With nearly 30 years of experience managing human resources on a global scale, Kim Seymour has demonstrated exceptional ability in driving transformation, fostering connections, delivering strategic insights, and aligning talent with organizational goals. Her career spans diverse industries including consumer goods, financial services, and technology platforms, where she has built world-class teams across various functions, geographies, and environments. Benefiting from these strengths, her advisory firm Leadership Amplified has flourished, spanning industries with a concentration in investment and private equity spaces.
A recognized thought leader, Kim is frequently invited to speak to audiences around the world on leadership, careers, and corporate culture. Her insights have been featured in prestigious publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, and Bloomberg.
Kim brings a wealth of experience, a strategic HR perspective, and a solution-oriented approach. Her ability to integrate human capital strategies with business goals, makes her a valuable asset in guiding companies through complex challenges and fostering long-term success. Her deep understanding of human and organizational behavior has been instrumental in shaping policies and practices that support sustainable growth, innovation, operational excellence, and employee engagement.
Kim Seymour is not just an HR leader; she is a strategic partner who helps organizations navigate the complexities of today’s business landscape, ensuring they are well-equipped for the future.
I've been CHRO at public companies and advised PE firms on value creation through talent strategy. I know what it takes to scale from successful to unstoppable - and SKIMS is at that inflection point. We're building cult-level brand loyalty while maintaining operational excellence. What excites me? Proving that you can architect a culture as iconic as the product. We're not just selling shapewear and apparel; we're building an environment where talent wants to create the next thing everyone's obsessed with. What excites me is helping this team figure out how talent and culture become competitive levers as we push toward the next billion.
Strong cultures recognize this singular truth: it's 0% what you SAY it is and 100% who you hire, fire, promote, or tolerate. Then they act accordingly. Everything else is marketing copy.
The death of "culture fit" and the rise of "culture add." We've spent decades hiring people who "fit in." The next decade belongs to leaders brave enough to hire people who push back, bring different perspectives, and make us uncomfortable. That's where innovation lives.
Also, ditching the nostalgia. "In my day" is the fastest way to become irrelevant.
Last, redefining performance. We're moving from "hours logged" to "problems solved" and “impact felt”. The leaders who can't make that shift will get left behind.
I've been in too many "women's networking" groups that felt performative. The WIE Suite is different. It's women who've already “made it” despite whatever stage they happen to be in right now, genuinely invested in pulling others up. No egos, no gatekeeping, no hesitation, no competition, no scarcity mindset. Just women with a genuine commitment to shortening the learning curve for others. That's rare and valuable.
There is no 1 thing for me.
1- I stopped trying to be likable and started trying to be useful and effective. Turns out, that's way more valuable. And ironically, people tend to like you more anyway.
2- I learned early that being the "only" in the room (only woman, only Black executive) meant I couldn't afford to be unprepared. That pressure created discipline. Now it's just who I am: I do the work, I know my stuff, and I don't wing it.
3- I’ve treated my career like a portfolio, not a ladder. Every role taught me something different - law school taught me risk and negotiation, GE taught me operations and process, Amex taught me leadership, PE taught me value creation. I didn't climb one path; I built a skill set that made me versatile.
4- I ask better questions than most people. Not to be smart - to actually understand the problem. You'd be amazed how many executives are solving the wrong thing because they never stopped to ask "wait, what are we actually trying to do here?"
Whoever Michelle Obama's best friend is. Think about it - keeper of secrets, haven of safety, teller of hard truths. That's a masterclass in loyalty and boundaries. We should all have someone like that, and BE someone like that.
Planes. There's nothing bad going on that can't be improved by a change in location, even if it's temporary. Geography as therapy—highly recommend.
The slow death of performative work. AI is forcing us to answer "what value does this actually create?" and a lot of meetings, reports, and processes are failing that test. I'm here for the efficiency revolution. Everyone's scared AI will replace us. I'm excited it'll finally let us stop doing the administrive and focus on the strategic work we should have been doing all along.
Book - "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin. It's not a business book, but it shaped how I think about power, voice, and speaking truth in spaces that weren't designed for you. That's been my entire career.
Show - "Succession." Hear me out—it's a masterclass in dysfunctional leadership, toxic culture, and what happens when you confuse dominance with competence. I watch it like a case study in what NOT to do. Bonus points for “Billions”, since I’m told that I’m the Wendy. Not sure how I should take that.
And since I have this space…
Emma Grede's upcoming book 'Start With Yourself' is the career/life guide I wish I'd had at 20. Not because I'd be somewhere different - I'm exactly where I should be - but because I might have second-guessed myself less along the way. If you're still figuring it out, read this. If you've already figured it out, buy it for someone coming up behind you.
