Chief Human Resources Officer
Dear colleagues,
I am thrilled to announce the appointment of Nicole Breen as the inaugural Chief Human Resources Officer for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences following a comprehensive search. She will formally step into the role on July 1.
Nicole joins the FAS following a distinguished, nearly three-decade career across multiple roles of increasing responsibility and leadership at Harvard Medical School and in Harvard Human Resources. In her current role as Managing Director of HR Consulting and Policy, Nicole leads a team responsible for delivering human resources services to the broad set of administrative, operational, and academic units that comprise Harvard’s Central Administration, while also overseeing the University’s HR policy governance.
For the past six months, the FAS HR Consulting team has been fortunate to have the benefit of Nicole’s expertise and support on an interim basis. Most notably, Nicole has played a central role in the workforce planning process, helping lead the HR workstream and providing guidance on organizational design, talent strategy, and change management. Her leadership has been instrumental in helping the FAS navigate a complex and challenging workforce transition, while maintaining a focus on supporting our people and advancing our mission. She has brought boundless energy, wisdom, and care to supporting FAS HR and our staff community.
As Chief Human Resources Officer, Nicole will lead the FAS human resources organization and help advance our efforts to attract, develop, and support the talented people who make our teaching and research mission possible. Her seasoned HR experience, growing understanding of the FAS, and deep relationships across Harvard position her well to lead this work.
I am grateful for Nicole's leadership and partnership and look forward to continuing our work together. Please join me in welcoming her officially to the FAS.
Sincerely,
Warren Petrofsky
Dean of Administration and Finance
Faculty of Arts and Sciences