Karen S. Bender
San Diego,CA
Summary
Dynamic HR leader with a proven track record at Pharmavite, driving workforce planning and employee engagement initiatives. Spearheaded the launch of a centralized recruitment function, filling over 600 positions while enhancing employer branding. Expert in organizational design and stakeholder collaboration, fostering high-performing teams to achieve strategic business objectives.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Talent Acquisition
Pharmavite, LLC
West Hills, CA
04.2024 - Current
- Designed and launched Pharmavite’s first centralized recruitment function, streamlining hiring operations across multiple business units and enhancing employer branding to attract top talent.
- Led a high-performing team to successfully fill 600+ positions in 2024, including staffing a new manufacturing facility, while driving long-term workforce planning initiatives.
- Collaborated with the HRIS team to implement Pharmavite’s first Candidate Relationship Management (CRM) system, enabling proactive talent pipeline development and strategic hiring.
- Partner with senior leaders to ensure recruitment and workforce planning align with business expansion and innovation goals.
- Lead strategic hiring initiatives to drive business growth objectives, including the development of sales and marketing talent pipelines.
- Directed the implementation of a master vendor program, optimizing temporary staffing solutions for manufacturing teams.
Director, Human Resources
Pharmavite, LLC
West Hills, CA
04.2020 - 04.2024
- Strategic HR partner to the Chief Operations Officer, leading people initiatives across a 1,400+ employee organization focused on leadership development, engagement, and retention.
- Designed and implemented a new HR structure, improving service delivery and efficiency to support rapid business growth.
- Scaled organization by 225+ employees to support 25% increase in annual sales, while reducing turnover by 18% through targeted retention strategies.
- Developed and launched leadership development programs to strengthen operational leadership capabilities and enhance employee engagement.
- Collaborated with executive leadership to restructure key functions (Sourcing and IT) in alignment with evolving business transformation goals and enterprise risk priorities.
- Partnered with leadership to translate engagement survey feedback into strategic action plans to address key culture priorities and drive meaningful organizational change.
Global Human Resources Director
Brady Corporation
Valencia, CA
08.2017 - 03.2020
- Led the global HR function for $220 million PDC division with over 1500 employees centered on cultivating a performance-driven and empowered organization.
- Partnered with senior leadership to lead the commercial transformation, elevating sales and marketing talent across global regions.
- Directed talent management and recruitment initiatives that resulted in over 30 key talent upgrades, directly impacting PDC’s business transformation and growth objectives.
- Strengthened organizational capabilities by aligning talent strategies with evolving business goals.
- Developed and facilitated team-building and engagement initiatives for the PDC National Sales Meeting, fostering collaboration and energizing the team.
Senior Human Resources Manager, Corporate Functions & Retail Branding Information Solutions (RBIS)
Avery Dennison
Glendale, CA
02.2014 - 08.2017
- Served as a trusted HR business partner to senior leaders across Corporate IT, Finance, Legal, and Engineering functions, supporting over 400 employees and aligning people strategies with evolving business priorities.
- Led enterprise-wide organizational design and change initiatives, including restructuring actions, facility consolidations, and talent realignment to drive operational efficiency.
- Elevated employee engagement by deploying targeted action planning, resulting in a 4.2% increase in engagement within corporate functions.
- Enhanced talent strategy and internal mobility by operationalizing the Leadership Development Review process, increasing internal promotions by more than 10% year over year.
- Designed a new global onboarding program in alignment with a new ATS implementation, ensuring consistency, accelerating new hire orientation, and improving manager preparedness.
- Advised regional operations and engineering leaders across RBIS U.S. sites, driving consistent HR practices, supporting large-scale change management, and fostering high-performing team cultures.
Organization Development & HR Manager, Security Technologies
Ingersoll Rand
Princeton, IL
11.2010 - 12.2013
- Partnered with senior leadership to design and execute an operational excellence learning strategy, enhancing HR and Talent Acquisition effectiveness to support enterprise-wide goals.
- Advised business leaders on talent development, succession planning and early talent programs, securing critical leadership promotions and strengthening future bench strength through Lominger-based development strategies.
- Collaborated with cross-functional leaders to deliver leadership development programs, including performance coaching and 360-degree feedback, driving growth in capability and organizational impact.
- Led HR strategy for a workforce of 350+, aligning workforce planning, change initiatives, compensation, and retention efforts to business priorities—resulting in a 7-point increase in employee pulse survey scores.
- Strategically optimized compensation program in partnership with Finance, ensuring pay equity while delivering $57,000 in annual cost savings.
- Steered organizational restructuring and operational efficiency initiatives, serving as a trusted HR business partner in aligning talent strategy with business transformation efforts.
HR Manager & HR Generalist, Various Divisions
Avery Dennison
, CA, IN, MO
05.2003 - 10.2010
- Held multiple HR leadership roles across manufacturing, distribution, and customer service centers.
- Successfully implemented compensation, engagement, and employee development programs resulting in improved retention and performance.
Education
Master of Science - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
DePaul University
Chicago, ILBachelor of Arts - Psychology
DePaul University
Chicago, ILMaster of Business Administration -
Krannert School of Management, Purdue University
West Lafayette, INSkills
- Workforce planning
- Employee engagement
- Leadership development
- Change management
- HR strategy
- Data analysis
- Stakeholder collaboration
- Employee retention
- Organizational design
Timeline
Director, Talent Acquisition
Pharmavite, LLC
04.2024 - Current
Director, Human Resources
Pharmavite, LLC
04.2020 - 04.2024
Global Human Resources Director
Brady Corporation
08.2017 - 03.2020
Senior Human Resources Manager, Corporate Functions & Retail Branding Information Solutions (RBIS)
Avery Dennison
02.2014 - 08.2017
Organization Development & HR Manager, Security Technologies
Ingersoll Rand
11.2010 - 12.2013
HR Manager & HR Generalist, Various Divisions
Avery Dennison
05.2003 - 10.2010
Master of Science - Industrial/Organizational Psychology
DePaul University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
DePaul University
Master of Business Administration -
Krannert School of Management, Purdue University