Lincoln Financial Executive Sean N. Woodroffe Elected Chair-Designate of SHRM Board of Directors
Woodroffe is succeeding current SHRM Board Chair, Betty Thompson, and will assume his new role in January 2027.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Today, SHRM, the trusted authority on all things work, workers, and the workplace, announced Sean N. Woodroffe, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Communications and Enterprise Services Officer at Lincoln Financial, has been elected Chair-Designate of the SHRM Board of Directors. Woodroffe will assume the role of Board Chair in January 2027. Woodroffe is succeeding Betty Thompson, who has served on the Board since 2019 and held the position of Chair since 2023.
Woodroffe brings more than 35 years of strategic experience in human resources and enterprise services across the financial services sector. In his current role at Lincoln Financial, he oversees a comprehensive portfolio that includes all core human resources functions, corporate communications and several additional enterprise services, as well as the company’s philanthropic foundation. He has served on SHRM’s Board of Directors since January 2024.
“Sean Woodroffe is the right leader for this moment. His decades of experience, strategic vision, and commitment to people-first leadership align perfectly with SHRM’s mission to shape workplaces where both organizations and employees thrive,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, President & CEO of SHRM. “Sean understands the challenges and opportunities facing today’s workforce—from harnessing the power of technology to building cultures of civility and inclusion and I am confident he will help us drive real impact for our members and the millions of workers we serve globally. My thanks to Betty Thompson for her extraordinary service and unwavering dedication. Together, we will continue to build better workplaces for all.”
Woodroffe’s appointment comes at a pivotal time when organizations are navigating complex workplace issues – from the integration of AI to the imperative responsibility of fostering civility in the workplace. His extensive background, which includes senior executive leadership roles at TIAA, National Life Group, Sun Life Financial, and Merrill Lynch, positions him to guide SHRM’s strategic vision of building resilience and optimizing workforce potential for business growth.
“At the core of every thriving organization is a culture that values people, where trust, fairness and purpose guide decisions,” said Woodroffe. “Human resources is a deeply consequential practice, and I have the highest regard for our SHRM Members who carry, with dignity, that responsibility every day in workplaces around the world. I am honored to serve this profession and our Members as Chair of SHRM’s Board, working alongside my Board colleagues and the SHRM management team to advance SHRM’s mission and support HR leaders in building workplaces where people and businesses can truly thrive.”
Other members re-elected to the board include:
- Marlon Sullivan, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Johnson Controls International (one-year term)
- Maryjo Charbonnier, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kyndryl (one-year term)
- Piyush Mehta, Chief Human Resources Officer and Country Manager for India at Genpact Limited (one-year term)
- Susana Suarez-Gonzalez, Ph.D., SHRM-CP, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Amcor (two-year term)
- Valerie Vargas, Senior Vice President of AT&T Advertising and Retail Marketing (three-year term)
Continuing board members include:
- Betty Thompson, SHRM-SCP, former Chief People Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton (SHRM Board Chair through December 31, 2026)
- James Clark, President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America
- Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, President and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management
- Michael D'Ambrose, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Boeing
- Nilanjan Adhya, Chief AI, Data and Analytics Officer, Lincoln Financial
- Paula Harvey, SHRM-SCP, Vice President of Human Resources and Safety, Schulte Building Systems, Inc.
- Scott Snell, Ph.D., the Frank Sands, Sr. Chair in Business Administration, Darden Graduate School of Business, University of Virginia
- William Phelan, Senior Associate Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, The American Bar Association
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.
About Lincoln Financial
Lincoln Financial helps people confidently plan for their vision of a successful financial future. As of December 31, 2024, approximately 17 million customers trust our guidance and solutions across four core businesses — annuities, life insurance, group protection, and retirement plan services. As of September 30, 2025, the company had $347 billion in end-of-period account balances, net of reinsurance. Headquartered in Radnor, PA., Lincoln Financial is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) and its affiliates.
Was this resource helpful?
Validate your HR expertise
Earning your SHRM-CP credential makes you a recognized expert and leader in the HR field.
Related Content
Transform HR with mobile technology to streamline workflows, enhance communication, and boost employee engagement across distributed teams.
A new study found that talent development practitioners believe performance-based assessments are more effective at measuring employee learning outcomes than knowledge tests.
As AI makes deeper inroads into organizations, employee concerns about the technology continue to grow. Here's how HR leaders can address the fear of AI among their own staff, as well as in the wider organization.