Herbert Mines Assists Invited in Finding New CHRO
August 19, 2022 – Chief human resources officers have become critical stakeholders in defining the strategy of a company. Their job description calls for them to tackle the HR challenges and evolving expectations of a dynamic workplace environment that will consist of constant change, calculated risk-taking, and evolving expectations from top stakeholders. Those well-equipped to achieve the greatest success will have diverse skill-sets, be adaptable and agile, and gain hands-on learning from working through real life situations and acquiring knowledge across disciplines and industries. New York-based retail and consumer focused executive search firm Herbert Mines Associates recently assisted in the recruitment of Sherry Vidal-Brown as the new CHRO of Invited, an owner-operator of private golf and country clubs, city, and stadium clubs.
“Sherry recognizes that our people are the key to cultivating a culture of service and respect while we continue to lead the industry not only in operations but also in all aspects of the employee experience,” said David Pillsbury, CEO of Invited. “Her experience working across sectors and deep understanding of how to connect business strategy to people strategy are invaluable as we continue to drive growth across all lines of the business.”
“Sherry’s hospitality experience and proven track record will make her a fantastic addition to our team,” said Bob Morse, president and COO. “Exceeding our members’ expectations is all about creating winning teams at every club that deliver every day, and with Sherry’s leadership, we have the opportunity to raise the bar even higher.”
Ms. Vidal-Brown brings more than 30 years of human resources experience. She comes to Invited from Caliber Collision, where she served as chief people and communication officer. Before that, Ms. Vidal-Brown spent 12 years at G6 Hospitality/Motel 6/Studio 6. She played a critical role in aligning the customer experience strategy with the talent strategy to drive improved guest loyalty and strengthen employee retention and the culture as a whole. Ms. Vidal-Brown holds a doctorate in psychology from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Houston.
In her new position, Ms. Vidal-Brown will lead talent strategies to attract, retain, and develop talent and further strengthen the company’s inclusive and collaborative culture. She will oversee all aspects of the company’s human resources function, including talent acquisition, training and development, total rewards, and internal communications. Additionally, Ms. Vidal-Brown will play a critical role in continuing to advance the company’s focus on promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“I’m excited to work alongside the teammates of Invited and further unlock the power of our people,” said Ms. Vidal-Brown. “Hospitality is about connecting people, and the opportunity to further elevate and improve all aspects of our people strategies is energizing. Building relationships and enriching lives are a wonderful why, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to help the company further its mission and continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our members and fulfilling and rewarding careers for our employees.”
Related: Herbert Mines Recruits First Chief People Officer for Orvis
Dallas-based Invited describes its central purpose as that of building relationships. Invited says it looks to provide extraordinary experiences, meaningful connections, shared passions, and memorable moments for its more than 400,000 members. With about 20,000 peak-season employees, the company has a portfolio of 200 owned or operated golf and country clubs, city clubs, sports clubs, stadium clubs in 29 states, and seven BigShots Golf locations. Invited was founded in 1957.
Veteran Recruiters
Established in 1978, Herbert Mines is a specialist search firm focusing on the retail, fashion and apparel, beauty, consumer products and services, hospitality, leisure, restaurant, and digital/technology industries. The firm is noted for its C-suite recruiting work.
Finding HR Leaders and Diversity Chiefs Remains Hot Spot for Executive Recruiters
More and more, chief executive officers have recognized the strategic role that the human resources function plays in the core strategic issues their companies face, including growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, increased board oversight, and evolving governance and reporting. HR can also ensure that clear changes are made to recruitment and capability-building processes by determining the characteristics of a “purpose driven” employee and embedding these attributes within recruitment, development, and succession planning.
“In my 30-plus years of working with HR executives, this has been one of the most critical times I have seen for a company to have a highly capable HR function with strong leadership,” said Alan Berger, vice president, human resources search at StevenDouglas. “Setting and implementing a strategy of how to make sure the workforce stays engaged and highly productive in an onsite, hybrid or remote setting, with the headwinds of a labor shortage and unprecedented resignations, is incredibly challenging. In the end, the work has to get done and deciding on how that can be accomplished and under ever changing COVID rules and mandates falls squarely on HR leadership’s plate.”
Brenda Malloy is the president of Herbert Mines. She brings over 40 years of experience to the firm. During her career, she has authored numerous articles on retail CEO succession, omnichannel leadership, in addition to being a featured speaker at the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York City. Working with leading retailers at the senior-most levels to assemble winning leadership teams, Ms. Malloy primarily recruits board directors, CEOs, and their direct reports for publicly traded, privately held, and private equity backed companies spanning vertical specialty, lifestyle and branded retail, off-price/value, grocery, hardlines, mass, and the specialty department store sectors.
Related: Herbert Mines Fills Board Positions for The Container Store
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
