Women Leaders in HR You Need to Follow

In recent years, HR professionals around the globe have chosen to rise to the challenge and put their best foot forward in the face of ongoing daunting workplace changes.

Today, we are taking special notice of some, in particular, who have been making waves in their businesses by harnessing both their innate and learnt HR skills, ultimately contributing to the new world of work in ways that are sure to inspire you. Here is our list of women leaders in HR you need to follow:

Leena Nair

Image taken from: Unilever

As Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Unilever, a British multinational consumer goods company known for its nutrition, hygiene, and personal care brands, Leena Nair made history as not only the first female CHRO but also the first Asian CHRO and the youngest to hold this position in the company’s history.

Leading a global people strategy that spans over 160,000 employees across more than 100 countries, Nair has made it her mission to "ignite the human spark to build a better business and a better world." Her goal is to create an inclusive workplace culture where individuals from diverse backgrounds can thrive.

In addition to her remarkable achievements, Nair pioneered the Career by Choice initiative during her time at Unilever India. This programme aims to support women who have stepped away from their careers, helping them to re-enter the workforce.

When Nair joined Unilever in 1992, only around 3% of the company’s workforce was female. Since then, under her leadership, Unilever has made significant strides toward gender equality. Today, 36% of Unilever employees and 31% of managers are women (as of the end of 2022), and 23% of women occupy the highest levels of leadership, including positions on the Unilever Leadership Executive.

Nair is a passionate advocate for fairness, equal access, and opportunity both in the workplace and beyond. For these reasons, we are proud to recognise her as one of HR’s most influential women to watch this year.

Amelia Ransom

Amelia Ransom, SPHR, recently took on the role of Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Smartsheet, a leading collaboration and work management software service. In this position, she focuses on developing her employees, with a strong emphasis on culture and diversity.

Before joining Smartsheet in August 2021, Ransom spent nearly four years as Senior Director of Engagement and Diversity at Avalara, a software company. Prior to that, she served as Director of Talent at Nordstrom for twelve years, so it’s clear she brings a wealth of experience when it comes to building a dynamic workforce.

Ransom's extensive credentials also include being a keynote and motivational speaker, as well as a seasoned HR executive. Drawing on her 20+ years of experience across various HR functions (such as recruitment and development), she has worked to improve business outcomes by implementing a people-first agenda.

Her approach involves leveraging her expertise in Learning and Development (L&D) to empower employees to be their best selves and unlock their full potential, all while aligning business goals and objectives with organisational needs.

By taking the time to understand the people within a company and recognising the support they require, Ransom excels at offering guidance that creates positive business impacts, ensuring employees feel valued and accepted for who they are.

Claude Silver

Image taken from: Forbes

With the growing emphasis on mental health over the past 18 months, we would be remiss not to highlight Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer (CHO) at VaynerMedia, a creative media agency based in New York.

As a self-described "emotional optimist, coach, manager, and mentor", Silver takes a unique approach, combining "agency with empathy" in her leadership of over 1,200 employees. Her core mission is to connect with the heart of each individual within the company, fostering a three-dimensional culture of professional growth and belonging.

In other words, Silver strives to make VaynerMedia (and VaynerX) a place employees can truly call home while they work. She achieves this by drawing on her diverse background in psychology and human development, combined with her expertise in marketing and social strategies.

Workplace culture is intrinsically linked to leadership and how it prioritises employee well-being, and Silver plays a crucial role in creating an environment where business leaders collaborate with their teams to find answers and solutions, rather than simply dictating the next steps.

This level of transparency ensures employees feel safe, heard, and motivated at work—a goal that many other organisations are still striving to achieve.

Lolly Daskal

Lolly Daskal, founder and president of Lead from Within, a prestigious global leadership programme and consultancy, is widely recognised as one of the world’s most influential leaders. Often described as the "most influential woman in the world," Daskal has made a profound impact across various industries and sectors.

While this title is a tall order, no one is up for the task more than Daskal. With clients ranging from C-suite professionals to burgeoning entrepreneurs, she’s one of the most sought-after female leaders around the globe, with her expertise spanning across fourteen countries, six languages, and literally hundreds of global businesses.

So, what does she do exactly? In short, Daskal offers tailor-made programmes in leadership and organisational development, helping cultivate the right values, vision, and culture for individuals and organisations for the long term.

Using what she refers to as a ‘heart-based leadership approach’, Daskal helps people and businesses reach and exceed their performance potential with the sole aim to make a genuine impact at work and in the world.

Francine Katsoudas

Image taken from: Politico

As the Executive VP and Chief of People, Policy & Purpose at the multinational technology corporation Cisco, Francine Katsoudas’ role might not sound so simple; however, for this HR trendsetter, it’s all about the people.

As she puts it, “The greatest insights into what employees need are going to come directly from the employees themselves”, so she pays particular attention to how she can best help her company and keep employees engaged as the HR space continues to transform.

For instance, during the last three years, Katsoudas made sure to place special focus on implementing unique, company-wide practices that enabled Cisco to efficiently manage communities, customers, and partners who were working remotely or had to operate in virtual environments around the world.

From bridging the digital divide and environmental issues to ensuring the future of work is inclusive, it’s no wonder Katsoudas’ outstanding HR skills and innovative HR concepts are used as examples by HR professionals around the world. In the words of Cisco: ‘Power to an Inclusive Future for All’.

Interested in becoming an influential HR leader? Learn from the best with a 100% online CIPD qualification.