Business publication Human Resource Executive recently honored Lincoln Financial Group’s executive vice president and chief HR, brand and enterprise communications officer Lisa Buckingham as it 2017 HR Executive of the Year.

Focusing on diversity, inclusion, talent acquisition and career structuring, Buckingham led the development and execution of many HR programs for her company. Additionally, she handled its digital transition for customers.

Buckingham shared the spotlight with three HR Honor Roll recipients: Kraft Foods’ Karen May; Ultimate Software’s Vivian Maza; and Haskell Co. Executive Vice President and Chief HR Officer David Thaeler.

May orchestrated Kraft’s spinoff of the The Kraft Heinz Co. in 2012, organizing the resulting workforce and helping to fill major posts.

Maza, Ultimate’s chief people officer, created a mixture of employee benefits and incentives, contributing to her company’s success, recognized for six consecutive years among Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For status.

Thaeler helped Haskell Co. through numerous acquisitions, striving to keep employees informed through enhanced internal communications; focusing on transparency, and upgrading Haskell’s development and leadership training.

"The HR Executive of the Year award recognizes human resource leaders who have made outstanding contributions to their organizations and who exemplify the increasingly strategic role of HR in business today," Human Resource Executive editor and co-publisher David Shadovitz said.