Diverse Talent Leadership Building a Better World

At Willard Powell, we build teams that build a better world, with diversity, equity, and inclusion at the heart of what we do. We’re inspired by talent acquisition leaders who champion DE&I hiring practices across a range of industries. It's vital that the voices of diverse leaders are amplified and celebrated, especially during times of uncertainty. This Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are excited to recognize 13 executives that are making a difference within their organizations and their communities.

Cynthia Sugiyama, Head of Communications for Diverse Segments, Representation & Inclusion, Wells Fargo

Cynthia leads a team responsible for the development and delivery of HR communications to Wells Fargo’s 260,000+ employees. She previously held senior communications roles at some of the biggest companies in the world, including Walmart and Kasier Permanente.

Vincent Lim, Chief People Officer, Hinge Health

Vincent recently joined Hinge Health, a digital clinic helping people with musculoskeletal conditions, as the business scales to 1,000 employees. Previously, Lim held HR leadership roles at Google, Medium, and JUUL Labs. 

Gloria T. Chen, Chief People Officer & EVP, Employee Experience at Adobe

Gloria leads all aspects of people strategy and operations for Adobe, leading the company’s talent development and spearheading DE&I initiatives. Starting her career as a software engineer, she previously worked at McKinsey & Company. Gloria also serves on the board of The Tech Interactive in San Jose and the Carnegie Mellon Electrical & Computer Engineering advisory council.

Jessica Mo, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition Consultant at Fidelity Investments

As a Talent Acquisition Consultant, Jessica partners with Personal Investing leaders to recruit licensed professionals for Fidelity Investments’ Investor Centers and Private Wealth Management teams. She previously held HR leadership roles at many prestigious financial services institutions, including Bank of the West and Bank of America.

Lucy Hur, Chief People Officer, Slalom

Lucy leads all HR operations at consulting firm Slalom, and brings a commitment to diversity and cultural inclusion to the firm. She previously was a senior HR executive at Microsoft, and has also held roles at Procter & Gamble and Nokia.

Sharon Cheng, Group Chief People Officer, Tricor Group

Sharon leads HR operations for Tricor Group, Asia’s leading provider of integrated business, corporate, investor, human resources and payroll, corporate trust and debt services. She is responsible for helping Tricor continue to expand into new global markets. Previously, Sharon was SVP for People and Culture and Langham Hospitality Group.

Nayana Gadkari, Director Talent Acquisition, Quest Diagnostics

Nayana is Quest Diagnostics Director of Talent Acquisition. She is a passionate leader with over 15 years of TA and management experience. Previously, she held senior HR roles at companies such as Teva Pharmaceuticals, MetLife, and Alliance Bernstein.

Neeta Maliakal, Global Head of Talent Acquisition, Lemonade

Neeta leads all talent acquisition for Lemonade, a digital insurance company.  Neeta has over two decades of experience in recruiting, most recently holding multiple senior-level roles at Amazon.

Heena Lala, Director Global Talent Acquisition, American Express

Heena leads global talent acquisition at American Express. A seasoned HR professional, she’s led talent acquisition at some of the world’s biggest financial services organizations, including McKinsey & Company and Bank of America.

Archana Mishra, Head of Global Talent Acquisition (Tech), PayPal

Archana brings decades of HR experience in the tech industry to her role at PayPal. She most recently served as Head of Global Talent Acquisition at Illumio, and has held leadership roles at Google and Facebook. 

Toan Huynh, Sr. Director Talent Acquisition, Gilead Sciences

Toan is responsible for leading talent acquisition at Gilead. He brings years of experience in HR and an expertise in the pharmaceutical space, previously serving as Sr. Manager Talent Acquisition at Medtronic and holding roles at Wells Fargo and Salo LLC.

Kanika Raney, Senior Director, Diversity Talent Acquisition, Capital One

Kanika leads Capital One’s DE&I initiatives. She brings years of experience in DE&I to the role, and has championed elevating diverse talent from campus recruiting to the executive level. Previously, Kanika has worked at leading companies like Google, PWC, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo.

Punith Suvarna, VP, Global Talent Acquisition at PayPal

Punith leads PayPal’s talent acquisition efforts and operations worldwide, serving as an HR thought leader throughout the tech industry.  He brings decades of experience to the role, previously working at leading companies like Bank of America, Adobe, and LinkedIn. 

Diverse talent leaders allow companies to implement policies and practices that give opportunity to all candidates, not just those historically favored. Organizations with broader perspectives and diversity of experience also consistently outperform their competitors. As a leader in executive search, Willard Powell empowers your talent acquisition team to hire leaders that drive innovation, inspire culture evolution, and build meaningful relationships. For more information on our top rated talent acquisition systems, connect with David McInnis or visit our website.