HR AS A BUSINESS LEADER
Moving the Institute Forward
By Margaret Brown and Archana Mehta
A conversation with the new executive director of the
HR Certification Institute
The Board of Directors of the HR Certification Institute recently announced it had appointed a new leader
for the Institute, the first full-time executive director to hold the Senior Professional in Human Resources
(SPHR®) certification. She shared with us the reason she chose certification from HRCI, how important
certification is to any business professional and what her vision is for the organization.
Certified: How did you decide to become
involved in the HR profession?
Amy Dufrane: During a college internship
program, I was at an organization that
exposed me to every facet of the business,
from public relations to marketing to
human resources. It was called ‘personnel’
at the time, and it really intrigued me.
Several of the organization’s HR staff
coached and mentored me during my
internship. As a result of that experience,
the organization hired me full-time in its
personnel department before I graduated
18 CERTIFIED
2014: Volume I
from college. I was very passionate about
human resources then, and that passion
remains today! HR is a fantastic profession
for individuals who want to change an
organization and the future of business.
C: Why did you decide to become SPHR
certified?
AD: The SPHR was the best fit for my
experience and background in human
resources. Going through my preparation
and passing the Institute’s exam was a
challenge, but it was very rewarding.
What drew me to certification from the
Institute was the larger community of
HR practitioners with whom I can share
information and best practices. In order
to be an effective business leader, you
need the expertise of others like you
to strengthen your business toolkit. We
all need a network of colleagues to be
effective, and the network you can build
with other certified HR professionals is
vital. Building that community for HR
professionals is very important to me.
www.HRCI.org