How do you customize change? By starting over – by changing yourself.

Changing oneself is not easy, yet it is a fundamental element to reach expertise in any field. While we may start with a vision, being able to adjust that vision based on diverse inputs and perspectives is essential to being an effective leader and influencer of change.  

Born and raised in India – one of the most diverse nations in the world – I witnessed and experienced several facets of cultural, linguistic, racial and religious diversity that have profound impacts on the political, economic and social standing of a nation. These impacts shape and form the attitudes, maturity, and sensitivity we develop as citizens of a nation, a society, and a community.

Leading Change

Once I arrived in the United States after completing my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, English Literature and Philosophy, I found myself moving quickly through management and consulting roles. Managing people, projects, and situations came naturally to me. Yet, managing is one thing and leadership is another – especially when it involves transformational change.

In 2006, my expertise leveled up as I accepted an assignment of leading a challenging team through transformational change at a premiere academic medical institution. Change that required using my diverse background, beliefs, and body of knowledge to manage the natural discomfort that transformational change creates, as well as drive effective organizational outcomes through understanding the relationship between a leader’s emotional intelligence and their staffs’ work engagement. Emotional intelligence is centered upon balancing hearts and minds for optimal decision making – a key to effective transformational change.

Over the years, I’ve taken my voice, my vision, and my realizations beyond executive conference rooms of some of California’s leading academic medical centers to the halls of academia and industry institutes, councils, and forums. My extensive experience in the academic, healthcare and technology industries – specifically within integrated, decentralized, matrixed, and union environments – has provided me with an astute awareness of critical human capital and talent management trends and challenges. Through my work as a Ph.D. in Organization and Management, a certified Emotional Intelligence practitioner, and an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, I am able to influence our next generation of leaders on the power of change both within organizations but also within self.

 
Ekta Vyas, Ph.D, M.S., SHRM-SCP
 

What doesn’t break you, makes you.

Transformational leaders move the needle not so much by leveraging their brain power, but through a personal touch - their unique ability to inspire positive change, influence and motivate people towards an unseen future. It’s now my mission to help our next generation of leaders understand that being a leader doesn’t mean that you have to have everything figured out all at once. It simply means that you need to learn how best to change self and the situation to reach your optimal results.

Awards &
Recognitions

  • Dr. Vyas leads human resources strategy across Keck Medicine of USC and serves as the executive liaison between HR and the health system’s executive management team, board of directors and university. A scholar-practitioner with advanced training in emotional intelligence, she has built enterprise capability in transformational change, engagement, talent management and workforce analytics.

    Under her leadership, Keck Medicine established a new HR project management office and people analytics center of excellence to strengthen workforce insights and standardize HR project delivery, and successfully completed the first phase of a systemwide HR transformation. Read more…

  • Dr. Ekta Vyas has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

    Dr. Vyas has established a distinguished career in human resources leadership, organizational development and academia, marked by progressive roles across major health systems, academic institutions and global organizations. Read more…

  • Despite significant advancements in the field of HR over the past few decades, HR leaders and the role of HR often remain secondary considerations in strategic decision-making processes when businesses expand or the industry landscape shifts.

    As an HR practitioner, speaker and thought leader, I make every effort to bring forward the strategic capabilities of HR and how the work done by us carries the potential to strongly influence organizational effectiveness, culture and leadership quality. My talks emphasize leveraging evidence-based practices and strengthening the HR function with technology and advanced analytics so we can lead digitally and with data.

    Read more of Ekta’s spotlight as a NHRA - Los Angeles HR Executive of the Year honoree.

  • For over two decades, Ekta Vyas, Ph.D, has been leading transformations at different levels in organizations. In her co-authored book Mission Matters, she talks about how to be an effective transformational leader by embracing the interconnectedness of multiple organizations and people variables that need to come together to bring the emergence of a better future. She does more than writing and speaking about transformations; she actively drives change. Her doctoral research examined the significance of emotional intelligence as the key to a leader’s prosperity in driving workforce engagement during change.

    As a systems thinker and strong proponent of ecosystem awareness, Vyas has been a Forbes Influencer since 2017, writing and speaking about leadership, culture, strategy, transformational change, and emotional intelligence. Vyas’ personal brand as a transformational leader is “bringing light”, and her manifesto is: reciprocate. Learn more…

  • Dr. Vyas is the CHRO at Keck Medicine of USC, where she leads systemwide human resources strategy, workforce integration and organizational transformation. With a doctorate in organization and management, she combines scholarship with impactful leadership. She spearheaded the integration of over 1,500 employees during the acquisition of USC Arcadia Hospital. In addition, she launched a new human resources operating model, including a centralized human resources business center and a leadership development program called “Leading at Keck.” Her team’s communication efforts earned several Public Relations Society of America awards. She has contributed thought leadership via a TEDx talk and multiple national speaking engagements. Prior to joining Keck Medicine of USC, Dr. Vyas held leadership roles at UC Davis (Calif.) Health and Stanford (Calif.) Health Care. Learn more…

  • Insights Care magazine is proud to spotlight Ekta Vyas Ph.D, Chief Human Resources Officer of Keck Medicine of USC, whose strategic leadership and over two decades of experience exemplify dedication, adaptability, and a passion for workforce empowerment. Read more…

  • With a keen focus on shaping innovative HR strategies in a complex healthcare environment, Ekta Vyas stands at the forefront of human resources leadership. She currently serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for Keck Medicine of USC, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing HR strategies across the health system. Her journey into the world of HR is a fascinating one, marked by unexpected turns and a relentless pursuit of growth and excellence. Read more…

Contributions

Educator

  • Adjunct Professor
    Management and Organization, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California
    January 2023 – Present

  • Affiliate Faculty
    Institute of People and Performance, San Jose State University
    August 2018 – Present

  • Adjunct Faculty

    School of Management, Lucas College of Business, San Jose State University
    August 2017 – May 2023

  • Ph.D - Organization & Management
    Capella University (2015)

  • M.S. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
    Terminal Degree Program, San Jose State University, CA (2002)

  • B.A. Psychology & English Literature
    J N Vyas University, Jodhpur, INDIA (1995)

Influencer

  • Member - Healthcare Leaders Advisory Board, Marcus Evans Summits
    Sept 2025 – Present

  • Member - Advisory Board Council, Harvard Business Review (HR Skills & Strategies)
    2024 - Present

  • Advisory Board, HR West
    2024 - Present

  • Advisory Board, HR.com
    2024 - Present

  • Advisory Board, Consero Healthcare Consortium
    2023 - Present

  • Member, SoCal CHRO Governing Board
    2023 - Present

  • Advisor Member, Perceptyx
    2022 - Present

  • CHIEF Member
    2022 – Present

  • Executive Committee Member, Board of Directors,
    IHRIM (Institute for Human Resource Information Management)
    January 2019 – Present

    • 2022 – SME Board, Education & HRIP Certification Program

    • 2021 – Elected Chair, Operations Committee

    • 2020 - Elected Chief Operating Officer

    • 2019 – Elected Director of Education

  • Forbes Human Resources Council, Elected Member
    September 2017 – Present

  • Society for Industrial/Organizational Psychologists, Elected Member
    August 2013 – Present

  • Advisory Council, Harvard Business Review, Invited Affiliate

  • ASHHRA (American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration) – Member

  • HR People and Strategy, Executive Member

I invite you to review my LinkedIn profile for a deeper dive into my broad range of experience as a leader, influencer, and educator.

  • Whatever involves a human element of judgment is vulnerable to bias. HR professionals who are very specialized in their functions need to guard themselves against looking for data that confirms their beliefs and refutes the rest. To sincerely understand the root cause of an issue, start by listening without bias, reflect on your assumptions, differentiate from past experiences, then proceed. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    Nine Strategies To Keep Unconscious Bias Out Of Your HR Department - Forbes HR Council (2018)

  • Alignment toward a common purpose and goal while maintaining respect for differences in opinions sets cohesive teams apart. To get the ideal alignment, it is important that team members recognize others' strengths and complement each other. Being fully aware of what each member brings to the table and toward the ultimate goal is critical to a team's success. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    12 Things All High-Performing Teams Have In Common - Forbes HR Council (2019)

  • Advances in workforce analytics offer a powerful way to gain critical workforce insights for informed strategy formulation along with measured operational outcomes and ROI. This makes a unique blend of being proactive about the future talent needs of the organization along with a retrospective insight to determine continuous strategic and operational shifts needed for the best talent outcome. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    13 Ways HR Teams Can Benefit From Workforce Analytics - Forbes HR Council (2020)

  • An organization's CSR efforts are hard to attain in isolation of its inner culture's alignment to the espoused values. Build employee engagement with those values by offering events and forums for employee participation and keeping them informed of the progress and benefits to the community. Be creative and open to allowing opportunities for volunteer work and recognizing employee efforts. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    Eight Ways To Encourage Employees To Give Back To Your Community - Forbes HR Council (2018)

  • An organizational constitution can be leveraged significantly to communicate what behaviors and actions are consistent with the organizational values. Although describing the mission and the vision is important, it is the values that describe what being a good citizen of the organization means. Equally important is to concisely describe the customer you are serving and the strategies deployed to reach the organization's goals. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    10 Ways To Make An Organizational Constitution More Effective - Forbes HR Council (2018)

  • HR will offer you tremendous opportunities to make a difference in the success of your organization and lives of its people. Build your worth and credibility not just as a service oriented professional, but as a strategic thinker and partner to the firm's leadership. Be inquisitive, think globally, ask questions and know your industry. You will surely have a very rewarding career. - Ekta Vyas, Ph.D

    12 Important Things To Know Before You Start A Career In HR - Forbes HR Council (2017)