Maria Raspanti
Orange,CA
Summary
Senior HR executive with 15+ years of progressive leadership experience guiding multi-state workforce strategy, employee relations, compliance, organizational development, and leadership effectiveness across distributed organizations. Proven success partnering with executive leadership to strengthen workforce stability, reduce legal exposure, improve leadership accountability, and build scalable people practices that support growth. Deep expertise in California labor law, workplace investigations, policy governance, performance management, and organizational culture initiatives.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Vice President, Human Resources
California Fish Grill
Newport Beach, CA
02.2020 - Current
- Lead enterprise HR strategy for a multi-unit, multi-state workforce of 1,600+ employees, overseeing payroll, benefits, employee relations, risk management, recruiting, HR systems, and employment compliance in partnership with executive leadership.
- Built and scaled the HR function from a two-person team into a fully developed department, adding leadership and infrastructure across payroll, HR operations, benefits, recruiting, and employee support.
- Directly oversee senior HR leadership including Payroll Director, Payroll Manager, HR Director, HRIS/Benefits, and HR coordination functions, ensuring operational continuity, service delivery, and cross-functional accountability.
- Serve as primary executive partner on employment law matters, including litigation strategy, agency claims, negotiations, and communication with outside counsel.
- Lead workforce governance across all employment practices including corrective action, investigations, terminations, handbook administration, and state-specific compliance requirements.
- Guide vendor strategy and system oversight across payroll, benefits, compliance tools, and third-party partnerships to support operational consistency and risk reduction.
- Led full transition of HR operations from paper-based administration to electronic workflows, strengthening documentation integrity, reporting access, and scalability.
- Partner with executive leadership on hiring decisions across all levels of the organization, including hourly workforce, field leadership, support center roles, and executive hires.
- Influence company-wide culture, leadership development, communication strategy, and employee engagement initiatives, including referral incentives and internal leadership support programs.
Director of Human Resources
California Fish Grill
Newport Beach, CA
02.2017 - 02.2020
Human Resources Manager
Pieology Pizzeria
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
08.2014 - 08.2016
- Provided full-spectrum HR leadership during rapid organizational growth, supporting employee relations, recruiting, investigations, compliance, and policy development.
- Led responses to agency matters including EEOC, DFEH, wage and hour, and workplace complaints.
- Built policies and HR processes supporting organizational growth and legal compliance.
Human Resources Manager
Elephant Bar Restaurants
Costa Mesa, California
09.2007 - 08.2014
- Supported HR strategy across a 5,000-employee workforce operating in 10 states, advising leaders on employee relations, compliance, documentation, and workforce risk.
- Led company-wide implementation of electronic I-9 and E-Verify systems to improve compliance and process consistency.
- Reduced unemployment claim losses by 15% through stronger case management, leader training, and documentation improvements.
Human Resources Coordinator
Elephant Bar Restaurants
Costa Mesa, California
01.2007 - 09.2007
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
California State University
FullertonSkills
- Employee Relations & Investigations
- California Labor Law Compliance
- Multi-State Employment Practices
- Leadership Coaching
- Workforce Risk Mitigation
- Policy Development & Governance
- Performance Management
- Organizational Development
- Succession Planning
- Culture & Engagement Strategy
- Change Management
- HR Operations
- Executive Partnership
Certification
SPHR – Senior Professional in Human Resources
Timeline
Vice President, Human Resources
California Fish Grill
02.2020 - Current
Director of Human Resources
California Fish Grill
02.2017 - 02.2020
Human Resources Manager
Pieology Pizzeria
08.2014 - 08.2016
Human Resources Manager
Elephant Bar Restaurants
09.2007 - 08.2014
Human Resources Coordinator
Elephant Bar Restaurants
01.2007 - 09.2007
Bachelor of Arts - Communications
California State University