Fairstead, a fully-integrated real estate firm committed to affordable housing, announced the appointment of Gladys Chen as its first Chief People Officer (CPO).

As Fairstead's new CPO, Chen will provide strategic and operational Human Resources leadership for the firm, drive initiatives that support the company's strategic objectives regarding corporate culture and values, and collaborate with Fairstead's leadership team to successfully grow the business while maintaining a high-performance work environment.

She brings over 15 years of experience in organizational design, executive recruitment, leadership development, and diversity and inclusion to her new role and will be based out of Fairstead's New York headquarters.

"Our most important asset and the foundation of Fairstead's success is our people," added Will Blodgett, Fairstead Co-Founder and Partner. "Coming from the fintech and customer service world, Gladys brings a unique perspective and has demonstrated a strategic approach to HR operations.

She has exemplified a tremendous ability to identify diverse and strong talent throughout her career and will play a key role in attracting top professionals to Fairstead as we solidify our reputation as a great place to work and a company that makes a positive difference in the world. Gladys is an excellent addition to our leadership team, and we're thrilled to welcome her to Fairstead as our first Chief People Officer."

Chen has been a leading Human Resources executive for nearly two decades across the technology, customer experience, and financial services sectors.  Most recently, she was head of HR for both the Customer Experience and Technology divisions at E*TRADE. Before that, she held various senior HR roles at Citigroup within their Digital Consumer businesses as well as the Citi Private Bank organization.

Chen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, Master of Business Administration from Hofstra University, and a Master of Professional Studies from the School of Visual Arts. In addition, she is certified in the Hogan Assessment Systems and in the iPEC coaching program.