How did you get your start in HR?
My career in HR began as the VP of my department “tapped me on the shoulder.” I was working as a project leader when he asked me to lead employee engagement for our department. Interestingly, people always thought that I was in HR, and they came to me with employee issues. As I developed the strategy and programs for engaging and developing employees, I quickly realized that the success of any strategy relies heavily on retaining and engaging employees.
What does your role as an Executive Advisor involve? What drew you to it?
As an Executive Advisor, I partner with Human Resources leaders across the globe to develop strategies that address key HR priorities and initiatives. This role provides me with the opportunity to leverage my 25+ years of HR expertise, proficiency in business operations, and technical acumen to collaborate with leaders, identify their needs, and curate practical real-world solutions.
What do you do to take care of yourself?
A healthy lifestyle and consistency with rest and recharging is key for the wellbeing of every person. In my spare time, I enjoy museums, live theater, traveling, and anything by the water. I also like reading, riding my spin bike, and painting landscapes.
What advice do you have for someone starting out as an HR leader?
My advice to a new HR leader is to be employee centric and to ensure that there is a sense of belonging for every employee to succeed at your organization. I would also encourage the new leader to be a life-long learner and to become adept at managing change and transformation. Today’s business leaders face complexity and ambiguity in a highly competitive marketplace.
To learn more about our Executive Services and how McLean & Company will partner with you to accelerate completion of targeted HR priorities that ultimately drive your organization’s critical business objectives forward, please visit us at McLean Executive Services or contact Jon Campbell at jcampbell@mcleanco.com.