Ayana Champagne is Corporate Vice President, Head of NAO People & Organization (P&O), since May 2021. She is entrusted with cultivating culture and preserving the Novo Nordisk Way across the organization. Ayana’s responsibilities encompass people and organizational strategies and programs that shape the employee experience, inclusive of the areas of HR business partnering, talent management, learning & development, diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, employee engagement, and employee relations. She is also the Executive Sponsor for the NovoEqual (LGBTQ+ and allies) Employee Resource Group, which provides a support network for LGBTQ employees and allies to maximize engagement, retention and leadership development. The group aims to expand acceptance and celebration of diversity in Novo Nordisk and the communities we serve.

Ayana has 20+ years of experience leading global human resources functions in more than 15 countries within the healthcare, manufacturing, and technology industries. Prior to joining NNI, Ayana was Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Ferring Pharmaceuticals, where she led the design and delivery of key programs centered around global HR optimization, corporate reputation, global total rewards, benefits and compensation, talent acquisition, and diversity & inclusion.

Previously, Ayana served as Senior Human Resources Director at Pratt & Whitney, part of Raytheon Technologies. There, she was responsible for 5,000+ employees. Prior to Raytheon Technologies, Ayana worked for Eaton Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer, where she held various positions of increasing HR responsibility.

Ayana has been featured in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Forbes. Most recently, she was recognized as a 2023 Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association Luminary and a Top 100 HR Professional by the OnCon Icon Awards in 2022 and 2023. Previously, she was named Human Resources Executive of the Year by The American Business Awards Association and Business Insider's Most Inspiring HR Leaders.  She was also recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal's Black Leaders Worth Watching Award.

Ayana holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Bradley University, and dual master’s degrees in Human Resources Management and Technology & Operations Management from Aurora University.