Features January 2023

When it comes to addressing the prevailing shortage of doctors and nurses, Lorinda Lee likes to think systemically. Her home province of Ontario has the lowest number of nurses per capita in all of Canada (and registers only 2.32 doctors per 1,000 people), so she’s worried about the bigger picture. As chief human resources officer […]

Once upon a time, Sharon Forster was headed for a graduate law degree in Canada. Then she went on a ski trip with friends near Calgary, Alberta. While her friends went home when the trip was over, Forster “called my parents in Ontario and said, ‘send my stuff.’” They did and Forster—who’d just earned a […]

The breadth of Rodney Whitmore’s career in HR extends from soft drinks to software. For more than 30 years, Whitmore has led HR teams regionally and nationally at companies such as Kroger, PepsiCo and The Economist Group, the publishers of CQ Roll Call. He’s helped businesses evolve and transform in response to  globalization. He’s negotiated […]

It’s a tight labor market in the Heartland as in much of the country. No matter, Greater Omaha Packing Company has been on a hiring spree with the U.S. Department of Agriculture watching.   Last summer the federal agency granted this meat packer $20 million toward its $100 million investment in capital projects that will allow […]

Embrace change and don’t fear vulnerability. Those words may not fully summarize Troy Heflin’s career in human resources, but they have been at the forefront of his work at Volvo Financial Services over the past eight years. Heflin, the senior vice president of people and culture at VFS, is helping leadership and employees thrive as […]

Texas schools are facing a significant teacher shortage, with educators leaving the profession in droves and 77 percent of those who remain saying they’re considering changing careers, according to the Houston Chronicle. Headlines like these are what keep Emre Altun up at night. As chief human resources officer at Harmony Public Schools, a Houston-based charter […]

There being a nine-hour difference in the time zones of Mexico and Qatar, it made for inconvenient viewing for some of the most avid followers of the recent FIFA World Cup. During other years, many of the workers at British American Tobacco’s operations in Mexico would have gathered in cantinas or private homes to watch […]

There was a time when EVP stood for executive vice president, but it’s been taking on a secondary meaning in the business world. The term “employee value proposition” is gaining popularity and for good reason. For there’s corporate competition for talent. Young people adept in infotech and cybersecurity can practically write their own ticket. Also […]

Competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits packages and an office near America’s most famous address may not be enough to recruit and retain top talent at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. No, employees also want a strong workplace culture, says Marguerite Eastwood, and that’s what she’s developing as the organization’s chief human resources officer. “I was brought […]

Growing up in Memphis Tennessee, Rochelle Noone became acutely aware of prejudice and racial injustice, especially following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What she saw—and experienced—remained with Noone as she grew and took on leadership roles in human resources at companies including Telecare Corp. and Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in the San […]