Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP

About

I lead the world's largest trade association of human resource professionals. Nearly 340,000 members. 180 countries. Over 362 million workers and their families impacted globally. It's the privilege and the responsibility of being President and CEO of SHRM. As a global voice on the future of employment, culture, and leadership, I speak on all matters affecting work, workers, and the workplace. But here's what drives me every day: Work begins and ends with people. And better workplaces build a better world. → My career spans over 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive, and CEO across for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InterActiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm, and Compass Group USA. → Most recently, before SHRM, I served as President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. → I'm the author of the national bestseller RESET: A Leader's Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval. On its release in September 2021, the book was in the top three of The Wall Street Journal's hardcover business book bestsellers. → Weekly, I write the "Ask Johnny" column in USA Today. → I'm frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues. I've been recognized as one of Washingtonian Magazine's Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy in our nation's capital, one of Savoy Magazine's 300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America (2024) and named to the Virginia 500: Power List. I'm also a recipient of the Academy of Management's 2020 Distinguished Executive of the Year Award and was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update. I serve on the corporate boards of XPO, Inc., Flores HR, and Guild Education, and the board of directors of AACSB. I previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the first Trump administration. I am a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources, a SHRM Senior Certified Professional, and licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. Why I'm here: To share clear, actionable insights on leadership, civility, skills-based hiring, power skills, and the future of work, grounded in real-world experience. If you're an executive, board member, policymaker, HR leader, or rising professional shaping the future of work, follow along. For speaking inquiries: