Rana Lepson, PHR

Ronna credits her success to honesty, empathy, resilience, adaptability, strong communication, and the ability to maintain professionalism in fast-paced, emotionally complex environments. She also attributes her growth to mentorship and her commitment to continuous learning. Ronna is the Director of People Operations at Perform CB, a role she began in April. Her career spans several industries including healthcare, property management, and pharmaceutical advertising, where she has built a strong reputation in employee relations, compliance oversight, HR leadership, and diversity strategy. She currently oversees HR operations in 27 states and globally, managing two team members including a VP of Talent Acquisition. Ronna has been in HR for 30 years, originally beginning her career on an accounting track until her mentor John Smallhorn recognized her strengths in people-focused work and encouraged her to transition into human resources, a moment that shaped her entire career. She specializes in human resources leadership with deep expertise in people operations, employee relations, learning and development, compliance, and multi-state HR management. Ronna is especially proud of leading a major diversity hiring initiative at her previous company, growing the workforce from 80 to 402 employees across 32 states while exceeding Omnicom’s national diversity benchmarks, an achievement that stands as a defining highlight in her HR career.

The best career advice Ronna ever received came from her most influential mentor, John Smallhorn, who recognized her natural ability to work with people and encouraged her to leave accounting and pursue a career in human resources. That pivotal guidance set the foundation for her entire professional path. She also credits several supervisors throughout her career who pushed her toward leadership opportunities and taught her the importance of patience, active listening, and leading with intention principles that continue to shape her work today.

Ronna advises young women entering the HR field to stay adaptable, as every day brings new challenges and opportunities to learn. She encourages them to develop resilience and confidence, knowing that navigating personalities, conflict, and complex workplace dynamics is part of the profession. She stresses the importance of leading with empathy while remaining firm, fair, and professional. Ronna also urges newcomers to ask questions, stay curious, and build strong relationships with mentors who can guide their growth. Above all, she emphasizes protecting one’s integrity, as reputation is one of the most valuable assets in a long and successful HR career.

Ronna believes one of the biggest challenges in HR today is the growing overreliance on AI in hiring, as technology often lacks the nuance needed to fully understand candidates and can unintentionally reinforce inaccurate or biased recommendations. At the same time, she sees a significant opportunity for HR professionals who remain committed to preserving the human elements of the field. Sound judgment, empathy, and emotional intelligence are qualities that technology cannot replicate, and Ronna views these strengths as the foundation of effective leadership and truly equitable decision-making in the modern workforce.

Ronna values integrity, compassion, accountability, trust, transparency, and fairness in both her work and personal life. She believes in treating every employee with respect, even in challenging situations, and takes pride in being a steady, dependable presence for her teams. Outside of her career, Ronna enjoys baking, traveling, and running marathons with her husband, including completing the Dopey Challenge at Disney. She lives on a remote island in Florida, where she appreciates the peacefulness, natural beauty, and slower pace of life.