Center’s Ani Huang Talks “Role of CHRO” With Cheesecake Factory HR Head Dina Barmasse-Gray

What Happened: Center CEO Ani Huang and Dina Barmasse-Gray, Chief People Officer at The Cheesecake Factory and long-time Center member, discussed what it takes to be a modern CHRO in a recent Equilar webinar.

Why it matters: The discussion emphasized the transformative role of CHROs in shaping organizational success given changing perceptions of the company’s role in solving societal problems.

Listen in to hear insights on:

• Corporate Culture: Dina shared her perspective on culture in corporate America, defining and outlining characteristics of a good corporate culture. “For me, and for a lot of CHROs, culture is one of the items I’m most focused on.”
  
  
• Communications: How the CHRO role has changed with regard to corporate communications, employee use of social media, and more.
  
  
• Talent Challenges: Strategies for HR leaders to address talent gaps, along with challenges in recruiting and retaining top talent.
  
  
• Employee Well-being: Focus on mental health post-2020 pandemic, including innovations around physical, emotional and financial well-being.

Show Me the Money: Equilar also presented findings from the 2023 HR Executive Pay Trends Report, noting that median CHRO pay increased 5.1% in 2023, from $2.1 to $2.3 million. Communication services saw a 26% jump and the highest pay overall. Interestingly, women now hold 66% of Equilar 500 HR executive roles.