Caroline Stockdale is a distinguished leader in people strategy, human capital, and business communications. With a career spanning more than 25 years, she currently serves as the chief people and communications officer at First Solar, a role she has held since 2019. Reporting directly to the chief executive officer, she collaborates on operationalizing people strategies, driving innovation, and transforming organizational culture.
In addition to her corporate leadership, Ms. Stockdale founded First Perform LLC in 2015, where she continues to serve as chief executive officer, providing strategic performance solutions. From 2013 to 2015, she was senior vice president and chief product officer at Accretive Health, where her innovative approach to performance management was featured in “Reframing Performance Reviews for Greater Impact: An Interview with Accretive Health Chief People Officer, Caroline Stockdale.”
Ms. Stockdale’s career experience includes key leadership roles at Medtronic, where she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer from 2010 to 2013, and at Warner Music Group, where she was executive vice president of global human resources and business operations from 2005 to 2009. At Warner Music, she led a significant transformation of outdated performance management systems that had remained unchanged since the 1960s and 1970s.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Stockdale held the position of senior vice president of human resources at American Express Financial Advisors & Global Financial Services from 2002 to 2005. From 1997 to 2002, she served as executive vice president and global human resources leader at GE Capital Aviation Services. She initially began her career in finance before transitioning to human resources at General Electric, motivated by her frustration with traditional management practices.
Ms. Stockdale earned a Bachelor of Arts in political theories, institutions, and philosophy from the University of Sheffield in England in 1986. She is a British-qualified chartered accountant through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and received Six Sigma training during her tenure at GE. Moreover, she is actively involved in organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and supports initiatives like Women in STEM. Since 2016, she has been an official member of the Forbes Human Resources Council.
Reflecting on her path, Ms. Stockdale notes that all her roles have had a truly global impact. Starting in finance before transitioning to human resources, she held significant leadership roles at American Express, Warner Music, Medtronic, and other major organizations. She is particularly proud of her work in transforming performance management systems, especially at Warner Music, where she modernized outdated methodologies that had long failed to evolve.
Ms. Stockdale believes growth is a continuous process and emphasizes the importance of lifelong learning. She values direct, growth-oriented feedback from her chief executive officer and actively seeks insights from others to maintain self-awareness. To her, true self-awareness is not just internal reflection but also embracing external feedback.
Ms. Stockdale believes that her unconventional approach to talent management and human resources sets her apart in the field. She challenges traditional human resources practices, focusing on what truly benefits the business rather than following industry norms. She has been an outspoken critic of outdated employee assessment tools and instead champions personalized, data-driven approaches that align with business objectives.
One of Ms. Stockdale’s most memorable career moments came in the aftermath of 9/11 when she led crisis management at GE’s aviation sector. The experience revealed the unpredictability of human behavior in extreme situations, shaping her leadership approach ever since. Her greatest career achievement is seeing those she has mentored, especially women, grow and succeed. She takes pride in recognizing and empowering talented individuals who might otherwise go unnoticed, helping them gain visibility and secure impactful roles in their careers.
In light of her impressive undertakings, Ms. Stockdale has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the most influential women in Arizona in 2022 and 2024. She has won multiple awards for innovation in human resources and was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women in Arizona. She attributes her success to a strong values-based leadership style, a passion for her work, the courage to speak the truth, and genuine compassion for others.
Outside of her professional life, Ms. Stockdale enjoys spending time with her family and finds joy in reading, hiking, cycling, gardening, cooking, and walking her dogs. She also dedicates time to nurturing new talent within her industry. Looking to the future, she plans to continue supporting First Solar’s expansion journey while inspiring more individuals to enter the professional space.