This accompanies Julie Wood: A Natural Fit.
Title: Chief People Officer
Company: Crowe Horwath, Oak Brook, Ill.
Key HR Challenges: Revamp the firm's recruitment processes to attract and retain quality talent, avoid widespread workforce reductions and implement a new HRIS.
Key HR Accomplishments: Introduced key recruitment and retention strategies that are producing the highest employee-retention rates in the firm's history (with percentages in the high 80s), saved $3.5 million in payroll costs during 2009 through alternative staffing programs and implemented a new HRIS within an estimated six-month time frame.