SHRM Announces 2024 Executive Council Members

ALEXANDRIA, Va – Today, SHRM, the trusted authority on all things work, is delighted to announce the addition of 7 business executives to the SHRM Executive Council.

Joining the Executive Council is: Olesea Azevedo, EVP and Chief Administrative Officer, AdventHealth; Tracy B. Brightman, EVP and Chief People Officer, FedEx Corporation; Sheri B. Bronstein, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bank of America; Dr. Amy Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership & Management, Harvard Business School; Sabrina Ellis, Chief People Officer, National Basketball Association; Joanne D. Smith, EVP and Chief People Officer, Delta Air Lines, Inc.; and John Whelan, Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Yale University. 

The SHRM Executive Council, which is made up of the world’s top CHROs, luminaries and academics, guides cutting-edge research, drives meaningful membership initiatives and provides insights on emerging business strategies. It explores the most pressing issues facing the workplace and societies of tomorrow, providing the SHRM Executive Network with collective guidance on emerging strategies that impact business performance.

“I am honored to welcome these esteemed members to the SHRM Executive Council,” shared Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, SHRM. “Each member brings a diverse skill set which will act as a beacon of guidance as we work together with the SHRM Executive Network to shape the future of HR.”

The SHRM Executive Council also includes the following returning members:

• Jyoti Chopra, Chief People, Inclusion and Sustainability Officer, MGM Resorts International
• Dr. Katy George, Chief People Officer, McKinsey & Company, Inc.
• Jim Link, Chief Human Resources Officer, SHRM
• Lars N. Minns, Chief Human Resources Officer, Mercedes-Benz, North America
• Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, SHRM

To learn more about the SHRM Executive Council, visit: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/about

Olesea Azevedo

Azevedo serves as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for AdventHealth. With more than 50 hospitals across nine states, AdventHealth’s 95,000 team members provide whole-person care to people and communities through hundreds of care sites. Since joining AdventHealth in 2016, Azevedo has built and strengthened the People and Culture team with an integrated shared services model. Azevedo is a founding member and co-sponsor of AdventHealth’s Leadership Institute, which is responsible for identifying, nurturing, and developing leaders. She is the co-chair of AdventHealth’s Women’s Leadership Forum, a member of AdventHealth’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, and chair of AdventHealth’s Sustainability Steering Committee.  

Tracy B. Brightman

Brightman is executive vice president and chief people officer for FedEx Corporation. She leads the company’s Human Resources function which includes talent development, succession planning, executive compensation, benefits, workforce strategy, and HR operations. Brightman is a member of the FedEx Executive Committee, which is responsible for developing and reviewing the corporation’s strategic business activities.

Sheri B. Bronstein

Bronstein is the chief human resources officer (CHRO) for Bank of America and a member of the company’s executive management team. In this role, she leads a global team of 4,000 human resources professionals across 28 countries and oversees the company’s real estate portfolio of workspaces and client-facing offices. Sheri serves on the Executive Committee of the company's Responsible Growth Committee and supports the Compensation and Human Capital Committee of the Board of Directors in her role leading the company’s approach to being a Great Place to Work.

Dr. Amy C. Edmondson

Dr. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. Dr. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and has written seven books and more than a hundred articles. Her 2023 book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well won the Financial Times/Schroders Best Business Book of the Year.

Sabrina Ellis

As Chief People Officer of the NBA, Sabrina Ellis oversees all aspects of the league’s global human resources strategy – including compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, and learning and leadership development – across its offices in 15 markets around the world. With a focus on global best practices and inclusion, she also builds and executes initiatives that address workplace culture to attract and retain a diverse, global workforce.  

Joanne D. Smith

Smith is Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer for Delta Air Lines. She leads the company’s global talent management, total rewards, HR service delivery, and diversity, equity, and inclusion functions in support of the 100,000 employees who make up Delta’s unique people-first culture. She is a staunch advocate of Delta people and its culture as the company’s most important competitive advantage and the Delta Difference. Under Joanne’s leadership, Delta has been recognized as a top workplace by Forbes, Newsweek, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Great Place to Work and Fortune.

John Whelan

In this role of Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Yale University, Mr. Whelan oversees the recruitment and retention of exceptional staff who advance the university’s mission, and ensures an inclusive, diverse, and supportive environment in which all employees feel a sense of belonging. In addition, he works with Yale’s partners in New Haven to advance priorities that benefit the shared community. Mr. Whelan is a nationally recognized and awarded leader. He recently served as chair of the board for the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources and is currently a member of the board for the American Research Universities Human Resource Institute.

About SHRM

SHRM is a member-driven catalyst for creating better workplaces where people and businesses thrive together. As the trusted authority on all things work, SHRM is the foremost expert, researcher, advocate, and thought leader on issues and innovations impacting today’s evolving workplaces. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM touches the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally. Discover more at SHRM.org.