Drawing on leadership experience spanning companies from Walmart to founder-led startups, Jaime Latzman, Chief People Officer at Thorne, shared how her philosophy has evolved over the years.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that really to be an effective chief people officer, you have to be a business leader first and an HR leader second and when I thought back through my career, really what that meant was I really made it a priority to really understand how businesses operate and that included how they make money, what do the customers need, what challenges are leaders trying to solve and where talent can really become a competitive advantage,” she said. “When you understand the business, you’re not just giving HR advice then, you’re really helping leaders make business decisions through their people.”
Latzman also encouraged women to embrace opportunities before they feel completely ready, noting that some of the greatest professional growth comes from stepping outside their comfort zones.
The conversation also explored how Thorne has maintained its culture during a period of rapid growth. Latzman explained that culture isn’t defined by company value, but by employees’ day-to-day experiences.
“Culture isn’t what’s written on the wall, it’s what employees experience every single day,” Latzman said. “[A] really a good filter to keep coming back to [is asking the] question, ‘what do people feel?’”
Latzman also offered advice for women aspiring to leadership roles, highlighting the importance of mentorship, relationship-building and creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders. She stressed that organizations must intentionally identify diverse talent early on and provide meaningful pathways for advancement.
“I’ve been successful because people took a chance on me,” she said. “I think we owe that to the next generation and make sure that they have chances as well.”
