At a time when many companies are stepping back from bold diversity efforts, Toni Thompson is leaning in. As Chief Human Resources Officer at Etsy, she has helped shape a workplace where equity, transparency, and belonging are not just aspirational—they’re operational. Under her leadership, Etsy has introduced industry-leading benefits, from gender-neutral parental leave and unlimited mental health days to adoption reimbursement and structured manager support. “The programs we've put in place have allowed us to support employees not only in the benefits we offer but also in the environment that we've created,” she’s said. It’s a strategy rooted in action supporting workers structurally, not symbolically and one that’s redefining how HR can drive measurable impact in a global business.
Born in the United States and a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a bachelor’s degree, Thompson brings nearly 20 years of experience across talent strategy, HR operations, and diversity work. Since joining Etsy in 2020, she’s played a key role in the company’s transformation into a multi-brand platform with teams across Brooklyn, Chicago, London, Dublin, and Mexico City. As CHRO, she ensures Etsy’s culture evolves alongside its expansion, overseeing everything from talent alignment to inclusive leadership development. Before Etsy, she held senior HR positions at The Muse and Condé Nast, where she built people-first strategies to meet the needs of dynamic, creative teams.
One of her most defining leadership traits is her dedication to deep listening. “We set up a lot of listening posts for our employees, and we take them very seriously,” she’s said. This feedback-centric approach has allowed Etsy to exceed goals in workforce diversity and disability inclusion while fostering a workplace where people thrive on-screen, in-office, or somewhere in between. Even amid challenging decisions, Thompson emphasizes honesty and responsiveness, noting, “It matters how you respond.” Whether building tools to support hybrid managers or promoting employees mid-leave, she’s showing that a people strategy rooted in trust is powerful.