Najuma (Naj) Atkinson is a distinguished corporate leader and board director with over 30 years of experience guiding global organizations through transformation, growth, and purpose-driven cultural evolution. Recognized for her integrity, strategic acumen, and ability to inspire high-performing teams, Naj has built a career at the intersection of business transformation, governance, organizational design, and human capital management. She is known for delivering value that balances shareholder priorities with sustainable business practices and a deeply rooted commitment to inclusivity and employee well-being. Naj’s executive journey includes pivotal roles in major global companies such as Hasbro, Inc. and Dell Technologies. As evp, chief people & talent officer at Hasbro, Naj served as a key member of the executive leadership team, reporting directly to the ceo during a period of significant transformation. She led the design and execution of Hasbro’s people strategy across leadership effectiveness, high-performing teams, workforce planning, and employee well-being. Her efforts were instrumental in reshaping Hasbro’s leadership team, guiding workforce optimization initiatives that identified over $300 million in savings, and launching cultural and organizational programs that elevated employee engagement while aligning talent with the company’s strategic blueprint 2.0 vision. Prior to Hasbro, Naj held senior leadership positions at Dell Technologies for over two decades, culminating in her role as svp, chief human resources officer – global hr services. In this capacity, she directed a team of 1,000 hr professionals across regions, overseeing the employment life cycle for 160,000 global employees and 50,000 contingent workers. She successfully led initiatives ranging from the integration of large-scale m&a transactions (including the historic Dell/EMC merger) to the global implementation of Workday and ServiceNow, significantly modernizing hr operations. Naj also spearheaded Dell’s customer analytics and data insights function, advancing a customer-first culture and embedding data-driven decision-making across the enterprise. Naj’s governance and board experience includes serving as chair of the compensation and human capital management committee and a member of the nomination and governance committee for Marqeta, Inc. (nasdaq: mq), a leader in the fintech sector. She also devoted over a decade as a board member of the boys & girls club of the greater austin area, underscoring her passion for community service and youth development. Throughout her career, Naj has worked across every continent, engaging with diverse teams and stakeholders in regions such as Europe, the UK, Spain, France, the Middle East, Panama, Brazil, Canada, Asia, Japan, China, India, Singapore, and Costa Rica. This extensive international exposure informs her inclusive leadership style and her ability to build trust quickly across cultures and geographies. Naj holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Fisk University and a master of arts in organizational management from Trevecca Nazarene University. She has earned professional certifications including ceo leadership from Harvard Business School executive education, executive compensation programs and practices from Boston University Questrom School of Business, and dispute resolution from the dispute resolution center in Austin, TX. Recognized for her impact, Naj has been featured in black enterprise, savoy magazine’s most influential black executives in corporate america, and cnbc’s make it! series. She has spoken at notable forums such as the black enterprise women of power summit, adp hr executive conference, and the national association of women business owners. Today, Naj is passionate about leveraging her experience to help organizations—particularly in fintech, consumer packaged goods, and technology—thrive through strategic growth, talent development, and effective governance. As a board director and advisor, she is committed to helping companies unlock value, enhance culture, and meet ambitious goals while empowering the next generation of leaders. Character: Najuma Atkinson is a values-driven leader known for integrity, inclusivity, and a deep commitment to purpose-driven cultures and community service. Knowledge: She brings extensive expertise in governance, executive compensation, organizational design, culture transformation, and global human capital management. Strategic: Naj excels at aligning talent, organizational structures, and operational initiatives with business strategy to drive growth, transformation, and shareholder value. Communication: She is a collaborative communicator who builds trust quickly, fosters strong relationships across cultures, and engages effectively with boards, executives, and employees alike.