STEVE DEGNAN
Speaker, Advisor, CHRO Executive, Non-Profit Board Member, Military Veteran
ABOUT STEVE DEGNAN
Steve spent 32 years, 20 as Chief HR Officer with the world’s leading food and pet food company. Steve, an Army veteran, advises companies and executives on how to maximize the results their people and organizations produce and also serves on multiple non-profit boards, one of them as Board Chair.
Steve is available for advice and consulting.
Steve began his next chapter in 2023 and is currently writing a book intended to help professionals navigate the craziness of organizations, bosses, hierarchies and many other topics with a mix of sage advice and sometimes biting humor. You can book Steve for speaking engagements where he’s sure to meet the moment with great stories, good humor and recommendations on how to be your best as a professional.
RECENT CONTENT
SPEAKING / CONSULTING
With candor and humor, Steve will speak to the topic of his forthcoming book, about becoming Promotable and Fireproof. Steve will base his talk on the thousands of interactions he had as a Chief HR Officer of a $13 Billion business, with 10,000 plus employees. Steve will share stories of success and failure, wins and losses, with lessons for individual contributors, high potentials on their way up and senior leaders. Regardless of the industry or function, Steve will taylor his talk and focus on the most salient ways your audience can maximize their human impact in this age of AI, robotics and automation. Check out Steve’s various social media channels (links posted on this site) that feature his “short takes” on a wide variety of subjects, from serious to silly, to get a sense of his style and tone.
Having spoken to large audiences throughout this career, Steve is comfortable adjusting to whatever the context or industry might be; he will impart a positive constructive tone along with some self deprecating humor.
Steve’s consulting specializes in agile re-engineering of businesses or business units, working directly with leadership teams. Steve witnessed numerous attempts at transforming businesses in his career and knows how to help your team get after the essential questions and decisions, without the long term embedded consulting arrangements that so often accompany such efforts. The leaders listed in the endorsement section of this site have worked directly with Steve on such efforts. We look forward to hearing from you.
WHAT OTHER'S SAY
Steve has exceptional understanding of people - from shop floor to C-suite. He knows what is needed for the organization success and how to meet the need grounds up, shaping the culture of the organization. He believes in the power of people and their ability to rise to meet the challenge.
I have known Steve for over 20 years including his role as CHRO at Nestle Purina. Steve is a straight-shooting honest man, a true servant leader who puts the needs of others before his own. One of his greatest strengths is his uncanny ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of an organization. Can’t wait for his new book to come out soon!
Steve Degnan is the rare breed of human resource professionals who is capable of leveraging the talent function into a strategic competitive advantage. He understood that competition can copy just about anything and even find work arounds to intellectual property but a culture of excellence is what truly drives long term sustainable performance and is by far the hardest thing that others can replicate.
Steve Degnan is what you get when you combine a perpetual US Army lieutenant with a seasoned Chief Executive. Passionate, irreverent, and hilarious, Steve's ability to influence, shape, and transform the entire enterprise, from CEO to the director level, is his unique gift.
Steve is a creative leader who has the bandwidth to relate to factory floor issues up through the boardroom. Fun and energetic, always leaving you with ideas to grow and improve.
I have had the distinct pleasure of getting to know Steve Degnan through the Board of Trustees at La Salle University where he has become a trusted leader, trustee, and resource for me and our institution...
Steve is not your typical HR Leader but he is who every HR Leader should aspire to be. Steve has a keen knack for cutting through the bureaucracy and he doesn’t shy away from being a disrupter when change is required.
I enjoyed watching Steve lead the people efforts for Nestle Purina business in the US and in many ways he established trends for the rest of the Nestle Group to study and imitate where possible.
Steve Degnan is a model of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to excellence in the corporate world. During my time as CEO of Guardian Angel Settlement Association in St. Louis, MO, I had the privilege of working closely with Steve, who served as a board member, leader, advisor, and champion of our mission.
Steve Degnan is a rare breed—that guy who drives large scale change while somehow making everyone involved feel seen and respected. I've relied on his insight more times than I can remember as we've planned, pitched, and performed against ambitious new goals for the cause we serve...
Steve’s experience and knowledge are hard won, unique and authentic. During my time as CEO, I relied on Steve to plan and execute the largest transformation of our approach to people and culture in the 125+ year history of Purina.
Joe Sivewright
CEO, Nestle Purina Americas, Retired
It isn't just Steve's pragmatism and ability to see all situations through the prism of common sense and fairness that make him the first person I consult when I encounter a challenging situation...
Steve Degnan possesses a remarkable talent for cutting through the noise, pinpointing core issues, dissecting them into manageable components, and motivating a team to develop and implement solutions. Before working with him, my perception of Human Resources professionals was largely negative...
As Chair of the Board at Starkloff Disability Institute, Steve brings invaluable business knowledge and a heartfelt passion for helping others. His commitment is evident in the wholehearted devotion he shows to our mission.
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
