Armstrong World Industries (AWI) has appointed Jennifer Kozak as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), strengthening its executive leadership team as manufacturers increasingly prioritize workforce strategy, leadership development, and organizational transformation. Effective September 9, 2026, Kozak will oversee the company’s human resources strategy as Armstrong continues investing in employee experience and long-term business growth.
As manufacturing companies accelerate digital transformation, workforce modernization has become a strategic priority alongside investments in automation, advanced manufacturing, and operational efficiency. Reflecting that shift, Armstrong World Industries (AWI) has named Jennifer Kozak as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, reinforcing the growing role of HR leadership in enterprise transformation.
Kozak will join Armstrong’s Executive Leadership Team on September 9, 2026, bringing more than 25 years of global human resources experience across manufacturing, industrial, environmental services, and engineering organizations. Her appointment comes as manufacturers continue navigating evolving workforce expectations, leadership succession, skills development, and technology-driven workplace change.
Executive HR appointments have become increasingly significant across industrial enterprises. Beyond traditional responsibilities such as recruitment and employee relations, CHROs are now expected to guide workforce transformation, organizational design, talent development, leadership effectiveness, and cultural evolution while aligning people strategies with broader business objectives.
Kozak joins Armstrong from Enviri, where she most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. During her tenure, she led global HR and corporate communications for an organization employing approximately 12,000 people worldwide, overseeing employee engagement, talent management, compensation and benefits, organizational culture, and communications during a period of business transformation.
Her progression within Enviri also reflects growing demand for HR leaders capable of supporting organizational change. After initially joining the company in 2022 as Vice President of Human Resources for Clean Earth, Enviri’s environmental services business, she was later promoted to lead the company’s global HR function.
Before Enviri, Kozak served as Chief Human Resources Officer for a private equity-backed chemical company and held senior HR leadership roles at SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions, General Electric (GE), and Worthington Industries. Her career spans industries where workforce planning, operational excellence, and continuous improvement have long been central business priorities.
That experience aligns with broader trends reshaping the manufacturing sector.
According to Gartner, manufacturing organizations continue to face persistent challenges in attracting skilled talent while adapting to digital technologies, automation, and changing workforce demographics. Meanwhile, McKinsey & Company has identified workforce capability development as one of the critical factors influencing successful industrial transformation, particularly as organizations integrate artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and smart manufacturing technologies into operations.
The role of HR has expanded accordingly. Modern manufacturing companies increasingly rely on workforce analytics, leadership development, succession planning, employee experience programs, and skills intelligence to improve organizational resilience and maintain competitiveness.
Technology also continues reshaping HR operations. Enterprise platforms from Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, Oracle, Microsoft, and Salesforce increasingly combine artificial intelligence, workforce planning, talent management, learning, and people analytics into integrated ecosystems that support data-driven workforce decisions.
Although Armstrong’s announcement focuses on executive leadership rather than technology implementation, Kozak’s appointment highlights how workforce strategy has become closely connected to long-term corporate performance. Manufacturers investing in operational transformation increasingly recognize that organizational capability depends as much on leadership, culture, and talent as it does on production technologies.
Employee experience is another area receiving greater executive attention. Organizations are placing greater emphasis on engagement, career development, flexible learning, and leadership capability as competition for skilled manufacturing professionals intensifies. HR leaders are therefore playing a larger role in helping businesses retain institutional knowledge while preparing employees for increasingly digital work environments.
Kozak also brings strong academic and executive education credentials, including an MBA from Pennsylvania State University, a bachelor’s degree from Temple University, and a Chief Human Resources Officer certificate from Wharton Executive Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Executive development programs of this nature have become increasingly common among senior HR leaders as organizations seek executives capable of integrating workforce strategy with enterprise leadership.
For Armstrong, the appointment reinforces a broader industry movement toward elevating human capital strategy within executive decision-making. As manufacturers continue investing in innovation, operational modernization, and sustainable growth, leadership teams are increasingly recognizing that workforce readiness, organizational culture, and leadership development represent strategic assets alongside technology and production capabilities.
Market Landscape
Manufacturing organizations are increasingly integrating workforce strategy into broader digital transformation initiatives. According to Gartner, talent shortages, leadership development, and workforce planning remain among the top strategic priorities for industrial companies adopting automation and AI.
Research from McKinsey & Company also indicates that successful manufacturing transformations depend on combining operational modernization with investments in employee capability, organizational culture, and leadership development. Enterprise HR platforms from Workday, SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft continue expanding AI-powered workforce analytics, learning, and talent management capabilities to support these priorities.
Top Insights
- Armstrong World Industries has appointed Jennifer Kozak as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, strengthening executive leadership as workforce transformation becomes a strategic business priority.
- Kozak brings more than 25 years of global HR leadership experience across manufacturing, industrial, environmental services, and engineering organizations.
- Manufacturing companies continue elevating HR leadership to address workforce planning, employee experience, leadership development, and organizational change alongside digital transformation.
- Modern HR strategies increasingly combine workforce analytics, AI-powered talent management, succession planning, and employee engagement to improve organizational resilience.
- The appointment reflects a broader trend of positioning CHROs as strategic business leaders responsible for long-term organizational capability and growth.
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