Carol Surface

Chief People Officer, Hp

Search every verified Carol Surface interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Carol Surface, then senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Medtronic, participated in a Compensation Committee Virtual Summit panel on September 16, 2020. During the discussion, she stated that the role of the chief human resources officer has evolved from transactional discussions about executive compensation to a more systemic view of the organization, including succession, retention, diversity, and pay performance. Surface noted that during the pandemic, Medtronic prioritized income protection for employees and invested in their health and well-being, and that the company made difficult decisions around incentive compensation, resulting in zero short-term incentive payouts but adjusted payouts for broad-based employees. Surface also addressed the relationship between compensation committees and HR leaders, saying that a good CHRO brings knowledge of how incentive compensation drives behavior and a broad understanding of human capital issues. She emphasized that boards need a consistent set of metrics on talent, succession, culture, and inclusion, with granular data to identify challenges. Surface added that human capital metrics such as employee engagement, cultural transformation, retention of key performers, and diversity were reported quarterly to boards, reflecting increased exposure, expectation, and accountability.