LAURA SANDOVAL
Milwaukee,WI
Summary
Human Resources executive with 10+ years of experience leading benefits, compensation, and total rewards strategies for organizations of 1,000-5,000 employees with $1B+ in revenue. Strategic, results-driven people leader with expertise in benefits design, HRIS and technology implementations, and M&A integration across multi-state and international workforces. Known for building high-performing teams, leveraging data to improve efficiency and compliance, and aligning cross-functional partners to achieve shared goals.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Compensation and Benefits
Gehl Food & Beverage
Germantown, WI
01.2024 - Current
- Lead Benefits Strategy: Provide strategic oversight of $13MM benefit programs and broker relationships, ensuring cost-effective, competitive offerings and managing annual renewals., Strategic Collaboration: Partner with senior leadership and HR to educate and advise on total rewards strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and effective communication across the organization., Growth & Infrastructure Support: Manage total rewards planning for growth and acquisitions, including due diligence, plan transitions and ensuring tools and systems support efficient administration., Collaborate with subject matter experts in Legal, Compliance, Finance and other functions to identify and resolve compliance issues., Design & Benchmarking: Lead compensation plan design and competitive benchmarking to ensure alignment with business goals and market competitiveness., Analysis & Compliance: Conduct job evaluations, market surveys, and audits to maintain pay equity and ensure compliance with wage laws and internal policies., Program Oversight: Manage merit, bonus, and incentive programs; recommend improvements based on market trends and company philosophy., Strategic Advising: Advise executives and HR on pay decisions, job evaluations and creative compensation strategies to support retention and motivation., Solutions Development: Design, configure, and enhance HRIS functionality to streamline workflows, improve data accuracy and strengthen employee self-service capabilities., Systems Implementation Leader: Lead full-cycle implementation of HR systems, including requirements gathering, vendor coordination, system configuration, testing, deployment and user training., Cross-Functional Integration: Partner with IT, Finance, and Payroll to ensure seamless systems integration, data flow and alignment with organizational processes and compliance needs., Optimization & Governance: Identify process gaps, improve system usability, and establish data governance standards to drive adoption and operational efficiency., Team Leadership: Build and mentor a Total Rewards team to ensure collaboration, operational excellence and professional growth.
Director, US People Operations
DEPT
Chicago, IL
04.2023 - 12.2023
- Program Oversight: Manage a $20MM Health & Welfare plan, ensuring competitiveness, compliance and smooth administration., Plan Harmonization: Streamline 200+ benefit plans globally for consistency across acquired companies., Strategic Enhancements: Evaluate and improve health, retirement and education benefits for market competitiveness., M&A Integration: Align and transition benefits and payroll in global M&A, supporting change management and communication efforts., Retirement Leadership: Serve on the Retirement Plan Fiduciary Committee; drove 93% participation through strategic communication., Comp Strategy & Structure: Develop and enhance competitive, equitable compensation strategies that support hiring, retention and engagement., Total Rewards Leadership: Lead the design, communication, and refinement of Total Rewards programs aligned to business needs., Payroll Oversight: Manage $60M payroll, ensuring accuracy, compliance with tax regulations, and timely processing., Systems & Technology: Lead ADP WFN implementation and optimization; align systems with business strategy while maintaining data integrity., People Analytics: Drive a company-wide workforce data strategy, ensuring accurate, timely and governed analytics., Process Improvement: Identify and implement tech-enabled efficiencies to support scale and long-term business goals., Team Leadership: Build and mentor a global Total Rewards and People Operations team to ensure collaboration, operational excellence and professional growth., Roadmap Development: Create and execute a People & Culture systems roadmap aligned with business growth and global expansion.
Total Rewards Associate
Direct Supply
Milwaukee, WI
07.2015 - 05.2021
- Partner with HR leadership on strategic benefit program management, providing day-to-day operational support, driving cost saving initiatives such as eliminating redundant wellness programs, boosting H.S.A participation and adding health support services - resulting in $300k savings.
- Manage relationships with 20+ vendors, ensuring service quality, issue resolution and cost control through effective negotiations and spend analysis.
- Conduct job market pricing, review benchmark measures, mitigate pay compression, and streamline job roles to maintain accurate salary ranges and competitive compensation structures.
- Conduct Workday implementation to architect, test and streamline processes. Reduce manual errors by 15% and improved productivity.
- Conduct Workday audits to ensure accuracy across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, benefits, job changes and terminations.
Human Capital Resource Group Intern
Robert W. Baird
Milwaukee, WI
05.2013 - 07.2015
- Dedicated liaison between employees and benefit vendors, adeptly investigating and resolving claim issues to ensure seamless benefits experiences.
- Execute various processes in the employee lifecycle, including job postings, offer letters, background checks, FINRA clearance, onboarding, benefit changes, and exit surveys, ensuring a smooth and compliant transition.
- Administratively responsible for the Tuition and Designation Reimbursement Plan, ensuring effective administration and support employee growth and development.
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration - Human Resource Management
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Skills
- Workday
- ADP
- Paylocity
- Ceridian
- Kronos
- Microsoft Excel
- Power BI
- Lattice
- Asana
- SmartSheets
- Culpepper
- Mercer
- PayScale
- Salarycom
Erp Platforms And Technical Skills
Workday, ADP, Paylocity, Ceridian, Kronos, Microsoft Excel, Power BI, Lattice, Asana, SmartSheets, Culpepper, Mercer, PayScale, Salary.com
Timeline
Director, Compensation and Benefits
Gehl Food & Beverage
01.2024 - Current
Director, US People Operations
DEPT
04.2023 - 12.2023
Total Rewards Associate
Direct Supply
07.2015 - 05.2021
Human Capital Resource Group Intern
Robert W. Baird
05.2013 - 07.2015
Bachelor of Business Administration - Human Resource Management
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee