Chris Turpin

Dr. Chris Turpin is a senior human resources and operations executive, advisor, and educator with more than four decades of leadership experience across retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and service organizations. His professional expertise includes organizational culture, employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, customer experience, and operational performance.

Dr. Turpin has taught at the University of Richmond for more than two decades and currently serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Human Resource Management program, where he teaches graduate-level courses. He integrates academic frameworks with practical executive experience to demonstrate how human resource strategy and effective leadership contribute to organizational success.

Dr. Turpin spent 16 years with Ukrop’s Super Markets from 1984 to 2000 in human resources, operations, and retail leadership. From 2000 to 2019, he held progressively responsible positions at the Virginia Eye Institute, including Director of Human Resources, Vice President of Human Resources and Operations, Chief Experience Officer, and Interim Chief Executive Officer. He served as Chief Operating Officer of Virginia Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates in 2019 before joining HandCraft Linen Services, where he served as Chief Human Resources Officer from 2019 to 2025.

He currently serves as Senior Advisor to HandCraft’s Chief Human Resources Officer. In 2008, Dr. Turpin founded HR UPFRONT to help human resource professionals expand their knowledge, strengthen essential competencies, and prepare for the aPHR, PHR, and SPHR certification examinations. He earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Policy, Planning, and Leadership from The College of William & Mary and holds the SPHR and SHRM-SCP professional certifications.