HR Strategy and Organization
Align the people function with the business plan and give leaders a clear structure for growth and change.
HR Strategy and HR as a Business Partner
A people strategy connected to the operating plan helps leaders decide where to invest in talent and how HR should be organized to support the business. Engagements cover the overall direction of the HR function and the business partner relationships that bring HR into decisions early.
What this can include
- People strategy and multi-year HR roadmap
- Assessment of the current HR function and operating model
- HR business partner model design
- People metrics and reporting for the executive team
- HR support for growth, new lines of business, and acquisitions
Related experience
- HR business partner to executive leadership at PEAK6 Investments and Valiant Integrated Services
- Led the PEAK6 parent-company Center of Excellence for talent acquisition and HR across seven lines of business, including trading, FinTech, EdTech, insurance, and e-sports, during ongoing acquisition activity
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Organizational Design and Change Management
Structure, roles, and the way change is introduced all affect how well an organization performs. This work clarifies how teams are organized and gives leaders a practical plan for moving people through a change.
What this can include
- Organizational structure, spans, and layers review
- Role clarity and decision rights
- Change management and stakeholder plans
- Internal communication plans
- Restructuring, relocation, and reduction-in-force planning
Related experience
- Key decision maker and employee change manager for the June to September 2018 relocation of Cubic Global Defense staff to a new Valiant site, managing 40 vendor relationships and completing the transition on time
- Managed a highly confidential reduction in force of more than 900 employees at HSBC and developed the procedure used to protect fairness and legality for impacted employees
- Developed the 2019 and 2020 internal communication plans at Valiant
- Leads change management initiatives as part of culture work at Blue Cross of Idaho
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Workforce Planning
Workforce planning connects business forecasts to the roles, skills, and headcount needed to deliver them. The result is a plan leaders can use for hiring, development, and budgeting decisions.
What this can include
- Current workforce and capability analysis
- Future skills and headcount planning
- Build, buy, and borrow talent decisions
- Identification of critical roles
- Contingency planning for key positions
Related experience
- Leads talent reviews and succession planning at Blue Cross of Idaho
- Served as a contingency planner and incident management instructor in the U.S. Coast Guard
- Managed 60 resources to deliver a 110-deliverable homeland defense program ahead of schedule and within budget
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Fractional and Interim HR Leadership
Some organizations need senior HR leadership before they are ready to hire a full-time executive, or during a leadership transition. Fractional and interim engagements provide that leadership on a defined schedule.
What this can include
- Interim head of HR or people
- Fractional HR leadership on a set schedule
- Participation in leadership team meetings and planning
- Leadership and development of the existing HR team
- Transition planning for a permanent HR leader
Related experience
- Director-level talent and people leadership roles at Blue Cross of Idaho, PEAK6 Investments, and Valiant Integrated Services
- Led a 5,500+ employee Center of Excellence for People Experience at Valiant
- Managed an HR team at HSBC that included three HR generalists, an HRIS analyst, HR assistants, and contract recruiters
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Talent Acquisition and Onboarding
Attract, select, and integrate the people the organization needs, with a process hiring managers can follow.
Talent Acquisition, Recruiting Strategy, and Employer Branding
A clear recruiting strategy and a credible employer brand help organizations compete for the people they need. This work covers the plan, the process, and the selection practices that lead to good hiring decisions.
What this can include
- Talent acquisition strategic plan
- Recruiting process design and hiring manager training
- Executive selection process
- Employer value proposition and employer brand
- Structured and behavioral interview design
- Recruiting vendor and technology review
Related experience
- Developed the Talent Acquisition Strategic Plan and served as Head of Recruiting for the firm at PEAK6
- Developed the Talent Acquisition Strategic Plan and Executive Selection Process at Valiant
- Led the Best Place to Work campaign and culture development at Valiant
- Trained management teams on behavioral interviewing at HSBC
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Onboarding
Onboarding shapes how quickly new employees become productive and whether they decide to stay. Programs are designed around the hiring manager, the new hire, and the first year of employment.
What this can include
- Onboarding program design from offer through the first year
- Hiring manager guides and checklists
- New hire orientation content
- 30, 60, and 90-day plans
- Measures of onboarding effectiveness
Related experience
- Developed the six-week Manage Like A Boss management training program at PEAK6, including modules on the hiring manager role and onboarding a new hire
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Performance and Leadership
Set clear expectations, develop leaders, and prepare successors for critical roles.
Performance Management
A performance process works when expectations are clear, managers are prepared, and results feed into pay and development decisions. Engagements range from a full redesign to targeted improvements of an existing process.
What this can include
- Performance management process design
- Goal setting and review cycles
- Calibration and talent review sessions
- Performance and potential (nine-box) frameworks
- Manager training on feedback and reviews
Related experience
- Leads performance management design at Blue Cross of Idaho and developed performance management processes at PEAK6 and Valiant
- Executed 10 performance management processes for 2,300 employees at HSBC, including a nine-block performance and potential model
- Developed nine-box talent matrix definitions at Valiant
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Talent Reviews and Succession Planning
Talent reviews give leaders a structured and consistent view of performance and potential across the organization. Paired with a succession plan, they show executives where the leadership bench is strong, which critical roles carry risk, and where development investment will have the greatest effect.
How the process works
- Prepare
Define shared criteria for performance, potential, and readiness, and give managers pre-work and assessment guides so every employee is evaluated on the same basis.
- Calibrate
Facilitate calibration sessions in which leaders discuss employees against common definitions, place them on a nine-box performance and potential grid, and align on standards across teams.
- Assess readiness
Identify critical roles and build succession slates that rate each candidate as ready now, ready in one to two years, or ready in three or more years, with risk of loss and impact of loss noted for each role.
- Strengthen the pipeline
Report bench strength by level and function, highlight gaps in the leadership pipeline, and decide where to develop internal talent and where external hiring is needed.
- Develop and follow up
Convert review results into individual development plans, stretch assignments, mentoring, and high-potential program participation, and review progress at set intervals.
What this can include
- Talent review process design and annual calendar
- Performance, potential, and readiness criteria
- Nine-box definitions and calibration session facilitation
- Critical role identification and succession slates
- Readiness ratings and risk-of-loss assessment
- Executive selection process
- Leadership pipeline and bench strength reporting
- Individual development plans linked to review outcomes
Related experience
- Leads talent reviews and succession planning at Blue Cross of Idaho as part of the organization's talent management function
- Developed the Executive Selection Process and the Succession Planning Process at Valiant, including nine-box talent matrix definitions and guidance on the manager's role in the process
- Built the Valiant NextExec high-potential program, which used a 360 survey to inform individual development plans
- Executed 10 performance management processes for 2,300 employees at HSBC using a nine-block performance and potential model
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Leadership Development
Leadership development prepares managers and executives for larger roles and gives the organization a consistent standard for how its leaders operate. Programs combine assessment, structured learning, and on-the-job application.
What this can include
- Leadership competency models
- High-potential programs
- 360-degree feedback
- Mentoring programs
- Management development curricula
- Leadership cohort facilitation
Related experience
- Developed and implemented the NextExec high-potential program, the Leadership Mastermind company leadership program, a mentoring program, and 360 feedback at Valiant
- Developed and facilitated leadership development and management training programs at PEAK6, including the six-week Manage Like A Boss program
- Leads leadership development and employee development programs at Blue Cross of Idaho
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Executive and Leadership Coaching
Coaching gives executives and managers a confidential setting to work on leadership effectiveness, a new role, or a specific challenge. Engagements are often paired with assessments to set a clear development focus.
What this can include
- One-on-one executive coaching
- Coaching for leaders moving into new roles
- Assessment-based development plans
- Team coaching for leadership teams
Related experience
- Gallup Certified Strengths Coach
- Maxwell Leadership certified speaker, trainer, coach, and DISC practitioner
- Elite Coaching Academy Level I Coaching Practitioner (Neurolinguistic Programming)
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Assessments for Teams and Leaders
Validated assessments give leaders and teams a shared language for strengths, communication, and leadership risk. Each assessment is followed by a debrief and practical next steps.
What this can include
- CliftonStrengths for individuals and teams
- DISC for communication and team dynamics
- Hogan assessments for leader selection and development
- Team workshops and individual debriefs
- Use of assessment results in development plans
Related experience
- Gallup Certified Strengths Coach (CliftonStrengths)
- Maxwell Leadership certified DISC practitioner
- Certified in the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), Hogan Development Survey (HDS), and Motives, Values, Preferences Inventory (MVPI)
- Certified in Situational Leadership and Emotional Intelligence through the Center for Leadership Studies, and in the Activity Vector Analysis behavioral assessment
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Learning and Careers
Build the skills and career paths that keep employees growing inside the organization.
Learning and Development and Training
Effective training starts with a clear business need and ends with skills people use on the job. Services cover needs analysis, curriculum design, facilitation, and the structure of the learning function.
What this can include
- Training needs analysis
- Curriculum and program design
- Facilitation and train-the-trainer
- Manager training on core HR topics
- Corporate university and learning intranet design
- Learning technology and Workday learning support
Related experience
- AVP, Learning and Development Manager at HSBC for about 1,500 employees in three domestic and two international locations, with a $1M budget
- Pursued and was awarded a $1.9M California Employment Training Panel contract that offset the cost of the L&D department
- Created Valiant University and the People Resources intranet
- Workday implementation lead for firm-wide training and talent at PEAK6
- Trained more than 700 federal, state, and local agencies on the Incident Response System in the U.S. Coast Guard
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Career Pathing and Career Development Programs
Visible career paths help employees see a future inside the organization and help managers have better development conversations. Programs can be designed for a single job family or the entire workforce.
What this can include
- Career frameworks and career ladders
- Internal mobility programs
- Individual development plans
- Employee development programs
- Career conversation guides for managers
Related experience
- Leads employee development programs at Blue Cross of Idaho
- Built a Valiant high-potential program that used a 360 survey to inform individual development plans
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Culture and Engagement
Understand how employees experience the organization and act on what they say.
Employee Engagement, Culture, and Retention
Engagement improves when employees see that leaders listen and act on what they hear. An effective engagement program combines reliable measurement, a small number of clear priorities, and managers who are prepared to lead the follow-up with their own teams.
How the process works
- Design the survey
Build a baseline survey with reliable items, reporting groups that protect confidentiality, and a communication plan that explains why the survey matters and how results will be used.
- Plan the response
Share organization-level themes with executives and team-level results with managers, then agree on a few focused action plans with clear owners and dates.
- Listen to the people you want to keep
Hold structured stay interviews with high performers and employees in critical roles, and review turnover and exit data to understand what drives attrition.
- Reinforce the culture
Define values and expected behaviors, design rewards and recognition programs, and run employer of choice initiatives that make the culture visible to employees and candidates.
- Equip managers
Give managers discussion guides, training, and simple tools to review results with their teams, act on feedback, and recognize good work consistently.
What this can include
- Engagement survey design, vendor selection, and administration
- Baseline and pulse surveys
- Results analysis and executive readouts
- Team-level action planning
- Stay interview program
- Retention and turnover analysis
- Culture and values definition
- Rewards and recognition program design
- Manager training and discussion guides
- Best place to work and employer of choice initiatives
Related experience
- Ran the employee engagement baseline survey and a stakeholder survey at PEAK6
- Led the Best Place to Work campaign and culture development at Valiant, along with an employee engagement baseline survey, the 2021 associate engagement survey, and development of a Rewards and Recognition program
- Leads culture, engagement programs, and change management initiatives at Blue Cross of Idaho, with the objective of making the company a destination employer of choice
- Raised L&D team engagement scores at HSBC from 65% to 100%, measured on the independent Kenexa platform
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Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Belonging is supported by fair practices and leaders who know how to apply them. Engagements focus on strategy, practical process changes, and measures that show progress over time.
What this can include
- DEI and belonging strategy
- Inclusive hiring and promotion practices
- Employee listening
- Leader education
- Progress measures and reporting
Related experience
- Developed the DEI Strategic Plan at Valiant
- Received extensive training and served as local Civil Rights Officer in the U.S. Coast Guard
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Rewards, Relations, and HR Operations
Pay and reward people fairly, handle sensitive matters well, and run HR with sound processes and systems.
Compensation, Total Rewards, and Job Architecture
A sound job architecture and a clear compensation philosophy make pay decisions easier to explain and defend. Services cover structure, incentive design, and the broader rewards package.
What this can include
- Compensation philosophy and pay structures
- Job architecture and job family design
- Incentive plan design
- Total rewards review
- Recognition programs
Related experience
- Managed five annual incentive design cycles at HSBC that produced 200 operational plans across sales, credit, funding, collections, and asset recovery
- Administered 75 active incentive plans that paid more than $300M in incentive compensation
- Evaluated 20 occupational job families with the corporate compensation department
- Developed the compensation program at Valiant
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Employee Relations and Investigations
Sensitive employee matters require a fair, consistent, and well-documented process. Services include independent workplace investigations and support for managers handling difficult situations.
What this can include
- Workplace investigations
- Employee relations case process and documentation
- Manager guidance on corrective action and separations
- Reduction-in-force planning
- Employee relations training for managers
Related experience
- Nationwide Employee Relations Specialist at HSBC for a U.S. employee base of 55,000
- Conducted hundreds of employee relations investigations, from simple matters to high-profile cases
- Managed a confidential reduction in force of more than 900 employees
Investigations are conducted as an HR consultant. When legal advice or privilege is needed, the work is coordinated with your employment counsel.
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Policies, Handbooks, and Compliance Support
Clear policies help managers act consistently and help employees understand what to expect. Services include handbook development, policy review, and manager education on compliance-related topics.
What this can include
- Employee handbook development and review
- HR policy design
- Manager training on wage and hour, leave, and attendance topics
- HR practice reviews
- Documentation standards
Related experience
- Designed and facilitated management education at HSBC on FLSA, leaves of absence, compensation, professionalism, and severance and reduction in force
- Developed PEAK6 management training modules on time, attendance, payroll, and leave
Compliance support is HR consulting and is not legal advice. Policies and handbooks should be reviewed by your employment counsel.
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HR Operations, HRIS, and Process Improvement
Well-designed processes and systems reduce administrative work and give leaders better information. Engagements cover process redesign, HR technology, and vendor management.
What this can include
- HR process mapping and redesign
- HRIS selection and implementation support
- HR technology and AI adoption
- HR vendor management
- Process improvement using Six Sigma methods
- HR intranet and employee self-service
Related experience
- Workday implementation lead for firm-wide training and talent at PEAK6
- Leads talent technology, including AI adoption, and vendor management at Blue Cross of Idaho
- Six Sigma Green Belt
- Built the PEAK6 Google Site and the Valiant People Resources intranet
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