KJ brings over 30 years of HR and business experience to her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for Panera Bread. In this role, KJ acts as the Strategic HR Business Partner for Niren Chaudhary, CEO, and the Executive Leadership Team.  KJ is responsible for the strategy and execution of HR programs and services that further Panera’s efforts to deliver outstanding business results through a highly engaged, empowered workforce.  As CPO, KJ leads all aspects of HR including HR Systems and Operations, Compensation, Benefits, Employee Relations, Leadership Development, Training, Performance Management and Talent and Succession Planning to ensure alignment of our human capital with our business and growth objectives.

Prior to her CPO role at Panera Bread, KJ spent just under 2 years as the CHRO at Cumberland Farms and 23 years at CVS Health in roles of increasing responsibility.  KJ joined CVS as a business analyst in the IT organization, moved into Pharmacy Operations as a project manager, and then into an HR management role focusing on Change Management.  She continued to build capability in Human Resources leading a variety of centers of excellence, most notable being the Vice President of Talent Management and Organizational Effectiveness for the CVS Health enterprise.  In her final role at CVS Health, KJ was the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for CVS Pharmacy where she acted as the strategic HR Business Partner to Helena Foulkes, President of CVS Pharmacy. 

Prior to joining CVS in 1996, KJ worked as a consultant for Children’s Hospital at the University of Washington and as a Senior Consultant with Andersen Consulting in their Change Management and Health Care practices in the Pacific Northwest.

KJ has a BA in Psychology from Stanford University and is a Certified Culture Facilitator.