Bio

Cole Napper is a prolific people analytics writer, speaker, podcaster, and thought leader. He has 14+ years of rapidly escalating experience building multiple HR COE functions from the ground up to scale - with an expert focus on People Analytics. He is the VP of People Analytics for Orgnostic and Owner of Directionally Correct, LLC. Cole also serves in the following roles: 1) Co-Host & Writer of the Directionally Correct - The #1 People Analytics Podcast & Substack Newsletter 2) Leader of the DFW People Analytics Meetup - in addition to Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, and Raleigh 3) Invited Keynote Speaker at industry conferences & academic/university consortia 4) Author (HR Exchange Network), HR Tech Advisor (Impact WorkTech & Luminoso), and content creator on People Analytics 5) Adjunct Professor of Management, teaching People Analytics in top MBA programs (TCU, SMU, LA Tech) 6) StartupExperts HR Expert and DFW Lead Cole creates competitive advantage for firms using People Analytics for venture-capital backed startups (Orgnostic, Motive, Booster) & large organizations (Texas Instruments, Toyota, PepsiCo), public & private, hyper-growth, and spanning industries such as Technology/SaaS, Hardware, Semiconductor, Manufacturing, Financial Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, Oil & Gas, and Industrial Supplies. His internal & external consulting areas of expertise include: 1) People Analytics Consulting (Expert) 2) HR Technology/HRIS/HCM (Expert) 3) People Science and People Operations (Expert) 4) Talent and Performance Management (Expert) Cole is a business-focused leader with a strong track record proving the impact of analytics on HR, moving from being a cost center to a profit center. His work is prioritized based on science, data, and an execution-focus. Cole adheres to four Operating Principles: (1) Alignment - Always do what’s best for the business, (2) Scalability - Do something once for 100 people, not 100 times once, (3) Innovation - Get 1% better everyday, & (4) Credibility - Measure twice, cut once. “Do what works, and only that.'' He has led large, global teams up to 20+ employees, attracting & developing top talent. On the personal side, Cole is originally from Monroe, LA. He, his wife Rakshya, and their two young children currently live in Dallas, TX. Cole has a PhD and MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. In his free time, Cole loves to golf, read and write, spend time with his family, streaming services, & listening to podcasts.