Laura Byars

Laura Byars is an accomplished professional in human performance and organizational development, currently serving as Vice President at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan since August 2010, where the leadership focuses on enhancing talent and organizational culture. Previously, Laura held the role of Senior Director of Human Performance at the same organization, overseeing training, development, talent management, and organizational initiatives. Laura also serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Michigan State University, teaching HR courses in the Weekend MBA and Executive MBA programs. Additionally, Laura founded Talent Strategies, LLC, aimed at aligning organizational strategy with human resources, and has held positions such as Director of Talent Management at ArvinMeritor, Inc., and Leadership Development Program Coordinator at the University of Tennessee. Laura earned a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee, a Master's degree from Illinois State University, and a BBA in management and psychology from Adrian College.