Kimberly-Clark’s Liz Gottung, senior vice president and chief human resources officer, received the 2012 Top 10 Breakaway Leaders Award by Evanta HR. The award recognizes HR leaders and their organizations for excellence and innovation in human resource management.

“Liz is a visionary leader who seizes new opportunities and takes smart risks that truly unleash the power of our people,” said Thomas Falk, chairman and chief executive officer. “She continues to identify ways that we can attract, develop, engage, and retain the best people to drive innovation and growth on a global basis at Kimberly-Clark. Her passion and commitment to our employees make this one of the best places to work.”

Under Gottung’s leadership, K-C’s HR department has been transformed into a strategic, competitive business function that is focused on accelerating results and propelling the business forward. Most recently she led the development of a five-year People Strategy with initiatives focused on creating world-class employee engagement, talent management, diversity and inclusion, leadership development and new technologies that help the company better manage its global workforce.

Gottung joined Kimberly-Clark in 1981 in a labor relations role at a manufacturing facility in Memphis, Tenn. Today she leads the design and implementation of all enterprise human capital strategies for the corporation. She serves as a board member for the Compensation & Benefits Committee of the American Heart Association, and the University of Georgia Terry College Dean’s Advisory Council. In 2007 she was elected to the board of directors of Louisiana Pacific Corporation serving on the Compensation and Environmental Committees.

The Top 10 Breakaway Leaders Award recipients are determined by an elite panel of judges made up of leading CHROs, noted academics, and HR thought leaders. The winners were selected from more than 400 nominations.