CEOs Recognized for Leading Their Organizations to Outstanding Talent Outcomes During Gartner ReimagineHR, October 24-26, in Orlando
To determine the 2022 Gartner CEO Talent Champions (see Table 1), Gartner utilized the Russell 3000 U.S. Index and then identified CEOs whose organizations were differentiated by financial overperformance, talent-related ESG excellence, employee voice, and public commitment to the workforce’s employee value proposition (EVP) preferences.
“Our analysis identified an elite group of CEOs whose organizations represent the most talent-oriented 1% of the Russell 3000 U.S. Index over the past two years,” said Anna Krasniewska, group vice president in the Gartner HR practice. “We then explored what these CEOs have done in their respective roles to support these exemplary talent outcomes and found several common themes.”
Table 1. 2022 Gartner CEO Talent Champions
| CEO | Company |
| Julie Sweet | Accenture |
| Shantanu Narayen | Adobe |
| Dr. Lisa Su | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) |
| Sundar Pichai | Alphabet Inc. |
| Gary Dickerson | Applied Materials, Inc. |
| Judy R. McReynolds | ArcBest |
| Laurence D. Fink | Blackrock Inc. |
| Greg Heckman | Bunge |
| Bob Sulentic | CBRE Group, Inc. |
| Gary Smith | Ciena Corporation |
| Noel R. Wallace | Colgate-Palmolive Company |
| Glenn Sanford | eXp World Holdings Inc. |
| Phil Snow | FactSet Research Systems Inc. |
| Mary Barra | General Motors Company (GM) |
| Jack Roche | The Hanover Insurance Group |
| Dan Burton | Health Catalyst |
| Enrique Lores | HP Inc. |
| Bruce D. Broussard | Humana Inc. |
| Sasan Goodarzi | Intuit |
| Satya Nadella | Microsoft Corporation |
| Kunal Kapoor | Morningstar Inc. |
| Tom Palmer | Newmont Corporation |
| Kathy Warden | Northrop Grumman Corporation |
| Mauricio Gutierrez | NRG Energy, Inc. |
| Dan Houston | Principal Financial Group® |
| Ralph Izzo | Public Service Enterprise Group |
| Mick Farrell | ResMed Inc. |
| Douglas L. Peterson | S&P Global Inc. |
| Tom Fanning | Southern Company |
| Sheryl Palmer | Taylor Morrison Home Corporation |
Source: Gartner (October 2022)
Four Talent Strategy Lessons
Gartner interviewed more than half of these CEOs to better understand their talent priorities, and how they have used their position as CEO to effect positive change. The Gartner CEO Talent Champions interviewed by Gartner all maintain a “human” view of their workforce when making critical people-related decisions, which includes appreciating their talent as members of not just the workforce, but also families, communities, and society.
Specifically, Gartner CEO Talent Champions interviews revealed four key lessons about how to approach talent strategy:
Discover for Yourself
The CEO Talent Champions invest significant personal time absorbing qualitative perspective from all levels of the organization and consider these inputs as critical for effective decision-making. To do this, they focus on asking questions and doing more listening than talking, seeking out smaller-scale, informal opportunities to make themselves accessible, and communicating authentically.
Insist on Candor
The CEO Talent Champions Gartner interviewed value and foster candid and open relationships and routinely seek counsel from trusted advisors. They are open to all feedback, including information about what isn’t working, as opposed to only celebrating successes. They understand their knowledge gaps and rely on stakeholders to help them build a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the organization.
Accelerate Decisions Through Values
The Gartner CEO Talent Champions heavily emphasize the importance of organizational values as the guiding principle around the most difficult talent strategy decisions they face. They craft and document clear core values, which are primary in decision-making, not an aside. The organization’s core values are a consistent reference point in discussions with employees, the executive team and the Board.
Over-invest In Explaining Why
Lastly, the Gartner CEO Talent Champions understand the importance of sharing the real challenges the organization faces and the tough decisions and trade-offs that are made. They prioritize ensuring employees understand why decisions were made and the context in which they were made.
“CEOs who take a human approach empower their organization to better attract and retain talent, while enabling employees to achieve great outcomes,” said Krasniewska. “Supporting employees as whole people is the right thing to do, both for individuals and for the business.”
