Jeanne Bauer-Hamlett is a seasoned veteran of the HR field, with a career spanning more than three decades. She is currently playing a central role in the development of Lenovo’s Solutions & Services Group (SSG), launched in April of 2021, as Vice President of Human Resources. Over the past three years, she and her team have driven transformational work to build and grow SSG.
Under her exemplary leadership, the HR team has played a critical role in building a strong and cohesive leadership bench, drove an entrepreneurial, growth-minded culture, and hired ‘services-native’ talent to create and deliver the group’s IT solutions. Jeanne says, “Being recognized with Lenovo’s ‘Leadership Excellence’ Award for this body of work was one of the proudest moments of my career!”
If one had to describe Jeanne in a word, it would be “catalyst.” She strives to catalyze positive change and growth within the organization, both in terms of people and culture.
Interest in HR Leads to Driving Impactful Progress
More than three decades ago, when a young Jeanne went to college, the Human Resources course of study was just coming into its own. “I learned about it during my undergraduate course of study in Economics, while taking a Labor Relations course,” she says. Since then, she has been driven by a passion for helping organizations – and individuals – reach their full potential. She ensures that by building collaborative relationships, creating an environment of continuous learning and development, and finding win/win solutions for people-related issues and concerns.
HR’s dynamic nature also ignited Jeanne’s interest in the field. According to her, whether it is recruiting top talent or designing innovative training programs, HR offers a multifaceted role that constantly keeps her engaged and motivated.
“I see HR as a catalyst for positive change within organizations, a field where I could leverage my skills to drive meaningful and impactful progress,” Jeanne says.
The Professional Journey
After graduating from the School of Labor & Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1991, Jeanne joined Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco, CA as an HR Associate. After spending nearly 2 years in their rotational HR program, she left PG&E – and the Bay Area – to serve NCR Corporation as a Benefits Analyst in their Mundelein, Illinois office. She spent over 14 years with NCR Corporation, in a variety of HR specialist and generalist roles; she then eventually relocated to the Dayton, OH corporate headquarters in 1997.
In June 2007, Jeanne joined Lenovo and relocated to the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area of North Carolina. After working with the global tech giant for 9 years, she accepted a Head of HR opportunity with MercuryGate, a transportation management software company. During her 2 years at this company, she built a new HR organization and function to support the rapid growth of their SaaS business. “My time with Lenovo was not finished, however,” Jeanne says.
In August 2019, she returned to Lenovo in an HR leadership role, supporting its Commercial IoT organization, which was eventually absorbed into the SSG business unit.
“Although I’ve held many influential roles over the course of my career, I believe that my current role at SSG has afforded me the greatest opportunity as an HR leader to influence Lenovo’s business growth,” Jeanne says. As VP of Human Resources, she can apply all the learnings she has collected over the years.
“On a personal note,” she says, “it has been extremely rewarding to see how my influence and experience has had a positive impact and accelerated SSG’s growth.”
About Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group
Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group (SSG) empowers customers to transform their vision into value. SSG unifies Lenovo’s IT solutions and services across AI-ready devices, infrastructure, and smart verticals, including advisory services, attached services, managed services, and as-a-Service offerings. In a complex technology landscape, SSG equips businesses with the tools for digital transformation, enabling them to drive tangible outcomes such as improved customer experiences, productivity, and cost efficiencies. By combining scalable IT building blocks, Lenovo delivers smarter enterprise technology solutions to customers. To help customers envision, build, and manage their AI devices and infrastructure, SSG offers AI Services to facilitate responsible and secure AI implementation and scaling.
At SSG, Jeanne is responsible for the organization’s global talent strategy. She oversees all aspects of people-related programs, policies, and practices. She shares that her role extends to serving on the senior leadership team within the business group, where she actively contributes to strategic discussions and decision-making processes.
Jeanne works closely with Ken Wong, President of SSG, providing valuable insights and recommendations to ensure alignment between their workforce and business objectives.
Facilitating Growth and Success
As Vice President of HR, Jeanne led the design of the organizational structure and helped to lay some of the foundation for the business unit’s operating model.
Jeanne explains that they have accelerated the company’s evolution through strategic talent acquisition, talent development, and cultural transformation initiatives. She and her team’s efforts have been pivotal in assembling high-performing teams aligned with Lenovo’s values and vision. “By identifying and attracting top talent, we’ve ensured that Lenovo remains at the forefront of innovation,” Jeanne says.
“Simultaneously, our focus on talent development and training has empowered employees to continuously enhance their skills, driving innovation and fueling the company’s growth trajectory,” she adds.
Moreover, the cultural transformation initiatives adopted by Jeanne have been transformative. By fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and excellence, she has nurtured an environment where creativity flourishes. She believes that this culture of innovation has been fundamental to Lenovo’s success, positioning it as a leader in the global IT solutions market.
Learning Invaluable Lessons from Challenges
Throughout her career in the HR space, Jeanne has faced numerous challenges, and she has learned invaluable lessons while navigating them. “These challenges have honed my resilience and ability to lead with empathy and strategic foresight,” she says. Embracing challenges with a proactive mindset allows her to inspire and support her team through adversity, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
Jeanne recalls that early in her career at Lenovo, she had to navigate organizational restructuring – a pivotal challenge for her. At the time, Lenovo’s Founding Chairman, Liu Chuanzhi, introduced the four ‘Ps’ (later five) to address the hurdles: Plan, Perform, Prioritize, Practice, and Pioneer. She explains that this approach emphasized operational excellence and continuous improvement, laying a solid foundation for Lenovo’s evolving culture.
“Though the restructuring represented a significant shift, it also presented an opportunity for growth,” Jeanne points out. She also recalls that by employing strategic planning, they guided the team through this transition period, reinforcing trust and resilience within the organization.
“This lesson served me well at a later point in my career with Lenovo; in particular, when Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group was formed in April 2021,” Jeanne says.
HR Leader’s Definition of Success
From the lens of her role, Jeanne views success as when the business she supports has the people, organization, and culture that enables them to succeed. It means:
People: Ensuring the business has the right leaders, managers, and employees in place, who have the right competencies and skills;
Organization: Building the right organization structure that enables the organization to work seamlessly and collaboratively across the organization, allowing the team to provide the right solutions to customers;
Culture: The right culture that often translates into creating an inclusive work culture where employees feel respected and motivated to excel.
Jeanne also believes that success in HR is intricately linked to the organization’s overall performance. She points out that by implementing strategic HR initiatives such as performance management systems, employee engagement surveys, and talent acquisition strategies, HR professionals play a crucial role in driving business success.
“In my role, I’ve seen firsthand how aligning individual goals with organizational objectives can lead to remarkable outcomes,” Jeanne adds. “When employees feel supported in their professional growth, it fosters a sense of ownership and commitment that transcends mere job satisfaction.”
VP of HR’s Role and Typical Day
Jeanne’s role is multifaceted and pivotal in driving SSG and Lenovo’s success. Therefore, her workdays are never the same. However, her day usually involves engaging in strategic planning sessions and collaborating with senior leadership to align HR strategies with Lenovo’s overarching objectives. This requires her to analyze market trends, assess talent needs, and design innovative HR programs to support the company’s growth trajectory.
Moreover, Jeanne is involved in any ‘people-related’ matters which arise on a day-to-day basis. “I play a central role in shaping Lenovo’s culture and values – by working with our leaders, managers, and employees – to create an inclusive and empowering environment,” she shares.
She and her HR team foster and promote a work environment where employees feel valued and inspired to do their best work. Through initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion, as well as listening to employee feedback, Jeanne strives to cultivate a workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute to Lenovo’s ongoing success.
And, she keeps her HR team motivated by communicating a clear vision and set of goals. This ensures that everyone understands their role in achieving collective success. She also provides her team with opportunities for professional growth and development. By investing in the growth of her team members, she demonstrates her commitment to their success and motivates them to excel.
“What keeps me excited about coming to work every day is my – and my HR team’s – ability to influence not just business outcomes, but also the culture, well-being, and satisfaction of our employees,” Jeanne says.
What Is Next for Lenovo and HR Team?
Lenovo is most likely to address emerging workforce trends and challenges, such as increasing demand for flexible work arrangements. According to Jeanne, this will require HR professionals to adapt to policies and practices to accommodate these evolving dynamics.
She also points out that in order to stay ahead of the curve, HR at Lenovo will embrace digital transformation and leverage data-driven insights to inform decision-making and drive strategic initiatives. “Integrating ‘AI for All’ within our HR practices will be a significant focus as well,” she says.
Lenovo aims to simplify the adoption of AI by leveraging proven expertise and delivering faster insights with optimized infrastructure. Jeanne believes that AI can bring real value to HR processes, from predictive analytics in recruitment to personalized employee experiences and beyond.
Changing Landscape of HR industry
Jeanne notes that the landscape of the HR industry is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in technology – in particular AI – and the continuous influx of innovative ideas. She highlights that technology has become an indispensable tool, revolutionizing various aspects of the profession.
“One of its more visible contributions is streamlining an organization’s recruitment processes,” she adds. For example – with AI-driven tools, HR professionals can now sift through vast pools of applicants more efficiently, identifying top talent with greater accuracy.
Technology has also led to the rise of remote work and virtual collaboration. According to Jeanne, HR departments have had to adapt quickly, implementing digital communication platforms, remote onboarding processes, and performance management systems tailored to remote work environments.
She also points out the importance of innovative ideas, which are now equally crucial in shaping the future of HR. “Forward-thinking HR professionals are constantly exploring creative solutions to enhance employee satisfaction, wellness, productivity, and engagement,” she adds.
Message to Aspiring Leaders
Jeanne encourages aspiring leaders to embrace change and innovation. She points out that embracing AI and other emerging technologies will be essential to staying competitive and effective. She also advises them to develop strong strategic thinking skills. “It is crucial,” she says, “as HR leaders shape organizational strategy and drive business success by aligning HR initiatives with business objectives.”
