Erica Garcia Email & Phone Number

Lombard, Il, Us

Lead Human Resources function and partnered closely with North American DIB&E function to drive awareness, education, and adoption of DEI principles, at manufacturer of bases, gravies and sauces committed to consistently delivering the most true, real and authentic culinary flavor systems to discerning culinary professionals.- Rolled out 1st ever mandatory DIB&E education for people managers (curriculum selection and rollout/enforcement of learning plans).- As head of Human Resources and member of the Senior Leadership team for Custom Culinary®, oversaw HR function, including Diversity/Equity/Inclusion efforts, Annual Planning, Compensation, Employee Relations and Investigations, Talent Management and Development, Succession Planning, Performance Management, Compensation and Recruiting activities. - Created Discussion Series program with L&D partner to complement and drive acceptance of DIB&E education - facilitated discussions with leadership to encourage connection, learning, vulnerability, and examination of complex topics.- Assembled and sponsored a project team to perform a root cause analysis on persistent underrepresentation of female hourly population in our manufacturing plants, with the goal of identifying methods to further attract and retain female talent and remove any barriers identified.- Proactively shared equity and inclusion resources, and pushed for deeper discussions with leadership around understanding white supremacy, patriarchy, healthism, ableism and more.- Through intentional connections and candid communication, created trusting relationships with colleagues and leadership that supported both the human and the achievement of business goals, while always pointing discussions back to perspectives around equity and inclusion.- In partnership with Leadership, created a strategic People Plan in long-range planning process to achieve 2030 aspirations.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

Acted as the lead HR business partner to leadership for the national Retail business; coached leaders and managers on effective communication and coaching skills, employee performance management, and complicated employee relations matters, keeping nuance and equity at the center, at one of the largest vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the U.S.; served as key member of the Cresco HR Leadership team, reporting directly to the Chief People Officer, with four direct reports. - Partnered with regional leadership team to consistently analyze current practices in all retail locations, and implement initiatives to enhance equity and inclusivity in each region.- In partnership with Senior Leadership and public health consultants, swiftly developed program to support and guide management and employees during COVID-19 pandemic; created and managed a program (“Cresco Cares”) to provide additional paid time off for COVID-related situations, guided HR team members on interpreting and implementing new programs, and worked closely with management to respond to rapidly changing business needs (cleaning and safety procedures, scheduling procedures, health screenings, protocol for positive cases, etc.).- Heavily involved with nuanced and sensitive investigations and employee relations issues across the company, leading numerous investigations with VP of Compliance to resolution.- In partnership with Total Rewards, completed and executed a company-wide compensation analysis project to level-set workforce with the market, resulting in higher engagement and retention.

Rochester, New York, Us

Key contributor and implementer of strategic human capital programs supporting 200 employees and 10+ executives in Marketing and Growth functions at fortune 500 alcohol beverage company with 100+ brands, $8B in revenue and nearly 10,000 employees worldwide.- Supported and drove new company Diversity & Inclusion strategy, including being a vocal member of the #MeToo task force, acting as HR sponsor of the Early Career Professionals employee resource group, and successfully recommending the hiring of a Chief Diversity Officer while a participant in 3rd cohort of the Constellation Women’s Leadership Network. - With significant Employee Relations responsibilities, performed numerous complicated investigations requiring skills in relationship- and trust-building, as well as objective and active listening, to uncover facts and reach an optimal outcome for all involved. - In partnership with Senior Leadership, created and executed plans for multiple reorganizations and reductions in force with up to 75 separate moves at a time, including designing organizations, evaluating talent, constructing communications plans, overseeing change management efforts, and integrating teams in new structures. - Piloted a working-remotely program with Marketing department; authored guidelines with SVP of Marketing, implemented, gathered feedback via surveys and focus groups, and revised for relaunch. Program and subsequent data used by Total Rewards team to design and release company-wide remote working program called “FlexAbility,” in use until the pandemic.

Rosemont , Il, Us

Promoted through successive positions to support and drive comprehensive HR strategy throughout the parent company, providing HR business partner support and guidance to Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Head of the Office of the Family, General Counsel, as well as multiple functional VPs and line managers at global food and beverage distributor with annual revenue of $40B+ and 36,000 employees; 6th largest privately held company in US.HIGHLIGHTS:- Partnered with Chief Information Officer and IT Leadership to lead a Global IT Operating Model transformation, which significantly transformed the perception and reputation of the Global IT organization; created a mission statement, workshopped a roadmap of “where we are to where we want to be,” managed vendor relationships and workshops in support of higher levels of clarity and engagement across Enterprise IT.- Created and ran the “Reyes Cares” program for Headquarters, with multiple events a year - identifying, scheduling, coordinating both on- and off-site events for employee participation, communicating complex schedules and details with partners, and maintaining relationships with key partners (Lurie Children's Hospital, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Kidz Express)- Acted as lead organizer of Reyes Holdings’ Global HR Conference from 2011 to 2014 for 200+ attendees annually, planning a complex weeklong agenda of events, including coordination of overall agenda and timing, guest speakers, travel and transportation, break-out meetings, accommodations, meals, incidentals and swag, team-building activities, handouts/collateral, etc.

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