Ren Akinci is Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Emerald (NYSE: EEX), where she leads the company’s people strategy to drive growth, innovation, and cultural transformation. With over 15 years of experience across public and private equity-backed organizations, she brings a strategic, data-driven approach to building high-performing, adaptable, and inclusive workplaces.
Ren oversees both Emerald’s Human Resources and Facilities functions, with a focus on creating a seamless employee experience, strengthening workplace culture, and ensuring that physical environments support collaboration, productivity, and well-being. Since joining the company in 2021, she has led complex talent integration efforts across multiple acquisitions and advanced enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthen leadership capability, organizational design, and workforce planning. She partners closely with senior leaders to align people strategy with business objectives and support global teams through periods of transformation and growth.
Her background includes scaling HR operations in fast-paced environments, supporting diverse global workforces, and creating the infrastructure to enable creative, commercial, and operational excellence. Ren is also the host of Great Minds: People & Culture, a podcast exploring leadership, change, and the evolving workplace.
A recognized thought leader in the future of work, Ren has been featured in numerous podcasts and publications and was recently a speaker at SXSW. She holds a degree in accounting from Sacred Heart University and certifications in organizational design, Hogan Assessments, and change management. Outside of work, Ren enjoys traveling and exploring new cities with her husband, Ari, and their dog, Sasha, and is a dedicated advocate for animal welfare and environmental sustainability.
