SHRM names new president and CEO

In a major advance of its strategic initiatives, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) on August 11 announced the selection of Laurence (Lon) G. O'Neil as president and chief executive officer.

O'Neil, who had been senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Kaiser Permanente, will take the helm on October 1, 2008, of the human resource management association representing more than 245,000 professionals in 130 countries.

SHRM's Board of Directors unanimously chose O'Neil after a rigorous, six-month national search that included a pool of more than 400 potential candidates. He has held executive-level human resources and corporate positions at profit and not-for-profit organizations, both in the United States and overseas.

From 2002 to 2007, O'Neil served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Kaiser Permanente, a $40 billion not-for-profit health organization with 158,000 employees. In this role, he developed and led a corporate-wide transformation of the human resources structure and services, creating business-focused HR centers of excellence. Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, he was a managing partner during 2000-02 at Heidrick & Struggles, one of the world's leading providers of executive search and leadership consulting services.

O'Neil earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from Villanova University and a master's degree in guidance and counseling from the University of New Mexico. He has been active in the HR Policy Institute and the HR Policy Association and has been a keynote speaker on HR issues as well as the organization and delivery of healthcare. In addition to his work in Asia, O'Neil spent the early years of his career in Tehran, Iran, as director of social services for the Tehran American School.

Until Oct. 1, SHRM Chief Operating Officer China Gorman will continue to serve as the acting president and CEO.

Visit www.shrm.org for further details.