Kyndryl Appoints new Chief Human Resources Officer

Kyndryl has appointed Mark Paulek as its new Chief Human Resources Officer, after first joining the company in 2022. 

He takes over the role from Maryjo Charbonnier, who retired at the end of March following more than four years at the company. She is transitioning into an Executive Advisor role until the end of August, as Mark settles into the role. 

“I am pleased to appoint Mark to this critical role as we continue to execute our growth strategy,” says Martin Schroeter, Chairman and CEO of Kyndryl. “With his deep understanding of Kyndryl’s business and strong track record of building and leading high-growth organisations, Mark is uniquely positioned to advance our human capital strategy. 

“His leadership will further strengthen our culture and ensure we have the talent and skills needed to deliver innovation and value for our customers in the AI era.”

HR leadership and company growth

Having first joined Kyndryl in 2022 as Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Mark has played a critical role in designing and delivering the company’s human capital strategy. 

According to Kyndryl, he has led human resources for its commercial organisation – creating growth across Countries, Practices, Kyndryl Consult and Delivery. 

Before joining Kyndryl, Mark held HR leadership positions at companies such as Aptiv, Fiserv and Honeywell, where he spent more than 14 years. 

Commenting on his appointment on LinkedIn, Mark said: “Today marks my first day as Chief Human Resources Officer here at Kyndryl, and I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to step into this role alongside such an exceptional global team. 

“Our people – Kyndryls – are at the heart of everything we do. They drive our unique Kyndryl Way culture, our endless innovation and our mission-critical impact for customers.”

People strategy transformation

Maryjo has held the CHRO role at Kyndryl since the company’s inception in 2021, with Martin describing her work as “instrumental in shaping Kyndryl into an employer of choice and building a culture that attracts, develops and retains exceptional talent”. 

Following the company’s creation from IBM’s Managed Infrastructure Services businesses, Maryjo has helped simplify the company’s systems to help it become more nimble. 

This includes replacing 48 systems with one platform, migrating 4 million learning records and moving four subsidiaries to Kyndryl in four months. 

In an interview with HR Grapevine, she said this “required a huge culture transformation, as we transitioned into a services company with a mission to be an employer and partner of choice”. 

Maryjo has spent almost 20 years serving as a public-company CHRO – holding the CHRO title at Broadridge and Wolters Kluwer, as well as previously working as the Vice President of Human Resources for PepsiCo, where she spent 13 years. 

Martin said of Maryjo’s impact on Kyndryl: “Her leadership has cultivated a highly engaged workforce, established a disciplined and scalable approach to upskilling, and helped Kyndryl earn more than 100 workplace awards worldwide. 

“Maryjo leaves behind a powerful foundation that will support our people, our customers and the company’s growth for years to come.”