CAROL ANN BENDO | BA | CHRL

Core member of the Executive Team advising owners across nine legal entities on growth strategy, workforce risk, leadership depth, and governance readiness.

Strategic Business Partnership / HR Effectiveness

• Designed and executed enterprise HR strategy aligned to aggressive growth targets, operational scalability, and investor-grade discipline.
• Key member of M&A due diligence and integration teams, mitigating labour, compliance, and cultural risk.
• Enabled enterprise growth and scalability by delivering 4 greenfield facilities and leading the people, culture, and integration strategy for 2 acquisitions and 2 site integrations—supporting rapid expansion across Canada, MI, TX, OH, and CA.
• Built and led a 23-person HR organization across Talent Acquisition, HRBP, Total Rewards, Employee Experience, Talent, Leadership Development and Global Labour Programs.
• Reduced indirect labour by 5% through operational redesign aligned to acreage and seasonal volume.
• Mitigated ~$5M in overtime costs at through workforce planning and operational structure changes.
• Deployed ADP HRIS and payroll solutions in 11 operating companies to enhance HR data accessibility.
  Created comprehensive ERP and HRIS integration map to optimize cross-company workflows.
• Implemented HR technology and automated workflows by 20% improving HR process efficiency and service delivery.
• Orchestrated strategic social compliance audit framework securing 100% compliance on social audits

Talent Enablement / Total Rewards

• Transformed salary structures through rigorous market benchmarking and compensation analytics, ensuring precise pay positioning and reinforcing a high-performance total rewards strategy.
• Aligned LTIP and grower bonus frameworks to strengthen profitability linkage, optimize leadership incentive effectiveness, and advance total rewards strategy execution.
• Enhanced benefit and retirement savings programs across all companies increasing talent attraction and retention.
• Led Surest benefits competitive bidding for a cost reduction of $40 K USD annually.
• Improved time to fill for leadership roles from 100 days to 55 days.
• Built enterprise leadership pipeline by assessing 60 leaders across management levels using Harvar leadership diagnostics, identifying succession bench strength and targeted capability development.
• Launched Employee Excellence recognition program to reward high-performing employees and reinforce core competencies of critical thinking, reliability, and initiative.

Financial and Capital Leadership

• Owned/influenced ~$1.25 million annual HR OPEX budget across multiple entities.
• Facilitated bunkhouse capex project to enhance workforce housing and ensure continuity.

Principal HR advisor to Municipal Council and senior leadership, providing guidance on workforce strategy, labour relations, and organizational risk.

• Active participant in Council and Committee governance processes, ensuring transparency, compliance, and alignment with municipal legislation.
• Prepared and delivered formal Council reports, translating complex HR and governance issues into actionable recommendations for decision-making.
• Negotiated collective agreements during economic downturns, achieving significant cost containment and workforce flexibility.
• Led staffing model and union agreement for the Amherstburg Recreation Complex build; successfully hired 40 employees in six months.
• Finalized Pay Equity plan at 10% of $100K budget, ensuring legislative and union compliance.
• Eliminated fully funded post-retirement benefits, significantly reducing long-term liabilities.
• Delivered $250K annual savings (1.25% of general tax rate) through organizational and service delivery review.
• Led Compensation Committee for Mayor and Councillors, overseeing allowances for travel, meals, and committee participation.
• Active participant in Council and Committee governance processes, ensuring transparency, compliance, and alignment with municipal legislation.
• Prepared and delivered formal Council reports, translating complex HR and governance issues into actionable recommendations for decision-making.
• Engaged in operational and capital projects budgeting and planning encompassing water/wastewater, roads, town facilities lifecycle planning, and supervision of tourism department for 200-year anniversary of War of 1812 events.
• Owned/influenced ~$250K annual HR OPEX budget.

Executive advisor and leadership coach supporting public and private sector organizations.

• Facilitated executive strategic planning and engagement diagnostics to support large-scale change initiatives.
• Designed and delivered core leadership program for clients, enhancing skills in both in-person and online formats.
• Designed enterprise strategies, competency frameworks, and performance systems for manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, and technology clients.
• Provided executive, management, and entrepreneurial coaching while serving as faculty instructor in HR and business coaching programs.
• Recognized advisor to economic development agencies and BDC-affiliated programs.

Global HQ leadership role within a multi-plant automotive manufacturing environment, driving enterprise alignment across Canada, US, Mexico, South America and Europe.

• Built HR infrastructure supporting 20% annual sales growth and workforce expansion from 100 to 500 employees.
• Developed global expatriate programs and immigration strategies to facilitate international workforce mobility.
• Led organizational design and succession planning initiatives to strengthen leadership development.
• Achieved 20% benefit cost savings through plan redesign.
• Supported enterprise-wide initiatives for QS9000 and ISO 9000 certification to enhance operational compliance.

Played a key role in the formation of the launch team for Siemens Integrated Air Fuel Division shaping talent strategy, workforce planning, and organizational structure.

• Lead Organizational Development activities including planning, conducting needs analyses, meeting/offsite design and facilitation, communication and follow-up with Management Team.
• Facilitated process to develop project team model for engineering departments.
• Enhanced talent utilization for successful product launches.
• Oversaw HR processes and procedures supporting double-digit organizational growth.
• Developed strategies to mitigate unionization efforts among employees.