Christopher L. Johnson

Christopher Johnson is a seasoned human resources executive with more than two decades of experience leading strategic HR initiatives across the financial services and technology sectors. Recognized for aligning people strategies with business objectives, he has built a career driving organizational transformation, strengthening leadership effectiveness, and enhancing employee engagement within complex, high-performing organizations.

Most recently, Chris served as Head of Employee Relations and HR Leadership Partner at Equitable, where he transformed the employee relations function into a strategic business partner and enterprise resource. As a member of the HR Leadership Team since joining the company in December 2019, he partnered closely with senior executives to deliver human capital strategies that supported business growth and organizational effectiveness. In his role as Strategic HR Leadership Partner to the Chief Operating Officer, Chris provided executive-level HR leadership across multiple business functions. In 2022, he assumed responsibility for employee relations, and in 2025 was formally appointed to lead the function enterprise-wide.

Prior to Equitable, Chris spent more than two decades with MetLife and Brighthouse Financial, where he held progressive HR leadership roles supporting large-scale business operations and organizational change initiatives. He also led a strategic HR project for AllianceBernstein, supporting the development of the firm’s Nashville operations, and served as a member of the HR Leadership Group at CompuCom, an Office Depot company, where he provided strategic HR counsel to the division president and executive leadership team.

Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an Executive Master’s degree in Human Resource Leadership from Rutgers University. He serves on the Board of Advisors for the Belk College of Business, a role he assumed in 2023. In 2025, he was honored with the Honorary Alumni Award from University of North Carolina at Charlotte in recognition of his longstanding commitment to advancing the Belk College of Business and supporting its growth and national reputation.

Chris resides in Waxhaw, North Carolina, with his wife and two daughters. Outside of his professional and community commitments, he enjoys hiking, fishing, spending time outdoors with the family dog, and pursuing the ongoing challenge of keeping his golf score below 100.