Tenia Davis

Tenia Davis

CPO | NORC at University of Chicago

Tenia Davis is a Human Resources and Recruitment expert with extensive experience serving in executive positions at large, high-caliber companies such as HBR Consulting (HBR), Raise, iManage, Johnson Publishing Company, and HARPO Productions. Tenia has deep expertise in operational excellence, having successfully coordinated complex practices, standards, and regulations for talent acquisition and HR and multiple departments of a large international corporation and managing day-to-day administration. She currently serves as the chief people officer at NORC at University of Chicago. Tenia works with company leadership to achieve operational excellence and invest in talent and a culture of empowerment.

In addition, she demonstrates particularly sharp business expertise in the areas of change management, organizational development and training, compensation and benefits, workplace planning and recruitment, HRIS, employee and labor relations, and embedding diversity initiatives.

Not only does Tenia demonstrate advanced skill in her industry and refined business skills that allow her to drive meaningful change in organizations and to manage complex business operations required by executives at her level, but she is also a born leader that goes out of her way to ensure that companies under her management not only survive in a highly competitive global market, but rather that they thrive. She has held at least 7 leadership positions, including titles such as Chief People & Culture Officer, Senior Vice President of Human Resources & Operational Strategy, Vice President of HR, and more. Tenia has directed Human Resources and Operations for massive domestic and international companies and has managed high-stake and high-value brands such as the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Oz, The Oprah Winfrey Foundations, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. In positions that she has held, she has managed large teams and entire departments of employees to meet and surpass internal goals and financial targets while maintaining a positive work culture.

Tenia is also an international businesswoman and has spent much time managing international corporations in multiple locations worldwide. While working as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Operational Strategy for Johnson Publishing Company, for example, she provided strategic solutions to the company’s business plans and goals in not only the US, but also the UK. She designed comprehensive HR solutions that supported key initiatives in all locations. In this position, she also served as a key executive team member that provided counsel on HR practices and operational efficiencies for multiple offices, including the international offices in London and Paris. While serving as Chief People Officer at iManage, Tenia also demonstrated her international business skills by successfully establishing offices and practical Human Resources policies in India, London, and Belfast. As such, Tenia has had ample experience interacting and negotiating with international actors, localization, and work policy and human resources policy in multiple countries around the world.

Tenia holds an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago and earned a PhD from Benedictine University’s Center for Values-Driven Leadership after successfully defending her dissertation titled “The Influence of Organizational Culture on the Display of Servant Leadership”. She is also a recognized community leader who expresses particular care and interest in mentoring the next generation of leaders and volunteers and was recently acknowledged by the United States’ Senate and received Congressional recognition for her efforts to inspire the world’s future leaders.