Navigating The Workplace with Emotional Intelligence: Essential Skills for Success

Lexi Hernandez (Ph.D.) is currently the executive director Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Workforce Initiatives within Global Human Resources at RTX. She is responsible for delivering integrated people solutions and maximizing strategic partnerships for attracting, developing, advancing and retaining under-represented talent to meet the evolving demands of our business and the needs of the workforce. In Lexi’s previous role she led DE&I, talent management, learning and development, and performance impact for the Raytheon Missiles & Defense business. In this role, she partnered closely with leaders and HR team members at all levels to assess the human capital needs and business priorities of the organization to develop bold strategies that promote equity and inclusion in talent practices, while enabling the accelerated growth of leaders. Lexi joined Raytheon in 2008 and has held a variety of learning, talent development and organizational effectiveness roles. Previously, Lexi conducted organizational assessments, design, and strategy alignment as well as promoted the discipline of change management and team effectiveness best practices. She also led the Learning and Development team and was responsible for the leadership development strategy, strategic development initiatives, new employee orientation, career development, and learning governance. Prior to joining Raytheon, Lexi worked at PetSmart Inc., where she created a career development program for retail store employees and managers across the United States. She also worked for TalentSmart, an international consulting firm and a leading provider of emotional intelligence assessments, training programs, and research. At TalentSmart she held the title of Director, Client Services and Programs where she worked closely with a variety of industries and organizations to identify and deploy customized learning solutions. Lexi holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arizona, and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and now serves on the Board of the Arizona Coyotes Foundation. Lexi is based out of Tucson, Arizona with her husband and two children.