About
Eric Severson, CEO, Severson & Associates
Eric Severson is a seasoned executive, certified coach, and thought-leader with more than 30 years of experience helping public and private companies—and the people who power them—grow, evolve, and perform at their highest potential across the luxury fashion, retail, and healthcare industries.
Today, Eric leads Severson & Associates Coaching and Consulting, where he leverages his background as a three-time CHRO and Hudson Institute–certified Executive Coach to guide senior leaders, CEOs, founders, and high-potential talent through modern challenges in leadership, culture, strategy, and organizational transformation. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education, teaching the HR & People Strategy in the C-Suite course within the Chief Human Resources Officer Executive Development Program.
Previously, Eric served as Chief People, ESG, and Belonging Officer at Neiman Marcus Group (NMG), where over the course of 5 years, he helped lead the company and its 10,000+ associates from bankruptcy to a successful acquisition by Saks Global. At NMG, he became known for designing and implementing evidence-based talent and organizational systems that elevated performance.
His accomplishments included launching the company’s cultural transformation strategy, NMG Way; publishing NMG’s inaugural ESG and People Reports; strengthening key policies including Paid Parental Leave; and introducing nine new Associate Community Networks. Under his leadership, NMG was widely recognized as a “Best Place to Work” by Forbes, Newsweek, the Human Rights Campaign, Prospanica, Disability Equality Index, and the National Diversity Council.
Prior to NMG, Eric served as Chief People Officer at DaVita Inc., overseeing a $40M budget and a nationwide team of nearly 400. He also spent more than a decade at Gap Inc., where he ultimately became Co-CHRO, responsible for a $40M budget, a global HR organization of 550, and the people strategy supporting more than 140,000 employees across 90+ countries. In addition, he was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship under the U.S. Department of Commerce, advising on national strategies to foster innovation, economic growth, and a globally competitive workforce.
Eric holds a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Arizona State University and a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Penn State University. Over the past 20 years, he has served on numerous boards, including the Society for Human Resource Management Executive Council, The Felton Institute, the La Napoule Art Foundation Advisory Board, and the IM Human Advisory Board.
A sought-after subject matter expert on human capital management and the future of work, Eric has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fortune, Vogue Business, Business Insider, The Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, HR Magazine, ESG Dive, Sourcing Journal, and more. He has also been profiled in several leadership and management books, including Future Work, The Diversity Advantage, and Pull: The Power of Magnetic Leadership, to name a few.
Eric resides in Indian Wells, California.
About
Lacey Rhoades, Principal, Severson & Associates
Lacey Rhoades is an accomplished organizational development and transformation leader with 18+ years of experience in organization design and effectiveness, change management, talent management, leadership development, and executive coaching.
Today, Lacey partners with organizations to align structure, culture, and talent strategies with overarching business objectives—driving measurable performance and growth. Her expertise spans operating model design, post-merger integration, and enterprise-wide transformation. She has guided companies through complex change with clarity and precision, ensuring sustainable adoption and lasting behavioral shifts at every level of the organization. Most recently, Lacey served as Senior Vice President, Talent & Organization for Saks Global and has experience at PwC and Dell Technologies as a consultant.
Lacey holds a master’s degree in Organization Development from Pepperdine University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of North Texas. She also is an Associate Certified Coach through the International Coaching Federation, Certified Hudson Coach through the Hudson Institute of Coaching, and an Accredited Enneagram Practitioner through Integrative Enneagram Solutions.
Lacey resides in Dallas, Texas.