April Paxton, Phr, Shrm-Cp Email and Phone Number

Kemper Corporation is a family of companies that provides insurance to individuals, families, and businesses through its Auto, Personal Insurance, and Life brands. Kemper has nearly $13 billion in assets and employs over 10,000 employees.• Workday configuration lead and solution architect using Agile Scrum framework delivering quality system solutions and enhancements that meet business requirements and objectives• Product owner and manager of Workday Benefits, Payroll, Time Tracking and Absence• Configure other modules: HCM, Hire/Onboarding/Termination, Security, Recruiting, Compensation, Reporting • Drive initiatives and partner with teams on change management and optimizing Workday• Advise leaders on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, best practices, and process improvements• Lead multiple complex projects simultaneously, including requirements gathering, configuration, unit testing and facilitating user acceptance testing• Train and mentor junior configuration specialists• Lead semi-annual Workday product enhancement releases and regression testing• Act as Scrum Master backup during standups• Stay abreast of Workday enhancements, business solutions, and best practices through researching Workday Community and maintaining my own network with other Workday professionals

TopBloc is a startup consulting firm providing Workday deployment services and on-demand Workday support to Medium Enterprise businesses.My role was the functional and technical lead for USA and Canadian Workday Payroll implementations. Architect, requirements gathering, recommend best practices, align groups in standardizing processes, and lead the design, configuration, testing, develop test scenarios/plan and track execution. Design solutions for complex requirements, lead the training of clients with no Workday experience, and execute post go-live support. Project manage the functional team and the division of roles and responsibilities across project members.

Perspectives is a public charter school network of five campuses in Chicago serving elementary and high school students.My primary role was to drive the process improvement initiatives for the HR/Payroll operations. • Partnered with several teams to gather feedback on HR Operations• Led the optimization of the HR system (Paycom); configured the company's first-ever Onboarding process and checklist within the system; configured workflow approvals and notifications • Created checklists for HR and Payroll staff on new hires, terminations, employee changes, and benefits• Created reconciliation spreadsheets for benefits billing; developed internal practices and procedures• Created auditing spreadsheets for validating bi-weekly payroll• Trained cross-functional teams on HR operations such as onboarding, offboarding, payroll processing and calculations, benefits and pension administration, billing, and policies• Handled system enhancements for the recruiting system (Applitrak)• Developed an Excel test that was used during technical interviews to assess candidates skill level• Project managed the benefit file feed setup with carriers• Trained, coached, and developed the HR Coordinator and Payroll Specialist

Consolidated Trading LLC is a proprietary trading firm specializing in the trading of index-based options and other derivative products. Sole HR professional for 90 employees. Optimized HRIS/payroll/benefits system and configured benefits and self-service in ADP Workforce Now, sourced new 401k providers and payroll vendors, recruited traders and software developers, created campus recruiting strategy, partnered with the business partners on company culture and initiatives, created a Mentor Program, handled employee relations and terminations, administered benefits, handled H1B immigration visas, and processed monthly payroll.

Monitor Liability Managers LLC (is now merged with Berkley Select) is a member company of W. R. Berkley Corporation specializing in professional liability insurance; providing solutions to individuals, businesses, and professional services firms and organizations.I supported two Berkley companies (Monitor and Berkley Select) with all HR related matters. • Evolved into project work and lead on initiatives. • Participated and managed the implementation of a new HR system for two Berkley companies (transitioned from ADP to Workday). Led the change management, performed end-to-end testing and workflow analysis, conducted training sessions for all levels, troubleshoot system issues post production, and administered HR operations through Workday post launch.• Oversaw the payroll function and staff. Hired and trained staff. Resolved escalated issues.• Led the employee engagement survey project.• Led the compensation benchmarking survey project.• Sole point of contact for HRIS technical matters and managed the HR intranet (SharePoint), run queries, ensure data integrity, create user procedures and SOPs. • HR Compliance• Performance Management• Policy interpretation and maintenance of employee handbook.Systems: Workday, ADP (EV5, e-Time, HRB, ADPR), emPerform, HireRight, HireTouch, FirstLab, VCI

Served as the acting Head of HR and sole HR professional for the firm. Worked alongside the president in RIFs and organizational changes. Handled employee and performance issues, oversaw facilities management, delegated to the office manager and hired an HR temp for support.

• Administered compensation, benefits, open enrollment, incentive recognition programs, and leave of absences including but not limited to Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA, HSA, Life, 401K, Profit Sharing, STD, LTD, AD&D, FMLA/LOA, COBRA, Education Assistance / Tuition Reimbursement, Wellness Program; resolved discrepancies and escalated claims issues• Processed all employee changes in HRIS; salary and employee changes, employee earnings and deductions, wage garnishments, timesheets, and calculations for exempt and non-exempt employees• Processed semi-monthly payroll for multiple states, and bonus and special payrolls• Partnered with hiring managers on staffing needs; conducted full-cycle recruitment for all non-management positions• Conducted new hire onboarding and benefits training at all levels• Conducted exit interviews at all levels, analyzed trends, and provided recommendations • Coordinated training and assisted with planning of annual company eventsProjects and Accomplishments:• Implemented a pre-employment personality assessment (Wonderlic) within the recruitment process• Implemented a pre-employment drug test and integrated it with our systems• Implemented a gym membership discount for all employees• Created a Payroll Procedures Manual within the first year of hire• Completed an I-9 Audit within the first month of hire

Established in 1989, DW Simpson is the largest global Actuarial search firm; recruiting in all actuarial disciplines and at all levels from entry-level through fellowship.I specialized in the full-cycle recruitment and placement of entry/junior-level Actuaries, developed new business and maintained current business, presented at universities and industry events, and executed and managed the Campus Recruiting Program for clients.

Worked for DW Simpson's former subsidiary, On-Campus Resources. It was acquired by another firm. My role was to support college recruitment efforts and logistics for clients.

• Awarded Administrative Rookie of the Year, 2010Worked for the University's Campus Housing Department where I hired and supervised an office staff of 15 students/graduates and processed the hiring, termination, and payroll paperwork in Oracle and Kronos for a department of 350 workers.Systems: Oracle, Kronos Timekeeping, Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, and Publisher.

Worked for the University's Student Employment Office where I managed the part-time and internship job postings on the university website, processed hiring and termination paperwork in Oracle for 25,000+ student employees, and assisted with the Job Location and Development (JLD) Program by contacting employers regarding the career fair, handled registration and payments, and help set up for the fair.

Trivett is Australia's largest prestige automotive group. A family owned business representing 17 automotive brands including Bentley, BMW, Harley-Davidson, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, and more.Worked in the corporate office where I created and managed a company Twitter account for recruiting purposes, lead the recruitment for a retail sales position resulting in a hire, started creating a draft of a federal law exemption application, completed orientation packets, and maintained Workers Compensation spreadsheets.