Leadership lessons from the CHRO of the Los Angeles Times Media Group

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“Believe in people before they believe in themselves.” That’s where Nancy Antoniou’s approach to HR begins. And it’s followed up quickly with, “Start from a place of truth to help navigate a problem.”

As chief human resources officer of the Los Angeles Times Media Group (which includes the Los Angeles Times, LA Times Studios, NantGames, and NantStudios), Nancy leads a remarkably diverse, multigenerational workforce. It spans the newsroom, administrative functions, facilities, and environmental health and safety roles. How does a leader show up for all of those employees?

Nancy doesn’t simply offer competitive programs or solve the problem in front of her. Her goal is to understand what employees are experiencing, what matters to them, and what the organization can do to make their lives better.

That perspective was undoubtedly shaped by Nancy’s own path to leadership. She began her career with NantWorks, the parent company to the Los Angeles Times Media Group, as a receptionist and worked her way through the business before ultimately becoming CHRO. Having experienced the organization from multiple levels gave her a unique understanding of the people behind different roles and the importance of making sure every employee feels heard. Let’s look at how she puts that into practice.

Caring for journalists

Nancy sees journalists as first responders. After all, they arrive at scenes, speak directly with witnesses and victims, and absorb stories of violence, loss, and crisis. But those experiences don’t disappear when a reporter files their story.

“Everything they collect gets internalized. It’s not discarded when they hit submit,” Nancy said. “Your body keeps receipts. All of the stories they collected are carried with them.”

Recognizing this led Nancy’s team to think beyond traditional employee assistance programs (EAPs) and ask a different question: What does meaningful support actually look like for someone who routinely witnesses trauma as part of their job?

The answer evolved into an intentional ecosystem of support. That includes a peer-to-peer support system, clinical support training, and mental health education that helps employees recognize when a colleague may be struggling and how to respond. In partnership with Marsh Agency, the Los Angeles Times Media Group started offering mental health first aid training to interested employees.

The goal isn’t to turn colleagues into clinicians. It’s to create a workforce that’s better equipped to notice one another, respond with empathy, and connect people with appropriate help. This initiative reflects Nancy’s larger philosophy that well-being cannot simply be a collection of benefits that employees are expected to navigate on their own. It has to become part of the culture around them.

For the furry friends

Nancy’s philosophy also includes the belief that supporting an employee means understanding the whole person. And that can manifest in unexpected ways.

For example, she noticed a community forming around employees’ pets: in photos around the office, conversations among colleagues, and the role animals play in employees’ well-being. Rather than dismissing this as something outside the traditional boundaries of HR, Nancy paid attention. She knew that research suggests people who have pets lead healthier lives. So her team began exploring ways to support the pet community at the company.

This inspired additional resources for pet parents and unique employee experiences, such as bringing therapy animals to the office and hosting pet adoption opportunities at a health fair.

Nancy noted that sometimes, an HR strategy begins not by asking “What benefits should we add?” but rather “What matters to our people that we may not be seeing yet?”

Slowing down and tuning in

Perhaps one of the most transferable lessons from Nancy’s leadership is to “slow down enough to listen.” Organizations today move at a clip, and HR leaders are under constant pressure to solve problems, manage costs, and deliver programs.

Nancy challenges leaders to ask different questions before jumping to an answer. Her partnership with Marsh Agency supports that process by bringing in outside expertise. Together, they help her team evaluate what’s possible, practical, and sustainable while keeping the employee experience at the center.

Nancy’s parting wisdom? Pay attention to people, earn their trust over time, engage the right partners, and build a culture that shows up for them when it matters most.