Marji Castellano

***** ** **** *** ********, IA • 515-***-**** • ad1j0x@r.postjobfree.com

Employee EXPERIENCE and Total Rewards Leader

Engaging highly-satisfied employees to drive business success through HR evolution and optimization.

Influential, progressive and collaborative HR Executive with extensive experience developing key strategies, plans and programs for small, mid-sized and multi-billion-dollar organizations. Passionate about improving workforce satisfaction, productivity, talent retention resulting in a positive employee experience. Adept at driving transformation, leading HR Operations, implementing dynamic technology and delivering on high-profile projects and initiatives. Expands and improves HR services, delivery models, cross-functional partnerships and process efficiency. Employs data, feedback and analytics to develop business cases, generate alignment and ensure compliance. Streamlines and enhances HR programs, offerings and capabilities, while supporting effective communication, workflows and teamwork. Celebrated team and project leader who develops talent and delivers performance excellence.

Demonstrated leadership value across environments and within privately-held, publicly-traded and consulting organizations.

Expertise spanning the employment lifecycle including: Recruiting, Onboarding, Training, Mobility, Engagement and Retention.

Diverse education with formal degrees in Human Resources, Accounting and Computer Science.

Technology: SQL, HTML, HRIS Systems, Compensation Benchmarking Systems, Office 365

Professional Experience

Universal Technical Institute Phoenix, AZ 4/2022-Current

Publicly-traded trades college with 2,000+ employees. Specializing in training on wind power, diesel mechanics, auto mechanics, motorcycle, marine, welding, collision repair, CNC Machining, aviation maintenance, HVACR, energy technology, robotics and automation and now healthcare fields.

Director of Total Rewards

Oversee Total Rewards functions, managing team members and activities. Advanced TR operations, performance and the employee experience through key thought leadership and programs. Lead design and administration of compensation programs, job descriptions, job evaluation, market pricing, incentive plans and benefit programs. Anticipate and fulfill team needs through dynamic solutions. Manage vendor relationships and regulatory reporting. Ensure company and regulatory compliance across areas of influence. Monitore employee touch points and feedback, adapting processes, plans and services to align with efficiency, workforce necessities and company objectives. Evaluate, select and optimize technology that supported functional efforts and long-term strategies.

●HR Strategy, Influence & Executive Engagement: Report directly to CHRO and present initiatives and plans to executives and cross-functional business partners. Manage Executive Compensation process annually. Coach and consult with leaders about Employment Lifecycle to reduce turnover and proactively resolve issues. Contribute to company’s organizational planning, HR strategy, engagement planning and employee retention.

●Best Practice Implementation: Standardized compensation and incentive programs across the organization, demonstrating a dedication to equity, transparency and performance excellence. Updatemarket job descriptions, salary ranges and consolidated position titles. Ensured accurate bonus calculations and payments.

●Continuous Improvement: Develop appealing and comprehensive benefit package while keeping company cost increases within budget.. Identify and evaluate opportunities for enhancing benefit programs.

●Scalability & Agility: Navigate and supported rapid company growth from 1700 to 3400+ employees (100%) during tenure.

●Connection with Purpose: Quickly became known as employee advocate who leverages relationships and professional network to advance company vision, mission and objectives.

Mom’s Meals Ankeny, IA 6/2020-3/2022

Private company with offices across the US with over 2,000+ employees. Specializing in home food production and delivery.

Director - Compensation, Benefits and HRIS

Oversee Total Rewards compensation and benefit functions, managing team members and activities for domestic operations. Strategize and determine best solutions to enhance the employee experience through key thought leadership and programs. Lead design and administration of compensation programs, job descriptions, job evaluation, market pricing, incentive plans and benefit programs. Anticipate and fulfill team needs through dynamic solutions. Manage vendor relationships and regulatory reporting. Ensure company and regulatory compliance across areas of influence. Monitor employee touch points and feedback, adapting processes, plans and services to align with efficiency, workforce necessities and company objectives. Evaluate, select and optimize technology that supports functional efforts and long-term strategies.

●HR Strategy, Influence & Executive Engagement: Report directly to VP of HR and present initiatives and plans to executives and cross-functional business leads. Manage Compensation process annually. Coach and consult with leaders about Employment Lifecycle to reduce turnover and proactively resolve issues while better understanding desired business staffing needs and business drivers. Contribute to company’s organizational planning, HR strategy, engagement planning and employee retention.

●Continuous Improvement: Develop appealing and comprehensive benefit package while reducing company cost. Negotiate with plan carriers to redesign plans and allow company to explore other plan options. Identify and execute innovative benefit programs.

●Connection with Purpose: Quickly became known as employee advocate who leverages relationships and professional network to advance company vision, mission and objectives.

Musco Sports Lighting, LLC Oskaloosa, IA 7/2019-8/2020

Private company with offices internationally and across the US with over 1,200+ employees. Specializing in lighting solutions.

Compensation, Payroll and Benefits Manager

Oversee Total Rewards compensation and benefit functions, managing team members and activities for global operations. Strategize and determine best solutions to enhance the employee experience through key thought leadership and programs. Lead design and administration of compensation programs, job descriptions, job evaluation, market pricing, incentive plans and benefit programs. Anticipate and fulfill team needs through dynamic solutions. Manage vendor relationships and regulatory reporting. Ensure company and regulatory compliance across areas of influence. Monitor employee touch points and feedback, adapting processes, plans and services to align with efficiency, workforce necessities and company objectives. Evaluate, select and optimize technology that supports functional efforts and long-term strategies.

●HR Strategy, Influence & Executive Engagement: Report directly to VP of HR and present initiatives and plans to executives and cross-functional business leads. Manage Executive Compensation process annually. Coach and consult with leaders about Employment Lifecycle to reduce turnover and proactively resolve issues while better understanding desired business staffing needs and business drivers. Contribute to company’s organizational planning, HR strategy, engagement planning and employee retention.

●Continuous Improvement: Develop appealing and comprehensive benefit package while reducing company cost. Negotiate with plan carriers to redesign plans and allow company to explore other plan options. Identify and execute innovative benefit programs.

●Connection with Purpose: Quickly became known as employee advocate who leverages relationships and professional network to advance company vision, mission and objectives.

AMERICAN EQUITY LIFE INVESTMENT INSURANCE COMPANY Des Moines, IA 1/2014-6/2019

Publicly-traded insurance company with $52 billion in assets and 500+ employees. Specializing in fixed annuities.

Director of Compensation, Payroll, Benefits & Employee Relations

Oversaw Total Rewards and Employee Relations functions, managing team members and activities. Advanced HR operations, performance and the employee experience through key thought leadership and programs. Led design and administration of compensation programs, job descriptions, job evaluation, market pricing, incentive plans and benefit programs. Anticipated and fulfilled team needs through dynamic solutions. Managed vendor relationships and regulatory reporting. Ensured company and regulatory compliance across areas of influence. Monitored employee touch points and feedback, adapting processes, plans and services to align with efficiency, workforce necessities and company objectives. Evaluated, selected and optimized technology that supported functional efforts and long-term strategies.

●HR Strategy, Influence & Executive Engagement: Reported directly to CHRO and presented initiatives and plans to executives and cross-functional business partners. Managed Executive Compensation process annually. Coached and consulted with leaders about Employment Lifecycle to reduce turnover and proactively resolve issues. Contributed to company’s organizational planning, HR strategy, engagement planning and employee retention.

●Best Practice Implementation: Standardized compensation and incentive programs across the organization, demonstrating a dedication to equity, transparency and performance excellence. Established market job descriptions, salary ranges and consolidated position titles. Ensured accurate bonus calculations and payments. Implemented PTO plan.

●Culture Creation: Fostered and influenced a customer-centric, employee-focused and collaborative culture.

●Continuous Improvement: Developed appealing and comprehensive benefit package while reducing company cost by $1.5MM. Negotiated with medical plan carrier to redesign premium credit to reduce annual increases and allow company to explore other plan options. Identified and executed innovative opportunity for dental plan sub carrier (which provider now offers to other clients), providing employees with a more robust dental program within the confines of the current contract.

●Scalability & Agility: Navigated and supported rapid company growth from 385 to 670+ employees (75%) during tenure.

●Connection with Purpose: Quickly became known as employee advocate who leverages relationships and professional network to advance company vision, mission and objectives.

●Emerging Challenges & Solutions: Executive sponsor of Multi-Generation Initiative. Revised corporate policies and programs to align with millennial desires and work habits. Shifted from punitive to production-focused policies.

MERIT RESOURCES Des Moines, IA 4/2010-12/2013

Privately-held, Provider Employer Organization (PEO) with 80+ employees and presence in 48 states. Merit Resources was acquired by INS in 2013 and rebranded under the Aureon name.

Director, Benefits & Retirement Plan Operations

Directed Benefits function for 350+ client employers managing benefits for over 12,000 co-employees and their unique offerings and costing methods. Contributed to development and provision of unique and scalable business services. Strategized with Broker and carriers during annual renewal process and negotiated cost effective offerings to benefit clients. Managed 4-member staff, coaching through challenges and motivating strong performance. Consulted with leaders about the employment lifecycle, aiding in turnover reduction and proactive issue resolution. Managed carrier and vendor relationships.

●Team Building: Transformed Benefits team into a highly effective, strategic, collaborative and forward-thinking group that delivered robust value to the organization and clients. Promoted a culture of open communication and partnership.

●Technology Optimization: Implemented online Benefit System for 12,000+ co-employees to eliminate paper enrollment and save client significant costs associated with carrier issues and errors.

●Alignment & Influence: Served on Retirement Plan Committee, representing clients’ plans and ensuring alignment with fiduciary duties.

●Innovation & Improvement: Capitalized on services, talents, best practices and resources. Initiated Lean Operation efforts, improving process efficiency and saving company costs. Led divestitures relative to Benefits conversion.

AMERICAN ENTERPRISE SERVICES COMPANY Des Moines, IA 11/2002-3/2010

Mutual holding company operating 7 insurance subsidiaries in 49 states under the American Republic®, Great Western® and Medico® brands. Employs 900+ geographically-dispersed associates in Iowa, Nebraska and Utah offices.

Manager, HRMS & Corporate Payroll

Managed HR Systems and Compensation program for 900+ employees. Ensured cost-effective, efficient and employee-focused operations. Developed strategic and tactical business plans to strengthen company’s employer value and differentiation. Led high-performance project teams to achieve results and deliver solutions. Negotiated and executed vendor agreements, ensuring cost containment and offering enhancement.

●HR Technology: Created HR Technology roadmap to support HR strategy and deliver key solutions. Led technology conversions, facilitated re-engineering, oversaw HR projects and ensured optimal HR operational processes. Recommended and directed conversion project onto an online Benefit Administration System, reducing costs and improving the employee experience.

●Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborated with Finance, IT and across business units to develop functional strategy and enhance overall partnership between teams.

ING FINANCIAL EQUITABLE OF IOWA Des Moines, IA 9/1998-10/2002

ING is an $8.6 billion, publicly-traded, financial, retirement, investment and insurance company with global presence. Acquired Equitable of Iowa in 1997 and rebranded the company under the Voya name in 2013.

Director, HR Operations

Established Shared Services and common HR platform for company. Managed HR budget, 40-member team and activities including: Recruiting, Training, Payroll, Policy Development and Employee Relations. Integrated and oversaw acquisition transitions covering HR, Benefits and Payroll programs. Delivered functional and technical expertise during system conversions. Led multiple HR projects.

●Challenged the Status Quo: Created and led HR Shared Service Center supporting 12,000 global employees and 3,500 retirees across 42 states and with varying payroll frequencies. Developed and implemented procedures and processes for service center.

●Set Direction & Thought Systematically: Saved $2MM in operational expenses by reducing 6 HR, Payroll and GL systems into single platform (within 6 months). Collaborated with HR partners to centralize operations, evaluate compensation programs and manage change. Established and managed GL interface.

●Positioned Function for Maximum Value: Successfully led initiative to relocate department from Des Moines, IA to Atlanta, GA (corporate headquarters).

References

Available upon request.

Education & Professional Development

AMERICAN PAYROLL ASSOCIATION (APA) Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)-Inactive

WORLD AT WORK*Certified Benefit Professional (CBP)-Inactive

WORLD AT WORK*Certified Comp Professional (CCP)-Inactive

UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY Bachelor of Arts – Human Resource Management

Master in Business Administration – In Process

DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Associate of Science – Accounting & Computer Science

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