15 Chief People Officers at Major US Employers Today

People leaders shape the employee experience, the leadership habits and the systems that help major organisations do good work. This list brings together current people officers whose roles sit close to those questions, from technology and retail to logistics, manufacturing and financial services.

1. Amy Coleman

EVP and Chief People Officer, Microsoft

Amy Coleman leads the people function at Microsoft, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her remit sits inside a global technology company where people decisions touch a wide employee base.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Microsoft executive biography.

2. Carol Surface

Chief People Officer, HP

Carol Surface leads the people function at HP, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her current remit is the people function for one of the world's established technology brands.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the HP executive team.

3. Kristin Lane

Chief Human Resources Officer, CRH

Kristin Lane leads the people function at CRH, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: She leads HR for CRH, a major building materials group operating across markets.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the CRH leadership profile.

4. Stacy Dillow

EVP and Chief People Officer, HPE

Stacy Dillow leads the people function at HPE, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her people remit sits alongside HPE's enterprise technology transformation.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the HPE leadership biography.

5. Jennifer Ragone

Chief People Officer, DXC Technology

Jennifer Ragone leads the people function at DXC Technology, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: DXC describes her move as a promotion to CPO, giving her direct responsibility for people strategy.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the DXC Technology announcement.

6. Brigette McInnis-Day

Chief People Officer, Guidewire

Brigette McInnis-Day leads the people function at Guidewire, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her role places people leadership close to Guidewire's insurance software business.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Guidewire management team.

7. Chris Scalia

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Johnson Controls

Chris Scalia leads the people function at Johnson Controls, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: His title combines executive people leadership with the CHRO role at Johnson Controls.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Johnson Controls leadership profile.

8. Mark Paulek

Chief Human Resources Officer, Kyndryl

Mark Paulek leads the people function at Kyndryl, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: He leads HR for Kyndryl's managed technology services business.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Kyndryl leadership page.

9. Melissa Kremer

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Target

Melissa Kremer leads the people function at Target, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: She leads HR for Target, a large retail employer with a frontline workforce.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Target leadership profile.

10. Donna Morris

Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Walmart

Donna Morris leads the people function at Walmart, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her Walmart role covers a people function at one of the world's largest employers.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Walmart leadership profile.

11. Darrell Ford

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, UPS

Darrell Ford leads the people function at UPS, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: His role connects people leadership to UPS's global logistics workforce.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the UPS leadership profile.

12. Susana Suarez Gonzalez

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Amcor

Susana Suarez Gonzalez leads the people function at Amcor, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her Amcor remit spans HR across a global packaging company.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Amcor executive officers.

13. Carla Chaney

EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, Equifax

Carla Chaney leads the people function at Equifax, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her role combines executive people leadership with HR at Equifax's data and financial services business.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Equifax executive biography.

14. Gloria Chen

Chief People Officer and EVP, Employee Experience, Adobe

Gloria Chen leads the people function at Adobe, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her title explicitly combines the CPO role with Employee Experience at Adobe.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Adobe leadership profile.

15. Francine Katsoudas

EVP and Chief People, Policy and Purpose Officer, Cisco

Francine Katsoudas leads the people function at Cisco, a major employer with a complex workforce and a wide operating footprint. A distinctive part of the role is this: Her Cisco remit explicitly combines people, policy and purpose.

For leaders looking at the role today, the useful lesson is practical: connect people decisions to the work the organisation must do, then make those decisions clear enough for leaders and teams to use. The role is listed on the Cisco executive biography.

The best people leadership is practical. It helps leaders make clearer decisions, build trust and create organisations people would move cities to work at. If you are working through that challenge, the Consult Clarity guides to Working Genius implementation and the Working Genius glossary are useful places to start.