From Lawyer to CHRO: How Dual Roles Create Better Leaders with Joshua Horenstein

What happens when one executive combines legal expertise with human resources leadership? Joshua Horenstein, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and Human Resources Officer & Corporate Secretary at Innophos, reveals the powerful advantages of his dual role in this fascinating conversation.Leading both legal and HR departments for a global phosphate company with 1,500 employees worldwide, Joshua leverages his unique position to provide comprehensive solutions that traditional, siloed departments often miss. "Running both departments has made me better at both functions," he explains. "It made me a better lawyer, a better executive, a better leader overall."Throughout his 15-year tenure at InnoFOS, Joshua has navigated significant corporate transitions, including a $1 billion public-private sale. His cross-functional perspective proved invaluable during these pivotal moments, allowing him to address both the structural aspects of transactions and their human impacts simultaneously. "CEOs and boards like just having one person to talk to," he notes, highlighting how his multifaceted role streamlines executive communication.Beyond his formal responsibilities, Joshua also leads the company's ESG initiatives with a practical approach that balances environmental and social objectives with business performance. "I refuse to believe you can't be a good environmental steward and also make money," he asserts, though he acknowledges this equilibrium requires thoughtful effort rather than pursuing ESG initiatives for their own sake.Mentorship represents another cornerstone of Joshua's leadership philosophy. Drawing from mentors who shaped his own career, he's implemented innovative programs at InnoFOS, including an English-Spanish buddy system connecting employees across different regions—strengthening both language skills and cross-cultural collaboration.For professionals navigating their own system transformations, Joshua offers this wisdom: "Plan...but part of that humility is recognizing it's never going to go 100 percent to plan." This balanced perspective—thorough preparation paired with adaptive flexibility—defines his approach to leadership challenges in today's complex corporate landscape.Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn to continue the conversation about cross-functional leadership and how breaking down departmental silos can create more effective executive leadership.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.Follow us on LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events