Johnny C. Taylor Jr.

Johnny Clayton Taylor Jr. is an American lawyer, author, board member and public speaker who is the president and chief executive officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). He was previously president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which represents the 47 publicly-supported historically Black colleges and universities in the United States. In February 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Taylor chair of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He is vice chair of the University of Miami, and trustee of Jobs for America’s Graduates. Taylor sits on the corporate boards of Guild Education, Internet Collaborative Information Management Systems (ICIMS), and XPO Logistics.

Early life and education
Taylor was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and graduated as valedictorian of his class at Dillard High School in Broward County. He attended the University of Miami, where he was an Isaac Bashevis Singer Scholar and graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. He went on to earn a Master of Arts with honors from Drake University and a Juris Doctor with honors from the Drake Law School, where he served as research editor of the Drake Law Review and argued on the National Moot Court Team. He is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. Bar Associations.

Career
Taylor has held senior human resources and legal executive roles with Viacom and its subsidiaries including Blockbuster Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and Alamo Rent a Car. He was Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary to Compass Group USA before becoming partner and Chief Executive in the McGuireWoods law firm. Taylor worked for InterActiveCorp (IAC), a media company, first as the senior vice president of human resources, and then as the president and chief executive officer of one of IAC's operating subsidiaries RushmoreDrive.

Taylor led the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) in 2010. This includes 47 publicly-supported historically Black colleges and universities, six law schools, two medical schools, and over 300,000 students.

On June 1, 2017, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) named Taylor president and chief executive officer.

Author
Taylor wrote the 2021 book Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval.

He is co-author of The Trouble with HR: An Insider's Guide to Finding and Keeping the Best People, which covers employee relations, compensation and benefits, training, on-boarding, and development practices.

He writes a weekly column in USA Today titled "Ask HR." In May 2023, Taylor, in collaboration with Nancy Brown and Joe Ucuzoglu, co-wrote an article titled "How can workplace health equity lead to a fair and just society?" The authors argue that equity not only serves as a moral obligation but also as a critical business imperative.

Public speaking
Taylor has delivered presentations where he discusses the future of human resources. He speaks on business leadership, diversity, management, politics at work, and human resources. He has spoken to The Today Show, CNBC, Reuters, HR Magazine, CBS Evening News, Time, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and Big Think.

Taylor has testified before Congress on several occasions, covering workforce issues such as sexual harassment and paid leave.

In 2017, Taylor gave the keynote address at Albany State University's fall commencement ceremony for graduates of College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Education, and the College of Sciences and Technology. In 2019, he spoke at the International Career and Business Alliance Diversity and Inclusion conference.

In September 2021, Taylor held a virtual event as part of the Big Ideas Speaker Series at Rotman Livestream, where he discussed his book, Reset: A Leader's Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, remote work, and increased focus on diversity and inclusion.

In 2022, Taylor spoke at the University of Miami graduation ceremony at the Watsco Center. On December 1, 2023, he was guest speaker at the 15th Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna, where he discussed "Creative Resilience, Leading in an Age of Discontinuity".

Board positions
Taylor sits on the corporate boards of Guild Education, iCIMS, and XPO Logistics. He also serves on several non-profit boards including the Board of Trustees at the University of Miami, and the Board of Trustees for Jobs for America’s Graduates.

He previously served on the boards of Gallup Inc., AuBon Pain, Inc., Cooper Union, Society for Human Resource Management/SHRM, Drake University, BlumenthalPerforming Arts Center, Leader to Leader Institute f/k/a The Peter F. Drucker Foundation, YMCA of the USA, and Johnson C. Smith University. He was an advisor to Safe Streets and Second Chances, a program working to reduce recidivism among previously incarcerated individuals.

Taylor has served in several government appointed positions. He acted as chair to President Trump’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. The board advises the National Council for the American Worker on how to ensure that students and workers have access to the resources they need to succeed in the global economy. In 2020, Taylor was U.S. Representative Mark Walker’s guest for the State of the Union address.

Articles

 * Johnny C. Taylor Jr. (May 3, 2022) "How do I support employees' caregiving needs?" USA Today
 * Johnny C. Taylor Jr. (April 29, 2022) "Ask HR: What's the Best Way to Ask for Raise?" Muck Rack
 * Johnny C. Taylor Jr. (March 26, 2019) "Can worker get written up for changing TV to Fox News? Free-speech rights differ in office" Herald
 * Johnny C. Taylor Jr. "Flexibility in the Workplace Is No Longer an Anomaly" Future of Business and Tech
 * Johnny C. Taylor Jr. (September 26, 2021) "The Power of People You Overlook" Wiley Library

Awards and recognitions

 * In 2011, Taylor was named on Ebony magazine's "Power 100" list of influential African-Americans. In March 2019, Drake University awarded Taylor their alumni of the year award.
 * In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management. The same year he was named a top ten human resources influencer by the LaSalle Network and a King Legacy Award recipient at the 29th International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. breakfast.
 * Taylor was recognized by Washingtonian magazine as one of Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2023.

Personal life
Taylor married former WNBA player Charlotte Smith-Taylor in 2002. The couple divorced in 2007. Taylor has two children and resides in the Washington metropolitan area.