clear systems have to support both people and the work they are trusted to do.

12. Ashley Mitchell

Chief People Officer, United Way for Greater Austin

Ashley Mitchell leads people strategy at United Way for Greater Austin, with a focus on collaboration, diversity, community engagement and an inclusive culture.

The organisation describes her as bringing more than 15 years of experience developing HR strategies that support organisational goals. Her role shows how people leadership can strengthen both internal culture and external social impact.

13. Tony Hunt

Associate Vice President of Human Resources, The University of Texas at Austin

Tony Hunt is Associate Vice President of Human Resources at The University of Texas at Austin.

A large university needs people leadership that can work across faculties, professional teams and a wide range of employee needs. The role makes higher education an important part of Austin’s people and culture landscape.

14. Karen Chawner

Executive Director of Talent Strategy and Employee Support, The University of Texas at Austin

Karen Chawner leads talent strategy and employee support at The University of Texas at Austin.

That combination brings two vital questions together: how an organisation develops capability, and how it supports people while they do the work. Both are central to a healthy employee experience.

15. Marta Fonseca

Director of HR Services, The University of Texas at Austin

Marta Fonseca is Director of HR Services at The University of Texas at Austin.

HR services are where policy, process and employee experience meet. The role is a useful reminder that culture is shaped by the quality and clarity of everyday interactions, not only by big statements.

16. Angela Frisina

Director of HR Business Partnerships, The University of Texas at Austin

Angela Frisina is Director of HR Business Partnerships at The University of Texas at Austin.

Business partnership work connects people advice with the decisions leaders are already making. In a university setting, that means helping different parts of a complex organisation make people choices with more clarity.

17. Elida Lee

Director of Organisational Effectiveness, The University of Texas at Austin

Elida Lee is Director of Organisational Effectiveness at The University of Texas at Austin.

Organisational effectiveness is about making the way work is designed, led and supported more useful. It gives the people function a direct link to how teams collaborate and how decisions move.

18. Angie Schoolar

Senior Director of HR Services, The University of Texas at Austin

Angie Schoolar is Senior Director of HR Services at The University of Texas at Austin.

Senior HR services leadership matters because reliable systems create confidence. When people can understand how to get help and what to expect, the culture becomes easier to experience in practice.

19. Jeff Urry

Director of Compensation and Classification, The University of Texas at Austin

Jeff Urry is Director of Compensation and Classification at The University of Texas at Austin.

Compensation and classification work sits close to fairness, consistency and trust. It is a specialised part of the people function with a direct effect on how employees understand their work and value.

20. Emil Kresl

Director of Learning and Development, The University of Texas at Austin

Emil Kresl is Director of Learning and Development at The University of Texas at Austin.

Learning and development turns organisational intention into practical capability. In a large institution, that means helping people grow while keeping development connected to the work the organisation needs to do.

21. Prayrana Sharma

Director, Strivector

Prayrana Sharma is a Director at Strivector, an Austin-created recruiting and staffing organisation.

Strivector describes its work as a more human and ethical approach to recruiting. That makes the people side of talent acquisition part of the organisation’s core identity, not an afterthought.

22. Brajesh Khare

Chief Human Resources Officer, Strivector

Brajesh Khare is Chief Human Resources Officer at Strivector.

Strivector’s stated focus on human and ethical business gives the CHRO role a clear connection to candidate experience, customer experience and how value is shared with employees.

23. Kim Rutledge

Chief People Officer, Q2

Kim Rutledge is Chief People Officer at Q2 and has been with the company since 2017.

Her role sits inside a financial technology company that has grown across several countries. That makes the people function central to keeping growth connected to culture, leadership and the daily experience of work.

What these Austin people leaders have in common

The common thread is not one industry or one career path. It is the responsibility to turn values, talent decisions and day-to-day work into an experience people can trust.

Three themes stand out across the group. People leadership has to connect culture with strategy, everyday systems with employee experience, and learning with the capability an organisation needs next.

That is why the role keeps changing shape. A technology company, a university, an industrial business and a community organisation may face different workforce questions, but each still needs clear leadership and practical ways for people to do their best work.

Frequently asked questions

What does a People and Culture leader do?

A People and Culture leader helps an organisation make better decisions about people and work. Depending on the setting, that can include culture, hiring, leadership development, employee experience, workforce planning and the systems that support good work.

How is a Chief People Officer different from a Chief Human Resources Officer?

The titles can overlap. In many organisations, both roles lead the people function, while the title reflects the organisation’s language, structure and history.

Why include leaders from different sectors?

People work is shaped by context. A technology company, a community organisation and a university may face different workforce questions, but each still needs clear leadership, thoughtful systems and a culture people can believe in.

How should a leader learn from this list?

Start with the context behind each role. Ask what the organisation needs from its people leader, what decisions sit inside the role and how that leader’s work connects to the wider strategy.

Related reading

If you want to go further, read 25 Ways to Build a Working Genius Culture That Actually Sticks, the Working Genius Glossary, and the Working Genius Model implementation guide.

About Jonno White

Jonno White helps leaders build organisations people would move cities to work at. He is a keynote speaker, leadership consultant and author, and he works with schools, organisations and leadership teams around the world to make culture practical rather than motivational: something people can use on Monday morning, not a feeling that fades by Friday.

A practical next step

If your organisation wants a people strategy that is clearer, kinder and easier to use, email jonno@consultclarity.org with the context and the decision you are trying to make. Jonno will reply in writing with a practical next step.