Greenwood /Asher & Associates Seeks CHRO for Clemson University

According to the search firm, the role has the scale, scope and accountability of a chief HR executive found at a Fortune 500 company. The incoming leader will spearhead an HR organization that includes 10 direct reports who manage an additional 54 personnel providing operational support of the university’s talent acquisition, compensation & benefits, learning and performance, employee relations, HR information technology, customer service, data center, records management, and international employment. Let’s go inside the search.

March 31, 2021 – Miramar Beach, FL-based executive recruitment firm Greenwood /Asher & Associates has been enlisted to find an associate vice president/ chief human resources officer for Clemson University in South Carolina. Clemson is seeking a dynamic leader on the cutting-edge of human resources strategy development and deployment, said Greenwood /Asher & Associates. The new CHRO will report to the university’s executive vice president for finance and operations. The individual will be expected to help implement the school’s strategic plan, ClemsonForward, to improve the university’s ability to attract, retain, reward, and develop its people.

“This position has the opportunity to provide actionable strategy as a member of the university’s executive team—with a scale, scope and accountability similar to AVP/CHROs at Fortune 500 organizations,” said the search firm. “The ideal, results-driven candidate will lead a highly-successful HR organization that includes 10 directors/direct reports who manage an additional 54 personnel providing operational support of the university’s talent acquisition, classification and compensation, benefits, learning and performance, employee relations, HR information technology, customer service, data center, records management, and international employment.”

Clemson University’s new CHRO will be charged with leading the school’s HR organization to provide high-level customer service through credible, accurate, reliable, and consistent delivery of the university’s suite of HR services. “The successful candidate will propel Clemson towards accelerated growth and achievement in research, innovative teaching approaches, diversity, and inclusive excellence, all while improving the quality of the workplace for the university’s diverse faculty and staff,” said Greenwood /Asher & Associates.

Key Requirements

The successful candidate must have excellent business acumen and possess superior skills with respect to collaboration, problem-solving and communications, said the search firm. A bachelor’s degree and experience in a senior leadership position encompassing all or a significant portion of an HR organization is minimally required. An advanced degree is preferred.

Candidates are required to have a track record of success leading an HR organization from the development of strategy through the implementation of enterprise-wide solutions and services. They must also have experience leading organizations in positive, new directions and developing a culture of service. Significant experience with all facets of human resources management to include the deployment of an enterprise-wide compensation strategy is essential.

The search firm said that prospects are also expected to have strong foundational knowledge of talent management and the deployment of strategic recruiting and retention programming; an extensive track record of forming highly effective internal and external relationships and collaborations; a track record of leading efficiency/process improvements, which result in heightened customer satisfaction; experience optimizing the functionality of existing HR systems (PeopleSoft, Kronos, Interfolio, etc.); and working knowledge of the culture, structure, change management and decision-making processes of higher education.


A CHRO View on Building Great Teams, From Inside and Out
Managing a large workforce at any company is no easy task. But when that workforce is 32,000 strong, it requires the steady hand of a top human resource leader who will keep everyone motivated, engaged, intact and forward thinking. And that’s across 160 countries encompassing every cultural nuance imaginable.


Clemson University, one of the country’s most selective public research universities, serves a uniquely driven and highly accomplished student body. Ranked as the 24th best national public university by U.S. News & World Report, Clemson is a science- and engineering-oriented college dedicated to teaching, research and service. Founded in 1889, the university is committed both to world-class research and a high quality of life. Clemson has 20,868 undergraduate and 5,538 graduate students. The university offers more than 80 majors and upwards of 90 minors. Its student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1.

A Women-Owned Search Firm

Greenwood / Asher & Associates is a women-owned executive search firm with a diverse consulting team and extensive experience in executive search, consulting and training for education markets including elementary, secondary, higher education, university systems, campuses and non-profit organizations including associations, service, and cultural institutions. The firm, led by founders and partners Jan Greenwood and Betty Turner Asher, was acquired in November by Kelly Education, a global leader in workforce management solutions offering staffing services to top companies.

Dr. Greenwood is a pioneer in U.S. higher education, as the first woman president of a public four-year and graduate institution in Virginia and as among the first to hold multiple presidencies for both public and private institutions. The library at one of these institutions is named in her honor. She was one of the earliest executive recruiters focused on education and non-profit organizations. Dr. Greenwood is a licensed psychologist with experience as a psychometrist and with post-doctoral training in group methods. She brings these skillsets to her work with clients, candidates, and search committees.

Ms. Asher was one of the first women to serve as president of a flagship institution. She brings to executive search, consulting and training a unique background of leadership service at all levels of higher education institutions and systems, in academics and student affairs and in public and private institutions. She has been a leader in executive search, consulting, and training for the past two decades. Ms. Asher has led more than 500 searches, most at the president/CEO level.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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