Heather Gilligan, 2025 HR Leadership Award Winner
Heather Gilligan, Human Resources Manager at Whitman Partners, has been recognized with the 2025 HR Leadership Award from the Portland Business Journal—a well-deserved honor that celebrates her unwavering dedication to building people-first cultures.
Heather leads with empathy, integrity, and resilience. Her work has not only shaped the employee experience at Whitman Partners but has left a lasting mark throughout her career in human resources. From championing relationships to guiding others through change, Heather embodies the kind of leadership today’s workplace needs most.
“With empathy, you can move mountains. It’s how you build trust. It’s how you get through challenges. And it’s how you create a culture where people want to be.”
– Heather Gilligan
A Journey Rooted in Empathy
Heather joined Whitman Partners in 2020 as an Onboarding Specialist in our Interim Department. With a natural ability to build relationships and a deep understanding of HR strategy, she quickly grew into her current role as HR Manager. But her leadership journey started long before that.
Originally from Bossier City, Louisiana, and later Henderson, Nevada, Heather earned her degree in Business with an emphasis on HR Management from Western Governors University. Her career includes over a decade at Target, where she rose to become a Human Resources Team Leader—experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy in powerful ways.
“I learned a lot from one of my early mentors,” she shared. “She believed in me, trusted me, and taught me the importance of leading with empathy. That lesson has stayed with me ever since.”
The Power of Empathetic Leadership
When asked what advice she’d give to up-and-coming HR leaders, Heather doesn’t hesitate: “Always lead with empathy.”
“In every business, there are a lot of moving parts. It’s important to find the right balance between the business and the people working there,” she said. “With empathy, you can move mountains. It’s how you build trust. It’s how you get through challenges. And it’s how you create a culture where people want to be.”
In her ten years in HR, Heather has learned that relationships are everything. Whether navigating new policies, organizational change, or moments of uncertainty, she leads with compassion, transparency, and calm.
“As an HR leader, you have to be okay with being uncomfortable. You have to be the steady hand people look to in both the highs and the lows. You have to be the rock.”
About the Award
The Portland Business Journal’s HR Leadership Award honors outstanding human resources professionals across the region who demonstrate innovation, integrity, and a commitment to cultivating positive, impactful workplace cultures. Heather’s inclusion in this year’s honorees reflects her deep influence not only within Whitman Partners but throughout her HR career.
Outside the Office
When she’s not guiding teams and mentoring future leaders, Heather is likely off on an adventure with her husband and family—trying local pizza joints, exploring breweries and cideries, or snorkeling in Fiji (even though she can’t swim, thanks to a trusty life jacket!).
Oh—and in case you’re not following yet, her pug Luna is a bit of an influencer herself: @lunathelooneypug on Instagram.
Celebrating a Well-Deserved Honor
Heather’s story is one of resilience, curiosity, and empathy-driven leadership. Her ability to hold space for people while driving business forward is exactly what modern HR leadership looks like—and we’re so proud to see her recognized by the Portland Business Journal.
Congratulations, Heather. This award is more than recognition—it’s a reflection of the heart you bring to everything you do.
