Valerie Capers Workman

Valerie Capers Workman

Chief Human Resources Officer @ Empower Pharmacy

About

I am the C-suite executive who argues that people cost less than AI and that AI-powered employees add more value when the right CHRO does the math. My position rests on the superiority of human capability: emotional intelligence, domain expertise, critical thinking, critical reasoning, and contextual judgment that AI cannot replicate. In every decision AI informs, humans must be more than the Human in the Loop. Humans must be the Last Mile. I currently serve as Chief Human Resources Officer of Empower Pharmacy, the No. 1 compounding pharmacy in the U.S., where I am architecting one of healthcare's first fully AI-integrated HR ecosystems. AI accelerates human capability. Humans render judgment. Operating Experience At Tesla, I was the VP and Head of HR as I served on the three-person Management Committee with the CFO and General Counsel. I helped scale the company from 50,000 to over 100,000 employees. I led global compliance across FCPA, OFAC, AML, and international payments regulations, delivered Audit Committee reporting, and partnered with the Compensation Committee on executive governance. At Handshake, I served as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Talent Engagement Officer, founding the legal function and advising Fortune 500 C-Leaders and Federal Government executives on their early career strategies with a focus on AI-Fluent talent. Board and Credentials I serve on the Board of Trustees of Huston-Tillotson University. I am a licensed attorney in New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C. I am the bestselling author of Quantum Progression: The Art and Science of Career Advancement in the Age of AI: Quantum Leap Edition. Media Platform My commentary on AI and workforce strategy has appeared in Fortune (April 22 and May 1, 2026) and Fast Company (May 11, 2026), with international syndication through Apple News, Yahoo Finance, AOL, and MSN. I publish the Relentless AI LinkedIn Newsletter. My work has been picked up by Times of India and wenxuecity.com and via podcast appearances including Defining the Future for Cal State San Bernadino and Conscious Capitalism, Inc. and Hacking HR. Recognition 2026 HR TODAY Global Women Leader HR Excellence Award honoree, recognized among ninety global honorees. Speaking Represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA Speakers). Confirmed 2026 keynotes: HR Tech 2026 (Las Vegas, October 19), Future Talent Council Annual Summit (Stockholm), Prior Keynotes include CSUSB "Defining the Future" conference. Prior appearances include SXSW, Forbes Power Women's Summit, SHRM, Transform and UNLEASH World Paris.

Country

United States

City

Austin

Industry

Internet

Skill

Leadership

Experience

Empower Pharmacy

Chief Human Resources Officer

Empower Pharmacy

LinkedIn
2025-6 - Present · 1 yr 4 mos

Houston, TX

Leading the AI-powered transformation of the HR function for the country’s largest compound pharmacy. Building and scaling a high performing, AI-fluent workplace. Mission driven to provide quality, affordable, custom medications. Building & Scaling Organization: Curating and implementing the AI-powered, HR Tech Stack in a scalable framework that supports 1400+ employees across rapid expansion while maintaining cultural integrity and operational excellence. Selecting and leading the configuration and implementation of AI-forward tools for Performance Management, Employee Relations, Compensation, Learning & Development and HR Service Delivery. First in industry to build an HRAI team to ensure ROI of tech investments. Designing predictive analytics for workforce planning, AI-driven talent management, and automated HR operations while enhancing employee experience. Transforming Talent Strategy: Developing AI-fluency programs for 100% of workforce. Driving Operational Excellence: Selecting and implementing comprehensive HRIS ecosystem, establishing data-driven decision frameworks using predictive modeling, and creating real-time analytics dashboards enabling proactive workforce management. Culture & Brand Champion: Positioning Empower as healthcare Employer of Choice through strategic thought leadership, innovative employee experience initiatives, and conscious capitalism principles. Strategic C-Suite Partnership: Serving as trusted advisor to CEO and executive team, aligning people strategy with hypergrowth objectives while building high-performing HR team recognized for operational agility and innovation excellence.

Handshake

Chief Talent Engagement Officer

Handshake

LinkedIn
2024-2 - 2025-6 · 1 yr 5 mos

Global

I advise employer leadership (CHROs, Talent Executives and CMOs) globally on their Talent Acquisition strategies and provide thought leadership on #TheFutureOfWork leveraging my experience in growing a global, world-class organization from ~50K to ~100K employees and my expertise on the impact of generative AI on the workforce. I consult with executives who want to have conversations around leveraging the benefits of AI, addressing the related intergenerational challenges, managing the governance risks while ensuring equal access to opportunities for excellent talent as they design and implement their workforce plans. I also serve as a thought leader at the intersection of generative AI and workforce dynamics, helping organizations navigate the transformative effects of AI on talent acquisition, employee engagement, and operational efficiency. My insights are rooted in data-driven methodologies and a deep understanding of market trends, enabling companies to build agile, excellent and future-ready talent ecosystems rooted in the premise that excellent talent is everywhere but opportunities are not. Additionally, by combining my expertise in Marketing, Communications, Data Analytics and Talent Acquisition, I help organizations strengthen their employer brand and improve their ability to attract top talent. My experience in the Talent Brand function enables me to advise on the creation of authentic narratives that resonate with potential candidates, showcasing what makes each organization uniquely compelling to the top talent they seek to attract. •Media interviews include Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC MakeIt and Axios. Fireside Chat Interviewee Unleash HR Paris 2024 Panelist Future Talent Council Conference, Stockholm 2024 Panelist Forbes Power Women’s Summit 2024 Panelist for SXSW 2024 Conference Session Panelist at Forbes’ 2023 Future of Work Summit Panelist at Transform's 2023 Conference

Handshake

Chief Legal Officer

Handshake

LinkedIn
2022-2 - 2024-2 · 2 yrs 1 mo

San Francisco Bay Area

Head of the Legal, Global Support, and Global Trust & Safety teams: Handshake’s community includes over 17 million students and recent grads around the world from 1,500 educational institutions, including four-year colleges, community colleges, boot camps, and 300+ minority-serving institutions. The platform connects up-and-coming talent with 900K Employers including all of the Fortune 500. Founded and Led In-House Legal Team. Lead M&A activities including the 2022 acquisition of U.K. company. Creating and Implementing a Comprehensive Global Corporate Governance and Privacy Program. Led Employment Law for best-in-class employee relations and support of the HR team. Led Global Support (user service) and Trust & Safety (user protection) teams. Led Commercial Transactions Function.

Tesla

Vice President

Tesla

LinkedIn
2020-7 - 2022-1 · 1 yr 7 mos

San Francisco Bay Area

VP & Head of HR, Direct Report to the CEO. Orchestrated the expansion of the workforce from 50K to 100K employees (including high volume recruiting) as the company achieved record-breaking Revenue Generation, Vehicle Sales, and Vehicle Deliveries. Championed and led the execution of initiatives to increase hourly wages and increase salaries, ensured that stock ownership was included in all performance awards for all employees, expanded "day one" premium-level health insurance (including zero cost options) offerings for all employees, implemented programs and resources to support wellness including directing the mental health provider to expand the backgrounds and provide a wider range of options among their therapy providers to better meet the needs of all of the company's employees. [See Tesla reports in my “Publications”) Employee Experience: *Published Tesla’s First DEI Report •Created the Community Relations team and revamped the Supplier Diversity function. •Replaced the "Anti-Handbook, Handbook" with a comprehensive on-line Employee Guidebook •Led the creation and rollout of "Respectful Recharge" training, which was required for all employees and focused on the imperatives of treating each other with dignity and respect. Led an org of 700+ team members. HR, Recruiting, Employee Relations, HR Compliance, DEI, Talent Development, Learning, Community Relations, Employee Experience, Internal Content & Social Media, Immigration & Mobility, Compensation & Benefits, HR Operations, Physical Security, Workplace (Facilities Services). Partnered with business leaders to identify workforce needs, develop workforce plans, and execute talent acquisition and retention strategies. Served as one of three executives on the company's Management Committee, working with other senior leaders to drive cross-functional programs that supported sustainable growth. Worked closely with the Board's Compensation and Audit Committees on critical governance measures.

Tesla

North America HR (+EMEA & Asia Pacific Excluding China)

Tesla

LinkedIn
2019-12 - 2020-7 · 8 mos

San Francisco Bay Area

Direct Report to CEO. Led an org of 700+ team members. HR, Recruiting, Employee Relations, HR Compliance, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Talent Development, Learning, Community Relations, Employee Experience, Internal Content, People Operations, Immigration & Mobility, Compensation & Benefits, Workplace (Facilities) and Physical Security. Restructured the HR Leader functions to enable greater focus on business partnerships for operations leadership with an emphasis on treating employees as the ultimate "customers" of HR services and programs. Expanded the Employee Relations team to increase channels of communication for employees. Redesigned the Employee Experience team to provide web based engagement and satisfaction programs. Expanded free shuttle service routes to and from the Fremont Gigafactory to provide greater access to employment opportunities from neighboring communities. Member of COVID Response Task Force established in December 2019. Created innovative employee protection programs including, extended paid COVID sick-time off (before the legislation), extended paid quarantines (among the earliest, and of the longest duration in the U.S. labor market). Reported to the BoD Audit and Compensation Committees and served as a Management Committee Member. Created and led the Employee Experience and Content Teams that produced internal communications and social media content, including live events and videos.

Tesla

Associate General Counsel, Head of Global Compliance

Tesla

LinkedIn
2018-2 - 2019-12 · 1 yr 11 mos

San Francisco Bay Area

Designed, implemented and managed Tesla’s compliance program update including creation and leadership of the Corporate Compliance Group comprised of functional leaders; creation and management of the Compliance Risk Working Groups managing risks related to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and creation of the Global Investigations Working Group to foster co-ordination of investigations between leaders from HR, Internal Audit, Employee Relations, Information Security, Physical Security and Environmental Health & Safety. Led highly confidential internal investigations, ensuring outcomes that safeguarded business integrity and upheld Tesla’s ethical standards. Led the legal response to attempted breaches and insider threats as part of Tesla’s InfoSec Response Team instrumental in fortifying Tesla’s resilience against cybersecurity risks. Worked directly with InfoSec leadership to design and deliver education and prevention programs to enhance enterprise security. Worked to help ensure; company-wide compliance with national and international laws and regulations; adherence to Company policies and procedures, and the promotion of behavior that is ethical and consistent with the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. Emphasis on top compliance risks including FCPA/Anti-Bribery, OFAC,AML and Global Payments processing regulations including SEPA. Responsible for New Market Entry compliance program development including creation and oversight of the compliance program for the construction of the Shanghai and Berlin Gigafactories. Direct report to the General Counsel and deliver quarterly and ad hoc reports to the Audit Committee and External Auditor.

GoTo Foods

Vice President, Legal

GoTo Foods

LinkedIn
2015-8 - 2018-2 · 2 yrs 7 mos

Atlanta, Georgia

Corporate Counsel Licensing & International (2015 -2016) Franchisor and operator of over 5,000 establishments in the US and 60 foreign countries under the category leading brand names Carvel®, Cinnabon®, Schlotzsky’s®, Moe’s Southwest Grill®, Auntie Anne’s®, McAlister’s Deli®, and Seattle’s Best Coffee® Advise on legal matters and third-party risk issue management for global FOCUS Brands, subsidiaries, and affiliates. Manage, mitigate and address corporate compliance issues (FCPA, OFAC, FDA/USDA and Consumer Product Safety Commission) creating policies and designing training to help ensure implementation and continuous improvement of a comprehensive compliance program. Draft and negotiate commercial contracting with global brands including global manufacturing and supply chain agreements: Walmart ,General Mills, Pillsbury, Kroger’s, Nutella, Mondelez, Burger King, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. Draft and administer business-critical documentation, including food product manufacturing, vendor, supply chain, grocery / food service, and recall agreements. Execute and manage intellectual property protection initiatives focusing on trademarks and IP licensing including trademark and licensing agreements and infringement/enforcement actions. Executive member of the Corporate Compliance Committee. Conduct compliance risk assessments and design and implement risk mitigation programs and policies. Lead internal OFAC and FCPA investigations. Leader on the crisis management team that addresses global regulatory issues. Wrote, designed and published web and stand up training on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, OFAC. WOFE formations in Japan and China – Employment Contracts in APAC countries. M&A Due Diligence. Debt Securitization ($200M+) due diligence. Executive Member Benefits Administration Committee

Realogy

Vice President Franchise Compliance

Realogy

LinkedIn
2013-1 - 2015-8 · 2 yrs 8 mos

NORAM, EMEA, APAC, LATAM

Direct report to the Chief Financial Officer. Realogy is the leading franchisor of real estate brokerages in the world: Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Coldwell Banker Commercial, ERA Real Estate, and Sotheby’s International Realty. Realogy-affiliated brands have over 15,000 offices and approximately 294,000 independent sales associates doing business in 115 countries and territories around the world. Government/Regulatory Compliance: Wrote and provided training on screening process to ensure compliance with federal and global regulations; Global Watch List Screening, AML, Anti-Bribery, including OFAC and FCPA screening, training and investigations. Monitored pending and new regulations to ensure compliance with a wide range of applicable laws. Governance: Conducted a comprehensive compliance risk assessment interviewing executive leadership and front line employees from Legal, Contract Admin, Audit, Financial Services, IT, Human Resources and Brand Operations. Contract Compliance: Oversaw the drafting, execution and delivery of non-compliance and termination notifications for over 5,000 domestic and global franchise agreements (trademark protection and identity standards compliance, licensing compliance, system standards compliance, insurance compliance, etc). Compliance Communications: Wrote, produced and launched a customized, e-learning (LMS), mandatory compliance training program for company employees designed to promote ethical behavior, enable employees to identify franchisee non-compliance issues and faciliate processes to assist franchisees with their compliance efforts. Created and Chaired the Franchise Compliance Council comprised of executive leadership from all departments to discuss risk franchisee non-compliance issues and gathered feedback on proposed business process improvements. Real Estate Risk Management: Global property and casualty insurance compliance - 5,000 locations.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Vice President Compliance & Government Relations

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

LinkedIn
2006-6 - 2012-12 · 6 yrs 7 mos

World's largest hotel franchisor with 7,000 hotels (Over 15 Global Brands)

Direct Report to the Chief Financial Officer then to the General Counsel. Promoted through multiple roles due to exemplary performance and leadership. Mentored and led Legal Admin team members in US, UK, and Hong Kong. Administered $3.2M annual departmental operating budget and team of 32 full-time employees. Supported general counsel in public company governance regulatory requirements. Wrote and presented monthly and ad hoc legislative updates to C-Levels. Performed oversight of contract compliance for 7,000+ domestic and global hotel franchise agreements and related contracts; Hardware/Software IT, IP/Trademark, and led the transition from FIS to Oracle. Founded and built the company’s compliance program. Responsible for public company governance managing global compliance processes to help ensure adherence to global, federal and state laws and company policies: FCPA, OFAC, S-OX, Privacy, FCRA, FDD process, including designing and management of compliance screening, training and investigations. Policy drafting, publication and training included Code of Conduct and Document Retention. Established training, mitigation and monitoring programs and procedures with key departments including, HR, Internal Audit, Finance, Accounting and Legal. Administered screening of 200,000 business contacts while concurrently facilitating training on screening process for compliance with the Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Global Watch List regulations, FCPA and UK Anti-Bribery. Led the Property & Casualty Insurance Administration Team. Privacy training including quarterly document and information management training for global Records Custodians. Training on the Document Management Program. Member of Wyndham Worldwide Government Relations Executive Committee. Selected to prestigious Wharton CEO Series Leadership Program Wyndham Worldwide Supplier Diversity Excellence Award. "Women on Their Way" and "Spectrum" Executive Sponsor

KPMG US

National Manager HR Policies & Procedures

KPMG US

LinkedIn
2001-5 - 2006-6 · 5 yrs 2 mos

National Manager, HR Policies & Procedures, 2004 – 2006 Associate Director, Marketing, 2002 – 2004 Manager, Marketing, 2001 – 2002 Promoted into HR firm-wide administration role serving as policy consultant and trainer to KPMG’s field HR Directors and Managers nationwide. Coached and led HR team members on employment law compliance best practices. Wrote and published firm-wide HR policies and procedures related to wide range of employee activities, including wage and hour policies, hiring, disciplinary actions, sexual harassment, leave policies, Health Benefits Administration and the code of ethics. (Marketing) Developed and deployed national business development programs for Audit & Advisory (and Financial) services including S-OX 404. 50,000 + Employees

Education

St. John's University School of Law

St. John's University School of Law

LinkedIn

Law

Syracuse University

Syracuse University

LinkedIn

Communications (Television, Radio, Film)

NEWHOUSE: Broadcast Television, Cable TV, Radio and Film

Syracuse University

Syracuse University

LinkedIn

Valerie Capers Workman's Contact Information

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