June 29, 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

At The University of Texas at Austin, our talented people are the foundation for all that we do. As part of our 10-year strategic plan, Change Starts Here, we have committed to transforming the way we attract, recruit, hire, retain and develop the more than 20,000 employees who deliver on our research and teaching missions every day.

To help us realize this vision, we created the position of vice president of people and talent, reporting to me. Today, I am pleased to announce that Roger Cude has accepted our offer and will be the first to hold this role, effective August 7, 2023. Roger will be a trusted member of the University’s leadership team and will be responsible for developing and implementing a staff talent management strategy to elevate the University’s position as a premier place to work in our city and state, as well as among our national peers. In this role, Roger will also lead our central Human Resources organization and serve as the University’s chief human resources officer (CHRO).

Roger has had a long and vibrant career in human resources strategy, talent management, and human resources operations that spans three decades. Most recently, he was the founder and president of RLC Partners, a consulting group helping organizations with HR and talent management strategies, and organization and culture design. Previously, Roger served as senior vice president for human resources for Humana, Inc., where he was responsible for all human resources functions, including HR business partners, HR analytics, talent management, organization development, performance management, employee engagement and talent acquisition. He also led the enterprise COVID-19 response team for customers and employees, as well as the company’s digital and community development and “Future of Work” initiatives.

Before joining Humana, Roger served as senior vice president, global talent management for Walmart. In this role, he was responsible for executive development, Walmart Leadership University, executive succession planning, officer selection and enterprise learning services. Roger has held positions as senior vice president, learning and leadership development at Bank of America, CHRO at McLeod Telecommunications and vice president, human resources for Williams, Inc. He also began his career as a faculty member at the University of Tulsa, so he has first-hand knowledge of and appreciation for our research and teaching missions.

I am also thrilled to have one of our Texas Exes serve in this critically important leadership role. Roger pursued a Ph.D. in organizational communications from UT Austin, as well as earned a master’s degree in organizational communication from Pepperdine University, and a bachelor’s degree in communication from Southern Utah University.

As we conducted our nationwide search for the best candidate to lead our talent management transformation, both Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dan Slesnick and Interim Associate Vice President for Human Resources Karen Chawner have effectively led our central Human Resources team. I thank them for their leadership and commitment during this transition period and in advance for the guidance and support they will provide to Roger when he arrives. I also want to thank the committee members who provided hours of consultation and all of those who participated in vetting candidates and performing interviews.

Please join me in welcoming Roger back to the Forty Acres! I am excited for what he will bring to UT as we continue our vital discussions around the importance of attracting, recruiting and retaining the best talent to fuel our efforts to become the world’s highest impact public research university.

Sincerely yours,

Jay Hartzell
President