Human Resources Professionals: Insights & Resources

Fractional CHROs in Chicago Making Things Happen

Anson Ye
July 6, 2025
All Insights
HR Professionals: Insights & Resources

Fractional CHROs in Chicago Making Things Happen in 2025

Chicago Interim Chief People Officers to Know

Chicago doesn’t just build companies—it builds momentum. From fintech and logistics to healthcare, media, and professional services, the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro is home to a dynamic, multi-sector business scene that demands smart, adaptive leadership. And right now, that means more companies are turning to fractional CHROs to bring strategic people leadership—without the long timelines or full-time headcount.

At Digital Reference, we’ve built a curated list of independent, fractional Chief People Officers and CHROs based in the greater Chicago area. These are leaders who don’t just consult—they embed, align, and act like an extension of your team. Some run their own solo advisory firms, others operate as embedded leaders during moments of transition, growth, or transformation.

Whether you’re restructuring, raising a round, or need a fresh approach to people strategy, this is the kind of flexible executive talent that gets results.

✏️ If you want to learn more about fractional leadership models, check out our piece Human Resource Professionals: What Are They & What Do They Do?

Our Selection Methodology

Our list isn’t crowdsourced or cobbled together. At Digital Reference, we apply a specific methodology to every regional roundup. Each fractional executive featured here has been:

  • Vetted for active presence in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area

  • Identified as actively working in a fractional, interim, or embedded CHRO/CPO capacity

  • Publicly accessible via LinkedIn or their own firm site

  • Known for their ability to deliver results with limited ramp-up

  • Experienced in high-growth, founder-led, PE-backed, or enterprise environments

We don’t focus on titles alone—we look at execution, reputation, and relevance.

Featured Fractional CHROs in Chicago

Malvika Jethmalani

Founder - Atvis Group

LinkedIn | Atvis Group

Malvika Jethmalani is the kind of Fractional CHRO who makes business transformation feel not only possible—but energizing. A 3x CHRO, Certified Executive Coach, and founder of Atvis Group, she brings a powerhouse mix of operational rigor, people-first thinking, and big-picture clarity to every client she serves. Her firm is built around a deceptively simple philosophy: “To win in the marketplace, businesses must first win in the workplace.”

And based on her career success? She knows exactly how to make both happen.

🧭 A strategic north star for growing orgs
 From building high-performance teams to leading IPO prep and major M&A deals, Malvika’s toolkit runs deep. She has worked across industries—tech, healthcare, CPG, gaming, manufacturing, and consulting—and led global People teams supporting up to 5,000 employees in over 50 countries. Her sweet spot? Helping high-growth, private equity-backed organizations scale responsibly and sustainably.

She brings more than HR experience to the table. Malvika’s leadership tenure includes stints as an Interim COO and Interim CFO, giving her true C-suite perspective when aligning people strategy with business outcomes.

🚀 Proven wins as a CHRO
 Before launching Atvis Group, Malvika served as the Chief People Officer at:

  • Mistplay: A global loyalty platform for mobile gamers. She built the People function from scratch, enabling the business to double its headcount in just 12 months.

  • MDLIVE: She led a culture and leadership transformation, setting the stage for a successful acquisition by Cigna in 2021.

  • Whole Earth Brands: Oversaw a full HR turnaround, including comp restructuring and operational improvements at the global CPG company.

  • Danaher Corporation: Managed enterprise-wide talent strategy for a business unit of 4,800 employees across 50 countries, blending talent development with lean process improvement.

📊 Business-minded. Data-driven. People-centered.
 What sets Malvika apart is her ability to blend rigorous analytics with human insight. Whether she’s crafting a new talent strategy, advising on leadership development, or reducing turnover, her work is backed by data and designed for meaningful impact.

💡 Offerings at Atvis Group
 Atvis Group is based in Chicago and works with fast-scaling, transformation-ready businesses around the country. Their services include:

    ✨ Fractional & Interim Chief People Officer support
    ✨ Executive Coaching (minimum 6-month engagements)
    ✨ Leadership Development in the age of AI
    ✨ Change Management & Organizational Transformation
    ✨ Tailored Employee Experience Roadmapping

📚 Academic & Personal Notes
 Malvika holds a BBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. She’s based in Chicago, currently learning French, and is a self-proclaimed sushi connoisseur—so don’t be surprised if your next 1:1 includes a lesson in omakase etiquette.

If your company is in the messy middle—growing fast, shifting strategy, or preparing for a capital event—Malvika Jethmalani is the Fractional CHRO you want in the room: candid, committed, and relentless about making people the true engine of business success.

Lisa Howard

Founder and Principal Consultant - People Core Strategies, LLC

LinkedIn | People Core Strategies

In a city as industrious as Chicago—where tradition meets transformation—Lisa Howard is the kind of Fractional CHRO who brings both grit and heart to the evolving people landscape. As the founder and principal of People Core Strategies, Lisa blends strategic clarity with emotional intelligence, helping organizations of all sizes build people-first cultures that power measurable business results.

With more than 25 years of experience across professional services, finance, sales, and nonprofit sectors, Lisa isn’t just another HR expert—she’s a true business partner. Known for her authenticity and practical wisdom, Lisa’s signature approach is to ask thought-provoking questions and deliver actionable, trust-centered solutions. She’s not about buzzwords—she’s about results.

🎯 What sets Lisa apart?
 Lisa has built her career on the belief that business and people operate best as an integrated whole. Her work is centered around partnering with leadership teams to align strategy with execution—ensuring people initiatives aren't siloed, but core to the business. At People Core Strategies, she’s helped clients:

    🔹 Drive performance by clarifying expectations and fostering accountability
    🔹 Develop retention strategies that actually retain talent—by understanding what really motivates employees
    🔹 Design rewards systems that celebrate not just output, but commitment and contribution
    🔹 Implement talent management programs that strengthen skills and drive engagement

Lisa is credentialed with top-tier industry certifications, including SPHR from HRCI and SHRM-SCP, plus an Organizational Culture Leadership certificate from CultureCon. Her leadership style is grounded in authenticity, integrity, and a laser focus on results—values that she’s hardwired into her consultancy’s DNA.

🧭 What kind of clients thrive with Lisa?
 Organizations looking for a transparent, seasoned thought partner—someone who doesn’t just sit at the table but helps shape it. Whether it's a high-growth startup refining its people operations or a nonprofit looking to retain mission-aligned talent, Lisa adapts to the context while never compromising her values.

🧡 Beyond the boardroom
 Lisa’s commitment to community shows in her volunteer work with Nourishing Hope, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and her board position with HOPE (Health Opportunity through Partnership in Education). She’s also an avid volleyball player, hiker, and loyal Michigan alum (Go Blue!).

If you’re seeking a fractional CHRO who leads with empathy and executes with discipline, Lisa Howard should be on your radar. With her, you don’t just check the HR box—you elevate the entire people strategy.

Karleen Mussman

President and CEO - KHR Consulting Group, LLC

LinkedIn | KHR Consulting Group

When you're navigating the fast-moving currents of organizational change, few HR leaders offer the depth of experience and executional brilliance that Karleen Mussman brings to the table. As the founder of KHR Consulting Group, Karleen is a strategic force behind some of the most pivotal people-centered transformations in Chicago’s business landscape. From VC-backed startups on the cusp of IPO to legacy healthcare systems undergoing digital transformation, Karleen’s fingerprints are all over some of the city’s boldest HR evolutions.

With over 25 years of experience across industries—think technology, investment banking, energy, higher education, and public accounting—Karleen excels at scaling HR infrastructure and building people strategies that grow with the business. She’s especially adept at coming in as a Fractional CHRO during high-growth or high-change periods, making her a go-to for private equity and venture capital firms seeking steady leadership through chaos.

💼 Some recent highlights from Karleen’s impressive consulting portfolio include:
    🔹 Acting as the Fractional CHRO for a $50M cybersecurity company headed toward IPO—spearheading board and leadership talent acquisition, public filing compliance, and executive due diligence.
    🔹 Serving as Fractional CHRO for a VC-backed digital identity verification startup with patented tech, helping scale the company through 2024.
    🔹 Leading change management and complex M&A integration for a specialized higher-ed institution in Chicago.
    🔹 Providing CHRO services for a $65M regional healthcare system, guiding people strategy through a major IT outsourcing transition.
    🔹 Delivering talent strategy and coaching for a leading HR SaaS firm, supporting over 80 PE/VC-backed companies with customized people solutions.

Whether she’s advising CEOs, leading executive coaching sessions, or transforming employee experience, Karleen is the definition of a trusted advisor. Her work spans every HR function—recruiting, DEIB, performance, total rewards, culture development—and she does it all with a level of precision and empathy that sets her apart.

✨ Karleen’s superpower?
 Being a trusted strategist in the boardroom and a hands-on executor in the trenches. She’s not afraid to tackle complex compliance issues, oversee massive integrations, or reshape entire HR departments from the ground up. And with extensive experience leading not just HR but also Communications, Marketing, Facilities, Procurement, and more, she operates with a rare multifunctional lens that aligns people strategy directly to business objectives.

🎯 Why leaders love working with Karleen:
    🔹 She builds trust fast—an essential skill in high-pressure environments.
    🔹 Her strategies are rooted in metrics, but always tailored to human needs.
    🔹 She’s equally comfortable presenting to a board or helping frontline teams embrace change.

Looking for someone to help you lead through scale, M&A, or transformation—without sacrificing culture or compliance? Karleen Mussman is the name to know.

Carla Scott

Fractional Human Resources Director & CHRO - Caveat Ministries

LinkedIn | Caveat Institute

There’s a reason Carla Scott keeps hearing the same phrase from her clients: “We should have connected sooner.” As one of Chicago’s most dynamic and future-focused HR leaders, Carla blends industrial-organizational psychology, cutting-edge analytics, and actionable strategy to help leaders and teams tap into their full potential—without all the fluff.

With over 12 years of experience driving organizational development and human capital strategy across industries—finance, tech, higher ed, insurance, retail, logistics, hospitality, and beyond—Carla brings a nuanced understanding of what today’s organizations need most: clarity, agility, and connection. Whether she’s coaching a C-suite executive, restructuring HR operations, or aligning performance frameworks with business goals, Carla gets results.

🌟 What sets Carla apart?
 Carla doesn’t believe in copy-paste strategies. She customizes every engagement using a mix of diagnostics, leadership science, and deep organizational listening. Her secret sauce? A foundation in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, which means she knows how to translate behavioral insights into measurable business improvements.

💡 Recent client outcomes include:
    🔹 Transforming leadership performance and effectiveness using priority management frameworks
    🔹 Leading workforce planning and succession efforts for multi-state organizations
    🔹 Implementing AI-powered tools in HR processes for smarter analytics and decision-making
    🔹 Revitalizing culture through targeted L&D programs and custom-built competency models
    🔹 Designing survey frameworks to drive data-informed employee engagement strategies

🏆 Recognized with:
    🌟 Best of 2024 in Consulting
    🌟 Global Recognition Award 2024
    🌟 Best of 2019–2023 for Business Development Service

As part of the executive team at Caveat Institute, Carla also serves as a visionary within a firm known for empowering leaders to clarify their purpose, align mission to strategy, and spark meaningful innovation. Caveat's forward-thinking platform is a natural home for Carla’s interdisciplinary work, where HR meets operations, strategy meets culture, and vision meets measurable execution.

🎯 Areas of deep expertise:
    🔸 HR Operations & Organizational Effectiveness
    🔸 Change Management and Succession Planning
    🔸 DEI and Inclusive Leadership Development
    🔸 Payroll & Benefits Strategy (Multi-state compliance)
    🔸 Workforce Strategy for Ministries and Nonprofits
    🔸 Talent Acquisition, Retention, and Lifecycle Development

✨ Carla’s philosophy?
 It’s not just about optimizing systems. It’s about empowering people. Carla leads with clarity, calm, and curiosity—even when organizations are facing massive change. She’s known for crafting sharp strategies that leave teams more focused, aligned, and inspired than before.

If you're building the future of your business and want a Fractional CHRO who knows how to scale smart, communicate clearly, and lead confidently—Carla Scott is someone you want in your corner.

Alberta Johnson

Founder, CEO, & Fractional Chief Human Resources and People Officer - People Experts, LLC

LinkedIn | People Experts LLC

Alberta Johnson doesn’t just transform workplaces—she transforms cultures. With over two decades of executive HR leadership experience spanning government, non-profit, retail, fashion, tech, legal, and financial services sectors, Alberta is the kind of CHRO you call when your organization is ready to go from stuck to stellar.

As the Founder and CEO of People Experts LLC, Alberta brings a powerhouse blend of human-centered strategy, deep operational insight, and a legacy of elevating people-first cultures. Her mantra? People and culture are the heart of your organization—and when you get those right, everything else follows.

👥 Why clients trust Alberta:
She’s earned a national reputation as a “Best Places to Work” strategist—and not because she checks boxes. Alberta uses real data, real stories, and real stakeholder input to craft people strategies that energize organizations. Whether she’s helping leadership define their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) or leading DEI and change management through M&As, Alberta is a strategist, empath, and rainmaker all in one.

🌍 Her impact is both local and global:
From her time at the City of Chicago to leadership positions with Appraisal Institute and Gagen MacDonald, Alberta has brought her operational and cultural expertise to organizations facing massive change. She’s also helped companies navigate complex cross-cultural transitions globally, leaning on a masterful understanding of workplace dynamics from both macro and micro perspectives.

📌 Core specialties:
    🔹 Mergers & Acquisitions
    🔹 Inclusive Leadership Development
    🔹 Change Management Strategy
    🔹 Talent Intelligence & Upskilling Initiatives
    🔹 Total Rewards Strategy
    🔹 Organizational Development
    🔹 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
    🔹 Culture Transformation

🛠️ What makes Alberta a standout CHRO
 She brings strategy and heart to every room she walks into. Known for her Chief Empathy Officer energy, she doesn’t just advise from the sidelines—she partners with executive teams to drive initiatives that actually land. Her firm, People Experts LLC, is built on the belief that when you champion inclusion and collaboration, everything else—performance, retention, innovation—will follow.

🎖️ Leadership Beyond the Office:
Alberta holds a BA in Sociology, an MBA, and an MPA—an academic trifecta that mirrors her cross-functional and cross-sectoral approach. She has served in leadership positions on the boards of IL SHRM (Chair of DEIB), Chicago SHRM, and currently acts as a Veteran Ambassador & Mentor for SHRM. She’s also the President of the Friends of Pediatrics at UIC’s Children’s Hospital—proof that she lives out her commitment to people and community at every level.

If you’re a Chicago-area company navigating growth, complexity, or transformation—and you want a Fractional CHRO who knows how to steer both the human and operational sides of the business—Alberta Johnson is one of the most powerful partners you can have.

Lisa Gould

Interim & Fractional CHRO - Gould HR Solutions, LLC

LinkedIn

If you’re a business in transition, growth mode, or preparing for the next phase of leadership, Lisa Gould is the kind of Fractional CHRO who steps in and quietly turns your people strategy into your strongest competitive edge. She’s not just an HR expert—she’s a transformational advisor, trusted by CEOs and executive teams to guide organizations through high-stakes change with clarity, strategy, and confidence.

🎯 Driving transformation through talent
 Lisa isn’t afraid of complexity. She thrives on it. Whether your company is navigating a strategic acquisition, developing its next wave of leaders, or undergoing culture reinvention, Lisa’s expertise is in building talent systems that align with business goals. Her north star? Making sure HR isn’t just a support function—but a growth engine.

With specialties in:

  • Business transformation and change management

  • Succession planning and leadership development

  • Strategic HR and talent acquisition

  • Due diligence for M&A

  • Culture design and performance management

Lisa brings both a strategic lens and an empathetic hand to every organization she partners with.

🌍 A global and bilingual perspective
 As someone fluent in both Spanish and English, Lisa brings a cross-cultural fluency that’s especially valuable for companies with global operations or diverse workforces. Her international outlook enhances her ability to develop inclusive, high-impact leadership frameworks and employee engagement programs that resonate across boundaries.

📈 Interim and Fractional CHRO work, redefined
 Lisa offers interim and fractional CHRO services that are anything but “temporary.” She immerses herself quickly and effectively into each business, acting as a true thought partner to the C-suite while delivering tactical, measurable results. Her project-based work is tailored, scalable, and grounded in the belief that HR must evolve alongside business strategy.

🔍 Lisa's impact at a glance
 Here’s what organizations typically turn to Lisa for:

    ✨ Designing future-ready talent pipelines
    ✨ Aligning leadership development with growth goals
    ✨ Conducting due diligence for M&A
    ✨ Leading change management in high-growth environments
    ✨ Creating high-performance cultures rooted in innovation

💬 A CEO’s secret weapon
 Colleagues describe Lisa as someone who “makes change feel actionable,” “translates leadership goals into reality,” and “helps teams not only weather disruption—but thrive through it.” She’s known for building strong relationships with executive leaders while keeping the human experience at the core of every transformation effort.

Whether your company needs a short-term boost in talent strategy or long-term support through complex organizational shifts, Lisa Gould is the kind of people-first operator that Chicago’s top companies are lucky to call on.

Thomas Callam

Founder & President - Navigable HR

LinkedIn

When it comes to aligning human capital strategy with business acceleration, Thomas Callam is the Fractional CHRO small to mid-market companies wish they’d called six months sooner. As the Founder and Managing Principal of Navigable HR, Thomas brings over 20 years of experience in professional services, HR leadership, and operational transformation to clients who are ready to scale—intelligently and sustainably.

🧭 Navigable HR: Guiding growth with precision
 At Navigable HR, Thomas leads with the belief that people operations should never be an afterthought—they’re the infrastructure of progress. His firm specializes in supporting small to mid-sized companies and professional services firms, offering tailored HR solutions that span the full employee lifecycle:

  • 🚀 Talent acquisition and onboarding

  • 📊 Performance management and workforce planning

  • 💼 Compensation, benefits, and compliance

  • 🧠 Leadership development and executive coaching

  • 🛠️ Building scalable systems that support growth

What makes Thomas stand out? His ability to bridge the tactical with the strategic, especially in founder-led and growth-stage environments where teams are evolving rapidly, and infrastructure needs to catch up—fast.

🏗️ A builder at heart, with a CHRO’s toolkit
 Before launching Navigable HR, Thomas served as Chief Human Resources Officer and Operations Leader at several high-growth professional services firms. He helped architect company-wide systems and talent infrastructures from scratch, always with an eye on scalability, culture fit, and business integration.

Clients praise Thomas for his calm leadership during times of rapid change. He doesn’t just diagnose challenges—he rolls up his sleeves and delivers operational playbooks that are both practical and transformative.

🧩 A strategic partner for evolving teams
 Here’s what makes Thomas an invaluable asset to his clients:

    ✅ Deep expertise in professional services, consulting, and mid-market companies
    ✅ Proven track record in strategic workforce planning and executive team alignment
    ✅ A holistic, systems-based mindset for talent operations
    ✅ Ability to scale HR systems that support both speed and sustainability
    ✅ Hands-on implementation with a focus on long-term effectiveness

📣 Built for founders, built for scale
 For CEOs and leadership teams who feel overwhelmed by the people side of business, Thomas Callam is the calm in the storm. He brings clarity, structure, and executional know-how—whether you’re navigating a period of hypergrowth, building out your HR function for the first time, or preparing for a new phase of organizational development.

If you're looking to turn your HR operation into a growth accelerator, not a cost center, Thomas is the fractional CHRO with the mindset and tools to make it happen.

Jasmine Guy

Founder - Guydelines Consulting Group LLC

LinkedIn

Strategic. Purposeful. Unapologetically people-centered. Jasmine Guy is a tour de force in the world of Human Resources leadership—and one of the most inspiring fractional CHROs shaping workplace transformation in Chicago today.

As Founder of Guydelines Consulting Group, Jasmine provides fractional Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) services for organizations that seek meaningful, equity-driven growth but may not have the capacity to bring a full-time executive on board. With her, they don’t just get a consultant—they gain a mission-driven partner who blends cultural fluency with operational impact.

🌱 People-First, Strategy-Forward
 With over two decades of experience spanning professional services, higher education, and the nonprofit sector, Jasmine brings clarity and courage to the complex. Her trademark? Translating vision into tangible business outcomes through integrated people strategies.

She’s not afraid to challenge old paradigms. Her work drives:

  • 🎯 Executive coaching and board-level HR strategy

  • 📈 End-to-end people strategy, from engagement to succession

  • 🌍 DEI leadership that goes beyond optics—embedding equity into business DNA

  • 🧭 Organizational change management rooted in cultural transformation

  • 🛠️ Talent development, retention, and team alignment at every level

🏆 Recognized Thought Leader and Advocate
 Jasmine has earned her seat at the table—and the podium. She was recently honored as one of the 10 Most Inspiring DEI Women Leaders Making a Difference by CIO Views and profiled in Women We Admire, not just for her HR credentials, but for her transformative leadership across business, community, and boardrooms.

She currently serves or has served on multiple boards and advisory councils, including:

  • 💼 Chair of the South Side YMCA Board of Directors

  • 🌳 Jackson Park Advisory Council

  • 🏥 Margaret's Village (Board Development Chair)

  • 🤝 Past President of the Women’s Board, Chicago Urban League

  • 🧠 Immediate Past President, NAAAHR Chicago

Her civic involvement adds richness to her consulting lens: Jasmine understands systems—not just in theory, but in practice—and how they interact across business, education, and society.

🧪 Consulting That Delivers Substance, Not Slogans
 Guydelines Consulting Group isn’t your average HR shop. Jasmine's offerings are fractional by design, making enterprise-grade HR and DEI strategy accessible to small and mid-sized organizations that need high-level support—but not a full-time headcount.

Clients trust her to:

    🔸 Embed racial equity and inclusion into business strategy
    🔸 Create impactful employee engagement and EVP models
    🔸 Navigate growth, culture shifts, and leadership transitions
    🔸 Manage people operations with purpose, clarity, and humanity

✨ Strengths That Set Her Apart:

  • Focus: Sharp prioritization on business outcomes

  • Achiever: Tireless energy to move vision into action

  • Responsibility: Deep ownership of client goals

  • Individualization: Insightful tailoring of solutions

  • Input: Continual learning and applied wisdom

Whether it’s guiding organizations through change, transforming cultures with intention, or amplifying inclusion in every layer of the employee experience—Jasmine is the definition of a catalytic leader.

Nicole Herbert

Founder, Fractional CHRO, and HR Consultant - NHR Partners Ltd.

LinkedIn

Nicole Herbert is a powerhouse of cross-cultural strategy, people leadership, and global business alignment—exactly the kind of CHRO every scaling company wishes they had on speed dial. As the Founder of NHR Partners Ltd., Nicole brings over 15 years of high-stakes HR experience across the Americas to deliver fractional HR leadership and strategic consulting with nuance, speed, and care.

From her roots in Chicago to her multi-year tenure leading HR in Latin America, Nicole has become an expert in translating global business goals into practical, people-first strategies that work—no matter the market.

🌎 Fractional HR with Global Reach
 Nicole doesn’t just advise on organizational change—she’s lived it. At Mainstream Renewable Power, she spent nearly 17 years growing with the business, eventually rising to lead HR strategy for the entire Americas region. In that role, she:

  • 🧭 Guided teams through company restructures, reorgs, and M&A integrations

  • 🏗️ Built and led HR teams across borders—bridging U.S., Chile, and other regional teams

  • 📊 Developed retention and engagement strategies aligned with both global HQ and local regulations

  • 🤝 Acted as a trusted advisor to senior leadership during complex organizational transitions

Whether hiring at scale, managing cross-border cultural dynamics, or ensuring compliance across continents, Nicole always delivered with precision and empathy.

🔧 Solutions Built for the Mid-Market
 Now, through NHR Partners Ltd., Nicole partners with:

  • 🚀 Startups trying to build HR infrastructure that grows with them

  • 📈 Scale-ups that need to enhance performance, reduce attrition, or tackle retention strategy

  • 🧩 Mid-sized organizations navigating reorganizations, leadership transitions, or HR project overload

Her clients appreciate her ability to quickly embed into leadership conversations and provide a clear roadmap for talent strategy—without the overhead of a full-time executive hire.

📍 Chicago-Based. Globally Minded.
 Nicole’s unique career trajectory has made her a rare find: a Chicago-based HR executive who deeply understands Latin American business practices, bilingual workforces, and the delicate balance of global HQ vs. local autonomy.

Her specialties include:

  • 🛠️ Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

  • 🌐 Global HR & Cross-Cultural Alignment

  • 📉 M&A Integration & Restructuring

  • 💬 Employee Engagement & Executive Advising

  • 📋 Compliance Across Regional Labor Frameworks

🚀 Whether your company is restructuring, going through a merger, or just trying to modernize your HR playbook, Nicole is the quiet force who gets results without the corporate fuss.

Her approach is grounded, flexible, and strategic—making her one of Chicago’s most valuable behind-the-scenes HR minds in 2025.

Why Chicago Companies Are Leaning Into Fractional People Leadership

Chicago is a city built on industries in motion. Founders here don’t have time—or budget—to wait six months for the perfect full-time HR exec. And they’re increasingly skeptical of over-sourced, under-relevant generalists.

Instead, they’re hiring fractional CHROs who can:

  • Step in fast and provide clarity

  • Build scalable people systems for growing headcount

  • Drive outcomes during periods of transformation

  • Coach founders and executive teams through complexity

  • Translate values into culture into action

In a market with rising capital discipline and a fierce competition for top talent, the flexibility and fit of fractional leadership is becoming a strategic advantage—not a workaround.

When to Bring in a Fractional CHRO

Fractional CHROs aren’t just for crisis management (though they’re good at that too). The most effective fractional partnerships start before things fall apart.

Here are just a few triggers where Chicago-based companies are engaging interim people leaders:

  • ⚙️ Scaling from 30 → 100+ employees and need systems to match

  • 🧠 Founders need an executive-level partner for hiring, org design, or performance

  • 📉 Engagement or retention metrics are slipping but solutions are unclear

  • 💬 Company values feel disconnected from actual employee experience

  • 💸 Just raised funding and need to mature internal functions quickly

  • 🔁 Leadership turnover or restructuring calls for steady HR strategy

In all of these moments, a high-context, high-trust fractional CHRO can become a game-changing asset.

What Makes a Great Fractional CHRO?

At Digital Reference, we don’t just look for resumes—we look for reputation.

The best fractional CHROs in Chicago do more than implement—they:

✅ Ask the hard questions
✅ Make complexity navigable
✅ Align people and performance
✅ Bring culture into strategic conversations
✅ Guide without ego
✅ Know when to lead and when to listen

They also have a level of executive presence that earns trust fast across leadership teams, boards, and employees.

It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about building alignment and trust, fast—and that’s exactly what these professionals do.

Related Resources on Digital Reference

Looking to dig deeper into fractional hiring and modern executive search? These resources can help:

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
 A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
 Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
 Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

✅ Check Out Our Local Directories of Fractional CHROs & Interim Chief People Officers by City

This resource highlights city-specific guides to some of the most impactful interim and fractional Chief People Officers across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Each directory offers a look into the unique business culture of the region and the leaders driving people strategy forward.

  • Atlanta
    Fractional CHROs in Atlanta Making Things Happen
    Atlanta’s talent leaders are shaping diverse, tech-forward workplaces in a city that’s become a magnet for startups, logistics firms, and entertainment enterprises. Fractional CHROs here are experts at managing rapid growth and culture change.
  • Columbus
    Fractional CHROs in Columbus Making Things Happen
    Columbus combines Midwestern values with high-growth potential, and its interim people leaders bring strategic clarity to fast-growing startups, educational institutions, and service-sector employers.
  • Denver
    Fractional CHROs in Denver Making Things Happen
    Known for its entrepreneurial spirit and wellness-driven culture, Denver is home to CHROs who specialize in building values-aligned teams and sustainable HR infrastructures for growing businesses.
  • Las Vegas
    Fractional CHROs in Las Vegas Making Things Happen
    Beyond hospitality, Vegas is growing its footprint in tech and healthcare—and its HR consultants are ushering in next-gen talent strategies in industries that rely on high performance and adaptability.
  • London
    Fractional CHROs in London Making Things Happen
    London’s fractional HR leaders support multinationals and scaleups across finance, fintech, and creative industries—navigating global labor trends and cross-border compliance with precision.
  • Miami
    Fractional CHROs in Miami Making Things Happen
    Miami is a rising tech and finance hotspot with a diverse workforce—and its interim people leaders are fluent in multicultural management, bilingual team dynamics, and global HR systems.
  • Toronto
    Fractional CHROs in Toronto Making Things Happen
    As Canada’s economic engine, Toronto is full of global talent and cross-sector complexity—making its CHROs indispensable for companies navigating growth, governance, and globalization.

Final Word: Fractional is a Strategy, Not a Stopgap

Chicago has long been a hub for scrappy execution and smart operations. But the future of leadership here is becoming more flexible—and more precise.

Fractional CHROs aren’t just temporary hires. They’re strategic partners who help leadership teams make better people decisions, faster. Whether you're navigating scale, culture change, or internal transformation, these professionals deliver the kind of hands-on strategy that full-time roles often take months to ramp into.

So if you’re building something in Chicago and you need a trusted, experienced people partner—start here. These are the interim Chief People Officers who are already making things happen.

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