HR leadership is more critical today than ever, as the people function becomes an increasingly strategic partner to the business. What defines modern HR leadership excellence? The answer to that question was on display this week in New York City, as the National Academy of Human Resources honored its 2024 Fellows.
Fellows are nominated and selected by members of the Academy’s Fellowship for their “sustained achievements in and their contributions to their organizations, the HR profession and society at large,” according to NAHR. The NAHR Fellows were celebrated at a gala Thursday night attended by more than 320 people, including leading and legacy HR executives, academics and thought leaders.
This year’s NAHR Fellows are:
- Kevin Cox *Distinguished Fellow, former chief HR officer, GE; president, LKC Advisory LLC
- Melissa Anderson, executive vice president, chief people and transformation officer, Albemarle Corp.
- Kimberly Hauer, executive vice president and chief HR officer, SC Johnson
- Monique Herena, chief colleague experience officer, American Express
- Ernest W. Marshall, Jr., executive vice president and chief HR officer, Eaton
- Timothy Massa, senior vice president and chief people officer, The Kroger Co.
- Susan Podlogar, former chief HR officer, MetLife; independent board member, Tevogen Bio & LivaNova
Daniel Marsili, president of NAHR and the retired CHRO of the Colgate-Palmolive Co., says this year’s class—the 33rd named since NAHR’s founding in 1992—comprises “some of the most skilled senior HR professionals in business.”
Several of this year’s Fellows were among those who shared their insights during the Fellows’ Symposium before the gala. With more than 80 in attendance, including next-gen leaders participating in NAHR’s Master’s Students Program, the symposium featured lively conversations on the future of AI in HR, succession planning, the evolution of the labor movement and the challenge of navigating anti-woke backlash. The latter included timely discussion about HR’s changing role in leading inclusion efforts following the election of former President Trump.
In these areas and more, all of this year’s Fellows have had a “significant strategic impact” on their respective organizations and worked to elevate the profession as a whole, Marsili says, noting this class “exemplifies the characteristics and accomplishments NAHR looks for in new Fellows.”
In particular, they share exemplary records of leading transformational change, Marsili says, along with shaping business strategy, drawing corporate attention to culture and purpose, and having “demonstrated courage as they lead.”
Tracy Keogh, chair of NAHR and chief people officer and growth partner at Great Hill Partners, said in a press statement that “all of these leaders have played a substantial role in shaping human resource management thinking and policy, and consistently give back to the human resources profession.”
Cox, in particular, stood out as a candidate for the esteemed Distinguished Fellow honor, which Marsili says is given to a “true innovator and leader among leaders.” Cox is the 18th Distinguished Fellow named by NAHR in its history.
In addition to serving as CHRO of GE from 2019-24, he was chief administrative officer of GE Aerospace from 2023-24 and previously was the CHRO of American Express and CHRO of Pepsi Bottling Group. He’s a board member of the Human Resources Policy Association, a member of Gartner’s CHRO Leadership Board and an advisory board member of the Cornell University Center for Advanced Human Resources Studies. NAHR named him a Fellow in 2009.
“Throughout Kevin’s career, he has stepped into uncharted territory and has played a key role in shaping policy and giving direction to the HR profession at large and has done so with generosity and courage,” Marsili says. “It takes a remarkable HR professional to achieve the status of NAHR Distinguished Fellow, and our board of directors was proud to present Kevin to our entire Fellowship for consideration as a Distinguished Fellow.”
In the coming months, HR Executive will feature profiles on and insights from each of the 2024 NAHR Fellows.
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