Karla Cochran
Mount Juliet,TN
Summary
Bilingual Senior Employee Relations Investigator with 10+ years of experience conducting comprehensive investigations across Employee Relations, Human Resources, and Risk Management. Expert in end-to-end case management, including interviews, credibility assessments, root-cause analysis, and resolving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, EEO claims, bullying, abuse of authority, and hostile work environments. Proven track record of delivering clear, executive-level investigative reports, identifying trends through data analysis, driving strategic process improvements, and leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and decision-making in fast-paced, high-stakes settings. Wicklander-Zulawski Certified Interviewer proficient in English and Spanish, with a results-driven approach focused on fair policy application, risk mitigation, and fostering positive workplace cultures.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. HR Investigator- Employee Relations
AMAZON.COM
Remote
04.2021 - Current
- Investigate highly sensitive and HR and Employee Relations issues, including Harassment, Discrimination, Retaliation, EEO claims, Code of Conduct, and company policy violations.
- Conduct end-to-end investigations, including intake, interviews, evidence review, findings and closure. Complete diligent case adjudication, proposing remedial action based on investigation findings, production of completed investigation reports and evidence gathered.
- Provide recommendations to field HR teams to ensure fair, consistent, and appropriate application of policy based on case outcomes.
- Independently manage assigned casework, including complex and high-level escalations, bringing investigations to closure rapidly and definitively.
- Analyze aggregate casework data to identify issue trends and opportunities for proactive issue mitigation. Conducted deep dives for monthly and quarterly business reviews; proposed feedback and remediation based on identified trends and systemic issues.
- Collaborated on multiple ER-HR projects, such as monthly and quarterly business reviews, focused on trend detection, process improvement and data analysis.
- Partner in analysis and application of people programs, policies, and practices to sustain a positive work environment for Corporate and Operations employees.
- Collaborate and partner with ER teams, Legal, and third-Party Vendors on complex employee investigations.
- Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools in the flow of work, with comfort and fluency using AI to enhance productivity and decision-making.
Risk Manager II- Executive Escalations
AMAZON.COM
Seattle, WA
12.2018 - 03.2021
- Led and support teams in responding to, investigating, managing and resolving high-impact incidents and escalations around high risk, policy violations and policy circumvention on the .com platform.
- Investigated Selling Partner activity, legal requests, and Public Relations reports, in a timely manner in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
- Served as a Subject Matter Expert within the Selling Partner Incident Management teams.
- Drafted and present deep-dive documents, including responses to senior executives and Correction of Errors (COE) reports.
- Analyzed existing policy and process gaps and developed solutions to close them.
- Partnered with cross-functional teams to design and implement preventative measures that effectively identified and resolved policy vulnerabilities, system gaps, and operational risks.
- Used high-level judgment to own our most complex enforcement decisions.
- Maintained absolute confidentiality in sensitive investigations, especially those Privileged & Confidential.
HR Specialist- Drug Testing Program Manager
AMAZON.COM
Seattle, WA
04.2016 - 12.2018
- Managed the Drug Testing Program for the Fulfillment Operations in the US and Mexico.
- Managed vendor relationships and leveraged partnerships to assist other Amazon teams with pricing and contract acquisition.
- Managed strategic plans and communication related to the Drug Testing Program.
- Partnered with Legal, HR Compliance and other HR and non-HR teams in the design and implementation of new initiatives.
- Provided deep dive assistance in the resolution of Executive Escalations pertaining Drug Testing.
- Acted as SME in the execution of the Drug Testing Program for other business lines within the organization.
Fraud Data Analyst- Workplace Investigations, Global Safety and Security
STARBUCKS
Seattle, WA
07.2015 - 04.2016
- Reviewed and identified suspicious transaction activity and system manipulation caused by employees and performed in-depth investigations.
- Created investigations based on employee system manipulation, fraudulent activity, and policy violations and policy circumvention.
- Conducted over the phone interviews with employees suspected of committing fraud/violating company policy.
- Assisted in development of specialized reporting to identify partner theft, external fraud and process improvement opportunities, continuously refining parameters as the needs of the business evolve.
HR Compliance Specialist- Background Checks Investigations
AMAZON.COM
Seattle, WA
04.2014 - 07.2015
- Evaluated and analyzed risk based on employee’s criminal background.
- Assisted in performing additional background checks related to Employee Investigations.
- Served as a point of contact for vendor management and issue escalation.
- Facilitate ongoing meetings with key business partners as needed to provide metrics, information about process changes, and to discuss other compliance-related topics.
- Monitored service level agreements and resolve issues with internal and external service providers.
- Assisted with new compliance projects/creation of SOPs as needs and process changes arise.
Sr. Risk Investigator- Amazon Payments
AMAZON.COM
Seattle, WA
12.2011 - 04.2014
- Investigated payments submitted through the Amazon Payments platform that posed a risk.
- Identified fraud patterns related to Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft, Money Laundering and Payment Scams.
- Evaluated merchant’s payment activity to identify potential policy violations/collusion.
- Maintained high levels of confidentiality and data security standards.
- Performed KYC validation checks on potential Amazon Payments users (Individual and Businesses).
- Resolved Compliance Cases involving Identity Validation/Sanctions.
- Performed QA Performance Reviews on Team Members, provided feedback, and shared best business practices to be executed.
- Assisted Customer Service and Account Managers in the resolution of customer escalations concerning Identity Validation and Amazon Payments related issues.
Fraud Analyst 2, Risk Assessment
T-MOBILE
Bellevue, WA
09.2008 - 12.2011
- Conducted investigations pertaining to Identity Theft, Payment Fraud and Business Fraud.
- Identified, analyzed, compiled, organized and interpreted data from multiple investigation resources.
- Utilized Excel Macros, V-look ups and Pivot Tables to identify data relevant to Fraud Patterns.
- Effectively examined business and consumer credit information via credit reporting bureau reports and utilized information in accordance with Federal law (Fair Credit Reporting Act).
- Managed information of a proprietary and confidential nature, belonging to both customers and the corporation, adhering to both company and general legal guidelines.
- Provided guidance and served as a resource to other team members.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration -
University of Guadalajara
Guadalajara, MéxicoSkills
- 10 years of extensive experience in Investigations
- Experience conducting credibility assessments
- Problem solving and results driven
- Analytical and detail oriented
- Great organizational skills
- Critical thinker and high level of judgement
- Experience in the creation of executive-level summaries
- Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Wicklander-Zulawski Certified Interviewer
- Comfortable dealing with ambiguity
- Fast learner & can adapt quickly to changes
- Bilingual
- Proficient in Microsoft products
- Able to influence without authority
- Experience with Navex Ethics Point
Certification
Wicklander-Zulawski Advanced Interviewing and Interrogation Techniques
Languages
English
Spanish
Timeline
Sr. HR Investigator- Employee Relations
AMAZON.COM
04.2021 - Current
Risk Manager II- Executive Escalations
AMAZON.COM
12.2018 - 03.2021
HR Specialist- Drug Testing Program Manager
AMAZON.COM
04.2016 - 12.2018
Fraud Data Analyst- Workplace Investigations, Global Safety and Security
STARBUCKS
07.2015 - 04.2016
HR Compliance Specialist- Background Checks Investigations
AMAZON.COM
04.2014 - 07.2015
Sr. Risk Investigator- Amazon Payments
AMAZON.COM
12.2011 - 04.2014
Fraud Analyst 2, Risk Assessment
T-MOBILE
09.2008 - 12.2011
Bachelor of Business Administration -
University of Guadalajara