About the Founder
Ann Hammel
Thirty years in human resources. More than a decade at the VP level. A career spent inside the rooms where talent decisions actually get made.
Why ECI Exists
The rules were never written down. So she wrote them.
For three decades, Ann Hammel led talent strategy at two Fortune 1000, multi-billion-dollar global retail organizations. She sat in the rooms where careers were advanced, stalled, or quietly ended — and watched capable young people lose ground for reasons nobody ever explained to them.
Early Career Intelligence exists to close that gap. It teaches students and early-career professionals the signals, rooms, and evaluation criteria that shape careers, built on six principles of organizational intelligence drawn directly from that experience.
“One perspective tells you it’s going to be okay. I tell people why it might not be, and exactly what to do about it.”
Connect on LinkedInRecord
Three decades of Fortune 1000 talent leadership.
Feb 2018 — Feb 2026
Vice President, Human Resources — Carter's Inc.
Eight years at the VP level, part of 15+ years total at Carter's including Senior Director and Director HR roles. Led talent strategy across multiple business units.
12+ Years
Macy's — HR & Organizational Development Leadership
HR and organizational development leadership roles inside one of America's largest retail organizations.
Service
Gulf War Army Veteran
Military service that shaped a direct, unflinching approach to preparation, standards, and accountability.
University of North Georgia
BBA, Marketing — Corps of Cadets
Served in the Corps of Cadets all four years with increasing leadership rank. Recently joined the UNG Corps Advisory Council.
What Shapes the Voice
Discipline, evidence, and a refusal to soften the truth.
Military Discipline
Gulf War Army veteran; four years in the UNG Corps of Cadets with increasing leadership rank.
Corporate Evidence
Talent strategy across multiple business units at Carter's Inc. and Macy's.
Continued Service
Recently joined the University of North Georgia Corps Advisory Council.