Tom Palladino is Keynote Speaker at Ijona skills.Prior bosses have told me that I was the "best HR guy" with whom they have ever worked. What makes me different, they said, is my passion, data-driven focus and ability to build strong relationships with people across the organization.
Over the years, I have leveraged these skills in various HR roles. At Conoco, where I was promoted 7 times in 14 years, I held HR leadership positions such as Director, Global Staffing. In this role, I directed domestic and international recruiting and staffing strategy. I accomplished 2 very large projects in this role. First, I designed and implemented the first job posting program where I led a large cross-sectional team of business leaders, HR specialists and IT experts. Second, I designed a Strategic Staffing system that integrated staffing with the business planning cycle which resulted in getting the "right people in the right job at the right time". My performance was rewarded with a promotion to HR Director for Western United States. In this role, I led a team of HR professionals assigned to all business activities such as refining, transportation and retail stores (120 locations).
Making huge contributions to the business continued with other companies for which I worked after Conoco. At Starbucks, where I was originally hired as a consultant, I was charged with identifying the specific skills and behaviors that made the company an "employer of choice". Shortly after taking on this role, I modified the objective to identify all human attributes that improve business results. I hired two university professionals to help me design a model for accomplishing this lofty objective. We rolled out the model in overseas locations first. Using a multidisciplinary methodology, we identified specific job profiles that delivered high performance. Then, Starbucks hired me to execute the model across the entire company. The results were incredible and my boss told me that my contribution was "bigger than Frappuccino".
Most recently, I have made big contributions at other companies. At First Data, I saved the company over one million dollars by redesigning the hiring process and using contingent workers. When I was EVP of Human Resources for Green Plains Renewable Energy, I designed and implemented an integrated Performance Management System. First, we used analytics to identify the skills and behaviors that had the most impact on plant performance. Then, I designed training programs that were tailored to the predictors of performance. Ultimately, General Managers of all 9 plants underwent a comprehensive development program that focused on their specific needs.
Currently, I provide HR consulting for various companies. For one of my clients, PepperJax Grill, I used analytics to create a validated test for all applicants. Not only did this online tool save GM's a great deal of time (interviewing low-fit applicants), it also predicted which applicants will perform best. 
At this point in my career, I seek a leadership position where I can continue to make profound contributions to the business. While I believe a top leader role is the best position for me to leverage my strengths, I am open to high-level roles in Organizational Development, Compensation and Benefits and Talent Acquisition.