The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16.
Next is Angela Galyean, senior vice president of human resources at Intelsat, who’s the HR Executive of the Year for Public and Private Company with revenue greater than $250M finalist. Here, she shares proud moments and what has made her successful.
What are you most proud of having been part of in your current organization?
As an HR professional, change management is one of the hardest things to navigate in any organization. The challenges are even more pronounced when that organization is coming out of financial restructuring and undergoing major changes at all levels. Along with my team, I am most proud of how we led Intelsat through these unprecedented change scenarios only to come out the other side stronger and more invigorated.
We nurtured our employees through the continued impacts of an unprecedented global pandemic, and a significant change of the executive team, including the appointment of a new CEO. We navigated these unique circumstances while managing to successfully recruit the talent and expertise needed to take our business to the next level.
Secondly, I am proud of our ability as an HR team to build relationships throughout the organization. Though Intelsat is a large, global company, we’ve always tried to instill the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of a smaller company. People at Intelsat know and trust their HR team because of the relationships we have built, which has helped drive successful implementation of new initiatives across the company.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Any functional business leader needs to have the support of the organization’s management team and key executives. As an HR team, we certainly have that here at Intelsat. Our HR team is backed by the energy of a thoughtful CEO whose excitement about the future of the company is contagious and invigorating and a Chief Administrative Officer who helps drive and support everything we do.
With this enthusiasm and support, we have been able to unveil a host of new initiatives across the company to make Intelsat a more inclusive, welcoming, and enjoyable place to start and grow a career. From new D&I initiatives to the roll out of a hybrid workplace environment to the introduction of new tools and technology, the commitment of the Intelsat senior management team has enabled us to introduce new programs that have been well-received and beneficial to all employees.