People leaders bring a different kind of board value
McKenney is clear about what boards actually gain when an HR leader joins their ranks: judgment shaped by repeated exposure to the hardest people decisions leaders face.
At UniFirst, that perspective has proven especially valuable. During her first year on the board, McKenney was deeply involved in succession planning and compensation decisions, all while the company navigated public acquisition interest in the company.
She sees her human resources expertise as helping the board and CEO see around corners: how leadership choices land internally, how culture carries strategy (or undermines it), and how people-related risks ultimately affect outcomes.
“Change at the top is complicated,” McKenney said. “Whether it’s succession or leadership upgrades, CHROs understand what the ‘normal course’ really looks like, and what it takes to do it well.
“The value of the CHRO skills on a board includes aligning the talent plan to with the long-term strategy. It’s not just about finding the right leadership for today. But rather understanding the strategy and where the business is heading and then ensuring the company has the right leadership team to get there, which may mean new leaders and developing existing talent.”
Helping boards see beneath the numbers
While many directors bring deep financial, legal or industry expertise, McKenney believes an HR lens is particularly important in organizations with large frontline workforces, where turnover, engagement, safety and leadership capabilities directly affect performance. McKenney points out that decades of research have shown how people leave leaders, not companies — yet boards rarely spend enough time examining leadership quality beyond the executive team.
“Boards are very good at looking at results,” she says. “HR leaders can help you look at what’s beneath those results — where leadership capability is strong or thin, and where the culture may be creating risk.”
More boards, she says, recognize this gap. At UniFirst, a North American provider of workplace uniforms, the compensation committee’s remit has expanded to include leadership development, reflecting a broader shift in governance toward human capital oversight.
“Incentives alone don’t drive performance,” McKenney says. “Leadership capability does.”
A CHRO changing the boardroom dynamic
Meanwhile, the board experience has allowed McKenney to hone her executive skills. Both as CHRO and board director, she helps the board and other executives evaluate the decisions they make not only through a financial lens, but also in terms of how their decisions will be experienced by leaders, employees and investors. At the same time, her board service has helped reshape her perspective on being a CHRO.
“Serving on a public company board has sharpened my understanding of how shareholders view decisions,” she notes. “I bring that lens back into the organization, thinking more critically about disclosure, governance and how our choices will be interpreted externally.”
At a time when companies face relentless pressure from regulators, investors and employees alike, an HR leader on the board is no longer a symbolic gesture. It is a strategic choice.
“People drive results,” McKenney said. “Boards that want sustainable performance need that voice in the room.”