Carolynn Johnson

Carolynn Johnson is an executive and thought leader specializing in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy, talent management, and workforce analytics. Johnson serves as president of the SHRM Center for Inclusion and Diversity, a think tank within the Society for Human Resource Management, which represents 340,000 members globally.

Johnson spent more than 20 years at Fair360, formerly DiversityInc, where she oversaw editorial strategy and DEI research before becoming CEO. During her tenure, Fair360 enhanced its predictive workforce analytics and established a partnership with Nasdaq to expand access to benchmarking data. Johnson has testified before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services as an expert witness on workplace fairness, contributing to the dialogue on corporate governance and public policy.

At SHRM, Johnson initially joined as president of CEO Action for Inclusion & Diversity, a coalition focused on advancing workplace inclusion and diversity. Under her leadership, SHRM launched the Center for Inclusion and Diversity, emphasizing the importance of measurable outcomes in DEI initiatives. Johnson has also served as acting CEO of SHRM Linkage, an organization dedicated to talent and leadership development, while continuing her role at the Center for Inclusion and Diversity.

Johnson completed an executive management fellowship at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and holds an MBA from Rutgers Business School. She earned certifications in artificial intelligence in business strategy and machine learning and data systems from MIT. Johnson has consulted with Wharton to design talent development coursework and created the "Women of Color and Their Allies Leadership Program." She serves on national nonprofit boards, including the Center for Healthcare Innovation, and is co-director of the Relationships Across Differences Roundtable within Wharton's McNulty Leadership Program. Johnson's expertise spans data science, executive leadership, and public policy, with a focus on shaping inclusive workplaces and advancing talent strategy in human resources.