Ep36: Haven Cockerham reCHARGED

Haven Cockerham already failed at retirement once. He lives on a golf course though he doesn't play golf! Why did he fail? He doesn’t have time. Haven is continuously pushing himself to learn new things, be surrounded by new thinking, soak up ideas from younger generations and living in a community that challenges his mind and provides beautiful mountain and ocean landscapes. Haven is a true change agent and a great storyteller. Haven tells us how he started in HR working with amazing mentors and Harvard professors. He blazed a trail in the automotive industry and showcased HR as a strategic, value-added business partner. As a young man, Haven had to decide if he would move away from North Carolina and take a job at GM in a very conservative Indiana. Not many in his family moved away but his mom said “you need to follow where ever the opportunity takes you”.  He did just that and has taken on challenges and risks during his career.  Throughout it all, he learned and saw every opportunity as a moment to grow and expand. He draws on his courage and resilience to help him and also has a beautiful ability to be vulnerable and humble. Haven founded Cockerham & Associates in Chicago in 2005 to provide strategic consulting and technology services in Human Resources and, Talent Management and Diversity & Inclusion. A distinguishing feature of Cockerham & Associates is its web-based Diversity & Inclusion solutions that enable clients to develop, aggregate and report the impact of its diversity strategies and operating plans for employee/business resource groups. Prior to forming Cockerham & Associates, Haven was the Chief Human Resource Officer for R.R. Donnelley where he played a key role in the transformation of the company’s operating model and culture. He led the transformation of the human resources function to become a true business partner, focusing on high value processes and reducing delivery costs of human resource services. Additional corporate leadership roles include Chief Human Resources Officer for DTE Energy in Detroit and the Senior Human Resources Executive for Fisher Guide Division of General Motors. Prior to his executive leadership positions, Haven held key assignments in manufacturing, labor relations, EEO, and executive compensation, policy development, employee relations and leadership development. Haven owned and operated a Chevrolet Dealership in South Carolina and has an MBA from the Michigan State Advanced Management Program. Connect with Haven to learn more about him and his background: LinkedIn = https://www.linkedin.com/in/haven-cockerham-6b692a/ Cockerham & Associates website = https://www.cockerhamassociates.com/ The Change Masters by Rosabeth Moss Kanter https://www.amazon.com/Change-Masters-Rosabeth-Moss-Kanter/dp/0671528009 Sign up for our newsletter at https://abbraccigroup.com/. Please subscribe, leave a review and tell your friends about our podcast. Learn more about the CHARGE® model by purchasing the book, The Way of the HR Warrior. Let us know about the moments for you that changed your life trajectory. Drop us a note via our website.