In episode 213, Coffey talks with Vianei Braun about how HR leaders can effectively work with boards of directors.

They discuss the strategic vs operational divide between board oversight and executive execution; skills needed for senior HR roles including broad industry perspective and data-driven insights; the importance of moving beyond compliance mindset to strategic partnership; executive compensation benchmarking and peer analysis; culture preservation during mergers and acquisitions; AI implementation ethics and workforce planning; the critical role of data in board communications; and characteristics of successful senior HR leaders including truth-telling, collaboration, and ambiguity management.

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If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit—business credit for SPHRs! To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.

About our Guest:

Vianei Braun leads the employment law practice at Decker Jones, P.C., a full-service law firm in Fort Worth. She has been recognized as a Texas Monthly “Super Lawyer” and is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Labor & Employment Law.

Vianei is also a member of the Board of Directors of First Financial Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIN), a banking institution with assets of $14 billion and 79 banking locations throughout Texas. Vianei serves on the board’s Compensation, Nom/Gov and Risk Committees and chairs the Advisory Board of First Financial Bank’s Chisholm Trail Region. In addition, Vianei serves on the Board of Trustees and the Audit & Compliance Committee of Texas Health Resources.

Vianei is an honors graduate of Princeton University and the University of Texas School of Law. Vianei has been honored as a “Great Woman of Texas” by the Fort Worth Business Press, and as a member of the “Fort Worth 500” by Fort Worth Inc.

Vianei Braun can be reached at

www.deckerjones.com

www.linkedin.com/in/vianeibraunattorney

About Mike Coffey:

Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.

In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.

Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.

Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.

Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.

Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.

Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.

Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.

Learning Objectives:

Develop strategic thinking capabilities that focus on industry trends and long-term organizational health rather than just operational HR tasks when communicating with senior leadership.

Present data-driven recommendations to boards using benchmarking, competitive analysis, and concrete evidence to support HR initiatives and policy changes.

Shift from a compliance-focused "department of no" mindset to a collaborative problem-solving approach that offers solutions while managing organizational risks.