Adrian Holt

Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer, Eastman Chemical Company

Search every verified Adrian Holt interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Adrian Holt, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Eastman Chemical, discussed HR challenges in the specialty chemical industry during a January 2025 CHRO Conversation hosted by the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business. He described his goal of making Eastman an "academy company" known for developing talent, noting that he began pursuing this vision after a recruiter suggested hiring from such organizations. Holt said the initiative has generated employee excitement and training participation, though he acknowledged that after 15 months, it remains early in implementation. Holt also addressed projected workforce shortages, stating that America is expected to have only 75% of the engineers needed by 2030, creating a 25% gap between supply and demand. He said this shortage extends across various roles in the business and that HR leaders must plan for retention and recruitment in a competitive environment. Holt previously served as CHRO of WireCo World Group and holds board roles with the Johnson City Boys & Girls Club and the Riegel and Emory Center for Human Resources Research.