Human Resources (HR) is a multifaceted field that involves a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from talent acquisition to employee development, all in alignment with an organization’s ever-evolving needs and business objectives. However, the HR landscape is far from straightforward. It is characterized by the intricacies of a challenging labor market, disruptions caused by global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in social and political movements, and the increasing complexity of employment laws and business regulations. To compound these challenges, there has been a surge in employee disengagement, reaching record levels. In such an environment, HR professionals find themselves in the role of guiding organizations through turbulent times while simultaneously elevating employee contributions.
Meeting the demands of these challenges requires HR professionals to exhibit resilience and innovation, applying transformative concepts to their work. Not everyone possesses the skills needed for this demanding task, but there are exceptional individuals who have not only risen to the occasion but have excelled. Among these outstanding HR leaders are Adrianne Court Petruska and Rhonda Nichols.
Adrianne, Chief HR Officer at Tealium, and Rhonda, Vice President of Human Resources at Tealium, have each honed their expertise in organizational transformation and change over their combined six decades of experience. Their careers are marked by a dedication to introducing progressive and innovative HR practices in both publicly traded and PE-backed companies.
Adrianne and Rhonda consistently exhibit the ability to adapt and drive significant change within their organizations, illustrating the transformative potential of innovative and resilient HR professionals. They serve as outstanding examples of HR leaders who not only navigate today’s challenges but also actively shape the future of the HR field.
Shaping HR Excellence and Breaking Records
Adrianne and Rhonda have each established themselves as HR professionals with remarkable achievements and a wealth of accolades. Their collective expertise in HR has earned them titles such as Culture Champions, Talent Management Strategists, and L&D Trailblazers. They are recognized for their individual accomplishments and their dynamic partnership, having co-authored two books.
In addition to their impressive careers, Adrianne and Rhonda have achieved something truly remarkable by being part of setting two Guinness World Records, a testament to their innovative and pioneering approach to HR, although the fascinating stories behind these records remain to be shared on another occasion.
Adrianne’s entry into the world of HR was somewhat serendipitous, occurring a few years after she completed her college education at Scripps College. She initially embarked on her HR journey as a recruiter for a staffing agency, where she honed her skills and discovered her passion for the field of HR.
On the other hand, Rhonda’s HR career was a deliberate and well-planned path. Armed with a master’s degree in Industrial Technology, specializing in HR and Training, from the esteemed Purdue University, she entered the HR domain with a clear intention and a strong foundation in the field.
The Dynamic Duo
Adrianne and Rhonda first crossed paths in 2006 during their tenure at Nortel Networks. At the time, Rhonda had already established herself as a highly regarded HR Business Partner with several years of experience at Nortel. Meanwhile, Adrianne joined Nortel as a Vice President of HR, entrusted with overseeing HR operations for a significant division. Little did they know that this initial encounter would mark the inception of a professional relationship that would endure over the years, spanning several different companies.
Throughout their careers, which followed distinct trajectories, opportunities for collaboration seemed to manifest effortlessly. Beyond their shared experience at Nortel, they found themselves working together at various companies, including Caliber Home Loans, Alkami (ALKT), and, most recently, Tealium. Tealium, a Consumer Data Platform, operates with team members dispersed across over 40 U.S. states and nearly 20 countries, providing yet another platform for their collaboration.
Although they are a dynamic duo, each possesses unique professional expertise that complements the other. Rhonda has obtained her ICF coaching certification due to her exceptional talent for guiding individuals through employee relations challenges. She also deeply understands foundational HR Business Partner practices, including organizational structure, position leveling, and talent management strategies.
Adrianne has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading CHROs, garnering recognition within her specific industries and among the HR community. She is a frequent speaker, sharing her valuable insights on the profound influence of corporate culture within a company’s competitive differentiation. Additionally, Adrianne plays an active role on multiple advisory and nonprofit boards, highlighting her ability to translate strategy into action effectively.
Together, Adrianne and Rhonda have made their mark in HR and reshaped the landscape of talent management, learning and development, and organizational culture. Their unwavering dedication to the profession inspires and guides the next generation of HR professionals.
Revolutionizing Customer Data Through Innovation and Trust
Tealium is renowned as the most trusted Customer Data Platform (CDP), connecting customer data across web, mobile, offline, and IoT so businesses can better connect with their customers. Tealium’s turnkey integration ecosystem supports more than 1,300 built-in connections, empowering brands to create a complete and real-time customer data infrastructure.
Tealium’s solutions include a customer data platform with machine learning, tag management, an API hub, and data management solutions that make customer data more valuable, actionable, privacy-compliant, and secure. More than 1,000 leading businesses throughout the world trust Tealium to power their customer data strategies.
Tealium has truly earned a remarkable reputation for its innovation, adaptability, and customer-centric approach. This is underscored by the extensive list of awards they have received, ranging from Stevie awards for outstanding customer service to Proddy awards for top products.
Moreover, Tealium’s commitment to data privacy is evident in their actions. They offer a comprehensive range of tools, product features, and services dedicated to safeguarding customer privacy and prioritizing a secure data foundation. Their dedication to data protection is further confirmed by their numerous certifications, including ISO 27701, SOC 2, and HIPAA, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to maintaining high data security and privacy standards.
Transforming Organizational Culture and HR Strategy
Adrianne’s area of expertise centers around the transformation of organizational culture from chaos to clarity. She specializes in creating competitive differentiation by promoting innovative thinking, purposeful action, and meaningful connections within companies. She is co-authoring a book on this topic and another guide focused on addressing loneliness for individuals, practitioners, and managers. Adrianne is also deeply involved in shaping executable HR strategies that form the cornerstone of a company’s success. Her passion extends to leadership and management development.
Together, they have helped organizations achieve significant outcomes and have garnered recognition as Best Companies to Work For, Best Workplace Cultures, Best Places for Leadership Development, and more. Their contributions have been instrumental in helping to build Tealium’s “best employer” brand as well. Through their collective leadership, they, along with all of the Tealium HR team, received the 2023 HR Team of the Year during an awards ceremony hosted in Dallas, Texas, earlier this year. Their innovative approaches in recruiting, DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging), training strategies, talent management programs, analytics reporting mechanisms, technology investments, and groundbreaking concepts in culture and employee engagement were specifically acknowledged as part of this recognition. In the words of Tealium’s Chief Financial Officer, Doug Lindroth, “This achievement is all the more noteworthy, considering that the HR Team’s contributions are achieved while navigating the complexity of compliance and regulations and the increasing need to be evermore efficient with Tealium’s customers and operations spread across 30 countries.”
Trailblazing HR Leadership
Adrianne and Rhonda have emerged as paragons of HR leadership, reshaping the industry and serving as a wellspring of inspiration for others. Their remarkable talents, innate instincts, boundless compassion, and unwavering track record of achievements have left an indelible mark. Together, their journey has continually pushed the boundaries of HR excellence, offering valuable insights and strategies for organizations seeking to flourish in a constantly evolving landscape.
As attested by Mike Hansen, the retired CEO and Board member of Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT), “Their positive impact on the organizations they have been a part of and the HR industry as a whole is remarkable. They were a compass and rudder for us at Alkami in successfully charting the course and navigating the ever-changing business landscape from an HR perspective. I can attest to the transformative power of their partnership.” Their partnership has indeed been transformative, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of HR leadership.
Career Highlights
Adrianne Court
Adrianne Court Petruska brings over 25 years of HR and executive leadership experience, having worked with public and PE-backed organizations spanning employee sizes from 500 to 50,000. Currently serving as the Chief HR Officer at Tealium, her career has been marked by her role in crafting, defining, and nurturing successful and distinct corporate cultures and employer brands. Her contributions have earned the organizations she has been a part of recognitions, including “Best Places to Work,” “Best Places for Leadership,” and “Best Workplace Cultures.”
Adrianne actively contributes to various professional and nonprofit boards and is a sought-after speaker and discussion leader. Her expertise focuses on HR trends and best practices, with a particular emphasis on culture as a competitive differentiator. She is co-authoring two books—one exploring the transformational impact of corporate culture and the other serving as a practical guide to combat loneliness for individuals, managers, and practitioners.
Adrianne’s expertise spans a wide spectrum of HR domains, encompassing Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards Programs, Education and Training, Employee Engagement, Diversity and Inclusion, HRIS, M&A, Talent Management Strategies, Strategic Planning, Governance/Compliance, and more. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Scripps College, a Master of Arts from Southern Methodist University, and has pursued Ph.D. studies in Leadership at Dallas Baptist University.
Rhonda Nichols
Rhonda Nichols serves as the Vice President of Human Resources at Tealium, bringing a wealth of experience as a seasoned HR leader known for aligning people strategies with business objectives. Over the course of her impressive two-decade career, Rhonda has distinguished herself as a creative problem solver, driving organizational effectiveness, fostering leadership alignment, and championing proactive change management.
One of Rhonda’s notable strengths lies in her ability to cultivate trusted partnerships across all employee levels within complex, global business environments—a reputation that speaks to her exceptional relationship-building skills.
Rhonda’s expertise spans a wide spectrum of HR domains, encompassing Organizational Design and Effectiveness, Team Building, Executive and Manager Coaching, Talent Management, Leadership and Manager Development in Dispersed Work Environments, Change Management, Merger and Acquisition Due Diligence and Integration, among others.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Rhonda is a co-author of two best-selling books, “Bravely She Flies” and “Bravely She Flies, Too.” Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Industrial Technology from Purdue University, with a focus on HR and Training. She is also a certified professional coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
