DENISE GRANT
832-***-**** ************@*****.*** www.linkedin.com/in/denisecgrant
Global Strategic Human Resources Executive
Strategic and people first HR leader with over 16 years of global HR leadership experience across global, multi-site, and private equity–backed organizations in manufacturing, services, and technology. Proven ability to align people and business priorities to drive growth, innovation, and operational excellence in high-growth, multi-state, and international environments. Recognized for leading enterprise-wide HR transformations, implementing HRIS and compensation frameworks, and strengthening culture, engagement, and retention through data-driven decision-making. Champions DEI as a core lever of organizational effectiveness inclusive of leadership practices, and metrics-driven accountability for talent strategy and execution. Trusted advisor to executives, bridging analytics, compliance, and people strategy to accelerate growth and enable high-performing cultures.
Core Competencies
Talent Acquisition Total Rewards & Culture Champion Learning & Development
Change Management HR Audits and Legal Compliance SOX and SOC Audit Compliance
Compensation & Benefits Mergers & Acquisitions Policy Development & Enforcement
Soft Skills
PROFFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
National Cleaners Senior HR Director (Contract) 1/2025 – 9/2025
Transformational HR Executive VP of HR Driving Workforce Optimization, Compliance, and People Strategy Expertise in Employee Relations, and Scalable HR Operations in the Services Industry
Championed organizational wide transformation during periods of rapid expansion and restructuring by designing and executing scalable talent acquisition strategies and strategic organizational development
Leveraged HR technology and analytics to optimize decision-making, achieving a 24% reduction in administrative costs and advancing HR operational excellence through automation and scalable processes.
Partnered with Operations, Finance, and IT to leverage people analytics and datadriven insights for diagnosing and resolving key talent and organizational challenges
Redesigned the annual and mid-year reviews, goal setting training, and emphasizing continuous feedback.
Directed the full talent lifecycle—acquisition, onboarding, performance management, career development, and succession planning (9-box), and reducing time-to-hire by 11% through hiring campaigns and unique recruiting strategies.
Directed union negotiations and collective bargaining processes across multiple sites, achieving a 0% work stoppage rate
Partnered with leadership on workforce planning and drove organizational effectiveness.
Implemented training programs and supported career development and succession planning.
Oversaw payroll and benefits administration, pay equity, and managed HR and compensation budgets
Ensuring compliance with employment laws, labor relations, and safety regulations to mitigate litigation risks.
Led all employee relations issues, including investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions, developed training for managers deliver proactive strategies to improve workplace culture and mitigate risks.
Designed and facilitated coaching frameworks for executives and managers to build strategic thinking, communication, and accountability skills resulting in measurable improvements in leadership effectiveness and retention.
Trescal -PE Backed Global Services Company Head of People & HR Operations 12/2020 - 6/2024
Vice President of Human Resources Strategic Partner to the President & Executive Leadership Global & Multi-Site Leadership
Driving Organizational Transformation, Risk Management, M&A, Compensation & Benefits, and Scalable People Strategies Aligned with Business Growth
Strategically led data-driven HR strategy across 28 U.S. locations, partnering with private equity stakeholders to align people initiatives with post-acquisition growth targets, workforce optimization, and operational performance goals.
Cut time-to-hire by 25% and boosted internal promotions by 18% by leading strategic talent initiatives in recruitment, succession planning, L&D, and employee engagement.
Orchestrated full-cycle M&A strategy from due diligence to post integration achieving 42% organizational growth, unlocking operational synergies, while driving culture and leading change management initiatives to sustain long-term performance.
Directed the end-to-end performance management lifecycle, including annual and mid-year reviews, goal alignment, and calibration, while partnering with Total Rewards to inform compensation and recognition planning.
Managed, empowered, and developed a nationally dispersed HR operations team of directors, managers, HRBP aligning their KPIs to business performance, engagement, and compliance goals
Orchestrated an employee relations strategy reducing litigation risks by 11% and prevented litigation while decreasing employee grievances by 22%
Developed a comprehensive total rewards compensation framework aligning pay structures, salary bands, Compa ratio, and incentive programs ensuring internal equity and market competitiveness aligned with investor performance goals.
Oversaw and translated policy governance globally through HR and compliance audits ensuring adherence to employment, wage, labor laws, and union agreements
Cultivated a culture of accountability and inclusion by coaching leaders on empathetic employee relations practices and integrating feedback loops that strengthened trust and reduced voluntary turnover in Operations by 18%.
Optimized HR systems and People Operations data strategy by streamlining workflows, increasing automation, and leveraging analytics and AI to drive data-informed decisions, improve efficiency, and enhance employee experience.
Alimak Group Director of Human Resources 9/2017 – 12/2020
Strategic HR Executive Compliance Officer & Policy Advocate Expert in Talent Strategy, Workforce Planning, Employee Engagement, and Unionized Labor Relations with Focus on California Prevailing Wage
Reduced expenditure on recruiting agencies by 42%, while simultaneously executing strategic recruitment initiatives to attract top-tier talent, improve retention rates and staffing forecasts
Ensured compliance with labor laws and HR policies while advancing DEIB initiatives, contributing to a 25% increase in diverse hires across leadership roles
Successfully and effectively partnered with the shared services team for HR delivery and excellence
Oversaw and established prevailing wage, certified payroll, and fringe benefits for unionized locations across California
Implemented a new robust cutting edge HRIS system enhancing operational efficiency and generating cost savings of $40k by eliminating 4 independent HR vendors
Led a cross functional team to design and implement a new performance management system increasing productivity and reducing attrition by 16%
Headed and created a culture committee to drive cultural success, gather feedback for improvements and resolution to create a positive and engaged work environment.
Partnered with plant leadership to lead union negotiations and workforce representation strategies, aligning agreements with organizational and compliance objectives.
Served as HR lead on the executive leadership team, providing strategic counsel on workforce planning, succession, and restructuring
Borden Dairy Regional Plant Senior Human Resources Manager 2/2014 – 7/2017
Senior HR business partner and employee relations strategist for the Texas Louisiana region. Formulated initiatives to optimize and harmonize the company’s HR operations through the assessment and enhancement of policies and processes, resulting in elevated levels of employee engagement and HR operations for each plant.
Designed and facilitated leadership training for supervisors and managers on critical topics including performance management, corrective action, harassment prevention, union avoidance, and behavioral interviewing—enhancing leadership capability and compliance readiness.
Championed the design and implementation of the company’s first employee engagement survey, analyzing insights and partnering with leadership to develop action plans that strengthened engagement and communication across all departments.
Directed the launch of a company-wide wellness initiative that increased employee engagement scores by 21% and supported a culture of well-being, retention, and performance.
Led a talent acquisition team and managed a $1M annual recruitment budget, optimizing sourcing channels, implementing performance metrics, and reducing cost-per-hire by 20% through strategic vendor and workforce planning.
Developed and executed a dynamic workforce strategy to address fluctuating labor demands and production cycles, ensuring workforce scalability, cost control, and operational continuity.
Oversaw benefits strategy and governance, ensuring seamless execution of annual open enrollment, accurate payroll and billing reconciliation, and full compliance with plan and regulatory requirements.
Caracal Energy Global Human Resources Director 12/2007 – 11/2013
11 direct reports $230.9B in Revenue 5,000+ employees in Canada, US, and Africa
Pioneered the establishment of the inaugural HR department and benefits framework for a swiftly expanding company
Successfully negotiated a comprehensive and competitive benefit plan for both domestic and international employees to meet the requirements of a global workforce
Conducted workforce planning, analyzing current demographics, forecasting future needs, and implementing successful recruitment strategies to ramp up production.
Developed, implemented, and enforced a comprehensive employee handbook for the US and Canada
Led domestic and international benefits and compensation administration
Leveraged ATS and built a robust diverse candidate pipeline to ensure workforce plan and operations
Designed and implemented an organization wide training and development program
Built and scaled core HR infrastructure from the ground up for benefits, talent acquisition, compliance, compensation, performance, and payroll in a fast-paced startup environment.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATIONS
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration
Certifications:
Certified Diversity Professional
Global Chief People Officer
SHRM-SCP
Technical skills:
HRIS: Workday, UltiPro, Oracle, ADP, UKG
ATS: LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed Hiring Platform
Collaboration: Slack, Culture Amp, SharePoint
Performance Management: Lattice, PerformYard
Project Management: Asana, Zoho, Power BI
Affiliation: MCT Enterprises Board Member