Exit Interview: Accenture’s outgoing CHRO explains the ‘three massive shifts’ she’s witnessed over her 36-year career—and what’s in store for people leaders

Accenture's outgoing CHRO of 36 years, Ellyn Shook. (Credit: Courtesy of Accenture)

There are few HR leaders who can say they’ve led people operations for one company for nearly their entire career. But Ellyn Shook, the CHRO of Accenture, has been a mainstay of the global IT services and consulting firm for more than 36 years. 

She joined the team back in 1988 as an HR director. When she leveled up to CHRO in 2014, the business had 300,000 global employees, and she played a prominent role in scaling and training the workforce ever since. During her executive tenure Accenture has grown to nearly 750,000 staffers across 120 countries.