“I love people and really enjoy the differences in each of us that make us unique,” says Khymberly Booth, Chief Human Resources Officer at SGS & Co. “I truly believe that employees are the most valuable assets for any business (not just services businesses) and that the human capital agenda is critical to its success.”
Learning this truth early on while working for a non-profit led Khymberly to seek an advanced degree in business with a specialization in Human Resource Management. “I find that each role I’ve had has been instrumental in getting me to where I am, but when I think of what brought out my passion for this work it would have to be my experience at Enron. After receiving my master’s degree, I joined a rotational program at Enron for individuals with high potential and that experience coupled with the experiences I had during and following the bankruptcy really drove my desire to grow in this field,” she recalls.
It was during this challenging time at Enron that Khymberly first witnessed the power of a committed workforce banding together “when the going gets tough”. As a people leader, she feels proud to have played a role in building such a strong community, and in every role since she has strived to create a similar culture centered on unity.
Leaving a Legacy of Well-Trained, Highly Competent HR Professionals
SGS & Co (SGS) is a leading global provider of technology-enabled brand design, digital marketing, and packaging artwork services to many of the world’s biggest brands. Khymberly believes that they’re extraordinary because their people and teams deliver excellence every single day.
“Whether our designers are creating magic on screen or our technical experts are saving the day on the press, we’re the partner that brands count on to deliver with speed, quality, and excellence, at any stage,” she observes.
Since its origin in 1946, SGS has been on a remarkable journey expanding its services to best support its CPG, retail, and printer partners. What started as a single gravure operation has turned into a global network with deep expertise spanning brand design, production, and execution.
Its future vision is to create an industry-leading end-to-end graphics supply chain solution that enables them to efficiently scale according to customer demand while delivering quality at speed, leveraging an automation-first mindset powered by AI and Machine Learning. SGS also plans to continue to expand its omnichannel solutions to support client needs across physical and digital content.
“As for me, I would love to leave a legacy of well-trained and highly competent HR professionals in my wake, with a passion for HR and business,” Khymberly reflects. “Additionally, I’d love to work on a board (separate from those related to the companies I work for), representing the function more powerfully. I think many companies say human capital is important, but they don’t have an expert in the field represented on the corporate board. It’s a shame really.”
“Don’t internalize criticism from someone whom you would not ask for advice.” – Morgan Freeman
Building Strong Talent in Every Role While Continuing to Grow
Khymberly points out that success can look and feel different in various stages of your career and life. Depending on where you are in these stages it could be as simple as meeting expectations at your role while learning to balance a new family and work, and at others, it could be a lateral move to a role where you will learn more skills and develop additional competencies, or it could mean a big promotion into your ‘dream job’.
“As long as you’re progressing and learning along the way, not making the same mistakes twice, and enjoying your journey, I’d call that success,” she maintains. Khymberly reveals a few ways in which she has contributed to the HR industry. For instance, early in her career, it was through “out of the box” thinking related to HR – which oftentimes is what granted her a “seat at the table.”
In the middle part of her career, it was more about developing the business acumen and savvy to align the HR strategy to desired business outcomes; this meant enhancing the concept of true HR business partners (who require business savvy, financial acumen, and the ability to work with executives in every situation) and the importance of Centers of Expertise (CoE’s).
As Khymberly enters the later stages of her career, she believes that success has more to do with building strong talent behind her in every role she holds, while continuing to grow herself.
Facing Challenges Head-On, Quickly, Confidently & Transparently
Khymberly believes that while we all face challenges, both personally and professionally, it’s all about how you approach them. “At SGS, we do our very best to face our challenges head-on; quickly, confidently, and transparently. This allows us to identify the root cause, determine our course of action, and take the appropriate steps to overcome any obstacle we may face. I also believe challenges don’t have to be difficult or negative, and we can approach them as positive opportunities to learn and grow,” she insists.
One challenge that Khymberly experienced was the difficulty of achieving stakeholder alignment on business-wide initiatives, especially when agendas don’t align. She notes that this is an obstacle that can be overcome so long as all parties involved believe two key things: 1) Compromise is key to achieving individual and common goals, and 2) The impact on people isn’t an afterthought and needs to be considered early and often.
Modern Technology Is Fundamental to The Importance and Success of HR Departments
Khymberly remarks that modern technology has been fundamental to the importance and success of HR departments by helping to provide the context and data critical to legitimizing the function. “The partnership between the CHRO and CIO has never been more critical,” she declares, illustrating this point with two very different examples:
- You can’t go into the board room without accurate data and information, all driven by people analytics made possible by modern technology, and
- Many of the most inventive and important aspects of HR (Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity, Talent Management, Compensation & Benefits) are possible and more engaging because of modern technology.
Encouraging Creativity, Collaboration & Engagement While Delivering Real Impact
Khymberly ensures a culture of integrity at SGS & Co by holding people accountable from the top down to manage the business in accordance to company ethics standards. When it comes to innovation, she believes that keeping an open mind is key and that encouraging dialogue and listening to dissenting opinions is often how innovative ideas are uncovered.
She observes that when employees feel heard, they’re naturally more invested in the future of the company. Through programs like listening sessions, employee resource groups, and leadership training, SGS has been able to create a business environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and engagement and delivers real impact. “I (through my awesome team) am responsible for every aspect of the employee journey, starting with the candidate experience all the way through to post-exit. As such, I’m accountable for all aspects of the People strategy at SGS & Co.,” she says.
Khymberly maintains that there’s no such thing as a “regular day” in HR, not even for the CHRO. One day, she could spend much of her day analyzing data to ensure they’re moving in the right direction, the next she might spend her time coaching her fellow executives on how to structure their organizations or deal with sensitive issues, and the following she might be traveling to one of their many sites to meet with employees and hear directly about their employee experiences.
“My husband would probably tell you it’s impossible to describe me in one word, but I would say either energetic or balanced,” she remarks, noting that maintaining balance takes intentional effort. Khymberly recalls that one of her colleagues early on said to her, “Our company isn’t going to ask you to work yourself to death, but it won’t stop you if you try.”
“That stuck with me – we’re in control of our balance–, you must make time for family/friends/fun, create boundaries, and stick to them as often as you can. I keep myself and my team motivated by having fun (work should be enjoyable!) and by setting goals and showing the team across the world how they are contributing to reaching those goals. The HR team at SGS & Co has a clear strategy, a multi-year plan, and in-year goals and we’re all working toward those common goals,” she affirms.
Sharing a famous quote by basketball coach, Tim Notke, Khymberly says, “Hard work only beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. It’s a sports quote, but in other words, it means it doesn’t matter how great or smart you are, if you don’t apply yourself and work hard, you’ll fall behind.”
She also shares the following words of wisdom for aspiring HR professionals and business leaders: “Partner, partner, partner… work together to come up with people solutions that will drive the business in a more impactful way. Keep your integrity, respect everyone, and have fun. The best way to stay ahead of the competition is to stay in lockstep with clients and industry partners. When we listen, observe, and ask questions, we can anticipate what’s needed next, before the competition does.
