Audrey Williams-Lee joined Lurie Children’s Hospital in July 2021 to lead the People function.  In this role she is responsible for creating enterprise alignment around a common people experience to position Lurie Children’s as an employer and provider of choice, developing strategies to support an outstanding experience for employees, patients, families and communities.

An experienced business and nonprofit executive with a passion for building organizational excellence to achieve results, Audrey’s experience encompasses serving as a C-suite executive, leading employee and customer experience teams, overseeing community engagement and social impact programs, creating engaging and inclusive work environments, and setting and directing strategies for philanthropic giving.  Prior to joining Lurie Children’s, she served as SVP, Human Resources, Talent Acquisition & Philanthropy for Hyatt Hotels Corporation. She previously held Human Resources leadership roles at Unilever, McDonald’s and W.W. Grainger.  On the nonprofit side, she was the Chief Human Resources Officer for Opportunity International, a global organization providing innovative financial solutions in developing countries 

Audrey received her BS, Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and her MS, Management & Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University.  She is an alumna of the Leading Women Executives Program and has been a speaker, presenter and panelist on a variety of topics including Leadership, Talent Management, Equity in Hiring, Work and Economic Mobility, and the Future of Work.

With a passion for strengthening communities and equity in education, Audrey serves on the board of directors for Skills for Chicagoland’s Future and Youth Guidance in Chicago, and as the chair of Northwestern University’s Industrial Engineering & Management Sciences (IEMS) Advisory Board.  She is a member of the Oak Park and River Forest (IL) High School’s Community Council, Northwestern University’s Council of One Hundred, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.