A Conversation With Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews, Chief Human Resources Officer, VSP Vision
Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews is the Chief Human Resources Officer at VSP Vision, bringing more than three decades of HR leadership across healthcare and high tech. Her journey to CHRO started with a chance gym conversation that turned into a career-defining opportunity. Beginning as a compensation specialist, she expanded her scope by consistently connecting her expertise to broader business outcomes, eventually stepping into enterprise leadership where alignment across functions became essential.
Episode Takeaways:
- Alignment requires more than agreement. Leaders must actively connect decisions to enterprise impact and involve stakeholders early to avoid siloed thinking
- Culture doesn’t scale by accident. VSP intentionally evolved its culture during COVID to ensure connection and inclusion across a distributed workforce
- Integration starts with culture. Bringing acquired companies into the “family” works best when values are clear but flexibility is preserved.
- Enterprise mindset is a learned shift. Leaders moving from smaller organizations must adapt from owning decisions to sharing them, which takes clarity and ongoing dialogue
- Good meetings drive alignment. Clear outcomes, purposeful conversation, and real dialogue beat calendar overload every time
Kristi’s perspective reinforces a core truth: alignment is less about grand declarations and more about consistent, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that connect people to the bigger picture. Whether integrating systems, evolving culture, or simply trying to stick to a workout plan, success comes down to commitment, realistic expectations, and a willingness to adjust along the way. Or, as she subtly reminds us, “good enough” often beats endlessly perfect and never delivered.
Connect with Kristi outside of this episode on LinkedIn here or through VSP Vision here.
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Is misalignment holding your organization back?
Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.
Connect with Kristi outside of this episode on LinkedIn here or through VSP Vision here.
-------------------------
Is misalignment holding your organization back?
Aligned teams deliver better results more consistently, and they have deeper connections to each other and their organizations.
Download our free Leadership Alignment Evaluation Tool and take the first step toward transforming how your team works together.
Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:
Learn more about Julie and Karrikins Group:
Creators and Guests
Host
Julie Williamson, PhD
Julie Williamson, PhD is the CEO and a Managing Partner at Karrikins Group, a Denver-based, global-serving business consultancy. Author, Keynote Speaker, and Host of The Failure Gap Podcast, Julie is a leading voice in how alignment can transform leaders and organizations.
Guest
Kristi Cappelletti-Matthews
Kristi is a proven and respected Human Resources (HR) leader with more than three decades of overall HR experience, including 25+ years specializing in domestic, sales, executive and international compensation programs. Kristi has worked across multiple industries including Healthcare, Insurance and High Technology in both Software and the Semiconductor Industry. Size of companies range from small (50+ employees) to medium (2,500-15,000) to very large (100,000). Kristi has spent the last 17+ years working for VSP Vision in various roles, serving as Chief Human Resources Officer since 2015. Kristi has extensive experience providing professional coaching to managers on compensation management, organization, and policy issues. In addition to compensation expertise, Kristi is highly skilled in benefit program design and analysis, HR Information System (HRIS) implementations, and HR policy development and implementation. Kristi has served as the Executive Staff Liaison for the VSP Board of Directors Compensation Committee for the past 10+ years. She provides the Board with recommendations, review, and advice on Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other executive-level compensation, CEO performance, succession planning, and corporate incentive programs. Kristi is a member of the San Francisco CHRO Governing Body, holding a Co-Chair role since January 2023. In this position, she serves in a leadership role to provide input and expertise, align business priorities, and to strengthen the CHRO community and network for continued collective success. In January of 2025, Kristi was elected to the Board of Directors for PRIDE Industries, which creates sustainable employment for individuals with disabilities, helping to realize their true potential and lead independent lives. Beginning in June 2025, Kristi will begin serving on the Compensation and Governance committees, a testament to the expertise she brings to the PRIDE Board. Kristi has previously held high-level positions for the Sacramento Compensation and Benefit Association, including President and Officer on its Board of Directors. She also served on the Board for the Sacramento Veterans Employer Resource Group (VERG) as the Tools & Resources Director, as well as the Human Resources UC Davis Advisory Board to advise on Corporate HR Policies and was a member of the Linkage Purposeful Leadership Client Advisory Board. A proud professional achievement for Kristi is being honored five consecutive years (2021-2025) as a “Top CHRO” by N2Growth, a global leadership consulting and executive search firm that recognizes innovative, future-focused executives around the world who’ve shown a dedication to fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and forward-thinking work environment. Kristi has a Masters Degree from San Jose State University in Sociology. She also believes that fitness, exercise and overall wellness are crucial to maintaining a healthy quality of life. In her spare time, Kristi maintains her Personal Training Certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM-CPT).
