RAMONA AGRELA

VICE CHANCELLOR & CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

As vice chancellor and chief human resources officer for the University of California, Irvine, Ramona Agrela has transformed the role of human resources at one of Orange County’s largest employers by launching a revolutionary, client-centric HR model supported by a center of excellence and best-in-class employees.

Agrela’s steadfast leadership and commitment to her team has yielded spectacular results. Her HR model focuses on diversifying the workplace, advancing employee wellness, and dismantling pay inequities, the latter of which made UCI one of the first organizations in the U.S. to be fair pay certified. Her agile methodologies allow her to formulate and enact programs quickly, with no better example than the leadership she assumed as UCI pivoted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. From strategizing remote work for the majority of UCI’s 24,000+ employees, to leading the effort to hire hundreds of temporary frontline healthcare workers, to providing operational logistics for UCI vaccination centers, to securing paid childcare, mental health aid, local hotel accommodations, food donations, and more for frontline workers, Agrela’s efforts empowered employee success through an incredibly difficult time.

Now focused on the complete employee experience lifecycle, Ramona Agrela’s goal is to advance UCI’s position as the employer of choice in Orange County.