Top 10 HR Execs to Watch in 2019

Donna Diederich

Chief Human Resources Officer, LMI

Donna Diederich was weeks into her role as chief human resources officer when LMI announced its February acquisition of The Tauri Group, a firm with expertise in emerging technologies and life sciences.

“Their scientific capabilities complemented our workforce so nicely,” said Diederich, whose HR team completed the integration of 150 Tauri employees, along with 50 new hires for recently awarded work, in 30 days. “We worked hard to get people settled quickly. Now, we’re capitalizing on more opportunities.”

The move exemplified the type of burgeoning, dynamic organization Diederich came to be a part of. LMI has hired more than 600 employees in 2019, bolstering its presence in national security, defense, health care and civilian agencies.

“LMI’s strategy is to grow, but to grow in the right way — enhancing our support to clients and in how we support our people,” she said.

Helping LMI navigate this strategy — encompassing organic growth, acquisitions and internal mobility for employees — appealed to Diederich, whose career includes nearly two decades at Northrop Grumman as well as executive leadership roles at CSC, CACI and Abt Associates. She is passionate about career mobility, which she sees as a cornerstone of workforce development and retention; 13% of LMI’s 1,400 employees have transitioned within the company this year.

“Providing opportunities to explore meaningful work, wherever it is in the organization, is key to retaining our talent,” she said. “Our employees thrive on challenges; they should know they don’t have to go elsewhere when they’re ready for something different.”

Why Watch:

Diederich is excited about the organization’s commitment to cultivating its culture, talent and leadership. LMI provides on average $15,000 per employee for annual professional development, certification and training opportunities.

“We are focused on developing our program managers as leaders of people and as technical experts,” she said. “It takes leadership at all levels to make this company run.”

Other priorities for Diederich are LMI’s commitment to diversity and strengthening its reputation as a leading employer of veterans. LMI was named a “Best for Vets” employer by Military Times for the 10th consecutive year in 2019.