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CHICAGO (November 5, 2024) – The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) today announced the appointment of Sharon White as its first Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).
With over 15 years of hands-on experience in HR leadership, White brings an impressive background in human capital management with senior roles at five Fortune 500 companies, where she specialized in guiding transformative change and achieving ambitious organizational goals. White’s expertise spans essential HR functions, including culture development, leadership advancement, employee relations, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies.
White’s appointment is a critical step in NAR’s commitment to supporting its staff and enhancing member service. As CHRO, she will drive enterprise-wide initiatives aimed at fostering staff development and optimizing processes to ensure NAR employees are empowered to perform at their best.
“Sharon’s role is pivotal to realizing NAR’s vision of being an inclusive, collaborative and high-performing workplace,” said NAR CEO Nykia Wright. “Her focus on enhancing our culture will ensure our staff is supported in ways that allow us to deliver even greater value to our members and to be leaders in educating consumers on real estate best practices.”
White will take on a leadership role in implementing the Culture Transformation Committee’s recommendations once approved. NAR’s member-focused DEI team, led by Ryan Davis, will now report directly to White, with the intent to foster alignment in culture-building efforts and strengthen information sharing across departments.
White comes to NAR with a wealth of experience leading human resource initiatives for global organizations. Much of her career was spent in the media industry, where she held a series of senior leadership positions, including Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the technology and operations division at WarnerMedia. During a time of explosive growth and significant company transformation, she oversaw the company’s organizational design and change management initiatives, including talent acquisition, total rewards, employee relations and engagement.
Earlier, she was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at HBO, where she launched initiatives that dramatically improved organizational efficiency, culture and employer brand while saving hundreds of millions of dollars in operating costs. Previously, White held a senior HR leadership role at the Food Network.
In addition, she recently served as Chief People Officer for Maesa, LCC, a Bain Capital portfolio company and global beauty incubator, where she was instrumental in driving a culture transformation effort that improved employee engagement and significantly reduced turnover.
White expressed enthusiasm for joining NAR during a period of growth and innovation.
“I am honored to step into this role at such a pivotal time for NAR,” White said. “I am eager to get to work with our talented team to foster a culture where everyone feels supported and empowered. By strengthening our internal processes and focusing on development and inclusion, we’ll be even better positioned to help our members do their best work in their communities.”
White succeeds HR consultant Karyn Detje, who served as an interim HR leader, providing steady guidance through a year of cultural transformation at NAR. Detje’s efforts were instrumental in the process that led to White’s selection and in advancing the association’s cultural objectives over the last 10 months.
White will be based in NAR’s Chicago office, with regular engagements in Washington, D.C., to support the organization’s commitment to its members and staff.
About the National Association of Realtors®
The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term Realtor® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. For free consumer guides about navigating the homebuying and selling transaction processes – from written buyer agreements to negotiating compensation – visit facts.realtor.
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