Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Harland Clarke Holdings
Lockett has enough experiences to fill three resumes, not just one. He started his career as a U.S. Army officer after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy and served during Operation Desert Storm. He left that challenge after almost a decade to join an executive search firm, Lucas Group; then went on to Frito-Lay; Limited Brands; USAA and more. He’s now senior vice president and head of human resources for Harland Clarke Holdings in San Antonio, where he lives with his family. Staying active is important to Lockett – he enjoys a variety of athletic endeavors and helping others when and where he can.
Tell us the highlights of your professional career. What are your proudest achievements?
I’m glad to have had the opportunity to work in many different industries, which include the military, executive search, consumer packaged goods, gaming, retail and financial services. I’ve worked for small private companies, publicly traded and private equity owned firms. Here’s where I have worked: U.S. Army, Lucas Group, Frito-Lay, Harrah’s Casino, Bath & Body Works, Express Fashion, USAA, First Data, and now I’m with Harland Clarke Holdings. Graduating from West Point, serving our country in Operation Desert Storm and commanding a field artillery battery (140 soldiers) in Germany certainly is an achievement I’m proud of. In other venues, I also:
- Reached the $1Million club for Lucas Group
- Earned the HR Excellence Award at Frito-Lay
- Led the diversity recruiting efforts at Limited Brands
- Created the Leadership Academy, Culture Shaping Initiative, award-winning Veterans Hiring Initiative at USAA
- Established strategic HR direction and hired new HR team at Harland Clarke Holdings
What brought you to UT Dallas?
I chose UT Dallas because of the focus on data and analytics as I pursued an MBA. I was looking for a program with a great reputation and a faculty with real-world experience.
What is your favorite UT Dallas memory?
I had the opportunity to meet some great professors and hard-working students. Many of the folks in my classes were working full time. We worked hard in the classroom and built great relationships with our professors.
Who was your favorite professor and/or what was your favorite class and why?
I had two favorites: John McCracken and the late Frank Bass. Dr. McCracken was one of the best professors I had. He blended textbook and real-world finance experience. Dr. Bass’ “Bass Model” was both insightful and is still something I talk about, even to this day. His marketing research classes helped me understand the importance of leveraging data to either confirm or deny assumptions.
What’s the best advice you have received?
You have to create your own definition of success. Don’t allow others the chance to do that for you. If others define it, you will always be unhappy. You’ll be much happier if you define success and continue to grow.
What advice do you have for current students hoping to succeed in the business world?
Take risks. Learn new things, get out of your comfort zone and move to different places. Once you experience the world from other perspectives, it will change your thinking and your behavior. Work for great “academy” companies and build your brand by working hard and delivering exceptional results. Also remember you will make mistakes and will fail. Keep striving for excellence.
What makes an effective leader?
First, you have to be a leader of character. Living and operating by a set of principles and values and staying true to those values is more important than anything you gain by compromising. Second, you have to care about people. Many years ago in the Army, we had a slogan, “Mission First, People Always.” I’ve always focused on the needs of my people, and not on my own needs. Leadership is not about you. It’s about your people.Third, you have to have a vision of what you are trying to accomplish with your team. Knowing where you are going will help you sell the vision to your leaders and to your team so you can accomplish your objectives. You have to inspire others to follow you. Finally, you have to create an environment of winning. Many call this culture. In the military, we called it the “command climate.” In corporate America, you have to deliver the results you promised. Winning always begets winning. If you are a leader of character, care about the success and welfare of your people, have a vision and deliver results (win), then you will be a successful leader.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy spending time with my family, skiing, coaching little league sports, playing golf, working out, anything athletic, music, travel and supporting veterans. Anything I can do to help others is part of my DNA.
