- In a world where so much is changing globally, how can we identify and respond to the evolving needs of our workplace?
- Prioritizing the employee experience and wellbeing through noticeable focus on purpose and the role of work in the lives of employees
- Contemplating the extent of culture through emotional, mental and financial wellness and how that contributes to a sense of belonging and safety for all employees
- Exploring new ways of working and offering specific examples to create opportunities for employees’ growth and development that advances that also advances business
- Creating a robust strategy and model rooted in best practices, innovation, and data
Joan McGrail
Chief Human Resources Officer
New Balance Athletics, Inc.
Joan McGrail is a proven Human Resources executive with extensive experience in all facets of the department. She assumed her current role, Chief Human Resource Officer for New Balance Athletics, Inc., in May of 2020 and currently oversees all global HR operations for the company’s more than 9,000 worldwide employees.
Joan is responsible for leading her team’s strategic HR planning and execution, with particular focus on diversity and inclusion; organizational effectiveness; talent development; culture enrichment, and HR operation data and analytics. She promotes agility and innovation, striving to unlock new ways of working that will transform the organization. Additionally, she is a member of New Balance’s senior leadership team, which is responsible for the creation and implementation of a corporate strategy for more than $5 billion business.
Before accepting her current role, Joan served as the Vice President of Global Human Resources for New Balance beginning in 2014, earning the title after nearly a decade of driving change as an integral member of the NB HR Leadership Team. Prior to New Balance, she held human resources roles at Helix Technology, Fidelity Investments, and Hitachi Data Systems. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Lesley University in Cambridge.
Joan is a member of Boston’s CHRO Governing Body; a Women Unlimited graduate and member of the organization’s alumni group; executive council member of The Partnership and a member of The Boston Club.
