Kristen Kirkland

Scaling for Growth, Head of Operations

Kristen Kirkland is a key driving force behind the infrastructure and implementation of Scaling for Growth, RHR’s premier cohort-based leadership program . She is motivated by her ability to create tangible change in the lives of leaders and to radically enhance the way they lead others and support their own mental health. Having worked as chief operating officer of the nonprofit Every Mother Counts for six years, Kristen has experienced firsthand the challenges and pressures that executives face.

Kristen’s PhD in organizational psychology and unparalleled passion for long-distance running enable her to practice exactly what she believes in—mental health and fitness as vital elements of a busy executive lifestyle. At RHR, Kristen weaves this into the way she innovates by creating new leadership development products while also providing outstanding assessment and coaching for leaders from Fortune 50 companies to young startups. She combines this with her unique ability to create structure where it is most vitally needed, a skill that also supports her as an energetic and dedicated mother.

CONTACT

Education

• The City University of New York (CUNY)’s The Graduate Center

PhD, Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• CUNY’s The Graduate Center

MS, Industrial and Organizational Psychology

• Oglethorpe University

BA, Psychology

Articles & Podcasts

Article

Sommer, K.L., Kirkland, K.L., Newman, S., Estrella, P, & Andreassi, J.L. (2009). Narcissism and cardiovascular reactivity to thoughts of rejection. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 39(5), 1083–1115.

Read

Article

Kirkland, K., McMillan, E.L., & Kirkland, K.L. (2005). Use of collateral contacts in child custody evaluations. Journal of Child Custody, 4, 95–109.

Read

Article

Kirkland, K., Kirkland, K.L., Reaves, R.P. (2004). On the professional use of disciplinary data. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 35, 179–184.

Read

Article

Kirkland, K. and Kirkland, K.L. (2000). Frequency of child custody evaluation complaints and related disciplinary action: A survey of ASPPB member boards. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 32(2), 171–174.

Read

Every Mother Counts Part I

We talk with Kristen about how running is integral to the efforts of Every Mother Counts and how the common theme of distance enables runners to connect with the purpose of the organization. This episode is Part I of our conversation with Kristen and be sure to listen to episode 059 for Part II.

Listen

Every Mother Counts Part II

Kristen shares a story about participating in the Hood to Coast Relay with Every Mother Counts. We learn about a number of ways runners can get involved with the organization, including running the New York City Marathon.

Listen

Pregnancy, Parenting and Politics

Jeanne talks with Kristen Kirkland of Every Mother Counts about their dream jobs, how to make working motherhood possible and how Kristen took her passion for improving maternal health and ran with it.

Listen

Clients

As we evolve our leadership and succession practices to align with our growth agenda, RHR has been a trusted partner in bringing objective data and insights on our talent to better shape our future.

Tapaswee Chandele, Global Head, Talent and Development

Succession planning done right builds internal bench strength for smooth leadership transitions. RHR provides a second set of eyes on our top talent, and helps us focus their development to maximize their potential.

Anonymous, Chief Human Resources Officer

Working with the team from RHR was a pleasure. They were able to enhance and complement our programming and accelerate the growth and development of our employees.

Joseph Hirt, Director, Leadership Development

I have worked with the RHR International team for over four years across two different companies, and I have seen the impact of our partnership manifested through improved leadership, heightened levels of candor and awareness, and more thoughtful and informed succession decisions. Since the early days of our partnership, they have consistently modeled an intent to help leaders be “the best versions of themselves” by leveraging rigorous assessment data that in turn has led to powerful conversations and, more importantly, behavior change.

Stacey Panayiotou, Executive Vice President, Human Resources

The rigor with which our talent has been assessed by the RHR team offers us an objective foundation on which we can support our leaders in strengthening and building their leadership competence. As a result of our partnership with RHR, our leaders will be better prepared, personally and professionally, to tackle the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Jeff Lindeman, Group Director, Operations