Tawanda Starms joined Din Tai Fung North America (DTF) in 2024 as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, where she leads the People & Culture department with a strategic mandate to drive business performance by elevating the team member experience. In her role, she oversees the full spectrum of people operations—including talent acquisition and retention, total rewards strategy, payroll, employee relations and organizational effectiveness—while championing DTF’s mission to set the highest standards in caring for people.With a future-forward perspective, Tawanda is actively shaping the next chapter of DTF’s growth by building a high-impact human resources function, implementing scalable systems and technologies, as well as cultivating a culture of excellence. Her focus is on developing high-performing teams and empowering leaders at all levels to thrive, ensuring the company’s long-term success is powered by its people. Under her leadership, DTF’s employer value proposition of ‘we care’ is rooted in every initiative to ensure each team member’s career, physical and financial well-being.Before joining DTF, Tawanda served as the Chief People Officer at Vacasa, where she architected the people strategy and employer branding from the ground up. She also held multiple senior HR leadership roles at Chipotle and Taco Bell, driving transformation across complex, high-growth environments. Known for her pragmatic, business-minded approach and deep commitment to human-centered leadership, Tawanda consistently helps organizations align talent with strategy creating company cultures where individuals are valued, heard, and positioned to succeed.
