SHRM has been part of Libby Sartain’s life almost from the first day she thought about a career in HR. She first joined a SHRM (ASPA) student chapter in 1976 at SMU as an undergraduate majoring in Organizational Behavior and was also a member of the student chapter at North Texas State University while in graduate school in Personnel Administration and Industrial Relations. She was VP of both chapters and graduated with a BBA and MBA.
She later joined the Dallas Human Resource Management Association (DPA) as a young HR professional and went on to volunteer in many chapter roles before being elected to Chapter President in 1988. From there, she became active with SHRM on a national level serving in numerous volunteer roles and board positions. She was Chair of SHRM in 2001 during a time of great transformation on the board, and Chair of SHRM Foundation in 2019/2020.
During her time on the Foundation Board, she led the board’s work in establishing a new mission with caused based philanthropy resulting in successful fundraising from a myriad in different partners and sources. SHRM Foundation is now delivering programming and initiatives empowering HR to lead positive social change impacting all things work and providing solutions that address challenges in workplace inclusion. Also, near and dear to her heart, is the Foundation’s programming designed to inspire and empower the next generation of HR leaders and awarding scholarships and professional development grants to educate and develop students and HR professionals. She is rolling off the SHRM Foundation Board after 9 years of service at the end of this year.
“SHRM and SHRM Foundation were there as a place to learn, a place to become involved and contribute, a place to share, and a place to network throughout my career. SHRM helped me advance by keeping me up-to-speed or even steps ahead of some of my peers. I had access to the latest research and information on trends, the regulatory environment and on what was working well in HR. And, the SHRM Foundation, gives me a chance to give back to a profession that I view as a calling.”
“I have watched and participated as SHRM evolved with the HR Profession. I grew along with it. When I started, we were Personnel Administrators, hoping for our place in management. I left full-time corporate work as a Chief People Officer with a place in the C-Suite. I am now in the boardroom as a director. The work evolved and grew in impact, and the business world finally began to realize what we had known all along; that is, our people are our most important asset and not having the right talent in place can pose the greatest risk.”
Libby Sartain is now an independent corporate director and active business advisor after a distinguished 40-year career in human resources. As CHRO of both Yahoo! and Southwest Airlines, Sartain led significant business transformation initiatives. Both Yahoo! and Southwest were listed on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work for in America and the Fortune 500 during her tenure.
Sartain is probably best known for her expertise on building effective corporate culture and for being a pioneer in employer branding and the worker experience. Sartain coauthored several popular books in HR and leadership topics, including, “HR from the Heart”, “Brand from the Inside”, and “Brand for Talent”. She is a frequent speaker and is often quoted in the business media as a thought leader in human resources.
Sartain is a director of ManpowerGroup and AARP, SHRM Foundation and Chairs the AARP Foundation. Sartain was named a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources (1998) and is an NACD Board Leadership Fellow in 2018. In 2020, she was honored by the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) in the Directorship 100, as a top 50 director. She formerly served on the boards of Shutterfly and Peets Coffee and Tea. She has served in the role of Chair of the Compensation Committee for all 3 publicly traded companies.