Steve Fry on Guiding Transformation from the CHRO Seat

In a probing interview with Ani Huang, former Eli Lilly CHRO Steve Fry opens up about his remarkable 36-year career—and what it meant to serve for 12 of those years as Lilly’s top HR leader during a time of deep transformation. 

Steve reflects not only on the business and organizational shifts he helped navigate but how those experiences shape his current work, helping new CHROs through the HR Policy Association’s CHRO Collaboration Cohort. 

Steve doesn’t hold back. He shares hard-won lessons on:

• The CHRO’s critical role in business strategy and transformation.

• What to watch for—and avoid—when driving large-scale change.

• Why culture and communication are non-negotiable, and more...

The bottom line: You're either in the midst of leading transformation today or soon will be, making Steve’s reflections both practical and inspiring. 

As he puts it: “There wasn’t one major change initiative at Lilly where HR wasn’t in the center of it. Not always leading, but always at the table.”

👉 Watch or listen to the full interview here and get insights from one of the profession’s most respected voices.