2020 Speakers

Category: Past Events

The HRD Collective 2020 speaker lineup brought together two distinct yet equally influential voices from opposite ends of the HR spectrum—one shaping culture at a global tech giant, the other driving compensation strategy for a century-old industrial powerhouse. Jennifer Christie, Twitter’s Chief Human Resources Officer, and Jorgen Pedersen, Vice President of Compensation & Benefits at Saint-Gobain, each offered a unique lens on how HR can transform organizations from within. Their sessions, held as part of our virtual programme, explored everything from building performance cultures to aligning total rewards with business strategy, providing attendees with actionable insights that remain relevant today.

Jennifer Christie: Leading People at Twitter

Jennifer Christie joined Twitter in 2017 as Vice President of People and Chief Human Resources Officer, taking the helm of the global People team. In this role, she partners closely with the executive management team and board of directors to support the company’s strategic direction. Her purview spans talent acquisition and management, diversity and inclusion, people systems and analytics, organizational and performance management, training and development, total rewards, and mobility. She also leads the HR Business Partner teams supporting engineering, product, sales and partnerships, and corporate functions, along with the global real estate and workplace organization.

Before Twitter, Christie spent several years at American Express, where she served as Senior Vice President and Head of HR for the Global Consumer Services Group. In that capacity, she was responsible for developing and executing the talent, organizational, and leadership strategy for the business. Earlier at Amex, she held the role of Vice President and HR Business Partner for the Enterprise Growth Group. During her first three years with the company, she served as Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Global Executive Recruitment, where she built the firm’s global diversity and inclusion strategy and led executive-level recruitment worldwide.

Christie’s career roots lie in the public sector and consulting. She began in the federal government, working for over a decade on community safety and security programs and offender reentry initiatives. She then spent time as an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in organizational design and change management, followed by a stint as a Special Assistant to the President of the United States in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. She later worked at a leading executive search firm before entering corporate HR. Christie holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“Building a performance culture starts with understanding what people need to do their best work—and that includes not just metrics, but trust and belonging.” — Jennifer Christie

Jorgen Pedersen: Compensation and Benefits Strategy at Scale

Jorgen Pedersen serves as Vice President of Compensation & Benefits for Saint-Gobain, a global materials and construction company with more than 180,000 employees across dozens of countries. In this role, he oversees the design and implementation of compensation and benefits programmes that align with the company’s strategic objectives, ensuring that total rewards support employee engagement, retention, and performance. His work is critical to Saint-Gobain’s ability to attract and retain talent in a competitive global market while maintaining internal equity and cost control.

Pedersen’s session at HRD Collective focused on how Saint-Gobain’s compensation and benefits strategy evolved to support a new company purpose and strategy. He shared insights on the challenges of harmonising reward systems across vastly different national markets, the importance of flexible benefits that adapt to local needs, and how data analytics are used to measure the impact of reward programmes on business outcomes. Attendees learned practical approaches to linking pay and recognition to performance in a way that fosters both individual accountability and collective success.

Common Threads: Performance, Purpose, and People

Although Christie and Pedersen operate in very different industries, their messages converged on several key themes. Both emphasized that HR must move beyond administrative functions to become a strategic partner in driving business transformation. For Christie, that means creating an environment where diverse talent can thrive and where performance is measured not just by output but by alignment with company values. For Pedersen, it means using compensation as a lever to communicate what the organisation truly values—whether that is innovation, sustainability, or customer focus.

Another common thread was the importance of data. Christie spoke about using people analytics to inform everything from hiring to retention strategies, while Pedersen highlighted how compensation data can reveal gaps in equity and efficiency. Both speakers agreed that while data is essential, it must be combined with empathy and understanding of the employee experience to be truly effective.

Lessons for HR Leaders

From Christie’s talk, attendees took away the importance of aligning HR strategy with C-suite priorities, especially in fast-paced tech environments where culture can make or break innovation. She reminded leaders that diversity and inclusion are not standalone initiatives but integral to how people are hired, developed, and promoted. Christie’s experience in the White House gave her a unique perspective on how to navigate complexity and build relationships across different stakeholders—a skill crucial for any HR leader.

Pedersen’s session offered a masterclass in global rewards management. He stressed that compensation must be part of a broader employee value proposition that includes career development, work-life balance, and purpose. His practical examples from Saint-Gobain showed how incremental changes—like introducing flexible benefits or recalibrating bonus structures—can drive significant engagement improvements. He also cautioned against one-size-fits-all solutions, urging HR teams to tailor rewards to local contexts while maintaining global frameworks.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

The 2020 speakers programme was a testament to the depth of expertise within the HR community. Christie and Pedersen represented the blend of vision and pragmatism that modern HR demands. Their insights continue to inform discussions in our community, and we encourage readers to explore the full 2020 programme for more session details. For those interested in more recent events, check out the Nov 2020 Programme and Nov 2020 Speakers, or look ahead to the Feb 2021 Advisory Board, Feb 2021 Partners, and Feb 2021 Programme.