Debra Gray Email & Phone Number

Huntsville, Alabama, United States

Kohler, Wisconsin, US

Regional responsibility of 7 plants across the US and Canada within the Kitchen and Bath division of Kohler Co. Provide direction, planning and execution of human resources initiatives to the plants ensuring they meet corporate human resources objectives. Partners with top management in order to execute business objectives associated with the strategic.

Kohler, Wisconsin, US

Responsible for the development, direction, planning and execution of human resources initiatives that enable the organization to meet its human resources objectives. Partners with top management in order to execute business objectives associated with the strategic plan. Specifically direct labor relations, employment, associate development, compensation.

Provide HR consulting to small business owners. Services include but not limited to employee relations, policy and procedure development and implementation, employee handbook development, and talent management.

Chicago, IL, US

• Enhanced corporate organizational capability and engagement through implementation of best practices, development, and HR processes and policies. Spearheaded high-level strategic consulting and all organizational.
• Designed new HR organizational structure for Cherokee, Alabama location to support business strategy.
• Developed and implemented successful process for integration strategy.

Schlieren, Zurich, CH

• Role expanded to include responsibility for leading full scope of all U.S. corporate functions, including Sales, R&D, Quality, Sustainability, Engineering, Safety, and Customer Development.
• Including but not limited to organizational development, change management, talent development, HR operations and employee engagement
• Acted as executive coach to senior leadership team and HR colleagues
• Responsible for developing strategy for HR function within the US
• Lead rollout of Values within the US, Canada, and Brazil
• Assessed wage gaps at the bakeries and partnered with the local management team and the DVP of Total Rewards too design and implement new wage structure.

Schlieren, Zurich, CH

• Hired as a remote employee to provide HR leadership for US and Canadian food manufacturing facilities (bakeries). Responsible for high-level strategic consulting and all organizational development initiatives including.
• Managed a team of approximately 50 HR professionals supporting more than 5500 employees and more than 2000 temporary workers. Designed new HR field organizational structures to support business strategy and drive.
• Assessed wage gaps at several of the bakeries and partnered with the local management team and the DVP of Total Rewards too design and implement new wage structure.
• Responsible for the development and execution of a labor strategy for the United States and Canada. Successfully averted two organizing attempts.
• Partnered with the DVP of Corporate HR to designed and implemented talent management and succession planning processes that combined strategy with individual needs to identify, develop, and deploy key talent to drive.
• Assessed gaps and developed and successfully implemented soft skills training program for people mangers to address cultural issues impacting organizational effectiveness. As well as developed and implemented bi-annual.

West Chester, Pennsylvania, US

• Responsible for developing and implementing integrated human resources strategies, programs, and processes for US Proteins division (6 union manufacturing facilities, one non-union manufacturing facility, one division.
• Developed and implemented an effective internal interviewing and hiring process for hourly employees, frontline managers and non-exempt employees.
• Worked with executive leaders to develop and implement a diversity strategy for the US locations.
• Streamlined division garnishment and benefit processes which resulted in a $60,000 year over year cost reduction
• Streamlined division HR organization (technology improvements, realignment of job duties) that resulted in approximately $400,000 year over year cost reduction.
• Developed and implemented a consistent manager development and internship program for the division.

Purchase, New York, US

• Selected to lead the human resource function for the newly created Sales Operations function in the Central Gulf region (5 states). Primary focus was to implement HR processes (such as the organizational health.
• Developed and implemented a three year wage strategy to ensure wages are competitive in my 10 market areas.
• Created an effective employee and labor relations environment that enables the 10 distribution centers (DC) to build employee commitment and maintain their union free environment.
• Developed and implemented a staffing strategy at each DC in the region that reduced frontline region turnover from 33% to 5% in less than 18 months.
• Developed and implemented an internship & manager development program within the South Division in Frito Lay Sales Operations.
• Created region diversity and inclusion council structure – including recruiting individuals for point assignments, organizing events, and acting as sponsor for the council.

Purchase, New York, US

• Hired to provide HR leadership for the plant. Responsible for leading corporate HR initiatives locally, training, talent management, succession planning, maintain union free status and providing counsel to local.
• Reduced site turnover from 28% to 9.7% in less than three years.
• Improved Organizational Health participation from approximately 70% to 97% within 18 months. Also saw an 8 point improvement in overall organizational health results.

Van Buren Township, MI, US

Role was expanded to include responsibility for all plant salaried personnel to include compensation, staffing, workforce planning, and, coordinating the Visteon/Ford College Graduate Program, which included the placement of employees into developmental assignments.

Van Buren Township, MI, US

• Hired to provide HR leadership act as Company representative in working with the local union. Responsible for settling/resolving employee grievances; Training all new managers on the Local and National Agreements.
• Lead negotiator for the 2003 local contract.
• Researched attendance policies/programs at other plants and implemented a tracking system at local facility. Drove absenteeism down by adding an automated program and enacting discipline in the process surpassing.
• Utilized negotiating skills during 2nd stage grievances resulting in 12 partial grants (5 non-monetary), 21 grants (5 non-monetary) and 40 denials. Estimated cost avoidance of $71K for the Company.
• Team member of the Sheldon Road Plant North Dock Initiative (implemented a lean cell environment into the plant).

Dearborn, Michigan, US

Promoted to Buyer for Ford Motor Company. Responsible for developing a world class supply base capable of delivering the quality, cost and timing objectives of Ford/Visteon manufacturing operations as well as ensuring that the supply base was cost competitive; and, Negotiating annual supplier prices reductions and assisting with driving supplier.

Dearborn, Michigan, US

Hired to performed material, planning, and logistics (MP&L) responsibilities related to the launching of Visteon plants in the Philippines and India. Responsible for tracking and coordinating material requirements for machine runoff; and, scheduling the Starter line at the Ypsilanti plant.

Chicago, IL, US

Hired to conduct detailed audit assessments on various business units across the US. Responsibilities included identifying audit issues and recommending solutions and presenting audit findings in written and oral reports.

Mba, Hr & Health Care Mgmt

Bs, Finance