About Pierre Joanis

Pierre Joanis joined Johns Hopkins University in March 2022 as Vice President for Human Resources.

In this role, Pierre defines and leads human resources strategies and initiatives with an intentional focus on the university’s mission and goals as articulated in the president’s strategic vision for Johns Hopkins.

As Vice President for Human Resources, Pierre provides strategic and dynamic leadership in forming and advancing the university’s HR strategic plan, implementing and enhancing staff diversity initiatives, and strengthening employee-focused functions of the university to help Johns Hopkins become a world-class employer. As an institutional leader, Pierre collaborates with stakeholders across the institution to lead the creation, implementation, and expansion of programs and pathways for employee enrichment and advancement.

Before coming to Johns Hopkins, Pierre had served since February 2014 as the Chief Human Resource Officer and Vice President for Human Resources at Bucknell University, where he led a team charged with planning, managing, and supporting the recruitment, development, total rewards, and retention efforts for all employees. At Bucknell, Pierre helped lead the university’s effective effort in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and safely reopening campus; the successful transition to self-insured health and wellness benefit programs; and the successful design and implementation of Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) and Financials.

Prior to joining Bucknell, Pierre served as the Executive Director for Human Resources at Princeton University where he led the employee relations and labor relations teams as well as training and organizational development efforts. He served on various staff, faculty, and trustee committees to address diverse issues, including preparing for shifting dynamics in enrollment demographics; diversity, equity, and inclusion; management development; and strategic deployment of financial resources.

As part of his commitment to community service, in 2008 Pierre accepted the nomination of New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and confirmation by the New Jersey Senate to serve the state of New Jersey as a Commissioner of the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (NJPERC), the state equivalent of the National Labor Relations Board. Pierre has served on the national board of directors for CUPA-HR and is a highly sought-after speaker and thought leader on human resources and employee engagement.

Pierre earned an MBA from Arcadia University and a bachelor’s degree in labor studies at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Maryland.