Denise Boote
New Lenox,USA
Summary
Strategic Director of People Operations and HR Business Partner with 20+ years of experience supporting high-growth, service-driven organizations. Trusted advisor to executive and senior leaders on organizational design, workforce planning, performance management, job architecture and leveling, compensation strategy, and complex people decisions. Known for translating business priorities into practical, scalable People solutions that drive performance, engagement, and retention. Brings strong business acumen and comfort operating in ambiguity, balancing strategic influence with hands-on execution to ensure programs land successfully. Deep experience leveraging People data and HRIS insights to inform decisions, guide leaders through change, and strengthen organizational effectiveness. Holds dual bachelor's degrees in Human Resources and Marketing from DePaul University and is nearly fluent in Spanish.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, People Operations
Ntiva, Inc.
Remote
09.2023 - Current
- Served as a senior HR Business Partner to executive and senior leaders, developing and executing People strategies aligned with organizational goals to support business growth, organizational effectiveness, and workforce scalability in a services-driven environment.
- Provided strategic counsel and pragmatic solutions on complex people matters, including performance management, workforce planning, employee relations, and change management, resulting in a 52% reduction in time-to-hire for critical roles, a 20% increase in employee retention, and a 17% improvement in employee engagement scores.
- Partnered closely with leadership to design, implement, and evolve job architecture, role clarity, and career frameworks, creating defined growth paths and job descriptions for every position to support equitable progression, transparency, and long-term talent development.
- Led the evolution of performance management practices, including feedback cycles, talent reviews, and performance improvement processes, ensuring alignment between individual performance, team effectiveness, and business objectives.
- Partnered with executive leadership to lead all People-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, guiding the integration of acquired employees across onboarding, job alignment, compensation, benefits, performance, and culture to ensure a smooth and compliant transition.
- Drove compensation-related initiatives in partnership with leadership, supporting internal equity reviews, progression planning, and leader guidance through data-informed recommendations and structured decision-making.
- Leveraged people analytics and workforce data to identify trends, inform leadership decisions, and guide People strategy, contributing to a reduction in voluntary turnover from 12% to 5% over three years.
- Led and executed cross-functional People initiatives spanning multiple business units, ensuring strong adoption, operational rigor, and measurable outcomes across the organization.
- Owned the full lifecycle of HRIS implementations and enhancements, partnering with People Operations and internal stakeholders to improve system functionality, data integrity, reporting capabilities, and scalable workflows, including the successful transition to remote I-9 verification.
Manager, People Operations
Ntiva, Inc.
Remote
12.2022 - 09.2023
- Partnered with senior leaders to execute key People initiatives, supporting organizational effectiveness, compliance, and employee experience during periods of growth and change.
- Led the transition to a new benefits broker, collaborating with leadership to drive cost savings while improving benefit quality, coverage options, and employee experience.
- Owned and executed a full audit of 400+ employee I-9 records, assessing re-verification requirements and partnering with a third-party vendor to complete remote verification for 350 employees ahead of regulatory deadlines.
- Served as the operational lead for the deployment of a new HRIS (UKG), managing end-to-end implementation and rollout of multiple modules including Core HR, Recruiting, Onboarding, Learning, Dimensions, Document Management, and People Assist.
- Conducted complex employee relations investigations, producing thorough documentation with findings, risk assessments, and actionable recommendations to support fair, consistent outcomes.
- Implemented and refined HR programs focused on employee development, retention, and engagement, contributing to a more structured and scalable People function.
- Established and managed the full lifecycle of workers’ compensation, FMLA, and ADA accommodations, ensuring compliance, accurate documentation, and a supportive employee experience.
- Led comprehensive updates to the Employee Handbook, aligning policies with evolving federal and state employment laws and organizational practices.
- Designed and delivered targeted manager training focused on interviewing, hiring decisions, and performance management fundamentals to improve consistency and leader effectiveness.
- Developed tools, templates, and guidance to support managers in performance improvement and coaching processes, ensuring alignment with policy, legal standards, and best practices.
- Implemented project management tooling (Monday.com) to standardize HR workflows, improve visibility, and drive efficiency across People Operations processes.
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Ntiva, Inc.
Remote
05.2021 - 11.2022
- Established a Talent Acquisition Program from the ground up, streamlining processes and reducing time-to-fill by over 72% within the first 4 months (from 87.56 days to 19.32 days).
- Achieved recognition as the recipient of the Q2 2022 Responsiveness Award, a companywide honor accompanied by a featured article highlighting my achievements.
- Achieved VIP status in 2021 as the top individual contributor within a remarkable 7-month tenure, receiving companywide recognition and a featured article spotlighting my outstanding accomplishments.
- Successfully filled 40 technical roles within 3 months, boasting an impressive 90% retention rate.
- Led the implementation of a new HRIS system and meticulously managed the data migration from the previous software to UKG, ensuring a successful transition.
- Standardized job descriptions across all departments, ensuring consistency and clarity throughout the organization.
- Introduced 'Pulse Check' meetings to assess employee satisfaction and identify areas for improvement, driving Ntiva’s continuous growth.
- Developed and implemented a streamlined New Hire Requisition Form and Offer Letter Process, ensuring proper authorization and budgeting prior to posting roles and extending offers, thus minimizing the need for later terminations.
- Contributed to the successful rollout of a new Employee Recognition Platform, enhancing employee engagement and fostering a positive company culture.
- Conducted benchmarking of positions using CompAnalyst, establishing new standards for all company roles. Implemented an efficient ATS process, promoting organization and enabling seamless data accessibility for all members of the HR team.
- Established and managed an Employee Referral Program, leveraging employee networks to attract top talent and enhance recruitment efforts.
Regional HR Business Partner
E.A. Sween Company
Woodridge, IL
03.2008 - 05.2021
- Served as a strategic HR Business Partner to executive and senior leaders, overseeing a team of six HR administrative professionals and supporting a workforce of 500+ employees across multiple functions.
- Partnered with executive leadership to assess workforce trends, employee retention, and engagement, using quantitative and qualitative metrics to inform People strategy and support business objectives.
- Led market benchmarking and compensation analysis efforts, providing data-driven recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team to support pay competitiveness, internal equity, and retention.
- Leveraged HR data and analytics to deliver insights across divisions, supporting workforce planning, talent pipelines, and leadership development initiatives.
- Advised leaders on professional development and succession planning, overseeing talent management for 250+ employees and aligning development opportunities with organizational needs.
- Owned and evolved HR programs, policies, and procedures across the employee lifecycle, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, leave administration, performance management, and separations, ensuring compliance with EEO and Affirmative Action guidelines.
- Served as a trusted advisor on employee relations, investigations, and compliance matters, including unemployment hearings and regulatory risk management, achieving a 95% success rate and reducing unemployment insurance costs.
- Led benefits administration strategy and execution, including employee education, enrollment processes, plan changes, and annual open enrollment, ensuring a consistent and informed employee experience.
- Coached and advised managers at all levels, from front-line leaders to senior executives, on performance management, feedback, documentation, disciplinary actions, and terminations, strengthening leadership capability and consistency.
- Spearheaded the Talent Acquisition strategy for the Midwest region, leading full-cycle recruiting, standardizing processes, strengthening communication with stakeholders, and aligning hiring priorities with business demand.
HR/Office Manager
Diversify International
Itasca, IL
10.2004 - 03.2008
- Maintained and monitored house accounts, ensuring adherence to profitability and contractual requirements through a systematic process.
- Provided oversight to a team of 9 Project Coordinators and 3 Project Managers, collaborating closely to optimize project profitability and address any obstacles promptly and effectively.
- Collaborated with 12 Salespeople on collections and billings, diligently managing overdue receivables to maintain them below 10% and ensuring monthly billing was accurate and sufficient.
- Sourced, recruited, and conducted interviews to identify top candidates. Executed the hiring process, overseeing onboarding and training for new hires.
- Developed a comprehensive training program encompassing all positions and promotions, enabling seamless integration for new hires and facilitating career growth.
- Supported sales activities for a team of 4 salespeople, contributing to annual sales exceeding $8 million.
- Took responsibility for creating proposals, signing contracts, managing change orders, overseeing purchasing, work orders, and scheduling for all projects.
- Managed the entire lifecycle of projects from inception to completion, meticulously tracking costs and profitability to ensure ongoing financial success.
- Administered house accounts and assumed accountability for individual sales and all related activities pertaining to those accounts.
- Collaborated with accounts payable and performed thorough job closings for the entire location.
- Handled billing for all completed jobs, including both standard billing and AIA billing.
- Prepared waivers of liens and efficiently collected supplier waivers of lien on behalf of the company.
General Manager
FedEx Kinko's Gurnee
08.1999 - 10.2004
- Held accountability for achieving sales and profit objectives across the branch network.
- Attained the highest sales award ever recorded at the center within a remarkable 4-month period.
- Achieved the highest monthly profit within the same timeframe.
- Ensured adherence to fiscal reporting procedures at the center, overseeing accounts receivables, inventory reports, daily sales recaps, and bank deposits on a daily basis.
- Directly supervised a team of 35 members, overseeing the hiring process and providing guidance during new hire orientation.
- Trained and evaluated team members to ensure adherence to operational standards and maximize efficiency.
- Conducted performance appraisals and implemented raises based on individual performance.
- Performed performance counseling, terminations, and recognized outstanding achievements.
- Monitored marketing activities at the center to drive sales and contribute to profit goals.
- Created and managed weekly schedules in alignment with cost and budget considerations.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration – Concentration in Human Resources Management
DePaul University
Chicago, ILBachelor of Science - Marketing
DePaul University
Chicago, ILMinor - Spanish
DePaul University
Chicago, ILSkills
- People Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness
- Executive & Senior Leader Partnership
- Performance Management Frameworks & Coaching
- Job Architecture, Leveling & Career Pathing
- Workforce Planning & Talent Strategy
- People Analytics, Insights & Decision Support
- Compensation & Progression Strategy Support
- Employee Relations, Investigations & Risk Mitigation
- Change Management & Organizational Transformation
- Leadership Development & Manager Enablement
- Cross-Functional Program Leadership
- HRIS Strategy, Data Integrity & Scalable Workflows
Accomplishments
✔ VIP Status (Top Individual Contributor) - Ntiva, Inc.- 2023
✔ Q2 2022 Responsiveness Award - Ntiva, Inc. (companywide honor with a featured article)
✔ VIP Status (Top Individual Contributor) - Ntiva, Inc. (achieved in 2022 during a remarkable 7-month tenure)
✔ Employee of the Month (17 times) - E.A. Sween Company
✔ Employee of the Year (3 times) - E.A. Sween Company
Languages
Minor in Spanish obtained from DePaul University. I am able to speak, write and read the language.
Spanish
Professional Working
Timeline
Director, People Operations
Ntiva, Inc.
09.2023 - Current
Manager, People Operations
Ntiva, Inc.
12.2022 - 09.2023
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Ntiva, Inc.
05.2021 - 11.2022
Regional HR Business Partner
E.A. Sween Company
03.2008 - 05.2021
HR/Office Manager
Diversify International
10.2004 - 03.2008
General Manager
FedEx Kinko's Gurnee
08.1999 - 10.2004
Bachelor of Science - Marketing
DePaul University
Minor - Spanish
DePaul University
Bachelor of Science - Business Administration – Concentration in Human Resources Management
DePaul University