Fractional CHROs in Chicago Making Things Happen in 2025

Chicago Interim Chief People Officers to Know

Chicago doesn’t just build companies—it builds momentum. From fintech and logistics to healthcare, media, and professional services, the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro is home to a dynamic, multi-sector business scene that demands smart, adaptive leadership. And right now, that means more companies are turning to fractional CHROs to bring strategic people leadership—without the long timelines or full-time headcount.

At Digital Reference, we’ve built a curated list of independent, fractional Chief People Officers and CHROs based in the greater Chicago area. These are leaders who don’t just consult—they embed, align, and act like an extension of your team. Some run their own solo advisory firms, others operate as embedded leaders during moments of transition, growth, or transformation.

Whether you’re restructuring, raising a round, or need a fresh approach to people strategy, this is the kind of flexible executive talent that gets results.

Our Selection Methodology

Our list isn’t crowdsourced or cobbled together. At Digital Reference, we apply a specific methodology to every regional roundup. Each fractional executive featured here has been:

• Vetted for active presence in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area
  
  
• Identified as actively working in a fractional, interim, or embedded CHRO/CPO capacity
  
  
• Publicly accessible via LinkedIn or their own firm site
  
  
• Known for their ability to deliver results with limited ramp-up
  
  
• Experienced in high-growth, founder-led, PE-backed, or enterprise environments
  
  

We don’t focus on titles alone—we look at execution, reputation, and relevance.

Featured Fractional CHROs in Chicago

🔹 Lisa Gould

Founder, Gould HR Solutions | Fractional CHRO | People Systems Advisor
Lisa Gould is the founder of Gould HR Solutions, where she offers fractional CHRO services with a focus on scaling businesses through structure, strategy, and employee experience. With a background that spans startups and mature organizations, Lisa helps companies align people practices with business growth. She’s particularly strong at helping founder-led teams move from ad hoc processes to operationally sound systems without sacrificing culture.

🔍 Specialties: Talent systems, HR infrastructure, performance management, leadership coaching
📍 Based in: Chicago, IL

🔹 Thomas Callam

Fractional Chief People Officer | Leadership Coach | Organizational Strategist
Thomas Callam is a strategic HR advisor and executive coach who brings deep experience in people leadership to growing companies across the Chicago region. As a fractional CPO, Thomas partners with businesses to realign HR strategy with company vision—whether that's during scaling phases, cultural realignments, or executive transitions. His cross-sector experience allows him to tailor people solutions to a wide range of operational contexts.

🔍 Specialties: Organizational design, DEI strategy, coaching & leadership alignment, strategic planning
📍 Based in: Chicago, IL

Why Chicago Companies Are Leaning Into Fractional People Leadership

Chicago is a city built on industries in motion. Founders here don’t have time—or budget—to wait six months for the perfect full-time HR exec. And they’re increasingly skeptical of over-sourced, under-relevant generalists.

Instead, they’re hiring fractional CHROs who can:

• Step in fast and provide clarity
  
  
• Build scalable people systems for growing headcount
  
  
• Drive outcomes during periods of transformation
  
  
• Coach founders and executive teams through complexity
  
  
• Translate values into culture into action
  
  

In a market with rising capital discipline and a fierce competition for top talent, the flexibility and fit of fractional leadership is becoming a strategic advantage—not a workaround.

When to Bring in a Fractional CHRO

Fractional CHROs aren’t just for crisis management (though they’re good at that too). The most effective fractional partnerships start before things fall apart.

Here are just a few triggers where Chicago-based companies are engaging interim people leaders:

• ⚙️ Scaling from 30 → 100+ employees and need systems to match
  
  
• 🧠 Founders need an executive-level partner for hiring, org design, or performance
  
  
• 📉 Engagement or retention metrics are slipping but solutions are unclear
  
  
• 💬 Company values feel disconnected from actual employee experience
  
  
• 💸 Just raised funding and need to mature internal functions quickly
  
  
• 🔁 Leadership turnover or restructuring calls for steady HR strategy
  
  

In all of these moments, a high-context, high-trust fractional CHRO can become a game-changing asset.

What Makes a Great Fractional CHRO?

At Digital Reference, we don’t just look for resumes—we look for reputation.

The best fractional CHROs in Chicago do more than implement—they:

✅ Ask the hard questions
✅ Make complexity navigable
✅ Align people and performance
✅ Bring culture into strategic conversations
✅ Guide without ego
✅ Know when to lead and when to listen

They also have a level of executive presence that earns trust fast across leadership teams, boards, and employees.

It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about building alignment and trust, fast—and that’s exactly what these professionals do.

Related Resources on Digital Reference

Looking to dig deeper into fractional hiring and modern executive search? These resources can help:

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

Final Word: Fractional is a Strategy, Not a Stopgap

Chicago has long been a hub for scrappy execution and smart operations. But the future of leadership here is becoming more flexible—and more precise.

Fractional CHROs aren’t just temporary hires. They’re strategic partners who help leadership teams make better people decisions, faster. Whether you're navigating scale, culture change, or internal transformation, these professionals deliver the kind of hands-on strategy that full-time roles often take months to ramp into.

So if you’re building something in Chicago and you need a trusted, experienced people partner—start here. These are the interim Chief People Officers who are already making things happen.

‍