Johnny C. Taylor will take charge as a new leader and CEO of Society for Human Resources Management. Taylor will become the seventh president and CEO of SHRM and will replace Henry G. Jackson who will retire in December. Taylor is the second attorney to lead the organization and the second African-American after Jackson to take the job.

Taylor, who is an American lawyer, author, and public speaker comes with a diverse experience in leadership and people strategies. He has been serving as the CEO and President of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the national organization representing students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities from the past seven years. He also serves on the board of Gallup and the Board of Trustees of The Cooper Union, a privately funded college located in New York City.

Prior to TMCF, Taylor worked with InterActiveCorp (IAC) as CEO of one of its subsidiaries. Before joining IAC, he has also served in several senior human resources and legal executive roles with Viacom subsidiaries and with Blockbuster. He has also worked with SHRM before as a chairman in 2005 and 2006.

SHRM Board Chair Coretha M. Rushing, in the press release shares, "Johnny Taylor is a visionary leader and an accomplished HR strategist who is committed to the continued advancement of the profession, and the board of directors looks forward to working with him."

Taylor holds a Juris Doctor degree and a Master of Arts from Drake University.  He secured a Bachelor of Science with the general university from the University of Miami. Taylor has co-authored a book Trouble with HR: An Insider's Guide to Finding and Keeping the Best People. The book explores the latest thinking in employee relations, compensation and benefits, training, onboarding, and development practices.