Oakbridge Insurance Adds Lea Daughtridge Wharton as Vice President of Human Resources

ATLANTA (April 27, 2021) – Oakbridge Insurance Agency LLC is pleased to announce that Lea Daughtridge Wharton has joined the company as vice president of human resources. “We welcome Lea with great enthusiasm. She is a talented and visionary HR professional, known for her exceptional ability to unite and strengthen workforces,” said Oakbridge COO Michael Dollar. “Lea will be a strategic operational cornerstone as we continue to build our employee base across the Southeast.”

Wharton has nearly two decades of experience in executive human resources roles. As vice president of human resources at Oakbridge, she will manage all aspects of the agency’s employee operations and hiring strategies. Specifically, she will evaluate key performance indicators to develop and implement policies and engagement programs that support Oakbridge’s long-term vision, operational excellence and commitment to continuous improvement.

Wharton is a valued human resources partner and change agent focused on driving high-dollar organizational transformations to establish company-wide successes. She works to inspire employee teams and develop elite workforces by assessing and directing skillsets toward professional growth. She also enhances company resources to ensure greater employee retention using people-first strategies. Over the course of her career, Wharton has achieved multimillion-dollar cost savings by implementing dynamic initiatives, modernized technology infrastructures and total rewards programs. As a champion for diversity, equity and inclusion, she is known for her ability to foster leadership, eliminate barriers and develop teams for succession planning and quality performance. Before joining Oakbridge, Wharton served as the senior executive director of human resources and administration for Highwoods Properties, a publicly traded, national real estate firm.

“It’s evident that Oakbridge’s executive team leads by example, working to instill a culture of collaboration, respect, encouragement and positive morale. I am honored to join Oakbridge and look forward to guiding the agency’s large- and small-scale HR functions,” Wharton said. “While the past year has been challenging for HR professionals, it’s these challenges that make us stronger. The Talent Management functions of acquisition, development, engagement and retention are more critical—and more challenging—than ever. As I take this next step in my career, I look forward to harnessing this strength and bolstering Oakbridge’s expanding workforce.”

Wharton earned her B.A. in Communications from Salem College and completed the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.