Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Abbvie
Search every verified Timothy Richmond interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Tim Richmond, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at AbbVie, discussed leadership and workplace culture in a 2025 podcast with Great Place to Work CEO Michael C. Bush. Richmond stated that AbbVie holds leaders accountable through employee surveys, providing direct feedback on engagement and inclusion, and that managers below a certain level receive extra support from HR. He described listening as the most important leadership behavior and said executives must take responsibility for the entire chain of leadership, not just their executive team. Richmond also said that culture work is hard and that AbbVie’s chairman and CEO prioritized culture as one of the company’s top four business strategies. In a 2021 interview, Richmond said that the things driving attraction and retention include great people leadership, strong cultures, and alignment with a company’s mission and vision. He noted that AbbVie’s employee survey achieved a 90% response rate and the highest culture score in the company’s history. Richmond stated that the company makes the "how" equal to the "what" when assessing and rewarding talent, evaluating behaviors and performance together. He also said that a non-response to an external issue is a response, and that companies increasingly have to choose whether to take a stand on social or political issues.
“One of my proudest moments in my career has been the creation of the culture in our company. It takes a strategy, hard work, commitment, and it has to be a priority. Our chairman and CEO, Rick Gonzalez, prioritized culture as one of our top four business strategies, which is really powerful.”
“If you create a great experience for your people, they're going to take care of your company and your customers. About 20% of leaders get it, but many don't, and that's why companies like AbbVie are important because they prove you can merge and still keep a great company and culture.”
“Culture work is hard. If you want to choose the easiest path, this isn't it. Every day there's an equal and opposite reaction to some great thing you did for your people. You're never sleeping well, but this is the life you choose because you know the power of what can happen if you elevate and care for a lot of people...”
“We hold leaders accountable through employee surveys, giving direct feedback on engagement and inclusion. Managers below a certain level get extra help with HR, including 360s and focus groups, and are required to re-survey. This helps protect the employee experience and reinforces accountability.”
Tim Richmond, EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer at AbbVie, and Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work, talk about ...
Tim Richmond shares his views on the role of HR in driving business success and how HR can facilitate innovation to improve the quality of healthcare around the world.
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