Developing Talent & Culture with Crystal Williams, Chief HR Officer at FLEETCOR
Miguel Armaza sits down with Crystal Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer for FLEETCOR (NYSE: FLT), a leading payments company that aims to simplify the way businesses manage and pay their expenses by allowing them to automate, secure, digitize, and control payments on behalf of their employees and suppliers. FLEETCOR operates around the world and is listed on the NYSE with a current market cap of $20 billion.
Crystal leads human capital across multiple business units and geographies and serves as strategic advisor to the Chairman and CEO. She is also an MBA graduate from the Wharton School.
Although Crystal describes herself as a “Human Resources professional through and through”, early in her HR career she realized she wanted to be more than an HR resource supporting the business. Instead, she was interested in understanding and helping drive the business forward. In order to become a true business partner, Crystal decided to get her MBA at Wharton followed by two years of management consulting at Sibson Consulting. She credits these experiences for teaching her business strategy and shaping her into a better HR professional.
Crystal has fond memories of her time at Wharton. Although her social life was not as active as the typical MBA (she was married and gave birth during her first year), she fully embraced her academic life. Being surrounded by amazing professors and a diverse mix of ambitious classmates taught her invaluable lessons that later served her well in her career.
Growing with FLEETCOR
FLEETCOR was founded in 2000 with the vision to provide fuel cards for businesses operating a fleet of cars. Three years after founding, the company was able to break even and reach total revenue of $73 million. 2003 also happened to be the year Crystal joined the company. Over the last 17 years, Crystal has risen through the ranks of the organization, navigated the company’s transition from private to public, helped grow the workforce from a few hundred to over 8,000 employees, and has instituted numerous successful leadership development programs.
Developing Company Culture and Fostering Talent
Crystal’s journey has been particularly interesting. Not only has she led HR for a fast-growing company, but FLEETCOR’s acquisitive nature has challenged her to integrate new cultures under the same umbrella. Company culture is so important for her, that she even recalls some instances where FLEETCOR passed on an acquisition because they believed the cultures could not be combined.
She admits culture was not always a top priority, but as FLEETCOR continued to grow they fully embraced the importance of having an empowering and inclusive environment that allows retaining an ambitious and entrepreneurial mindset. Moreover, as an increasingly global company, Crystal recognizes the importance of understanding the international landscape and cultural context from around the world. Being aware of the broader context will not only help them work more efficiently but will also ensure they are able to keep up with competitors.
As head of HR, Crystal is particularly focused on fostering talent and promoting from within. This is why her office created a Global Leader program to nurture future executives and provide them with the right tools to become better leaders. Program participants also take part in rotational leadership opportunities that expose them to multiple departments while giving them a better understanding of the company. According to Crystal, 4 out of 10 members of the executive team have risen through the ranks of the company as part of the program.
Future of People Management
The HR industry has come a long way since Crystal launched her career in the 90s. While HR’s role used to be reactive, it has increasingly become more proactive and she is absolutely convinced HR needs a seat at the table. Businesses that make strategic decisions without HR’s input are more likely to make mistakes, but if they work together it can make all the difference in the world and help a company execute strategies flawlessly.
Crystal Williams
Crystal Williams is the Chief Human Resources Officer for FLEETCOR, a leading global payments company. Williams leads human capital across multiple business units and geographies and serves as strategic advisor to the Chairman and CEO. She applies deep-rooted experience to establish widespread success in her key roles in mergers and acquisitions, talent management, and organizational development.
During her 17-year tenure, Williams navigated the cultural transition around FLEETCOR’s IPO, grew the workforce from a few hundred to more than 8,000 employees, instituted numerous successful leadership development programs and leads a 129-person HR department with team members spanning 9 countries.
Her strategic and dynamic approach to HR and leadership has earned recognition from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Women Worth Watching and the Stevie Awards for Women in Business.
Williams received an MBA in strategic management from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
About FLEETCOR:
FLEETCOR Technologies (NYSE: FLT) is a leading global business payments company that simplifies the way businesses manage and pay their expenses. The FLEETCOR portfolio of brands helps companies automate, secure, digitize, and control payments on behalf of their employees and suppliers. FLEETCOR serves businesses, partners, and merchants in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
For more information, please visit www.FLEETCOR.com.
