Congratulations to Wanda Shoer, MBA, named Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Phoenix Children's, effective November 2. In Business Magazine reported the move on October 12, 2026. For Valley employers, it's a useful prompt: decide what work a top people role has to do, and let that shape the background you look for.
The move at Phoenix Children's
Shoer succeeds Steve Schuster, most recently interim chief human resources officer, who will retire at the end of the year after 8 years at Phoenix Children's, according to the announcement.
She brings more than 25 years of experience. Most recently she was chief learning officer at Sanofi, a global biopharmaceutical company, where she led learning strategy, leadership development and workforce capability. Before that she spent more than a decade at Johnson & Johnson in senior global roles across talent, strategy, operations and organizational transformation. She holds an MBA from Simmons University.
The announcement doesn't describe how the search ran or why she was chosen, so we won't guess. It does lay out the job clearly, and that's the useful part for other employers.
What the role covers
The announcement says she will lead people strategy and the teams behind talent acquisition, human resources, team member development and organizational effectiveness. It also names the priorities: more transparent career pathways, stronger leadership development and more ways for employees to learn and advance, along with being an employer of choice for healthcare professionals. It mentions technology and AI-enabled workforce solutions as part of how she'll simplify processes.
Questions this raises for employers
Each piece of the announcement maps to a choice an employer makes when it writes a people role.
| From the announcement | The question for your search |
|---|---|
| Talent acquisition, HR, development and organizational effectiveness under one leader | Which of these sit with one leader in your organization, and which don't? |
| A background in global healthcare and biopharma companies | Does this role need experience in your exact setting, or would you count a nearby one? |
| Learning and leadership development experience | Is your biggest need right now hiring people, keeping them or growing them? |
| More transparent career pathways | Can your staff see what their next role would be? |
| A November start and a year-end retirement | How will you hand off the role, and who introduces the new leader? |
What Valley employers can do before hiring a people leader
Before a people leader search starts, get clear on three kinds of alignment. They matter more than any single line on a resume.
- Be honest about your culture. Know why people love working there, and be just as clear about why some don't. A new people leader can only build on what you're willing to name.
- Look for a leader who has lived it. Find someone who has worked through the same culture strengths and problems you have, and can tell you what they did about them.
- Line the role up with the CEO's vision. The people leader and the CEO should want the same future for the organization, and be able to say it the same way.
- Bring your employees' vision in too. Ideally, what your staff want for their own careers and workplace is part of that picture, not an afterthought.
- Plan the handoff early. Decide who introduces the new leader and how the current work carries over before the search starts.
For more on this, read what Phoenix Children's new physician leadership role shows about role design, our look at recent Arizona healthcare leadership moves, and how to hire a CEO for a physician-owned medical group.
Your next step
If your organization is planning a top leadership hire, Start a Search on our Executive Search page.
Know a practice or hospital that's hiring a leader? Send them this.
