1. Josh Bersin

Based in Oakland, CA, USA

The most read and cited HR industry analyst in the world, Josh Bersin entered 2026 with extraordinary momentum. His Superworker research framework — the idea that AI gives every employee new superpowers that fundamentally change what HR must do — dominated the global HR conversation throughout 2025. In January 2026 he published his "Blueprint for HR in 2026," attracting thousands of CHROs and people leaders to a live webinar. He launched Galileo Learn in 2025, the newest iteration of his AI-powered expert assistant for HR professionals, and is preparing for Irresistible 2026 — his annual "Davos of HR" conference at USC in Los Angeles for May. The Josh Bersin Academy now serves close to 20,000 members worldwide. With nearly one million LinkedIn followers and weekly output that shapes industry decisions, Bersin remains the most influential single voice in global HR.

 

2. Johnny C. Taylor Jr.

Based in Alexandria, Virginia, USA

President and CEO of SHRM — the world's largest HR professional organisation, representing nearly 340,000 members across 180 countries and influencing the lives of over 362 million workers globally. In June 2025, Taylor delivered the opening keynote at SHRM25 in San Diego, sharing the stage with former President Joe Biden to address DEI, AI-driven labour displacement, and the future of workplace civility. He testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee in February 2025 on workforce development. In October 2025, he keynoted PRSA's ICON conference. In March 2026, he anchored the AI+HI Project 2026 panel alongside Van Jones on "Designing for Dignity: Human-Centred AI." His weekly "Ask Johnny" column in USA Today ran without interruption throughout the review period. The most institutionally powerful voice in global HR.

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3. Brigette Hyacinth

Based in Trinidad and Tobago

One of the top 20 most followed people on all of LinkedIn, with over four million followers, Dr. Brigette Hyacinth published her sixth book during the review period — Leading in the Age of AI: How to Inspire Teams, Foster Culture and Elevate Success — extending her reputation as the most widely read author on leadership and HR in the age of artificial intelligence. Named Top Leadership and International Keynote Speaker of 2025, she delivered keynotes across five continents and was a featured speaker at the Global Labour Market Conference in Riyadh in December 2025. CEO and Founder of Leadership EQ, her consistent daily LinkedIn content on people-first leadership, emotional intelligence, and AI integration reaches an audience most HR thought leaders can only aspire to.

 

4. David Green

Based in London, UK

Executive Director at Insight222 and host of the Digital HR Leaders podcast — which reached episode 258 in early 2026 with a focus on the data-driven reality of how work is evolving. Throughout 2025, Green published research on skills-based hiring, workforce planning, employee experience, and AI adoption across Series 51 and 52 of the podcast, featuring CHROs from Lufthansa, bp, S&P Global, UPS, and dozens of other global organisations. Co-author of Excellence in People Analytics, he is the most rigorous and evidence-based voice on people analytics globally, with 187,000+ LinkedIn followers and an audience that includes the world's most senior HR leaders. His work sets the empirical standard for what good HR looks like.

 

5. Dave Ulrich

Based in Alpine, UT, USA

The most published and cited HR thinker of the modern era, Dave Ulrich remains extraordinarily active in 2025-2026. A Professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and a partner at The RBL Group, he has authored or co-authored over 30 books on HR strategy, leadership, and organisational capability. During the review period, he was featured on the Digital HR Leaders podcast discussing how to build the next generation of HR leaders in an AI-transformed world, and continues to advise CHROs globally. His concept of the HR business partner model — introduced decades ago — remains the dominant organising framework for the profession. Few people have shaped what HR does as fundamentally, and fewer still continue to contribute with such energy.

 

6. Jeanne Meister

Based in New York, USA

Founding partner of Future Workplace (successfully exited) and now an independent global HR consultant, Jeanne Meister's Forbes column 10 HR Trends As Generative AI Expands in the 2025 Workplace generated nearly 10,000 page views in its first week — a clear signal of how closely HR leaders follow her thinking. An active speaker throughout 2025, she appeared at the Beyond Borders event in New York discussing how AI is replacing how HR works rather than replacing HR itself. Named on HR Executive Magazine's Top 100 HR Tech Influencer list every year since its inception in 2019. Author of three bestselling books including The 2020 Workplace and The Future Workplace Experience, her lens on the long arc of workplace transformation gives her commentary a depth that distinguishes it from the noise.

 

7. Jason Averbook

Based in Minneapolis, MN, USA

Senior Partner and Global HR Transformation Leader at Mercer, and one of the most in-demand voices on the intersection of AI, digital transformation, and HR strategy. Throughout 2025, Averbook led Mercer's thinking on how HR functions need to rebuild their operating models to take advantage of generative and agentic AI — arguing consistently that most organisations are adding AI tools without rethinking how work gets done. A co-founder of Leapgen and author of two books on the future of HR and technology, he is a fixture at global HR technology conferences and a trusted advisor to CHROs navigating large-scale digital transformation. Active on LinkedIn throughout the review period with consistently high-engagement content on agentic AI and workforce redesign.

 

8. Jacob Morgan

Based in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Five-time bestselling author and host of the Future Ready Leadership podcast, Jacob Morgan spent 2025 actively building two interconnected platforms: his Future Of Work Leaders community — a peer network of C-level people leaders — and his research on what distinguishes future-ready organisations. Featured on the Digital HR Leaders podcast in 2026 discussing the employee experience reset in an AI-shaped world, he brings both practitioner credibility and genuine research depth to a topic that risks becoming superficial. With 148,000+ LinkedIn followers and consistent output on leadership, culture, and the future of work, he is one of the more grounded voices in a space that can veer toward hype.

 

9. Liz Ryan

Based in Westchester County, NY, USA

Founder of Human Workplace and one of the most widely read voices on what workplaces should actually feel like for the people inside them. Throughout 2025, Ryan continued her distinctive approach of humanising HR — writing with clarity and directness about job searching, toxic management, and the gap between how companies claim to treat people and how they actually do. Her unconventional takes on hiring, engagement, and leadership continue to resonate with millions of workers and HR professionals alike. Active on LinkedIn and across publications throughout the review period, she remains one of the most authentic and contrarian voices in the profession.

 

10. Ben Eubanks

Based in Huntsville, AL, USA

Chief Research Officer at Lighthouse Research & Advisory and one of the most practically useful analysts in the HR and talent technology space. Throughout 2025, Eubanks continued producing research on AI in HR, skills-based hiring, and employee experience that bridges the gap between vendor claims and practitioner reality. His Lighthouse Research & Advisory annual reports and his podcast work throughout the review period provided ground-level intelligence that CHROs and TA leaders cite in decision-making. Author of Artificial Intelligence for HR and Talent Scarcity, his ability to make complex HR technology questions accessible makes him one of the most valuable educators in the field.

 

11. Laurie Ruettimann

Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

Host of the Punk Rock HR podcast and one of the most candid, analytically honest voices in HR. Throughout 2025, Ruettimann continued her mission of challenging the gap between HR's stated values and its actual practice — covering mental health, burnout, the limits of HR's power, and what it means to genuinely advocate for workers rather than employers. Her podcast and newsletter combine acerbic wit with genuine expertise, and her audience of HR practitioners values her willingness to say what others in the profession avoid. Author of Betting on You, a memoir about career reinvention, she represents the more honest, self-aware wing of the profession.

 

12. Steve Boese

Based in Red Bud, IL, USA

Co-chair of the HR Technology Conference — the world's most important annual event in the HR technology space — and co-host of the HR Happy Hour podcast. Throughout 2025, Boese shaped the agenda for what the global HR technology community pays attention to, with a front-row seat to every major AI announcement, product launch, and industry debate. His HR Executive column and consistent commentary on LinkedIn throughout the review period provide one of the most informed ongoing perspectives on HR technology in practice. With over 20 years in enterprise HR technology, he combines practitioner depth with genuine analytical independence.

 

13. Meghan M. Biro

Based in Portland, OR, USA

Founder and CEO of TalentCulture and host of the #WorkTrends community and podcast, Meghan Biro spent 2025 as one of the most active connectors in the global HR space — bringing together practitioners, vendors, and thought leaders for weekly conversations on AI in HR, future of work, employee engagement, and talent strategy. Voted one of the top 50 most valuable social media influencers by General Sentiment, and named among the top 25 HR Trendsetters by HR Examiner, her ability to synthesise and amplify the most important conversations in HR at high volume makes her one of the most genuinely useful voices in the professional community.

 

14. Heather R. Younger

Based in Denver, CO, USA

CEO of Employee Fanatix and a leading voice on the intersection of leadership, DEI, and workplace culture. Author of The Art of Active Listening — one of the most practically cited books in the HR space in recent years — Younger continued throughout 2025 to make the case that the most important skill for leaders and HR professionals in an AI-augmented workplace is the capacity to genuinely hear what employees are communicating. Her LinkedIn content consistently generates high engagement among practitioners navigating culture, belonging, and the trust deficit that many organisations face. A sought-after keynote speaker throughout the review period.

 

15. Jennifer McClure

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

CEO of Unbridled Talent and the founder of DisruptHR — the global events community that has spread to hundreds of cities worldwide, giving HR practitioners a platform to share bold, unconventional thinking in a fast-format that respects their time. Throughout 2025, DisruptHR events continued globally, and McClure maintained her position as one of the most active connectors and enablers in the HR community. Her keynote work throughout the review period focused on leadership, courage, and building HR functions that earn a seat at the table by delivering genuine business results. Over 56,000 Twitter followers and consistently strong LinkedIn engagement reinforce her standing.

 

16. Ravin Jesuthasan

Based in Chicago, IL, USA

Senior Partner at Mercer and one of the most consequential strategic thinkers on the future of work and workforce transformation. During the review period, Jesuthasan was featured on the Digital HR Leaders podcast discussing the skills revolution and workforce agility, and his book Work Without Jobs — co-authored with John Boudreau — continues to be the most cited strategic framework for organisations thinking about how to redesign work around tasks rather than roles in an AI environment. His thinking shapes how the most senior HR leaders approach workforce strategy, and his output throughout 2025 — including Mercer's global research on AI transformation — kept him at the centre of the most important conversations in the profession.

 

17. Kathleen Hogan

Based in Redmond, Washington, USA

Microsoft's Chief People Officer and EVP of Human Resources, overseeing the people strategy for over 220,000 employees globally. Hogan's work at Microsoft throughout 2025 was particularly significant given the company's role as one of the primary organisations integrating AI into its workforce at scale — making her the practitioner in the most consequential position in enterprise HR globally. She shares data-driven perspectives on LinkedIn throughout the review period on skills, culture, and the human dimensions of AI transformation, and her presence on the platform carries enormous credibility given the scale and visibility of her organisation's work.

 

18. Leena Nair

Based in London, UK

Global CEO of Chanel and former CHRO of Unilever, Leena Nair has become one of the most high-profile voices on the intersection of human values, business leadership, and people strategy. Her unique perspective — having led people functions at one of the world's largest consumer goods companies before making a rare CHRO-to-CEO transition — makes her one of the most credible voices on what HR can and should do in boardrooms. Throughout 2025, she remained active on LinkedIn and a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership, purpose, and the future of work. With over 21,000 Twitter followers and strong LinkedIn engagement, she represents the aspirational ceiling of what an HR career can become.

 

19. Jon Ingham

Based in Dartmouth, UK

Director of the Strategic HR Academy and one of the most thoughtful academic-practitioners in the European HR space. Author of The Social Organisation and a sought-after conference speaker at SHRM and HRPA, Ingham brings a rigorous evidence-based perspective to questions about how organisations use human, social, and organisational capital to create competitive advantage. His work during the review period on social capital — the idea that relationships and community within organisations are the true source of sustainable performance — offers a powerful counterweight to the more transactional AI-efficiency narratives dominating HR in 2025-2026. Over 25 years of experience across IT, change management, and HR make his perspective uniquely grounded.

 

20. Roberta Matuson

Based in Brookline, MA, USA

Author of Evergreen Talent and Suddenly in Charge, with over 208,000 LinkedIn followers and active contributions to Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company throughout the review period. A former HR executive turned consultant, Matuson focuses on the practical realities of leadership effectiveness, talent retention, and building high-performing teams. Her content throughout 2025 addressed the talent retention crisis with the direct, no-nonsense perspective of someone who has worked inside the organisations she advises. One of the most practically focused voices in the space, consistently cited by HR practitioners for actionable advice.

 

21. Lynda Gratton

Based in London, UK

Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and one of the most globally respected academics in the HR and organisational behaviour space. Author of The 100-Year Life and Redesigning Work, Gratton's research on the long arc of how work must change to accommodate longer careers, demographic shifts, and technological disruption gives her a perspective that other voices in the field rarely match for depth and time horizon. Throughout 2025, her work on workforce longevity and organisational redesign continued to be cited by CHROs globally as foundational thinking. A consistent keynote presence at global HR conferences and one of the most cited academics in the profession.

 

22. Lars Schmidt

Based in Herndon, VA, USA

Founder of Amplify — an HR executive search and advisory firm — and host of the Redefining HR podcast. Throughout 2025, Schmidt continued his work building a more transparent, honest conversation about what good HR leadership actually looks like — including the uncomfortable truths about why the profession struggles to deliver on its promise. His Redefining HR book and podcast series feature conversations with CHROs who are genuinely reinventing what HR does, and his community building work through the HR Open Source initiative throughout the review period reinforced his reputation as one of the profession's most earnest advocates for quality and accountability.

 

23. Amy Edmondson

Based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Professor at Harvard Business School and the world's foremost researcher on psychological safety — the concept that people can speak up, take risks, and admit mistakes without fear of punishment, and that this is the foundational condition for high-performing teams. Her work gained new relevance throughout 2025 as organisations grappled with how to build psychologically safe cultures while simultaneously implementing AI tools that many employees feared were monitoring or replacing them. Her book The Fearless Organisation and her ongoing research continued to be cited by HR leaders globally as the most evidence-based framework for building trust at work.

 

24. Jennifer Dulski

Based in Palo Alto, CA, USA

Former President of Change.org and founder of Rising Team, Dulski spent 2025 building tools and frameworks to help organisations strengthen team connection, inclusion, and belonging at scale. Her background spans Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and the social change sector, giving her a perspective on people leadership that spans tech, mission-driven organisations, and the practical realities of scaling culture. Active on LinkedIn throughout the review period with high-engagement content on leadership, diversity, and the human skills that AI cannot replace. A rising voice among practitioners navigating the increasingly urgent question of what holds distributed, AI-augmented teams together.

 

25. Soumyasanto Sen

Based in Frankfurt, Germany

Founder of People Conscience and one of the most rigorous international voices on digital HR transformation and AI-driven people analytics. Author of Digital HR Strategy: Achieving Sustainable Transformation in the Digital Age and co-author of The Sustainable Organisation, Sen brings 20+ years of experience across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific to questions about how organisations can use technology to become genuinely better places to work — not just more efficient. His work throughout 2025 on AI ethics, culture analytics, and the governance of HR technology was among the most substantive international contributions to the conversation. A credible practitioner-intellectual voice at a moment when the profession needs more of them.

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Congratulations to All 25 Honourees

 

Think an HR professional belongs on next year's list? 

 

Nominations for the 2027 Industry Leaders Top 25 can be made here https://www.theindustryleaders.org/nominate

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Selections are made at the sole editorial discretion of The Industry Leaders based on publicly available information. Inclusion or exclusion does not constitute an endorsement, and positions within the list do not reflect a definitive ranking of merit.