Management Human Resources

Zeb G. LeVasseur, Jr., SPHR

**** ****** ***** • Baytown, TX 77523

713-***-****(c) • ********@*****.***

Experienced Senior Human Resources and Training & Development professional providing

strategic HR support to business

Professional Summary

Human Resources • SPHR • Training and Development • Business Partner • HR and Training Consulting

Employee Relations • Union Avoidance • Employee & Business Investigations

Human Resource Development • Team Development and Facilitation • Employee Performance Improvement

Performance Coaching • Talent Management • Organizational Design • SAP • HRIS

Formal Incident Investigation • TapRoot® Root Cause Analysis • Business Continuity • Crisis Management

Emergency Planning and Response • Paramedic • Fire & Rescue

Certified Safety and Health Official (OSHA) • US Military Veteran, Vietnam Era (USN)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Bayer MaterialScience, LLC • Baytown, TX 77523 - 1986 to Current

Bayer is a Global Fortune 500 company. The Bayer MaterialScience subgroup operates a 1700-acre industrial business park in

Baytown anchored by the company’s Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, Coatings & Sealants and Basic Chemicals manufacturing

groups. The site employs 1,000 manufacturing, engineering, chemistry, maintenance/construction and business support

professionals. The 2010 payroll exceeded $150 million and site shipments totaled $1.3 billion.

Positions Held

Sr. HR Business Partner (2006 -current) – Partner with multiple large business and service organizations providing

strategic HR counsel to Senior Management in support of short and long term business goals. The direct HR service

population for this position spans approximately 375 exempt and hourly employees at multiple US locations. Skills and

competencies: develop organizational management and design strategies that includes downsizing and variable work

force models; conduct workforce planning, attrition forecasting and analysis; develop and apply succession

management; interview and make recommendations for senior staff positions; provide onboarding structure for new

professionals; evaluate and interpret compensation analysis; interpret global HR strategies and policies and lead

business groups in their application; provide local support for inpatriation and expatriation of employees on

international assignments; provide talent management and performance management consultation for management

staff; conduct and apply competency assessments for technical professional position descriptions and management level

360 assessments; develop, manage and apply site business continuity and crisis management plans; serve as site Medical

Officer (liaison) and Evacuation Coordinator in the facility’s Emergency Operations Center.

HR Generalist (2002-2006) - Consultation and HR service to a large business unit consisting of 230 exempt and hourly

employees. Conducted and documented employee investigations; served as employee advocate; mentored and coached

new first and second line supervisors to ensure successful and effective organizational integration; evaluate performance

management metrics and results; created employee development strategies. Responsible for recruiting, testing and

hiring site production process operators and crafts personnel and technical professionals.

Sr. Training Specialist (1999-2002) – Supervision of unit trainers and training programs. Ensured compliance with

OSHA – PSM, RMP; developed effective training and operating procedures to comply with ISO standards and

supported site certification for ISO 9000; developed production training programs and strategies; evaluated employee

performance and training program effectiveness ensuring strategic support of business goals; member of the site formal

incident investigation team serving as a lead investigator for incidents resulting in injury, equipment damage,

environmental incidents and product loss; certified in TapRoot® root cause analyses methodology.

Training Supervisor (1995-1999) – Onboarding, orientation, qualification training and development of production and

manufacturing process operators. Conducted training analysis; developed and delivered technical training; evaluated

employee job performance and training effectiveness; approved and managed hourly employee pay progressions.

Production/Manufacturing Operations (1986-1995) – Operations and supervision of chemical manufacturing processes that

included handling of highly hazardous chemicals. Ensured occupational and process safety were primary performance

factors while meeting complex manufacturing schedules and product formulation demands; provided Emergency

Response Team support as Paramedic, Fire & Rescue Team Captain and directed training for company fire schools at

Texas A&M.

Other Positions Held

Adjunct Faculty – Lee College EMT/Paramedic Program - Baytown, TX

Paramedic and Assistant Chief of Service – Crosby EMS - Crosby, TX (a primary 911 service)

EDUCATION

Lee College, Baytown, TX - 2000

Zeb G. LeVasseur, Jr. • ********@*****.***

OTHER

SPHR – Senior Professional in Human Resources

Master Certificate in Human Resource Management – Villanova University

Lominger Certification in Competency Modeling Leadership Architect®

Lominger Certification in Competency Based Selection Interview Architect ®

Union Avoidance Strategist Training

OSHA CSHO Certified Safety and Health Official in General Industry

TapRoot ® Certification in Root Cause Analysis and Incident Investigation

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHTS

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL As long as an organization views its human capital as a cost to

be controlled, that is likely all they will ever be. Quality excellence leader Dr. Deming proved the wisdom of focusing on

continuous improvement and long term gains over short term gains. In today’s hyper-competitive global markets, it is

all too easy to focus on what is typically the largest fixed cost, personnel, when looking for an immediate business

margin improvement. This reactionary strategy realizes short term gains, yet produces long term negative effects for

the organization. Highly effective organizations view employee development and talent management as strategic

business objectives and as a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders. Every average performer occupies a position

that could be occupied by a high performer. This can be stated simply as “Mission first, people always.”

RECRUITING AND TALENT AQUISITION In comparing current workforce demographics to labor market

demographics, most organizations foresee a talent crisis. The Boomer generation is reaching peak retirement levels and

the members of the succeeding generation are 25% fewer in number, have different values and expectations and, in

general, are not as well equipped to enter the workforce as the previous generations of job seekers. A successful strategy

for talent acquisition requires a two-pronged approach. As the labor market changes so must the workplace. An

aggressive recruiting model must be developed and consistently applied. The subsequent orientation and onboarding

must be equally as aggressive and focused. An adjunct strategy to address mentoring with emphasis on generational

differences and diversity inclusion will bridge the two prongs. Organizations that fail to address this challenge will

likely suffer from an inability to source and place high caliber new talent, face high turnover rates, and ultimately be

resigned to staffing from lower quartile talent. Every hire is an opportunity to find the right person for the right

position at the right cost. This is the foundation for HR’s ROI and contribution to the business.

WORKPLACE SAFETY Many organizations have downsized or applied lean staffing strategies while seeking to

maintain the same work output and market share. Recognizing the tipping point where the organization puts its

workers at risk is crucial. Organizations must proactively develop the safety culture, habits and practices on the front

end. Even with the best due diligence a truly honest Management of Change process is required. It is particularly

difficult to fairly assess safety impact when efficiency is the driving goal. While the two are not mutually exclusive, they

can often appear to be in contrast with one another. When seeking the “far edge” of efficiency, the realization that you

have gone beyond it is painful and expensive. Balance and extreme objectivity through honest Management of Change

are essential.

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