Diane Sanford, PHR, SHRM-CP

Diane Sanford is a tenured HR professional with a passion for helping people tap into their strengths and grow their careers. With over 25 years of Restaurant Industry experience she’s led a variety of disciplines. She provides strategic leadership to Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition and Retention, Training and Development, Compensation, Benefits and Risk & Safety teams.

Diane began her career in employee relations on the legal team for Brinker International in 1993 and since crafted a career path that led her to join On The Border in December 2014 as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources. She was promoted to Chief People Officer and has served in her current role since February 2016.  She is a dynamic, servant leader who challenges the status quo. As a thought leader, she serves as a strategic partner to senior operations’ leaders; undoing the typical push-pull that normally divides the two teams. She’s led her people teams to cross generational barriers to learning by successfully introducing tools to address individual development in an industry hosting over three to four generations of workers. Under her guidance, her teams are stretched to consider the needs of the individual over the one-size-fits-all learning models of the past. In recent years, she’s developed curriculum for Women Leaders to expand their leadership capabilities in a typically male-dominated industry. She excels in leading safer operations, industry-leading retention and compensation programs, and forward-looking talent acquisition methods. 

While supporting others is her day job, she spends her free time serving the community. She’s been at the head of organizations’ community outreach programs, including a partnership with national and local efforts to feed America’s children, such as No Kid Hungry and Irving School District local outreach. She also has a passion for helping dogs. Diane has volunteered with the DFW Lab Rescue Group for over 20 years and has her own brood of 4 rescues at home. She and her family consider themselves foster failures and, when not helping dogs, enjoy spending time together traveling.