Paula Cooney
SVP, CHRO
Trinseo
Paula Cooney is the SVP, CHRO for Trinseo, a specialty material solutions provider that partners with companies to bring ideas to life in an imaginative, smart and sustainability-focused manner.
Paula grew up in the west of Ireland and came to the US as an expat with Intel Corporation, spending a decade in Arizona. She says her colleagues thought she was crazy when she migrated from the "furnace" to the "freezer" and moved to Minnesota in 2010.
Learn more about the Minneapolis CHRO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
My early career was working for the Irish Government in the Houses of Parliament and while there, I worked in the "Personnel Dept." as it was known then. I was interested in the work but didn't want to pursue a career in Government so made a leap to join a private consulting firm providing Industrial Relations & HR consulting. That served as a springboard to joining Intel Corporation, a career in global HR, and a move to the US.
I left Intel to join mid-sized global companies and broaden my scope, ultimately leading to roles as CHRO at H.B. Fuller; Flir Corporation; and most recently Trinseo PLC.
What is one of your guiding leadership principles?
“We all do better when we all do better.” - Paul Wellstone
What is the greatest challenge CHROs face today, and how are you addressing it?
Providing guidance and clarity to the organization in the midst of many geo-political, economic and other external forces which create challenges for our business.
What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CHRO?
Understand the business to the same level of breadth and depth as other executive colleagues, build strong relationships with your colleagues and your leadership team, and establish credibility as a business leader (not the leader of the HR function).
How do you measure success as a leader?
Delivering on the strategic outcomes of the business and having an engaged, motivated leadership team for the company and the HR organization.
What is the value of being a member of the Evanta community?
The value of being part of the Evanta community is that I can learn from a very strong HR network and people who walk in my shoes every day. It's a very special community in that respect. I also have the opportunity to give back if I have relevant experience to share.
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