Courtney Abraham, Chief Human Resources Officer, Current Lighting
1. What Pivotal Milestones and Experiences Have Uniquely Prepared You For Your Present Role?
If you’d asked me at 15, I wanted to be a newscaster, someone who helps people make sense of the world. In a way, that’s still what I do as CHRO, just with fewer cameras and certainly no teleprompter.
I cut my teeth managing P&Ls and leading retail operations, where every decision — what to stock, who to hire, when to pivot — had a direct impact on both people and results. There’s no better crash course in accountability or understanding how the smallest choices can ripple through a business. Shifting into consulting, I worked with organizations to tackle strategy and change management. Getting comfortable with ambiguity, asking better questions, approaching every challenge with curiosity and agility – those skills are nonnegotiable when you’re steering transformation.
Global experience has been critical. Leading teams across continents and time zones, and living as an American in Switzerland, I learned quickly that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to global teams. Adapting my style, listening more than I spoke, and focusing on shared goals were foundational skills. And when things didn’t go as planned, I learned to regroup, recalibrate, and keep moving forward.
2. You’ve Helped Organizations Navigate Layoffs and Large-Scale Transformation. When You’re Guiding Teams Through Uncertain Terrain, What’s Your Compass?
We are human beings, and we crave patterns, information and clarity. Let’s run an experiment and see how quickly it can go afoul. Let’s say you own a building, and you rent out one of the floors. The tenant informs you that they won’t be renewing the lease, so you need to find a new occupant. You do as expected: invite others to look at the space and post it for rent online. Except you’ve missed one important detail – you didn’t share with your own employees what you were doing. And within minutes, we have amazing rumors. People have filled in the blanks.
When information is not readily available or shared, the human mind creates a story of possibilities. Alas, you aren’t going out of business, selling the building, or downsizing at all; you are just looking for a new tenant. Therefore, communicating with clarity becomes the guiding principle.
3. Mental Health and Well-Being are now Integral to Workplace Engagement. How Do You Think about Building Sustainable Programs?
People in general have a lot going on. Our lives at work used to be compartmentalized into work-self or home-self. Today, it’s becoming more acceptable not to have it all together and acknowledge how that impacts the workplace. We all have bad mornings, even bad months, and that’s okay. It’s part of being human.
Getting comfortable with ambiguity, asking better questions, approaching every challenge with curiosity and agility, those skills are non-negotiable when you’re steering transformation 
Normalizing this reality is the foundation of any mental health and well-being program that’s both impactful and sustainable. We don’t want distractions that derail productivity. Still, we want to create spaces where honest, healthy dialogue can occur, where coaching and shared experiences aren’t just buzzwords but everyday practices. That means partnering with teams to educate and explore new opportunities. Sometimes, it’s about leveraging help from providers, such as counselling, coaching, resource groups, fitness, nutrition, medication monitoring, and even breathwork or sound healing. It also means offering space and education on topics like parenting, menopause, neuroscience or high blood pressure, because well-being isn’t one-size-fits-all.
When employees feel supported holistically and know it’s okay to bring their whole selves to work, programming becomes part of the culture. Employees show up more engaged, more resilient, and ready to contribute.
4. What Does Responsible, People-First AI Adoption Look Like To You From an HR Lens? How Do You Get Teams to Embrace It, Not Fear It?
The new AI tools popping up every day are like the endless varieties of yogurt in a superstore, some familiar, some surprising, many worth tasting. The AI tools I use in my own life are already freeing up time, challenging how I manage work and augmenting my capabilities, but not replacing them.
Over the last several months, we’ve explored how AI can help us drive revenue, increase productivity and reduce human error. With my HR team, I’ve encouraged them to explore AI tools and build their own understanding. Every 6-8 weeks, I send them a quick skill-builder—an article, a prompt, and a challenge to apply what they’ve learned in their work. This isn’t about rushing to adopt every shiny new tool or replacing their roles; it’s about education, involvement, and curiosity. Tools can augment repetitive tasks and execute commands, but they can’t replace the creative collaboration required of human beings. A people-first strategy brings team members along with you to explore, test and learn together.
I’m fortunate to be part of a forward-thinking organisation that has hired a leader in AI Strategy. Together, we pilot AI tools with user feedback loops to ensure they truly meet needs and enhance, rather than hinder, the employee experience. When you position AI as a partner in problem-solving and growth, you spark curiosity and innovation.
5. What’s One Piece of Advice You’d Offer to Rising HR Leaders Who Want to Drive Real Change, Not Just Manage Processes, But Shape Culture and Business Outcomes in Meaningful Ways?
Want to be credible? Start by learning the business, really understanding the financials, how your company generates revenue, and where it incurs losses. Then, learn about the people. Build partnerships. Lead with curiosity and courage.
Real change doesn’t come from playing it safe. It means questioning the status quo and being willing to say, “My baby is ugly.” That courage has to be balanced with deep listening, understanding your clients’ perspectives, their hopes, and their challenges.
Believe in what you’re doing and use data to inform your decisions, but never lose sight of the human stories behind the numbers. Life is complicated, nuanced, and deeply human.
Leading people through change is a privilege and a responsibility. Embrace the fence-sitters and advocates, and bring them with you. Together, you can remain relentless in your commitment to creating environments where people can do their best work and feel truly valued.