Representing Industry Excellence: Donna Morris of Walmart Honored as 2025 HR Executive of the Year
Paige Ross of Blackstone Named the First-Ever HR Leader of Distinction, A Newly Created Award Bestowing Equal Weight, Winners to Be Recognized at HR Tech Next Week and Next Month in Boston
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HR Executive, the premier global media company covering strategic issues in HR, today shared that Donna Morris, Executive Vice President & Chief People Officer at Walmart, has been named its 2025 HR Executive of the Year. Along with Morris, HR Executive has selected Paige Ross, Global Head of Human Resources for Blackstone, as HR Leader of Distinction. This second honor highlights excellence in HR leadership at an organization with fewer than 10,000 employees.
For over 30 years, this annual awards program has honored visionary HR executives who have helped shape work for millions of employees worldwide. Recent winners have included leaders from prominent companies such as IBM, Caterpillar, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Accenture, among others. To identify the honorees, the judges look at the following criteria: the nominee’s ability to handle significant problems or obstacles within their field; the nominee’s role and/or success in establishing the HR function as an integral part of their organization; the nominee’s management skills as demonstrated within the HR function; and their contributions to the HR profession.
Elizabeth Clarke, Executive Editor of HR Executive, commented, “With the HR Executive of the Year program, we look for leaders who raise the bar for what’s possible in the industry. Leaders who can align short-term goals with long-term vision to provide direction and purpose for their organization’s workforce. Selecting this year’s honorees was no easy task, but Donna and Paige stood out for their innovation, impact and commitment to HR excellence, using the latest technologies available. Donna and Paige are not only impressive – they are inspiring.”
The 2025 HR Executive of the Year, Donna Morris, has dedicated her entire career to the field of human resources. As Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer for Walmart, Morris strives to make the organization a great place to work for the largest workforce in the U.S. and one of the largest in the world, with 2.1 million associates across 19 countries. Driving Walmart’s people-led focus, Morris and team are committed to providing opportunity for associates to grow and belong by building a workplace that prioritizes emotional, physical and financial well-being. Since joining Walmart in 2020, Morris’s leadership has been pivotal in shifting the company’s focus towards skills-based learning, preparing associates to work with advancements in technology, such as generative AI. Morris’s innovative approach and strategic initiatives have aligned the People organization with Walmart’s business objectives, ensuring that HR is a key enabler of the company’s overall success.
This year’s HR Leader of Distinction, Paige Ross, serves as Global Head of Human Resources at Blackstone, where it is her mandate to recruit, develop, retain and reward the firm’s exceptional talent. Under her guidance, Ross’s team is exploring ways to use data science and AI to modernize talent processes and support the development of Blackstone’s workforce. The latter of which Ross has made a priority, aligning the strategic talent agenda with business objectives, focusing on leadership development, designing manager training, revamping the new hire experience and more, helping to elevate the organization’s overall HR presence.
Morris and Ross will be celebrated during this month’s HR Tech conference at the first-ever HR Icons Awards Evening, preceding the official recognition at the Human Resources Policy Institute’s Fall Summit at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University on October 23, 2025.
Peter Fasolo, Professor of the Practice, Management & Organizations, and Director of the Human Resources Policy Institute, shared, “Working together, HRPI and HR Executive share a vision for the future of HR and what’s possible for the industry. Donna and Paige reflect that, and this award is not just a recognition of their work, it’s a celebration of what HR can achieve.”
To read more about Morris and Ross and their illustrious careers, visit hrexecutive.com.
About HR Executive
Established in 1987, HR Executive is the premier global media company covering strategic issues in HR. Part of the Arc network, HR Executive provides more than 220,000 subscribers with news, content and analysis of global HR trends. HR Executive is where HR professionals go when they need to know, providing in-depth coverage on all facets of human resource management, including recruiting, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, learning and development, employment law, talent management, the latest technologies and more. Visit hrexecutive.com.
About Boston University Questrom School of Business
Founded in 1913, the Boston University Questrom School of Business is a global top-tier academic research business school. Led by Allen Questrom Professor and Dean Susan Fournier, Questrom develops business leaders who create value for the world. Questrom redefines transformational business programs, strengthens partnerships with the business community, advances the impact of research on business, and manages the school as a high-performing enterprise committed to excellence with a service mindset. Comprising a renowned full-time faculty of 165 researchers, teaching faculty, and accomplished practitioners, Questrom generates insights to address today’s business challenges and prepares students with the tools they need to succeed from Day 1 in their professional lives. Questrom’s portfolio of academic programs is robust and includes a Top 20 undergraduate program of over 2,200 students; distinctive MBA offerings including 900 students in a full- and part-time MBA, the affordable Online MBA and specialty MBAs in social impact, health, and digital technology; several thriving specialized masters programs in areas including business analytics, mathematical finance, and management studies; and a rigorous PhD program. More than 50,000 Questrom alumni form a powerful global network of leaders driving value creation that changes the world.
QUESTROM MEANS BUSINESS. For more information, visit bu.edu/questrom.
Media Contact: Kate Achille The Devon Group 732-706-0123 ext. 703 kate@devonpr.com
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