Oak Brook, Ill. – The Inland Real Estate Group, LLC, (“Inland”) is pleased to announce that Nora O’Connor, chief human resources officer and executive vice president, has been recognized by Crain’s Chicago Business as a 2021 Notable Leader in HR. This award is given to senior HR leaders who are employed at companies of 50 employees or more and demonstrate the ability or power to effect change. 

In her role at Inland, Ms. O’Connor oversees a staff of 12 supporting 1,100 employees in 30 states. She and her team are responsible for the payroll, recruiting, benefits, employee training and employee relations functions.

“Nora’s early adopter mindset and ‘big picture’ abilities have been instrumental in establishing long-term initiatives to address cultural and pandemic-related issues affecting Inland employees,” said Tim Hutchison, chief operating officer of Inland. “This recognition is well deserved and a testament to her many contributions and achievements in leading Inland’s Human Resources initiatives and efforts for more than a decade.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. O’Connor managed the transition to a remote work environment, instituted accessible mental health and medical resources and launched new PTO benefits for employees directly affected by COVID. She also managed the launch of Inland’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, formed to promote, foster and support diversity and inclusion in the workplace through trainings, workshops, speakers, and employee resources. Ms. O’Connor has engaged seven council members, comprised of Inland and non-Inland representatives.

Upon joining Inland in 2007, Ms. O’Connor transformed a simple personnel department into an all-encompassing HR Department. She launched an official HRIS system, spearheaded an overhaul and update of the employee handbook and led HR into an advisory role side-by-side with executive management on HR matters related to executive compensation, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and initiatives that align with Inland’s long- and short-term objectives.

Additionally, she successfully consolidated 26 different benefit programs down to nine, saving the company several million dollars in the first year, and oversaw the transition of benefits from fully funded to self-funded, saving several millions over eight years.

Prior to joining Inland, she worked in human resources in multiple industries including transportation, financial services, e-commerce and telecommunications.

To view Crain’s Chicago Business’ list of 2021 Notable Leaders in HR, visit https://www.chicagobusiness.com/awards/crains-2021-notable-leaders-hr.

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About The Inland Real Estate Group, LLC 
The Inland Real Estate Group, LLC is part of The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc., which is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, is one of the nation’s largest commercial real estate and finance groups. The Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, Inc. is comprised of independent legal entities, some of which may be affiliates, share some common ownership or have been sponsored and managed by such entities or subsidiaries thereof.