Adam “Avi” Grein is a seasoned human resources executive and executive coach whose career has been shaped by a simple conviction: organizations thrive when people are seen, trusted, and equipped to do their best work. Over nearly three decades, he has guided large, complex, and highly regulated enterprises through transformation, scaling talent systems and culture with a steady hand and an operator’s eye for outcomes. He bridges boardroom strategy with frontline execution, translating business ambitions into human capital practices that lift performance, retention, and trust.
Today, as Chief Human Resources Officer at Metra Commuter Rail in Chicago, Avi serves as a strategic partner to the CEO and Board, overseeing the full span of HR—talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, HRIS, organizational development, culture, EEO and compliance, medical and leave administration, employee relations, and DEI. He leads with the pragmatic understanding that a public-sector transportation system must demonstrate reliability, safety, and service every single day, and that these outcomes rest on the quality of its people experience. His remit aligns workforce strategy with operational excellence, ensuring the HR agenda advances the mission, improves customer satisfaction, and strengthens stakeholder confidence.
Avi’s leadership was forged in high-stakes environments. As Vice President for Eastern Operations within the U.S. Department of Defense, he was handpicked by the Army CHRO and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for Personnel to direct multi-state qualification and onboarding operations for federal service across the U.S. Military and Coast Guard. He managed nine executives and oversaw 32 sites comprising 1,200 civilian and military personnel on a $60 million operating budget. His team’s charge spanned aptitude testing, medical readiness and evaluation, large-scale talent acquisition and placement, and coordinating transport to training locations nationwide—work that demanded both precise logistics and compassionate stewardship of the candidate experience.
Operational rigor underpins Avi’s results. He led a $25 million medical provider contract that strategically aligned physicians, PAs, and allied staff to regional demand, achieving a 98 percent coverage rate while cutting overtime by 20 percent and delivering six-figure savings. That blend of analytical discipline and people-centered implementation is characteristic of his approach: define the outcome, align cross-functional capabilities, and empower teams with clarity, tools, and accountability.
Previously, as Deputy Director and Chief of Staff for the Army Human Resources Information System (IPPS-A), Avi managed an $8 million portfolio and five executive leaders spanning HR operations, logistics, budget, legal, and strategic communications. He directed an internal efficiency review that became the launch point for Agile implementation across the organization, eliminating redundancies and generating significant annual savings. In a domain where compliance and mission assurance are paramount, he championed transparency of metrics and iterative problem solving—turning a complex program into a more responsive, learning system.
At Fort Jackson, Avi was competitively selected over 120 HR executives to serve as Executive Director for the Army’s largest onboarding center, which receives over 45,000 new employees annually—roughly 55 percent of all new U.S. Army entrants. He led seven directorates and more than 200 employees, coordinating support from 23 independent agencies to deliver seamless first impressions at enterprise scale. His signature contribution was a comprehensive engagement initiative that connected at-risk new hires to physical, spiritual, and emotional readiness resources, materially reducing early attrition and protecting millions in talent investment each month.
Avi’s earlier work as Executive Director for Organization and Leader Development further illustrates his strategic range. Serving as principal advisor to the President of the Army’s Human Resource Management School, he and his team stewarded workforce modernization, occupational classification, and policy across the HR enterprise. He guided the implementation strategy for the Army’s first internal talent marketplace and applicant tracking system—an open, skills-forward platform that increased employee engagement and significantly reduced turnover. By opening transparent pathways for development and mobility, he demonstrated how modern HR technology can be a lever for culture and retention, not merely a system of record.
As Executive Director for Strategic Initiatives, Avi partnered with union and contract workforces, department heads, and external leaders to advance HR transformation and education. He launched a strategic speaker series featuring Fortune 500 executives and government leaders and hosted the semi-annual Strategic Human Resources Summit, helping the enterprise scan the horizon for new practices and ideas. He also built a communications program combining live, virtual, and digital experiences that drove measurable gains in employee knowledge, engagement, and retention—evidence that message discipline and multi-channel design are core HR competencies in modern institutions.
Earlier, at the National Security Agency, Avi served as Director of People Operations, advising the CHRO across cryptology, intelligence, logistics, and communications. He led a multi-service HR operations team, oversaw HRIS management and security, and delivered an all-digital employee records management platform recognized for innovation and cost efficiency. The initiative reduced processing timelines dramatically and resolved hundreds of legacy records—an operational win that also advanced transparency, compliance, and employee trust.
Beyond his operating roles, Avi is a certified Executive Coach (ACC) who has supported leaders across sectors in clarifying purpose, strengthening teams, and navigating high-consequence decisions. His research fellowship on psychological safety deepened his commitment to inclusive environments where diverse perspectives can challenge assumptions and spark innovation. He has been a senior advisor on equality initiatives within the intelligence community and remains an active voice on DEI as a driver of organizational effectiveness, not a parallel agenda.
Educated in public administration (MPA, Personnel Policy) with ongoing graduate study in organizational psychology, Avi integrates behavioral science with the practicalities of large-scale operations. He holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credential, reflects continually on the ethics of leadership, and measures his work by the outcomes that matter most: safer, more resilient, and more human workplaces. His affiliations—spanning the Army’s Human Resources Association and the International Coaching Federation—speak to a career grounded in service, learning, and community.
Avi’s industry perspective cuts across transportation, technology-enabled HR, national security, and government services, with international exposure across Europe and regional leadership across Alaska, Hawaii, Korea, and Japan. He is equally fluent in policy and practice, using data to earn the right to change how work gets done while honoring the dignity of the people doing it. Outside of work, he is a devoted traveler, a disciplined fitness enthusiast, an avid reader, and an unapologetic darts competitor—pursuits that keep him curious, steady, and focused on the long game.
What defines Adam “Avi” Grein is not simply his record of program launches, efficiency gains, and culture wins; it is his ability to earn trust at scale. Whether advising a board, coaching a senior team, or stewarding a unionized, safety-critical workforce, he shows up as a builder—of systems, of leaders, and of shared purpose. He believes the best HR is a strategic asset, the best strategies are human-centered, and the best leaders are those who listen first and act with conviction.
Character:
He leads with integrity, consistency, and respect, choosing candor that builds trust rather than comfort that avoids accountability. He honors commitments and shows up in moments of pressure with steadiness and care for people. He holds himself to outcomes and values, believing both are required to create workplaces worthy of the people they serve.
Knowledge:
He integrates organizational psychology, labor relations, and HR systems design into actionable strategies that improve performance. He learns from data and from people, pairing dashboards with listening tours to understand reality on the ground. He treats every transformation as a classroom, building repeatable playbooks that outlast any single leader.
Strategic:
He connects human capital to mission readiness and customer outcomes, designing talent systems that enable strategy rather than react to it. He sequences change with attention to governance, risk, and pacing so improvements stick. He anticipates second-order effects and builds coalitions that turn good ideas into durable results.
Communication:
He translates complexity into clear narratives that align boards, executives, and frontline teams. He creates multi-channel communication plans that inform, invite participation, and reinforce desired behaviors. He listens deeply, responds thoughtfully, and uses communication as a tool for culture, not just compliance.
