Strategy, risk and succession: The CHRO lens
Siegel believes CHROs bring a critical lens to strategy discussions, one that connects ambition to execution. There’s often a blind spot in the connection between strategy and execution, Siegel said, including an underappreciation of the organization’s talent risk.
“Do we have the skills?” she said. “Are they in the right places? What kind of culture is required to fulfill the strategic shift?”
Siegel also preaches discipline and process when it comes to CEO succession.
“Boards rate themselves poorly on succession,” Siegel said. “CHROs bring the muscles and processes needed to fulfill the board’s charter around talent.”
Boardroom impact: A peer’s perspective
Robin Abrams, chair of the FactSet board and former CEO of Verifone, who has held senior roles at Apple, Palm and Accenture and currently serves on the Lattice Semiconductor board, has seen Siegel’s influence firsthand. She said that Siegel brought skills and insights that no one else could about competitive compensation and HR systems which is critical for operating in a fast-changing industry.
Abrams credits Siegel with leading the CEO recruitment process, managing internal and external dynamics with finesse, and shaping the onboarding experience. Siegel also initiated skip-level interviews with employees to surface insights and talent, a move Abrams says, “many board members wouldn’t have been brave enough to do.”
“If your board is facing any two of the following, CEO succession, culture transformation, talent strategy or global capability expansion, you need a strategic CHRO on your board,” Abrams said. “She brought clarity to what elements of the culture were worth preserving and those that weren’t.”
Siegel’s contributions extended well beyond HR. Abrams said that Siegel helped shape FactSet’s approach to AI governance, pushing for co-ownership between the CHRO and CTO.
Her leadership in sales compensation reform, investor engagement and board assessments further illustrates her broad strategic reach.
“Laurie pushes the CHRO to be more strategic by asking what deliverables should look like both today and three years from now, and how to communicate that,” Abrams said.
Governance and board effectiveness
Siegel has championed peer-to-peer board assessments and investor listening tours. She has demonstrated adeptness at speaking with investors about the company and the board’s strategic oversight. And with her boards, she helps the board think more diagnostically about future needs.
That reflects Siegel’s personal drive to be a full contributor and strategic thinker on her board, and not just the resident HR expert.
“You are not a niche player on a board,” Siegel said. “If you are, you’re under-serving.”
• • •
Laurie Siegel’s board career offers a blueprint for how CHROs can operate at the highest levels of governance. Her ability to connect strategy to execution, advocate for talent as a strategic lever, and lead with clarity and courage has made her indispensable to the boards she serves.
As companies face accelerating change, boards must evolve too. That evolution demands directors who understand not just the business, but the people who power it. CHROs like Siegel don’t just belong in the boardroom; they make it better.