Polycom Inc., a San Jose, California, manufacturer of video conferencing technology, has hired a former Nokia executive to drive its human resources operations.
As chief human resources officer, Billie Hartless will apply her quarter-century of experience with the cellphone maker in her new role. She is replacing outgoing HR chief Laura Owen.
“I’m thrilled to have Billie join our executive team to lead our global HR function,”
Polycomm CEO Mary McDowell said. “She has a strong track record of leading diverse teams, organizational change, cultural transformation and defining effective strategies to realize business results.”
The company’s record of hiring women in leadership roles bests the tech industry norm by more than a third, 27 percent vs. 19 percent. The findings were reported in the 2016 Women in the Workplace survey from Lenin.org.
Hartless lauds her new opportunity with Polycom, a firm she says allows “the human element to come through” technology.
“I am excited about joining Polycom because their brand promise of ‘defying distance’ resonates with me after spending so much time on airplanes and in airports throughout my career,” she said.
