CHRO Alignment Series: Boardroom Synergy, Featuring Mastercard

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, former Mastercard chief people officer Michael Fraccaro reveals what makes a strong relationship between a CHRO and the board. Drawing on his years leading through transformation, Fraccaro shares how trust, openness, and regular dialogue help the board understand what’s really happening inside the organization. Plus, a trivia segment on business trends regarding the CHRO-board relationship. Fraccaro reflects on lessons from his time at Mastercard — from navigating generational shifts and AI adoption to embedding decency into leadership — and why the CHRO’s role with the board is as much about listening and learning as it is about advising.

00:00 Intro
00:51 Michael's path to HR executive
02:06 Defining the CHRO-board relationship
04:27 How to build trust with the board
07:09 Game segment: Trivia
09:28 Why is the CHRO-board relationship growing in engagement?
12:15 Decency quotient
13:55 Addressing generational shifts: How do you foresee the aging workforce impacting the corporate landscape?
18:27 Reverse mentoring
20:25 If you were in the boardroom now, what advice would you give to leaders to better address the generational shifts in the workforce?
25:51 What is the biggest communication gap you've seen in the CHRO-board relationship?
27:58 What advice would you give for getting the CHRO-board partnership off on the right start?
30:12 What do you wish more boardroom leaders understood about the CHRO role?

Related article: The CHRO & the Board: https://www.shrm.org/executive-networ...

The Evolving Role of the CHRO in the Boardroom report mentioned: https://www.conference-board.org/publ...

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