Gretchen Sawchuk
Sugar Land,TX
Summary
Strategic leader with more than 20 years of progressive HR experience that engages with all stakeholders to provide and implement innovative and practical solutions. Maintains strong customer focus and service-oriented attitude with excellent organization and interpersonal skills to excel in multi-cultural, highly matrixed environment.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Human Resources & Communications Director
BASF Corporation
09.2021 - Current
- Build organizational alignment and engagement within a multi-national, highly matrixed corporate environment to achieve key milestones and objectives of Human Resources and Communications team.
- Proven ability to strategically partner with business executives, and other global and corporate department leaders to align HR strategy with overall business objectives.
- Lead a team of eight employees to achieve high standards of customer service, collaboration and results to make the Freeport site an employer of choice.
- Successful programs include building an apprenticeship program partnering with the local college and workforce commission to increase diversity and retention in our operations workforce also resulting in reduced time to hire. Building a professional engineering internship and early in career program to attract and retain talent in order to build our pipeline and achieve strategic workforce planning goals resulting in successful placement of 40+ interns, and 20+ direct hires with a 90% retention rate.
HR Operations & Workforce Development Senior Manager
BASF Corporation
10.2019 - 09.2021
- Provided strategic direction for Human Resources by designing, developing, and implementing progressive and comprehensive programs to meet current and future needs at Freeport leading cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality results.
- Established strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, ensuring long-term partnerships.
- Leading a team of 6 to managed complex HR projects, leading to increased organizational effectiveness and collaboration.
- Mentored junior HR professionals on best practices within the field, contributing to their professional development journey as future leaders in the industry.
Executive Coach and Human Resources Consultant
Self-Employed
09.2014 - 10.2019
- Provided Executive coaching to executives in both the corporate and nonprofit sector. Clients include executives from the World Food Organization, BASF, and the Houston Food Bank, and several other non-profit organizations
- Developed comprehensive executive development plans to address individual strengths, weaknesses, and career goals.
- Consulting projects included organizational design and development projects and recruitment and retainment strategies.
Human Resources Manager
BASF Corporation
06.2011 - 08.2012
- Led a team of 4 HR Professionals to partner with clients to provide practical HR solutions to meet businesses objectives
- Designed and implemented organizational development, change management processes, staffing processes, leadership and employee development processes and initiatives that supported a site wide re-structure of over 50 new positions, and filling of over 800 jobs
Senior Human Resources Business Partner
BASF Corporation
06.2008 - 06.2011
- Optimized HR department efficiency by refining policies, procedures, workflows, and resource allocation.
- Streamlined recruitment processes for more efficient hiring of top talent of operations technicians that reduced time to hire and costs by approximately 50%.
Regional HR Manager and Southeast Recruiter
BASF Corporation
06.2003 - 06.2008
- Served as HR manager with increasing responsibility for multiple locations both corporate and manufacturing (union and non-union) that spanned numerous divisions within BASF Corporation and across the Southeast and served as Southeast Regional Recruiter.
International Transfers Liaison
BASF, AG
07.2002 - 06.2003
- Researched and presented recommendations affecting worldwide salary equalization policies.
Education
Master of Science - Industrial Relations and Human Resources
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia05.1998
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology and Political Science
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia05.1997
Skills
- Human Resources Management
- Organizational Development
- Employee Relations
- Workforce Planning
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Compensation strategy
- Recruitment strategy
- Performance Management
- Legal Compliance
- Cross-Functional Collaboration and Relationship Building
Timeline
Human Resources & Communications Director
BASF Corporation
09.2021 - Current
HR Operations & Workforce Development Senior Manager
BASF Corporation
10.2019 - 09.2021
Executive Coach and Human Resources Consultant
Self-Employed
09.2014 - 10.2019
Human Resources Manager
BASF Corporation
06.2011 - 08.2012
Senior Human Resources Business Partner
BASF Corporation
06.2008 - 06.2011
Regional HR Manager and Southeast Recruiter
BASF Corporation
06.2003 - 06.2008
International Transfers Liaison
BASF, AG
07.2002 - 06.2003
Master of Science - Industrial Relations and Human Resources
West Virginia University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology and Political Science
West Virginia University
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