2022 PRESIDENT’S MEDAL RECIPIENT
Patricia A. Byrnes Clarke ’86, P’17,’19 is the Global Chief Talent Officer for the Havas Group, one of the world's largest global communications groups founded in 1835 in Paris and part of the Vivendi Group. Patti is responsible for leading the talent and cultural strategy for the group’s 20,000+ employees in over 100 countries. During her time at Havas, she has built a talent management approach that includes initiatives on network mobility, high-potential leadership development, women’s leadership advancement, global employee engagement, employer branding, global diversity, equity and inclusion and wellness.
Prior to joining Havas, Patti ran her own consulting business with a focus on helping private equity-backed companies develop their talent management capabilities. She also had a 20-year stint at Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), where she was chief human resources officer for 9 years and also ran global internal communications. She led D&B to industry honors as one of Fortune Magazine’s “Most Admired Companies.”
Patti earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the University in 1986. She is a former member of the University’s Board of Trustees and a former member of the Kania School of Management Advisory Board and the Parents’ Executive Council (PEC). She is also a former Chair of the PBC and created the PBC/Kania School of Management Career Coaches Program, in which she remains a mentor to current University students. Patti and her husband, David, reside in Atlantic Highlands, N.J., and have five children.