Horizons Are Limitless' - Society for Human Resource Management Board of Directors chair Michael J. Lotito - Interview

HR Magazine, Jan, 2000 by Bill Leonard

HR, often underappreciated, is the foundation of business and is poised to become a major player on the international stage, says 2000 SHRM Chair Michael J. Lotito.

This month, when Michael J. Lotito, SPHR, starts his year-long term as chair of the Society for Human Resource Management Board of Directors, he will set a precedent: He is the first chair in SHRM's 52-year history who is not an HR practitioner.

Lotito, a partner with the law firm of Jackson Lewis, is the first practicing attorney to serve as chair--the Society's highest volunteer leadership position.

Recently HR Magazine Senior Writer Bill Leonard talked with Lotito about his goals and vision for the Society and for the HR profession. As he takes the reins, Lotito says he will emphasize building SHRM's grassroots movement, improving HR competencies and boosting HR's role as a strategic business partner.

HR Magazine: You are the first practicing attorney to serve as chair of the SHRM Board of Directors. Do you consider yourself to be a human resource professional who happens to be an attorney or an attorney with a keen interest in HR-related issues?

Lotito: It is a great honor to be the first non-practitioner to have the privilege of being chair of the SHRM board. It took a bylaw amendment about five years ago to open this up as a possibility.

I really see myself as a bit of both [attorney and HR professional]--a hybrid. As a practitioner, in my organization at different times, I have done a number of things that really draw on HR competencies. As an attorney, I've always been attracted to the concept of preventive law and trying to help forge a strong partnership between employees and employers. That is what Lou Jackson [the founder of Jackson Lewis] taught me and what my firm believes in. I also think that the very soul of being able to forge that kind of partnership is within the HR arena.

HR Magazine: Since you are the first non-practitioner to serve as SHRM chair, I'm sure you have given a lot of thought to the job ahead and the precedents that you might be setting.

Lotito: I'm very conscious and sensitive about being the "first," as some say, and I recognize there may very well be some people who will put me under a microscope to make sure that I in no way abuse this position. Based on the way my parents raised me, I am absolutely committed to serving with the utmost of integrity and ethical commitment. One of the major initiatives that we're talking about for next year is to build on our code of ethics for the profession, as well as for the Society.

It's a logical extension of our core value work last year. We know what we believe in and want everyone else to know that too. Integrity is the root of all we do.

And I want to acquit myself well because the profession is really changing, and more and more individuals are becoming "non-practitioner consultants/advisers/attorneys"--whatever descriptive name you want to use. Certainly, I want to make sure that I leave a legacy so that other individuals that would fall more within my classification, as opposed to the practitioner, could also ultimately advance to become chair.

HR Magazine: You mentioned your parents. Have they been a major influence in your life? And who else has influenced you the most?

Lotito: My parents have been a tremendous influence. I feel particularly strongly about that because, as an adopted only child, they really gave me life, especially since I nearly died as an infant.

My family comes from extremely modest circumstances, but my parents always instilled in me the value of education, and that I would go to college and get an advanced degree [Villanova University, B.A. and J.D.]. They made enormous sacrifices for me, and, if not for my education, my life would not be as rewarding as it is today. So they gave me not only a very strong sense of education, but a very strong sense of values because they believed in basic concepts of right and wrong, the importance of integrity in everything that you do.

When I think of other major influences in my life, I have to say that Luanne, my wife, has been a real guiding light for me. She is a great sounding board to make sure that I'm moving in the right direction, because she has such wonderful insights and terrific instincts, about people in particular. And then Kelly is the daughter I wanted but never had until I adopted her. She gave me the opportunity to pass along the same values that had been instilled in me. Now she's about to graduate from the University of San Francisco and then go on to graduate school. She wants to teach elementary school children with learning disabilities.

And then professionally, the person I acknowledge is Lou Jackson. Loupassed away a few years ago after a wonderful life. He always had an interest in me and took me under his wing. He taught me the real meaning behind preventive labor relations. He also taught me how a little bit of vision can go a long way in moving an organization forward. Lou was truly visionary in his approach to labor relations, his approach to the practice of law and the way he insisted that we all provide value to our clients.