Nicholas Lawrence, Exec Director of People at Chick-fil-A: Values, HR that bends, & kicking back with Jimmy Buffet

Meet Nicholas Lawrence, Exec Director of People at Chick-fil-A (local franchise, Indianapolis) and now a member of the newly launched HR Grapevine Editorial Advisory Board!

Nicholas serves as the Executive Director of People & Culture for one of the largest Chick-fil-A franchise groups in the country, based in Indianapolis. With over 16 years of leadership experience at Chick-fil-A, Target, and Macy’s, he has led initiatives that shaped growth, strengthened culture, and cultivated people-first environments that empower both team members and leaders to succeed.

Born out of this experience, Nicholas founded Lawrence Leadership, a coaching and consulting firm specializing in leadership development and culture transformation. His work focuses on matters of the heart, helping leaders grow in emotional intelligence, live with purpose, and navigate the hard but necessary conversations that drive meaningful change.

Read on for our full interview with Nicholas, including his ultimate career advice for HR professionals, his sources of inspiration as a people leader, and a music recommendation to soundtrack your weekend!