Roseann Lynch

Fashion Tech Forum: In The Studio

Roseann Lynch not only has a vast and important role as Chief People Officer and Head of the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation at Ralph Lauren, but she has her own personal set of values that guide her across all aspects of her own life – a fundamental value system of guiding principles and practices that shape the remarkable person that she is. Few leaders have the mindfulness, discipline, humility and generosity of spirit that Roseann has, and this comes across in all she does, and in the way that she has been able to reinvent the role of Chief People Officer at Ralph Lauren, by doing what she would say is the most important thing for any leader: showing up, talking to and listening to those she is responsible for leading and supporting. In this conversation, we go deep into Roseann’s upbringing in Brooklyn, where her hardworking, first generation Italian immigrant parents, inspired the personal values that guide her today. We talk about how she works to define purpose, how she maintains a dharma practice as a yoga teacher, and how she keeps a rigorous plan that includes intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical practices and goals. We also dive into her current role at Ralph Lauren, and the way that the company thinks about protecting not just 23,000 Ralph Lauren employees, but their families, partners and beyond. We discuss the nature of the role of Chief People Officer, and the evolution from Human Resources to the current, true scope and responsibilities of this role today. We close on the importance of her dharma practice, and our shared passion for connecting with people, empathizing, protecting and giving back – and that doing the work on one’s self, not just talking about it, is essential to any leader’s success in cultivating a company culture that truly is about the people it serves. I hope you enjoy this episode, and thanks again as always for joining me In the Studio.