Machelle Johnson

Privately held, global packaging equipment manufacturer.

Served as chief people strategist and a long-term advisor to the CEO during periods of significant organizational change, including acquisitions, pandemic operations, workforce restructuring, and leadership succession to the third generation. Built the HR infrastructure, organizational capabilities, and leadership strength necessary to grow revenue from $15M to over $100M .

Selected Achievements:

• Built and strengthened the leadership pipeline , recruiting and developing the full executive team and embedding leadership practices that elevated accountability, strategic alignment, and performance across the organization.
• Reduced voluntary turnover by 37.5% by designing and implementing focused retention strategies during the post-pandemic labor disruption and Great Resignation, stabilizing talent in critical roles.
• Delivered $500K in annual healthcare cost savings through the Lean for Life wellness strategy and a strategic pharmacy benefit provider change, while achieving 76% employee participation in workforce well-being programs.
• Improved organizational safety and risk prevention culture , reducing EMR from 0.70 to 0.60 and tripling proactive hazard reporting , resulting in stronger regulatory posture and lower long-term insurance exposure.
• Designed equitable, competitive total rewards and pay-for-performance systems aligned to productivity, business growth, and shareholder goals, reinforcing clarity of expectations and strengthening performance culture.

• Built HR function from the ground up to support rapid growth and investor expectations.
• Maintained 95% retention of core technical talent in a competitive market.

• Led corporate headquarters relocation and staffing of 500+ roles through major business transformation.