The 2026 Top CHROs, Top Women CHRO Leaders, and Top Women Founders in HR Awards were announced during HR.com's CHRO Virtual Event on February 25, honoring executives who consistently drive organizational success. These honorees exemplify exceptional leadership, strategic vision, and outstanding contributions that inspire teams and drive results across dynamic, evolving workplaces. The awards matter because they spotlight the professionals fundamentally reshaping how organizations manage talent, culture, and performance in an era of rapid workplace transformation.
Top CHROs of the Year include Amy Cappellanti-Wolf of Dayforce, Angella Alexander of ATS Corporation, Ariane Hermansen of Servier, Carina Cortez of Cornerstone OnDemand, Christen Scofield of Panorama Insurance Associates, Christina Payne of Precise Systems, Inc., Dr. Kylie Ensrud of Humanized HR, Dr. Waajida Small of Trinity Church NYC, Jeff Simpson of Association of Alberta Municipalities, Jemar Ward of Public Health Solutions, Jody Lirette of HELP USA, Kashan Akram of Cnergyico Pk Limited, Katkoor Srinivas Rao of SAS India, Ms. Dolloress Johnson of Arlington ISD, Nancy Masoud of Orange Public School District, Olena Fedorchenko of Codify, Raquel Hoffstot of Circular Services Inc, Ren Jethi of Akhurst Machinery Ltd., and Smruti Kasulwar of Salaam Bombay Foundation. The Top Women CHRO Leaders list features Angella Alexander, Billie Wright of The Recycling Partnership, Carla Gatza of Action Property Management, Christen Scofield, Donna Smith of The Jewish Board, Dr. Kylie Ensrud, Felicia Rickett-Samuels of Bronxworks, Gigi Garcia of Commonpoint, Jennifer Butler of Pavement Preservation Group, Kartheka R of Madras, Kellie Teal Guess of Rackspace Technologies, Kristin Scott of Health Alliance, Marisol Cortez of Berry Corporation, Nahla Abualula of SADAFC, Nancy Masoud, Oriana Vogel of ZS, Ren Jethi, Rupali Srivastav of CareEdge, Tracey Schiro of Ochsner Health, and Waajida Small.
Top Women Founders in HR recognized include Aminata Coulibaly of Aminata Digital Shop, Amy Spurling of Compt, Ange MacCabe of Intuity Performance, Candice Faktor of Disco, Christine Nichlos of People Science/Hiregate, Ciela de La Torre of Makwa Global, LLC, Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer of Bentzen Performance Partners, Darlene Nue of The Money Collective, Deb Muller of HR Acuity, Dr. Cornelia Shipley Bearyman of 3C Consulting, French Self of AmeriSource HR Consulting Group, LLC, Jean Roque of Trüpp, JoDee Curtis of Purple Ink LLC, Kara Yarnot of Meritage Talent Solutions, Katherin Nukk-Freeman of SHIFT HR Compliance Training, Kimberly Miles of The Payroll Company, Maury Hanigan of SparcStart, Melissa Pearce of The Money Collective, Rachel Schneider of Canary, Ren Jethi, Ruth Thomas of Payscale, Sarah Hamilton-Gill of Globus HR Consulting Ltd., Sarah Wilkins of Reverb, Shana Ryan of Conceptual HR Solutions, Sneh Lata of RChilli Inc., Sue Marks of Cielo Talent, and Tiffany Sequeira of Prestige Development Group. A complete list of winners is available at www.hr.com/awards.
HR.com CEO Debbie McGrath stated, "Exceptional HR leaders shape the future of their organizations through vision, strategy, and execution. These executives and founders in HR are driving innovation, inspiring teams, and delivering measurable results. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees for their outstanding contributions!" This recognition underscores the strategic importance of human resources leadership in navigating contemporary business challenges, from talent acquisition and retention to fostering inclusive cultures and implementing cutting-edge HR technologies. The awards serve as a benchmark for excellence in the field, encouraging continued innovation and professional development across the industry.
