Sharifah Masten
Sharifah Masten, CMM, is a transformational human resources executive, speaker, and workforce strategist known for her people-centered approach to leadership. As Chief Human Resources Officer at Barbaricum and a member of the Forbes Human Resources Council, she partners with executive leaders, boards, and founders to align business strategy with human capital priorities. Her work spans corporate, nonprofit, and federal contracting environments, where she focuses on building resilient, high-performing organizations by integrating workforce strategy, culture, and leadership development.
With a career rooted in both strategic rigor and human insight, Sharifah brings a unique perspective shaped by an unconventional professional journey. She began her career in the U.S. Army band, where her ability to connect across cultures led to high-impact assignments supporting senior military and government leaders, including work with the White House and NATO. This foundation in communication and cultural understanding evolved into a leadership path in HR, where she has led enterprise-wide functions including talent acquisition, total rewards, compliance, security, and organizational transformation. In addition to her executive role, she is the Principal of her consulting practice, where she advises organizations on modernizing people strategies while maintaining alignment with mission and values.
Sharifah is also a passionate advocate for purpose-led leadership and workforce development. She is the founder of a nonprofit initiative focused on creating pathways to sustainable employment and livable wages, reflecting her belief that impacting individuals creates ripple effects across families and communities. As an author and thought leader, she explores leadership through works such as The Fire Within and The Symphony of Leadership, emphasizing growth through challenge and change. Across all her work, she remains committed to developing leaders, fostering inclusive cultures, and shaping a future of work that is human-centered, values-driven, and built on trust.
• Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM)
• CHRO Program at Wharton
• University of the Arts
• Wharton Executive Education
• Top 100 Global HR Professionals (OnCon)
• Recognition from Southeastern Chamber of Commerce
• Awards from government and military organizations
• Forbes Human Resource Council
• SHRM
• CEO Circle for Southeastern Chamber of Commerce
• Founder of Mission to Change (nonprofit for workforce development focused on veterans)
• Board member of STEM For Us
• Donations to veterans organizations
What do you attribute your success to?
I contribute my success to many of those I consider mentors, but even going back as far as my small, close-knit family between my mother, brother, and sister. They cheered me on and pushed me to be better. They saw something in me when I doubted, and they always said I was going to do great things. They were always behind me with that support, so I was very lucky there. Earlier in my life, it was more men than women as mentors because as women years ago, we were pitted against each other more, competing to get somewhere, and there weren't as many women leaders. Those roles were few and far between when I was younger. I go back to being in school with the band directors, the general in the military who made a call and asked if I would do something and I said absolutely, ambassadors I worked with, people who took me along because of what they've seen me do.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best things I was told, especially when talking to other women or women going into leadership, is when you speak, make sure you have something to say. Don't just talk to talk. Taking that time to think before you speak really does help a lot of ways. I know a lot of people learn to always say something, but I'm glad I had that advice because now I feel that if I do speak, people listen more. If I speak up, they're like, oh wait a minute, Sharifa has something to say, and they'll actually listen more versus having it go in one ear and out the other.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One is do something that you are passionate about, that you enjoy. But don't be afraid to do something that might not exactly be what you want. Sometimes we have to start somewhere, and you have to be willing to do things you don't want to do to get where you want to go sometimes. It's going to help you become a stronger person, a stronger leader, manager, and you're going to learn so much. So don't be afraid to do something that you're uncomfortable with.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the challenges I find in HR is there's a lot of people in HR who just do HR because they need a job and that's what they do, not really understanding the aspect that if we're going to be in HR, you really need to know and understand people. You need to connect with them on a human level. It's about emotional intelligence and knowing how to connect with them, because not everybody you hire is going to show up on the first day of training. We have to get away from HR being scary. It's not just about compliance. One of the things that people fail to realize with HR is that you're there for the company, but you're also there as advocates for the people. Sometimes employees think HR is just compliance-focused, but we need to be advocates for both the company and its people.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I believe transparency and having that open and honest communication, both in work and personal life, is very important to me. The value of pausing and taking time for yourself is important. Trust is important to me. We as women all need to start trusting ourselves more and give ourselves some grace.