When I was given the North American HR job at Heinz, in Pittsburgh, my new boss was the head of the North American unit, Bill Springer. When I first introduced myself to Bill, his first words to me were "I'm not convinced that we need this role but let's move on. As a former finance guy, I view HR as a necessary evil." Not an auspicious beginning. I told him that I was there to prove him wrong and, if I didn't, then my tenure would be short. He smiled and said "you're on!" Later, I learned that he respected guys with balls that stood up to him. That made me smile. Read more here