William Blair announced that Amber Kennelly has been named chief human resources officer (CHRO). Kennelly will join William Blair’s leadership team and oversee the firm’s human resources capabilities.

“As we strive to seek excellence in everything we do and elevate the impact we make for our clients and our communities, our people will always be our greatest asset,” said Beth Satterfield, William Blair’s chief operating officer. “As CHRO, Amber will play a pivotal role in an exciting phase of our firm’s growth.”
Kennelly, who will be based in Chicago, is responsible for ensuring that William Blair employs best-in-class HR strategies, programs, and processes; this effort includes analyzing the firm’s existing offerings and designing and implementing new initiatives. Specifically, Kennelly will oversee the firm’s compensation and benefits packages, employee learning and development programs, talent acquisition efforts, client partnership, diversity and inclusion initiatives, HR information systems, and succession plans. Most importantly, she will focus on strengthening the firm’s partnership culture and employee engagement, two core differentiators for William Blair.

“I am thrilled to join William Blair, a firm whose reputation for delivering impeccable client service is well-known throughout the financial services industry,” Kennelly said. “I look forward to collaborating with the senior leadership team and individuals across the firm to expand William Blair’s innovative solutions that encourage employee passion, wellness, and engagement.”

Throughout her 20-year career, Kennelly has developed, implemented, and managed initiatives in all aspects of human capital management. She most recently served as CHRO for HUB International, where she led all core HR strategies, programs, and processes for more than 15,000 employees. Before joining HUB, Kennelly served as vice president of compensation and benefits at Allstate Insurance Company, where she also held other senior human resources roles, including time as vice president of Esurance, an Allstate subsidiary. Her background also includes accounting roles at Deloitte & Touche and Jones Lang LaSalle. She received her M.B.A. from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and her B.S. with honors in accountancy from the University of Illinois. She has also earned designations as a CPA and Certified Compensation Professional.