Speaking of Work

Kristen Ludgate is a public company board director and former Fortune 100 executive with deep expertise in transformation, talent strategy, governance, and risk. She brings a distinctive cross-functional perspective shaped by two decades of leadership across human resources, legal, communications, and compliance at HP Inc. and 3M Company—two global enterprises navigating complex change.

As Chief People Officer and Strategic Advisor at HP Inc. from 2021-2025, Kristen played a pivotal role in accelerating the company’s transformation. She led global initiatives in culture, talent, inclusion, and executive compensation, and partnered closely with the HP Board and ELT on succession planning, strategy, and organizational effectiveness. Her leadership extended to crisis management, M&A integration, and the deployment of AI-enabled talent platforms, positioning HP for future growth and workforce agility.

Prior to HP, Kristen spent over 15 years at 3M Company, where she held multiple executive roles including EVP & CHRO, SVP of HR Business Operations, SVP & Chief Compliance Officer, and SVP of Communications and Enterprise Services. She advised the CEO and board on governance, risk, talent, executive compensation, and played a leading role on enterprise-wide transformations, including 3M’s largest reorganization and acquisition integration. She also chaired the 3M Foundation and launched the 3M Community Coalition to guide 3M's philanthropic strategy.

Kristen currently serves on the boards of OpenText (NASDAQ: OTEX), a global information management company, and Associated Bank (NYSE: ASB), a regional bank holding company. She is also a trustee of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, supporting entrepreneurship and workforce development.

A summa cum laude graduate of both Bowdoin College and the University of Minnesota Law School, Kristen remains a licensed attorney.  She lives in St. Paul with her husband and has two adult children.