Top Women HR Awards Winners 2024

Carol Graziani

Director, Diversity and Inclusion (retired)

Best Buy Canada

Carol Graziani’s legacy of inclusion and impact

Carol Graziani dedicated 31 years to human resources, culminating in a transformative role as Best Buy Canada’s director of diversity and inclusion. Under her leadership, she introduced the “Continue the Conversation” series, creating safe spaces for employees to discuss race, identity and belonging. Her efforts earned her a spot in Ragan’s Top Women in HR, Class of 2025 Award Hall of Fame.

After 14 years at Macy’s, Graziani spent 17 years at Best Buy Canada, where she championed DEI with authenticity and conviction. She led HR business partners, talent acquisition and compliance, but it was in her final three years that she found her true calling. Her ability to foster honest conversations made a lasting impact — most notably after the murder of George Floyd when she created a space for employees to share their fears and lived experiences.

Graziani also redefined workplace culture. She introduced large-scale puzzle-building events at Best Buy’s corporate headquarters, uniting 1,200 employees through inclusive themes like Pride rainbows and Indigenous artwork. She transformed office décor into a celebration of diversity, incorporating religious festivals, community partnerships and employee-driven design choices. When Best Buy designed a new headquarters, she ensured employees had a voice, even bringing in Indigenous artists to shape the space.

Beyond her warmth and mentorship, Graziani was fearless in advocating for change. She held leadership accountable, spoke out when necessary and pushed for systemic improvements. Her mix of courage, empathy and creativity made her an inspiration to many.

Carol Graziani’s legacy lives on through the people she uplifted and the spaces she transformed.

Congratulations to Carol on this well-deserved recognition!

Agnieszka Yank

Chief Talent Officer

APCO

Agnieszka Yank’s leadership transforms APCO’s talent strategy

As chief talent officer at APCO, Agnieszka Yank has reshaped the firm’s talent approach, leading a global team of 45 and driving initiatives that improve employee engagement, diversity and learning. Under her leadership, APCO introduced the Encore program to help caregivers re-enter the workforce, expanding the company’s DEI efforts. For her transformative impact, she was named to Ragan’s Top Women in HR, Class of 2025 Hall of Fame.

With more than 17 years of HR and business leadership experience, Yank plays a key role in APCO’s Executive Committee and Global Leadership Team. Since joining the firm in 2017, she has championed innovative programs to enhance culture, professional development and inclusivity. She spearheaded the launch of Via, an integrated talent platform that consolidates HR functions, empowering employees with real-time feedback and career growth opportunities. This initiative streamlined operations and strengthened APCO’s data-driven decision-making.

Yank also advanced APCO’s DEI strategy, establishing eight Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that provide mentorship and community. She personally sponsored the Parents ERG and Women’s Leadership Group, ensuring meaningful support for working parents and emerging female leaders. She introduced psychological safety workshops and a Trained Ally Program to foster a more inclusive environment, equipping employees to address workplace challenges.

Her commitment to learning and development has shaped APCO’s strategy for future-ready talent. She secured an external mini-MBA program for aspiring leaders, facilitated AI-focused conferences and expanded international transfer opportunities. The newly launched Learning Hub now serves as a central resource for employee growth.

Through data-driven insights, Yank has strengthened APCO’s workplace culture, earning high engagement scores and top-tier survey rankings in employee voice and collaboration.

Congratulations to Agnieszka Yank on this well-deserved recognition!

Valarie Arismendez

Chief People Officer

Hello Heart

Valarie Arismendez keeps her finger on the pulse at Hello Heart

Valarie Arismendez worked to keep employees connected and healthy during a year of expansion. She’s a winner as Team Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Valarie Arismendez is one of the few Latinas in the tech industry to build teams from scratch at multibillion dollar firms. As senior vice president of people at heart health management company Hello Heart, she oversees talent acquisition, retention, human resources, workplace experience and IT strategies. She uses her 15 years of experience in human capital management, organizational effectiveness, change management and more.

In 2024, Arismendez’s primary focus was preserving Hello Heart’s unique culture while helping the company expand to its largest workforce ever (230+). Her team opened the company’s new office in Austin, Texas, bringing the total number of Hello Heart offices to four (with Menlo Park, California, New York City and a tech hub in Tel Aviv). Arismendez and her team have also worked to keep Hello Heart’s remote workers connected through annual all-company offsites, a Buddy program that connects new employees to experienced team members and frequent all-hands meetings (called “Team Syncly”) featuring a different department/team presentation.

Team Synclys, in particular, reiterates Hello Heart’s cultural values to prevent its culture from eroding, which can happen as startups mature into large companies. The values include:

Mission-driven. Users come first, clients second and revenue third.
Care about the work. Strive for the best results and service for users and clients everywhere.
Employees care about and assist the people they work with.
Fast pace. Employees’ independent decision-making is encouraged, with minimum rules and meetings.
Data-driven. Test assumptions so data guides decisions.
Learn from mistakes. Employees are expected to acknowledge mistakes, inform relevant team members, fix the problem quickly, learn and move on.

“I like that HR in tech is a very fast-paced industry,” Arismendez told the HR Daily Advisor in an interview. “There is never a day when I wonder what I’ll work on, which at times can be my least favorite part. You must be ready for this pace and jump in at 100%. It’s also never the same. If the same thing happens time and again, you’re not solving or correcting the ‘why’ behind it.”

Congratulations!

Julie Bank

Chief People Officer

Brighton Health Plan Solutions

Julie Bank safeguards employees’ mental health

At Brighton Health Plan Solutions, Julie Bank makes sure mental health care is accessible to all. She’s a Mental Health Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Creating a safe and inclusive space that fosters employees’ wellbeing and mental health is central to Julie Bank. Since joining Brighton Health Plan Solutions as chief people officer, she’s focused on strategic approaches to recruiting, hiring and retaining career-oriented, talented people.

Bank’s role is integral in providing support and resources for Brighton HPS employees. The Brighton Ambassador Program brings together a diverse group of employees in a safe and respectful setting to discuss important topics. Staff hold informal meetings to learn from one another about racism, ableism, sexism, pregnancy loss, raising children with autism and more. Bank and her team work closely with the Brighton Ambassadors to ensure employees feel seen, supported and validated.

Bank and her team encourage open dialogue between employees, managers and leadership. Brighton HPS has established ground rules based on mutual respect between people to mitigate potential conflict under challenging conversations. Leaders also receive cultural sensitivity training to ensure they’re equipped to listen with empathy and constructively provide feedback.

In addition to internal initiatives and resources, Bank ensures employees can receive mental health assistance through Brighton HPS’s comprehensive benefits programs. The company offers an employee assistance program with various resources to enhance emotional wellness and reduce stress. The EAP also provides services that address stressors in employees’ lives and offers counseling sessions, lifestyle coaching and financial well-being support.

Thanks to her focus on employees’ psychological safety and mental wellbeing, the internal programs promoting Brighton HPS’s workplace culture and DEI average 90% employee satisfaction. Brighton HPS’s Employee Net Promoter Score has earned the company the distinction of being an “excellent” workplace, and the company has been named a top. Workplace by USA Today and earned a BenefitsPro Luminaries Award, among others.

Congratulations!

Erin Booth

Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Holiday Inn Club Vacations

Erin Booth solidifies her role as a necessary member of HICV

After 30 years with Holiday Inn Club Vacations Incorporated (HICV), where she joined in 1995 as an HR manager, SVP of HR Erin Booth has established herself as essential to the company’s growth. Her achievements have earned her a spot in Ragan’s Class of 2025 Top Women in HR Awards under the Workplace Culture Leaders category.

In Booth’s time with the organization, it grew from a single site to an international company with over 7,500 employees. She works on establishing HR protocols and instilling company values, while also working closely with the company CEO and entire C-suite.

With such a long tenure at the company, Booth has overseen moments of growth and navigated all that comes with it. This included acquiring Silverleaf Resorts and doubling its team in 2015, and then another acquisition of four Royal Resorts in Mexico, which expanded to India in 2023. Through both, she helped seamlessly fold an additional 3,000 and 2,700 staffers, respectively, leading them through a transition that integrated these global team members into the company while also keeping the wheels on.

This past year saw Booth hone the HR department at HICV, which included rolling out its new Team Member Connect platform, where employees can access everything from payroll to company policies. She also created Orange at Heart, recognizing and rewarding employees who embody company values.

She’s also improving upon the company’s bonus and long-term incentive programs to take it to the next level. She’s always looking for additional perks, such as the launch of its Club Go initiative that allows employees to stay at any company resort. Additionally, she oversees the Heart Travels corporate responsibility program.

The corporate communications and facilities teams now report to Booth, where she can shape internal and external comms efforts. And in her role as the executive sponsor of the Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Council, she can help employees in the company feel as comfortable as possible.

Under her expert guidance, employees have rated the company above average in an annual engagement survey.

Congrats on the win!

Brenda Clark

Vice President Transformation & Enterprise Internal Communications

Baker Hughes

Brenda Clark: Born in Scotland, now engaging employees across the globe

At Baker Hughes, Brenda Clark has helped track the success of a corporate transformation, revamped the EVP and — most of all — listened. She’s a winning Employee Engagement Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

At energy technology company Baker Hughes, Scottish-born Brenda Clark leads a team of nine communicators in keeping 58,000 employees across more than 100 countries informed and motivated. As vice president of transformation and enterprise employee communications, Clark takes a holistic approach to all her responsibilities.

Baker Hughes launched a transformation to drive profitability, simplify operations and better position the company to serve its customers. Clark responded by introducing transparent KPIs and a balanced scorecard to track the transformation’s effectiveness and engage employees in the company’s journey. This built morale while also contributing to record-breaking company performance in revenue, earnings per share, free cash flow and orders.

Clark was also instrumental in refreshing the Baker Hughes employee value proposition. The updated EVP, developed from more than 300 interviews and external benchmarking data, is based on four pillars:

Your passion, our purpose.
Your vision, our innovation.
Your potential, our growth.
Your individuality, our inclusivity.

The EVP seeks to capture the essence of working at Baker Hughes, offering employees a compelling reason to devote their skills and effort to the company’s future.

One cornerstone of Clark’s strategy is simply listening. She and her team have implemented an annual employee communications survey, as well as pulse surveys, focus groups and one-on-one interviews to gauge employee opinion and explore diverse perspectives. The team also relies on analytics, KPIs and communications audits to evaluate engagement and ensure alignment with the company’s business goals.

Clark also introduced Ask Comms, a digital tool designed to empower employees and create consistency across the organization. The tool complements the communications and engagement shared services team to ensure that communications and employee engagement are delivered through consistent, streamlined processes.

In the end, Clark’s impact can be measured by the boosts in employee engagement and satisfaction her efforts have produced.

Congratulations to Brenda Clark!

Kathy Claytor

Vice President & Chief Human Resource Officer

Delta Dental of Virginia

Kathy Claytor takes on the tough jobs

Not many HR leaders are responsible for a headquarters move or a 200+ employee integration, but she’s pulled both of those off, making her a Dynamic Do-er in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Resources awards, Class of 2025.

Taking on a job that HR leaders aren’t typically responsible for, Delta Dental VP and chief human resource officer Kathy Claytor managed the sale of Delta Dental Virginia’s headquarters building in 2023-2024, along with the subsequent move and consolidation of the workforce into one main building.

Incorporating Delta Dental’s culture and the post-COVID world of work into the new headquarters, Claytor created a workspace that included an on-site gym and locker rooms and emphasized stair usage, natural light and quiet rooms, all supporting mental health and workplace wellness. The office design also included a central gathering place for events instead of smaller breakrooms to promote the highest levels of engagement and reimagined meeting rooms to accommodate both on-site and remote participation.

Claytor’s work on consolidating the two spaces saved the company $75,000 in leasing expenses and reduced operating expenses by $300,000.

It wasn’t Claytor’s first significant career achievement. In 2022, she led the transition of 200 employees and contractors from their current organization to a new joint venture, NorthWinds Technology Solutions, which develops and implements insurance technology for Delta Dental. Claytor’s robust change management and communications plans led to strong retention and engagement scores with minimal disruption to the business.

The NorthWinds culture follows a “Culturewise” approach, using a set of workplace fundamentals and highlighting a “Fundamental of the Week” at the start of every team meeting. Engagement survey results since the transition showed a 10% increase and a 2% reduction in turnover, well below the 17% industry average for tech companies. Strong retention and engagement scores continued throughout 2023 and 2024.

Claytor continues to lead the HR function for NorthWinds Technology in addition to her role as CHRO for Delta Dental. In 2024, she successfully led the HR team in support of a strategic reorganization of NorthWinds, leading to improved technology application results.

Congratulations!

Shannon Estreller

Director of People

EvolveMKD

Focus on people: Shannon Estreller boosts EvolveMKD’s culture with a creative approach

Shannon Estreller launched a stream of initiatives, from fellowship programs to pet adoption benefits, making her a Director of the Year in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Resources awards, Class of 2025.

As director of people at EvolveMKD, Estreller strives to create a work environment that values people, fosters talent, promotes diversity and inclusion and enhances employee satisfaction. In the last year, she enhanced the PR and marketing agency’s workplace culture with initiatives like these:

Fellowship program. Estreller designed and launched EvolveMKD’s inaugural fellowship program in 2024. Designed to attract and train emerging talent as well as to increase retention rates, it provides real-life PR agency experience for post-graduates.
She helped curate and design professional development programs tailored to meet the needs of emerging leaders and early career professionals. In 2024, Estreller launched a three-part workshop series focusing on essential soft leadership skills, including “Communicating with Confidence,” “Leading with Emotional Intelligence” and “Operating with a Growth Mindset.”
Overseeing the recruitment process, Estreller developed an EvolveMKD interview guide and scorecard to ensure consistent and effective candidate assessment and align new hires with the agency’s goals and culture. On top of that, in 2024, she filled three key mid-senior-level roles within three months.

Estreller also conducts annual reviews to ensure EvolveMKD’s benefits et employees’ needs and cultivate a culture of inclusion. Some of the policies she recently introduced include paid reproductive loss leave, providing up to five days of paid leave for employees facing reproductive loss so they can receive the time and support to heal and recover, along with pet adoption and pet wellness reimbursement for pet adoption fees and ongoing pet care expenses.

DE&I initiatives are instrumental in shaping the company’s culture and fostering a sense of belonging. In 2024, Estreller partnered with the Ali Forney Center during Pride Month, during which employees participated in a Beautification Day to organize and clean common areas of a housing site in Manhattan. Also, to promote physical and mental wellness, she introduced group exercise classes and monthly decompression breaks to allow employees to take a break from their day-to-day office duties.

In her role, Estreller always seeks to foster a culture that values empathy, trust and open communication.

Congratulations!

Jessica Gaffney

Managing Director, COO of Human Resources

Mizuho Americas

HR leader Jessica Gaffney’s legal training comes in handy

At Mizuho Americas, Gaffney managed to bring employees in after an acquisition, improved the promotion protocol and much more, making her a winning Strategist in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

When Mizuho Americas acquired the company Greenhill on December 31, Jessica Gaffney was responsible for bringing more than 370 employees across multiple countries into its HR platform, a major operation that was accomplished seamlessly thanks to Gaffney’s planning and project management skills.

An attorney by training, Jessica Gaffney shifted from Mizuho Americas’ legal department to strategy and then to human resources in 2022, becoming managing director and COO of human resources.

Among her accomplishments in 2024, Gaffney revamped the promotion process from an offline process dependent on email, Word, and PDF forms, bringing it into the Workday platform. This involved collecting information from many sources, identifying requirements and building a user-friendly electronic process. The result was a more straightforward, more streamlined system that reduced the risk of information loss and enabled reporting capabilities.

She manages Mizuho’s remote working strategy, responsible for all policies, guidelines, legal and compliance considerations, tax issues, and more. In addition, she has a wide range of duties across HR, including the company’s information system (HRIS) and learning and development teams, and takes the lead on other interdepartmental projects as well.

Among her more routine tasks, Gaffney runs meetings while acting as a strong manager and coach for her team. Her ability to assimilate large amounts of information, make sense of it and then articulate the issues and solutions around it are valuable to Mizuho’s stakeholders. She’s respected as a role model and decisive leader who creates an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their opinions while also mentoring employees and inspiring excellence, creativity and strategic foresight.

Congratulations!

Jenn Healy-Anderson

Head of HR

Simon-Kucher

Jenn Healy-Anderson wears many hats to satisfy her commitments

At Simon-Kucher Jenn Healy-Anderson keeps her eye on a multitude of programs and initiatives to ensure everything aligns with the company’s core values. She’s a Dynamic Do-er in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Resources awards, Class of 2025.

Jenn Healy-Anderson joined the global consultancy Simon-Kucher two years ago. As head of HR, she’s committed to inclusivity, empowerment and innovation, and she has worked to drive change and align the workplace culture with the company’s core values of integrity, respect and collaboration.

Healy-Anderson’s key initiatives include the redesign of Simon-Kucher’s recruiting function, onboarding, offboarding and immigration programs, as well as enhancing the company’s benefits programs, implementing performance management and providing continuous feedback mechanisms. She has also established a workforce planning process, activated comprehensive diversity and inclusion efforts, increased employee communication and created an employee self-service for HR matters. The result? Enhanced employee satisfaction, retention and overall company performance.

Her work at Simon-Kucher has several different facets. A few of the hats Healy-Anderson wears include:

Change agent. She identifies key HR areas of improvement, develops solutions and ensures programs are executed thoroughly.
Innovation leader. Healy-Anderson takes a creative and progressive approach to HR communications, and employees recognize HR as a strategic corporate support function.
Performance owner. She continuously monitors and assesses HR policies, business processes, compliance requirements and programs for improvement.
Crisis manager. She developed a rapid response mechanism for addressing crisis issues with constituents and stakeholders.

Healy-Anderson also prepares strategic monthly updates for her leadership on the status of all current and future HR initiatives, along with evaluations of existing programs, identifying those needing a refresh and developing new programs to fill in the gaps. Her work has achieved more than $10 million in annual cost savings through various HR-led initiatives in partnership with key business leaders, including better workforce planning management, immigration, benefits cost savings, etc.

Congratulations!

Trish Holliday

Chief People Officer; Vice President Human Resources and Corporate Services

Nashville Electric Service

‘Doc’ Holliday keeps the lights on for employees at Nashville Electric Service

Trish Holliday focuses on performance, culture and her community. She’s a Director of the Year in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Resources awards, Class of 2025.

As VP of human resources and corporate services for Nashville Electric Service, Trish “Doc” Holliday believes in a culture that promotes engagement, encourages retention and provides employee development. Responsible for staffing, employee relations, compensation and benefits, safety and much more, Holliday works with leaders at all levels to solve the business’s challenges and opportunities.

Among her accomplishments:

Holliday recently helped introduce the NES Performance Plus initiative, which requires seniority and service ratings to be the principal factors in promotions, along with a strong emphasis on performance; the program is meant to move NES in the direction of a performance-based culture.
She helped NES establish a “Culture of Civility and Belonging,” focusing on employee appreciation and commitment to inclusion, workplace mental health, a positive workplace culture and service for the communities NES serves.
Holliday is also heavily involved in the company’s operations internship program; she created a pipeline for Metro Nashville high school students looking for successful careers in the utility industry. NES recently graduated ten young professionals from the program, which offers a 100% job placement guarantee, including full-time employment with benefits.

Holliday also recently graduated from the Valley Public Power Leadership Academy (VPPLA), which accepts a maximum of 12 representatives from their region. That makes her one of a cohort of upper-level managers working with other leaders to better understand the region’s ongoing issues and opportunities.

Her work with nonprofits and academic boards demonstrates her community commitment as well. For example, Holliday was recently selected to the Nashville Children’s Theater board of trustees and was inducted into the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce board of directors. She also serves as an expert at the Centers for Nonprofit Management, serves as a founding board member of Impact Nashville, works with the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR), volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and more.

Congratulations!

Jessica Kozak

Chief Human Resources Officer

Apex Analytix

Jessica Kozak guides apexanalytix into the future

Jessica Kozak’s replaced legacy systems with new technology and streamlined processes across the company, making her an Innovator in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

The workplace culture of the supply chain software company apexanalytix is built on a combination of values, skills and behaviors called “the apex way,” designed to encourage its team to always be curious and creative — all of which starts with Jessica Kozak. As chief human resource officer, Kozak leads the global HR function with an eye on empowering its team of nearly 350 people worldwide.

From guiding the apex University program in assisting new hires and interns in learning about functions across the organization to bringing teams together for the annual summer cookout, Kozak strives to create an environment that fosters learning and personal development. She has also led the company’s wellness initiative, BeWell@apex, reimagining the whole approach on employee wellness. Each month, the program offers different ways to learn, participate and come together.

Kozak is also at the forefront of digital transformation within the HR domain, focusing on integrating old legacy systems and using modern HR technology to streamline processes. This includes:

Core technology. Kozak led efforts to replace legacy systems with an integrated cloud platform and create a solid digital infrastructure. By upgrading tools for learning, recruiting and performance management, she ensured that employees had user-friendly systems at their disposal.
HR analytics. Kozak emphasized using HR analytics for performance appraisals, learning and development, with data-driven insights allowing for more informed decision-making and improved talent management practices.
Efficiency through automation. By automating routine tasks, Kozak’s team freed up valuable time for strategic initiatives and enhanced overall efficiency.
Recruitment innovation. Utilizing technology, Kozak simplified the recruitment process, allowing candidates to access everything through a single login. This streamlined approach improved the quality of work and reduced administrative overhead.

A collaborative leader, Kozak has been consistently recognized for leading diverse teams, improving performance and cultivating productivity in a highly competitive industry.

Congratulations!

Patricia Lang

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Enovis

Patricia Lang brought years of experience to her post at Colfax—er, Enovis

Patricia Lang spearheaded the company’s rebrand and then headed up its first brand campaign. She’s a Dynamic Do-er in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Relations awards, Class of 2025.

At companies like Mylan Pharmaceuticals (now Viatris), Mercer Consulting, Cigna and more, Patricia Lang has supported mergers and acquisitions, developed effective operating models, managed executive compensation and more. All that experience came in handy when she joined Colfax Corporation as its senior vice president and chief human resources officer in 2019.

Colfax rebranded itself as Enovis in 2022, focusing on medical technology and growth. Leading the rebranding, Lang’s background in company mergers and change management was instrumental in making the transition successful at living up to its purpose of “Creating Better Together.”

Following the naming and rebranding, Lang was the executive sponsor for the company’s first-ever corporate brand campaign: “Better Is _____,” in early 2023. The campaign’s overall message, “Better Is … Creating the Next Generation of Possible. Together,” embodies Enovis’s culture of continuous improvement and its partnerships with the healthcare community. Lang played a key role in bringing the campaign to life.

She also leads the company’s annual and pulse surveys, which give employees frequent opportunities to share feedback about the company culture and their everyday work. The annual survey participation rate of 93% demonstrates the high level of employee engagement that Lang has worked for.

A champion of diversity, equity and inclusion, Lang has implemented unconscious bias training at Enovis, expanded the company’s employee affinity groups and promoted diverse hiring practices. Her work led to Enovis being recognized as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity” by Newsweek in 2023.

Lang spends much of her time on the road visiting with team members instead of sitting in her office, striving to strengthen her relationships, communication and decision-making skills among Enovis employees.

Congratulations!

Brandi Langford

Director, HR Strategy

Food Lion

Brandi Langford shines a spotlight on what’s important to Food Lion employees

Brandi Langford designed a brand-new compensation strategy, then spearheaded the effort to help employees better understand their benefits, making her an Employee Engagement Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Brandi Langford is director of human resources strategy for 82,000 associates at Food Lion, which has more than 1,100 stores across 10 states. That makes her a partner to every department and a strategic advisor to the Food Lion leadership team, building authentic relationships and finding common solutions to support the future of the organization.

In 2023, Langford and a finance department associate were assigned to design and execute a compensation strategy affecting thousands of Food Lion associates. To manage shifting behaviors around the strategy, Langford led a change management effort, working with her team to create a tool that provided key compensation metrics and guidance for pay rate decisions. The new tool, reflecting one of Food Lion’s core values, “Make it easy,” became vital for managers.

Compensation is important, but health and wellbeing are also essential to associate success. Langford saw that the company needed to give associates a better understanding of all the benefits Food Lion offers. The initiative resulted in “Healthy Foundations,” based on four pillars of well-being: financial management, health and wellness, career and education, and community.

Once the pillars were in place and benefits were updated and prioritized based on associates’ needs, Langford developed a learning plan to reach all 82,000 associates. She and her team provided live training sessions for store managers and customer service managers, who then took these learning activities back to their stores to train their associates. Nearly 100% of Food Lion’s 82,000 associates have completed the program.

Healthy Foundations was featured in a global teaching session for Food Lion’s parent company and its many brands — one of just a handful of projects chosen each year to share with hundreds of HR associates across the world.

Congratulations!

Liz Moulton

Chairman, Elevate Talent | Chief People Officer, Elevate

Elevate | Elevate Talent

Liz Moulton is both a global chief people officer and the chair of an executive talent firm.

Liz Moulton’s dual role at Elevate is unique and wide-ranging as she takes on new challenges. She’s an Innovator in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

In September 2024, Liz Moulton was named chief people officer of Elevate, an award-winning sports and entertainment consulting firm. Less than four months later, Moulton led the acquisition of SRI, a global executive search and talent optimization firm, launching the company’s newest division, Elevate Talent — with Moulton as chair. In her position, Moulton drives Elevate Talent’s goal to provide its global roster of more than 1,000 clients with strategies and solutions to recruit and retain high-performing leaders in sports, entertainment, gaming and more.

Moulton draws on her experience at Activision Blizzard, where she managed executive talent recruitment and retention, worked to rebuild a challenged culture, cultivated collaboration between leadership teams and organized the $8 billion company into efficient and well-run global business units. Moulton brought all executive recruiting there in-house, established a comprehensive executive talent development program and rewired its global talent acquisition process.

Throughout her career, Moulton has earned a reputation for building diverse organizations across global industries and diversifying leadership teams with women and underrepresented minorities. Under Moulton’s leadership, more than 60% of C-suite executives placed by Elevate Talent are either women or men of color, with nearly 50% of those appointments going to females.

Moulton oversaw the placement of female leaders at the Baltimore Orioles (and the Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer). She’s also placed women in such positions as commissioner of the Big East, chief marketing officer at the NHL, executive VP of social impact for the Red Sox, and chief marketing officer of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Moulton’s work has earned her “Game Changer” honors from the Sports Business Journal, an award reserved for female leaders and innovators driving meaningful impact and change in the sports industry.

Congratulations to Liz Moulton!

Carol Musto-Schiano

Carol Musto-Schiano manages talent on a vast scale

At NYU Langone Health, Carol Musto-Schiano and her team have recruited thousands of employees, revamped the employee recognition platform and more. She’s a Talent Acquisition and Retention Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

As NYU Langone Health’s assistant vice president for talent management, Carol Musto-Schiano achieved remarkable results with her team in 2024. They filled 9,297 open positions while also helping 1,979 employees transition into new roles — showcasing the organization’s commitment to career development and growth opportunities for its workforce. And that’s not all.

Musto-Schiano spearheaded the redesign of the talent acquisition function at one of NYU Langone Health’s newly affiliated hospitals, filling more than 300 positions within a six-month period. She and her team accomplished this by conducting a needs assessment that showed a need for more resources and tools to recruit top talent effectively. As a result, new recruitment tools were implemented within a three-month timeframe.

Another project was the launch and administration of a new employee recognition platform. The platform celebrates exceptional performance, service anniversaries, birthdays and professional recognition weeks, supporting a culture of appreciation and excellence among the entire faculty and staff. The recognition platform was implemented across over 40,000 faculty and staff and has already produced some 118,000 recognitions.

In addition to the recognition platform, Musto-Schiano led the recognition team to develop, implement and host more than 15 recognition events for the organization, ranging from family-oriented programs to milestone celebrations and employee appreciation initiatives. More than 120,000 people participated overall, bringing together employees and their families in various settings to strengthen the sense of community within NYU Langone Health.

Musto-Schiano’s contributions have enhanced the organization’s talent management strategies and employee engagement initiatives and have also cultivated a workplace culture where employees feel valued, recognized, appreciated and connected to their colleagues and the organization.

Congratulations!

Carolyn Rooney

Senior Director, Talent Management and Development

Inovalon

Carolyn Rooney supports Inovalon’s SaaS evolution by orchestrating a strategic Talent transformation.

Carolyn Rooney reinvented the company’s Talent strategy and defined ‘success factors’ to enhance talent management, development and engagement. She’s a Learning and Development Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Healthcare software company Inovalon has been on a three-year journey to transition to a SaaS (software as a service) model, and Carolyn Rooney, AVP, Talent and Employee Experience, played a key role.

Revamping Inovalon’s talent management and development strategy was the first step in ensuring that employees could thrive in a SaaS-driven culture. Central to transition was establishing the “Inovalon Success Factors” — a set of core behaviors and skills essential for Inovalon’s success. Rooney identified and defined the success factors and then integrated them across the company, from recruitment and onboarding to performance reviews and career development, ensuring a consistent approach to employee development supporting Inovalon’s strategic goals.

Rooney also spearheaded a complete overhaul of the employee engagement survey strategy. Her new approach provides valuable insights into employee sentiment and areas for improvement. Combined with post-survey action planning, the survey allows targeted interventions to become more useful and relevant to enhance culture and the employee experience.

Rooney’s influence extends beyond the HR department. Her presentation at Inovalon’s executive retreat, outlining her vision for talent development and the steps needed to achieve it, received praise from the executive team and the CEO himself, and her recommendations have shaped Inovalon’s leadership approach and strategic direction.

Her thought leadership has been showcased on the INOvators podcast, where she provided perspectives on HR best practices and the future of corporate America and healthcare IT, reinforcing her position as a respected voice in the HR community and an advocate for innovation and growth.

Congratulations!

Kristine Schroeder

Chief People & Culture Officer

Learfield

Kristine Schroeder puts points on the board for the employees at Learfield

As chief people and culture officer at the college athletics supporter, Schroeder champions DEI, philanthropy, service and more, making her a Director of the Year in Ragan’s Top Women in Human Resources awards, Class of 2025.

Learfield is a media and technology company supporting college athletics; Kristine Schroeder is its chief people and culture officer, leading a 39-person HR team responsible for the needs and culture of the company’s 2,000+ employees across five businesses.

Her duties include:

Overseeing the diversity, inclusion and equality team’s various initiatives, including six employee resource groups that develop targeted programming for teammates.
Leading Learfield’s community service efforts, including its national philanthropic partnership with Team Impact matching collegiate sports teams with children battling chronic illnesses; the Family Fund, a nonprofit entity funded by Learfield staff to support each other in times of personal need.
Reinstituting Learfield’s companywide day of service in 2024 with Share the Care Day.

When Learfield went through a business recapitalization in 2023, Schroeder played an integral role, providing staff evaluations that helped investors make informed decisions on the business. During this process, Schroeder collaborated with the leadership and communications teams on messaging to address employees’ concerns and maintain positive morale. One component of the recapitalization was an improved 401(k) plan; Schroeder advocated for the investment and led the rollout of the new program, which has been popular with Learfield staff.

In 2023, Schroeder also led the company’s conversion to a new vendor to consolidate HR and financial systems. Switching from Paycom to Workday, Schroeder and her team built out the platform and then transferred a large amount of data while taking appropriate steps to secure information and maintain consistent operations. She also had to oversee the communications strategy leading up to the Workday launch.

In addition to those initiatives, Schroeder also led the site selection and buildout of a new corporate headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Through it all, she’s worked to maintain Learfield’s family culture, leading to the company being named one of Sports Business Journal’s inaugural Best Places to Work in Sports.

Congratulations to Kristine Schroeder!

Michelle Sermon-Davis

Managing Director and Chief Learning Officer

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

Michelle Sermon-Davis works to keep the talent pipeline flowing at BCBST

At BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Michelle Sermon-Davis has launched a new careers site, improved the internship program and more. Michelle Sermon-Davis is a Learning and Development Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

As chief learning officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST), Michelle Sermon-Davis’s efforts have centered around enhancing employee development, fostering leadership and recruiting and retaining tech and digital talent to allow BCBST to remain competitive and innovative in its industry.

Sermon-Davis spearheaded the launch of a comprehensive leader development program, an initiative designed to cultivate high-performing leaders in the organization. She and her team collaborated with the strategic communications department to launch a new careers site (careers.bcbst.com) to attract top talent.

The platform features a storytelling component designed to give potential candidates an authentic glimpse into life at BCBST. The content is designed to attract diverse candidates and showcase the company’s culture and opportunities. Sermon-Davis plans to update the site as the organization evolves, reflecting changes and maintaining its relevance in an ever-changing job market.

Sermon-Davis also enhanced BCBST’s BlueBridge internship program, which aims to attract top-tier interns and support their professional growth. In addition to cultivating future talent, the program seeks to enhance BCBST’s reputation as an employer of choice for emerging professionals. Plus, she was instrumental in developing and launching the Blue University platform, a comprehensive learning and career development resource offering accessible pathways for leadership development, career advancement and continual growth.

Sermon-Davis’s work goes beyond internal development, encompassing community partnerships and outreach. For example, she collaborated with Hamilton County Schools on a STEM Evolution tech exposure event designed to inspire young girls to pursue careers in technology. These community engagements promote inclusion while also fostering a pipeline of future talent for BCBST.

Overall, Sermon-Davis’s leadership has contributed to advancing BCBST as a leading employer in Tennessee’s competitive market.

Congratulations!

Tracy Ting

SVP & CHRO

Encore Capital Group

Tracy Ting champions a trio of values at Encore Capital Group

Tracy Ting set out to drive a culture based on values, and she did it with data and hard work. She’s a Visionary in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Tracy Ting led the multiyear effort to integrate, unify and transform Encore Capital Group’s global culture. She did it by developing a set of core values for the global specialty finance company.

Ting started with a data-driven process that 83% of Encore’s 8,000 colleagues worldwide participated in. Then, she worked to embed those values into the Encore culture:

Value One: We care

Ting’s team sponsored and executed the global Encore Connected Week, an annual, multi-day celebration of the company’s values. The week culminated in Encore teams showing how much “we care” for their communities by giving back and supporting 18 charities/organizations, donating more than 9,300 nonperishable food and personal items and collecting more than 1,620 additional food items. (Ting also led a fireside chat with the CEO.)

Value Two: We find a better way

Ting led efforts to implement and maximize global systems and tools across the nine countries Encore operates in, “finding a better way” to bring solutions to all colleagues. She worked to merge 20 HR and financial systems across six countries into one platform. Then, she unified independent HR groups into a single “Global HR Shared Services Team” to deliver consistent HR support across the enterprise, improving service delivery across time zones and mitigating compliance and audit risks.

Value Three: We are inclusive and collaborative

Encore’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that foster an “inclusive and collaborative” workplace. They include Women@Encore&Allies, the Black Employee Network and the PRIDE Network, and Ting’s team recently enabled the launch of Enlaces for colleagues who identify as Hispanic, Latino/a/x or have any Spanish cultural background. Ting is also the executive sponsor of the soon-to-launch Pan Asian ERG.

Ting also serves as the chair of the ESG (environmental, social and governance) steering committee, leading the development of Encore’s first global ESG strategic roadmap and plan; she spearheads Encore’s annual ESG report, centered around caring for and uplifting Encore’s colleagues and communities.

Congratulations!

Kim Viquesney

Senior Director of Leadership & People Development

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Kim Viquesney helps MDA recruits ‘hit the ground learning’

At the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Kim Viquesney has sharpened employees’ leadership and fundraising skills, making her a Learning and Development Leader in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Kim Viquesney joined the Muscular Dystrophy Association in 2012 as a fundraiser, but she soon moved into human resources, leading MDA’s learning and development program. MDA believes in “hitting the ground learning,” and Viquesney’s job is making this possible through initiatives like MDA’s Leadership Institute and Fundraising Institute, which provides 77 online courses for employees.

Viquesney established the Leadership Institute to cultivate a leadership culture across all levels of the organization and beyond. All employees are encouraged to apply, and an appointment is considered a unique professional development opportunity. The program includes biweekly meetings and weekly online modules, culminating in projects that address real challenges MDA faces. Many solutions from these projects have been implemented, emphasizing the value of collaboration within the organization.

Twelve courses and 65 soft skill online courses are available in the company’s human resource information system, thanks to her. The self-paced modules are offered to all staff for self-development and growth. Within the first year, 61% of staff engaged in these courses. The Leadership Institute has seen high engagement, with 94% participation and 95% satisfaction in 2023. Interest in the program continues to grow, with 44 applicants in 2024.

Positive feedback for the Leadership Institute led Viquesney to create the Fundraising Institute in 2023. It offers development professionals training in the skills needed to build and steward donor relationships. Since the rebound from COVID, the Institute has driven third-quarter revenues and grown the donor portfolio.

Finally, Viquesney revamped new hire onboarding to emphasize connection in today’s virtual workplace. New hires learn about MDA’s history, organizational structure and culture along with their training and while forming bonds with their new colleagues. Executives share overviews of their departments, and Viquesney created a “New Hire Lounge” for ongoing support. Results? The orientation program scored a 98% satisfaction rate in 2024.

Congratulations!

Nicole Zube

EVP, Chief HR Officer

SpartanNash

Nicole Zube and SpartanNash succeed by putting ‘People First’

Nicole Zube managed a restructuring that actually boosted morale. She’s a Visionary in Ragan’s Top Women in HR awards, Class of 2025.

Nicole Zube joined the food company SpartanNash in 2022 as chief human resources officer. In 2024, she dedicated herself to boosting the company’s “People First” culture and aligning HR strategies with the company’s ambitious new go-to-market strategy.

Zube drove one of the largest organizational restructurings in SpartanNash’s history, a transformation that required extensive cross-functional collaboration, detailed financial analysis and sensitive communications across all company levels. Her strategy and execution generated better operational efficiencies, improved employee and customer morale, and avoided the negative media attention often associated with restructurings.

She was also integral to SpartanNash, achieving all its 2023 key performance indicators for safety and employee retention. The safety initiatives Zube strategized and executed resulted in SpartanNash performing in the top quartile for OSHA standards and also contributed to reducing workers’ compensation costs by more than $3 million. In addition, her efforts reduced employee turnover by 9% and improved SpartanNash’s Glassdoor rating significantly — from 3.4 to 3.9 within a year — positioning the company above many other major retailers.

During her tenure with the company, Zube also led a comprehensive review of SpartanNash’s Total Rewards benefit package, making strategic enhancements that included a 7.4% salary increase for all entry-level roles in retail and supply chain. These roles represent about 90% of SpartanNash employees, so the increase significantly boosted the company’s competitive edge in the job market and was a key factor in SpartanNash being recognized as one of America’s Top 25 Most Flexible Companies by Indeed.com.

Zube has also played a role in SpartanNash’s diversity and inclusion programs. Empowering the company’s associate resource groups has forged a stronger sense of community and belonging within SpartanNash, as well as improved engagement and earning the company such recognition as being named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity by Newsweek in 2024.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the Honorees!

THE WOMEN IN HR HALL OF FAME, CLASS OF 2025

TOP WOMEN IN HR, CLASS OF 2025

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