People at the Centre: Eight HR and Inclusion Leaders to Watch

By Ugo Aliogo

In boardrooms, universities, and multinationals across the globe, the conversation is clear: the future of business will not be determined by technology alone, but by the people and cultures that sustain it. While automation and artificial intelligence dominate headlines, a new generation of leaders is quietly reshaping the human side of organisations. From Accra to London, Lagos to Silicon Valley, they are rethinking how institutions recruit, include, and inspire their people.
These ten professionals represent diverse geographies and industries, but their missions converge: to make organisations more human, inclusive, and prepared for the future of work. In 2019, as conversations about automation and AI dominate headlines, their stories remind us that the most valuable investment any company can make is in its people.

Bo Young Lee

Two years after Uber faced global scrutiny for a culture marred by harassment and mismanagement, Bo Young Lee is at the center of the company’s cultural renaissance. As Uber’s first Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, she is tasked with ensuring that the organisation not only recovers its reputation but fundamentally rethinks how it approaches leadership, accountability, and inclusion.
Lee brings to Uber a career defined by strategic human resources leadership and a focus on measurable cultural impact. Her work emphasizes actionable metrics, tying progress in diversity and inclusion to concrete outcomes in hiring, retention, and employee engagement. She leads initiatives that equip managers with the skills to foster inclusive teams and has created platforms for employees to voice concerns and contribute to organisational change. Her approach combines rigor with empathy, balancing the operational needs of a fast-growing tech company with the emotional realities of a diverse workforce.
Lee has been particularly focused on rebuilding trust, both internally among employees and externally with stakeholders and the public. She champions transparency in reporting workforce data and holds leaders accountable for progress, ensuring that diversity is not a checkbox but a lived principle. Colleagues describe her as patient but persistent, able to navigate complex power dynamics while keeping inclusion at the forefront.

Lee’s role also highlights a broader trend in Silicon Valley: top companies are beginning to recognize that culture is not ancillary to performance; it is central to it. By integrating inclusion into leadership development and organisational metrics, she is helping Uber demonstrate that corporate transformation is possible even after crises. Lee embodies the belief that inclusion and accountability can drive innovation, loyalty, and lasting organisational resilience.

Derrick Afriyie

Derrick Afriyie has established himself as one of West Africa’s rising leaders in human resources and organisational transformation. Born and raised in Accra, he earned a degree in Liberal Arts from the University of Ghana, a foundation that allowed him to think critically about people and systems. Early in his career, he joined the British Council, where he undertook a series of roles including Human Resources Officer, People Operations Analyst, HR Change Management Analyst and HR Transformation Project Manager. Across these positions, he was responsible for operational efficiency, employee engagement, and the redesign of HR processes for multiple West African offices.

What distinguishes Afriyie is his focus on both systems and people. Colleagues describe him as meticulous, thoughtful, and deeply empathetic. He led initiatives to standardise recruitment processes, align performance metrics across offices, and implement digital HR tools that modernised how the organization managed talent. As Regional Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator, he helped embed fairness and representation into everyday practice, demonstrating that operational efficiency need not come at the expense of workplace equity.

He has expanded his expertise at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), serving as a Regional Human Resources Associate. In this role, he managed staffing and recruitment for programs spanning multiple African countries, supporting initiatives aimed at food security, agricultural development, and regional cooperation. His colleagues note that Derrick brings a rare ability to navigate complex organisational hierarchies while remaining focused on the human dimension of leadership.
Afriyie represents a new wave of African professionals who see talent development and people-centered strategy as crucial to organisational success. He blends operational expertise with a vision for equitable workplaces, proving that HR can be a vehicle for meaningful transformation. In a region where institutions are rapidly evolving, Afriyie’s work is helping to shape organisations that are both effective and inclusive. His career underscores a key insight: investing in people is the most reliable path to sustainable growth and impact.

Sheree Atcheson

At just 28 years old, Sheree Atcheson is redefining what diversity and inclusion can look like in Europe’s technology sector. As Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Monzo Bank, she is responsible for embedding equity into one of the fastest-growing fintech companies in the United Kingdom.
Atcheson’s approach is both data-driven and people-centered. She ensures that initiatives, whether mentorship programs, leadership pipelines, or recruitment processes, are measurable, impactful, and aligned with the company’s growth strategy. Beyond Monzo, she writes, speaks, and advocates internationally on issues of equity and inclusion, helping to raise awareness about under-representation in technology.

Her personal journey informs her work. Born in Sri Lanka and raised in Northern Ireland, Atcheson has firsthand experience navigating cultural and systemic barriers. This perspective fuels her commitment to creating workplaces where individuals from diverse backgrounds feel valued, empowered, and able to thrive. She has expanded initiatives that support employees from underrepresented groups, while also ensuring that leaders are held accountable for cultivating inclusive teams.
Colleagues describe her as empathetic yet strategic, blending vision with practical execution. Her work exemplifies a new generation of HR leaders who see inclusion not as a side initiative, but as integral to innovation, employee satisfaction, and corporate growth. In a sector where talent shortages are pronounced, Sheree Atcheson’s efforts demonstrate that inclusive workplaces are also competitive workplaces. Her impact resonates far beyond Monzo’s offices, signaling a broader shift in how fintech and technology companies approach people and culture.

Leena Nair

As Chief Human Resources Officer at Unilever, Leena Nair sits at the intersection of business strategy and people development for over 160,000 employees worldwide. In 2019, her role is defined by an urgent focus on the future of work: preparing teams for automation, sustainability-linked performance goals, and shifting global markets, all while maintaining Unilever’s commitment to inclusivity and equitable leadership opportunities.

Nair’s career reflects a philosophy that strong businesses are built on empowered employees. Her leadership emphasizes compassionate, strategic, and measurable HR practices, from gender balance initiatives to global talent pipelines. In 2019, she continues to champion diversity and inclusion programs that go beyond compliance, embedding equity into hiring, promotions, and leadership development across multiple geographies.

Colleagues praise her ability to translate corporate ambition into tangible people strategies. She works closely with executives to ensure that decisions about growth, technology adoption, and market expansion are aligned with employee engagement and skill development. Her work signals a modern understanding of HR: it is no longer just a support function but a strategic partner capable of shaping long-term competitive advantage.

Beyond Unilever, Nair is recognised globally for thought leadership in human capital. She frequently speaks at forums about workforce transformation, leadership accountability, and how multinational companies can balance performance with social impact. In 2019, her influence extends not only within Unilever but across industries seeking to understand how people strategy can drive sustainable growth.
Under Nair’s guidance, Unilever exemplifies a new model for global corporations: one where leadership, inclusion, and human potential are central to success. Her work demonstrates that investing in people is not optional; it is essential for innovation, resilience, and maintaining a competitive edge in a rapidly changing world.

Diane Gherson

IBM’s transformation over the past decade has been dramatic, and at the heart of this evolution is Diane Gherson, Chief Human Resources Officer. By 2019, she is recognized for pioneering analytics-driven HR strategies that combine workforce data, digital tools, and talent development to prepare IBM employees for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and emerging technologies.

Gherson’s philosophy is simple yet profound: data and human development are complementary. She has led one of the largest reskilling initiatives in corporate America, ensuring employees acquire the skills necessary to thrive in a technology-driven economy. At the same time, she prioritizes engagement, inclusion, and leadership development, recognizing that a workforce’s success depends as much on culture as on capability.

Her work focuses on integrating HR analytics into executive decision-making. Leaders at IBM now routinely use people data to guide promotion decisions, identify skill gaps, and design personalized career paths. Gherson has also championed global inclusion programs, making sure IBM’s diversity strategy is measurable and impactful across offices on five continents.

Colleagues describe her as strategic, visionary, and approachable; someone who can balance corporate priorities with a deep understanding of human potential. Her influence extends beyond IBM, as business schools and HR forums often cite her work as a blueprint for modern workforce transformation.
For Diane Gherson, HR is more than administration; it is a driver of innovation, engagement, and resilience. In 2019, she exemplifies how data-informed people strategies can position companies like IBM for long-term success while fostering an empowered, future-ready workforce.

Jacqui Canney

When Jacqui Canney assumed the role of Global Chief People Officer at WPP in February 2019, she faced the monumental task of unifying talent management across the world’s largest advertising and communications company. With over 100,000 employees spanning multiple agencies and continents, WPP required a leader who could blend operational discipline with strategic vision, and Canney’s experience at Walmart, where she oversaw more than two million associates, made her uniquely suited for the challenge.

In her early months, Canney has focused on leadership development, digital learning, and talent pipeline integration. Her goal is to ensure that employees at every level are equipped to navigate rapid industry changes while fostering inclusion and collaboration. Colleagues describe her as both methodical and empathetic, capable of translating complex corporate strategies into actionable, measurable people initiatives.

2019 marks a pivotal year for Canney, as she works to embed a culture of accountability and innovation across WPP. She emphasizes that people strategy is inseparable from business strategy: the company’s growth, creativity, and competitive advantage depend on how effectively its leaders nurture and empower their teams.

Beyond operational leadership, Canney is a voice for modern HR, advocating for strategic alignment between talent development and organisational performance. Her work at WPP highlights a global trend: top companies increasingly recognise that effective people leadership drives sustainable business success. Jacqui Canney is proving that large, complex organizations can be agile, inclusive, and forward-thinking when people strategy is placed at the heart of decision-making.

Francine Katsoudas

As Chief People Officer at Cisco, Francine Katsoudas spent last year driving what she calls a “conscious culture”, linking leadership accountability, inclusion, and employee engagement to business outcomes. For a company with more than 70,000 employees spread across the globe, building alignment around culture is a challenge of enormous scale. Katsoudas approaches it with a combination of vision and precision.

Her initiatives this year emphasize measurable outcomes. Leaders are assessed not only on business performance but also on their ability to foster inclusive, collaborative, and innovative teams. Employee feedback loops, targeted development programs, and leadership training are central to her approach, ensuring that Cisco’s workforce is not only skilled but engaged and aligned with the company’s values.
Colleagues praise Katsoudas as strategic and approachable, someone who can navigate the complexities of a global tech organization while maintaining a human-centered perspective. Under her guidance, Cisco is positioning culture as a competitive advantage, demonstrating that values, leadership, and inclusion are intertwined with performance and innovation.

Katsoudas exemplifies a new kind of HR leadership, one that goes beyond administration to shape the very fabric of an organisation, proving that culture can be as powerful a driver of success as technology or strategy.

Laszlo Bock

Laszlo Bock has already earned a reputation as one of the world’s most innovative leaders in human resources. After serving over a decade as Senior Vice President of People Operations at Google, where he helped transform HR into a strategic, data-driven function, Bock co-founded Humu, a company dedicated to using behavioral science and technology to improve workplace outcomes at scale.

At Humu, Bock’s mission is clear: to help organizations leverage people analytics and “nudge” technology to drive meaningful behavior change among employees. Drawing on insights from psychology, data science, and organisational research, Humu delivers small, personalised prompts or “nudges” that encourage employees and managers to adopt better habits, strengthen collaboration, and improve engagement. The technology is designed not only to optimise individual performance but also to embed culture and inclusion into the daily fabric of work.

Colleagues and clients describe Bock as visionary, analytical, and deeply committed to human-centered solutions. His approach combines rigorous data analysis with practical application, ensuring that insights translate into real-world impact rather than theoretical reports. In 2019, he is helping organizations experiment with evidence-based interventions, proving that HR transformation does not require sweeping mandates; it can be achieved through small, measurable, and scalable behavioral changes.
Bock’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that workplaces thrive when human potential is understood, nurtured, and supported by data. He emphasizes that the future of HR lies in blending technology with empathy, turning insight into action that benefits both employees and organisational outcomes.
Bock continues to influence the global conversation on HR innovation. His work is frequently cited in discussions on how analytics, behavioral science, and AI can reshape talent management and organisational culture.