Valerie Capers Workman is a globally recognized expert at the intersection of AI, workforce transformation, and leadership strategy, with a career built on helping organizations scale responsibly while driving innovation and impact.
She currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for Empower Pharmacy, a healthcare disruptor revolutionizing access to affordable, high-quality medication solutions through innovation in pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution. In this role, she leads the design of AI-powered people strategies that help the company scale its mission while creating career pathways and economic opportunity for its workforce. At Empower, they are proving that healthcare innovation and affordable access to medicine can—and must—go hand in hand.
Throughout her career, Valerie has been drawn to organizations and opportunities where she could help build what doesn’t yet exist. At Tesla, she helped scale the workforce from 50,000 to over 100,000 employees, led global compliance, and launched groundbreaking programs that positioned people as the engine behind innovation. At Handshake, she served as Chief Talent Engagement Officer, advising CEOs, CHROs, and public sector leaders on how to harness AI and digital transformation to shape the future of work.
Across industries,Valerie has remained committed to one core belief: the organizations that will succeed in the next decade are those that can scale not just technology, but human potential.
Valerie’s expertise includes:
✔ AI-powered workforce strategy
✔ Global talent acquisition and development
✔ Organizational transformation and scaling for hypergrowth
✔ Governance, compliance, and risk management
✔ Mission-driven leadership and social impact
Valerie is also the author of the best-selling book Quantum Progression: The Art and Science of Career Advancement in the Age of AI, and a sought-after speaker on the national and global stage. Her work has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Axios, and CNBC Make It. In 2024 alone, she was honored to present at SXSW, Forbes Power Women’s Summit, SHRM, Transform, UNLEASH World (Paris), and The Future Talent Council (Stockholm).
Valerie serves on the Board of Trustees for Huston-Tillotson University and the Advisory Board for Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She is also admitted to practice law in New York, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
Valerie’s passion is helping organizations not only navigate change—but shape it. She believes the future of work must be inclusive, human-centered, and powered by technology that elevates humanity.
In Quantum Progression: The Art & Science of Career Advancement in the Age of A.I., Valerie Capers Workman – former VP, People at Tesla (where she was known as “Tesla’s Top Diversity Advocate”) recounts her career progression while detailing the methods she used to advance in her career in defiance of the archaic rung-by-rung, corporate ladder method of career mobility.
Valerie is a sought-after speaker and panelist on all topics related to Leadership, Employment Law Insights and Analysis, Global Expansion, Talent Acquisition and Career Advancement.
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