Yvonne Wolf

Founder and Chief Collaborator

Yvonne Wolf is a Global, 4-time Chief People Officer, Culture Thought Leader, Board contributor and Founder of YourTalentMatters LLC with 25+ years working across various industries and full organizational cycles - from start-ups to divestitures, helping organizations innovate and grow, especially during times of uncertainty and change.

Prior to consulting, Yvonne contributed to strategic and cultural transformations and double-digit growth for start-ups, global leaders, and non-profits, including GlaxoSmithKline/ Novartis Vaccines (NASDAQ: GSK), Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR), Denny’s Restaurants (NASDAQ: DENN), Citigroup (NYSE: C), PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP), Partners In Health, National Restaurant Association and Educational Foundation, Gates Medical Research Institute, and other billion-dollar organizations.

Yvonne has partnered with executive teams and boards, influencing strategy, governance, talent, and culture decisions. In addition to developing HR strategies and strengthening and leading team teams, she brings expertise in developing and leading c-suite succession; leadership pipeline development and talent management; values alignment, goal setting, performance, scorecard, and metrics; organization structure and design; and cultures of well-being, equity, and inclusion across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Yvonne graduated from Northern Illinois University and is a certified Senior Human Resources Professional and is certified in Unconscious Bias Mitigation, Leadership Assessment & Development, Organization Structure & Design, Six-Sigma Process Improvement, and Change Management.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, after discovering her ancestral roots in Sierra Leone, West Africa, she became a dual citizen and paved the way for 100s of African Americans to do so since. Yvonne lives in East Boston, Massachusetts, and is the proud mother of an adult son.

Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets. 

W. Edwards Deming

  • SVP, Chief People + Culture Officer – Trust for Public Land (TPL)

    Head of Human Resources – Bill and Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute

    Executive Vice President, People and Culture – National Restaurant Association & Educational Foundation

    Global Heads of US Vaccines HQ, Manufacturing and Quality, and Talent and Org Development – GSK

    HR Systems Builder – GSK (Sierra Leone, Africa)

    Global Head Leadership, Development, and GEI – Novartis Vaccines

    Chief People Officer - Denny’s Restaurants

    VP, Talent, Strategy, and Organization Development – Discovery Communications

    SVP, HR Global Finance and Development – Marriott International

  • Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA) – Leadership Development Advisor; Director & Nominating Committee Chairperson

    Goodwill Industries – Executive Board Member

    March of Dimes – Corporate Governance

    IFC Africa – Advisor

    ProHabits – Board Composition & Governance

    PRANA Consortium

    Business Roundtable

    US Chamber of Commerce

    …and others

  • Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) – Human Resources Certification Institute

    Certified in:

    • Intercultural Development Inventory

    • Unconscious Bias Mitigation

    • Organization Structure and Design

    • Leadership Assessment and Development

    • Six-Sigma Process Imporvement

    • Change Management

    B.S., Advertising – Northern Illinois University

Curriculum Vitae

Testimonials

I’ve had the pleasure of working with thoughtful and intelligent leaders across industries and functions.

  • Yvonne possesses a compelling history of exhibiting abiding and exalted levels of inimitable compassion. Her admirable track record is unrivaled and unequivocally speaks for itself on all levels. With more than a quarter of a century’s experience in both the public and private sector, Yvonne has taken time to master the art of identifying exceptional talent, while securing some of the most brilliant minds. She’s excellent at setting new businesses in motion and is known for developing effective strategies to drive greater operational and organizational effectiveness. She has been at the forefront of enabling aesthetic reshaping within the corporate structure for quite some time and she has proven to be one of the most world’s most diverse thought global leaders.

    Dr. M’zée Fula NGENGE
    Economist and Investment Strategist

  • Yvonne is a great strategic thought partner. If you want to challenge your mental models, set high standards of excellence, and be better than the competition, she is the one to turn to. She brings breadth and depth to her partnerships to help clients be the best they can be. And she does this with courage, care, and compassion.

    Stephanie Laplante
    Leadership Development Consultant

  • Working with Yvonne was exciting and educational. She has an amazing energy, and knowledge, and passion around Learning, OD and talent management and engaging leaders at all levels. Yvonne's work in organizational development and design is to be noted, as she has the background and expertise to look at a situation, ask solid questions, and work with individuals and teams to make wise decisions. Yvonne was also always keen on the development of her own team and leveraging the strengths of others.

    Judy Goldberg
    Founder, WonderShift

  • Yvonne brings great depth of experience to our organization. She exudes energy, competence and a passion for her profession. She quickly established and organized an effective team that has had a positive and lasting effect on the business. She tirelessly applies her expertise in human resources, organizational development, and strategy development and truly changed the culture of our company.

    Peter Gibbons
    Principal and Owner at Catalyst Culinary

Let’s Co-design Your Success