Global People Person Driving Change at HP

As chief human resources officer at HP Inc., Tracy Keogh found her passion for people during a business rotation that included the opportunity to run operations, sales and marketing, and human resources.

“Being in HR made me appreciate how employees/people are the most important aspect of the organization,” Keogh said. “The ability to apply my business background to a function that has such a meaningful impact on business was rewarding and motivating.”

Last year, HP undertook one of the fastest and most complex company separations in history. Keogh played a critical role in setting up both HP Inc. and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, while overseeing all people aspects of the separation. It involved separation decisions for more than 200,000 employees in 170 countries, hundreds of benefits vendors, programs, and every human resources system, policy and procedure.

Keogh was also instrumental in driving a rigorous board identification process for both companies and achieved her goal of building one of the most diverse boards in the tech industry. The HP Inc. board is 38 percent women and 46 percent minority.

She says that being a woman at a technology company in Silicon Valley has been a tremendous opportunity to drive change. “It is overwhelmingly rewarding to be in a position where I can take action and help reinvent the standard for diversity in tech,” she said.

Keogh has worldwide responsibility for HP Inc.’s strategic human resources activities, including workforce development and organization effectiveness, benefits and compensation, staffing, global inclusion and diversity, human resources processes and information management, as well as employee communications. “I learned quickly that I thrive when I have the opportunity to lead and drive change,” she said.

Along with her human resources background, Keogh has a wide range of leadership experience in operations, sales, marketing, and consulting for a number of organizations.

Last year, Human Resources Executive Magazine named her as one of the Most Powerful Women and later that year, the HR Executive of the Year. Keogh has been selected by her peers for induction into the National Academy of Human Resources.

Keogh holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS in psychology from Smith College.