MICHELLE WHATLEY
Dallas,TX
Summary
Respected as a confidante and culture builder who fosters inclusion, open dialogue, and trust at every level of the organization. Leads with enthusiasm, empathy, and discretion, ensuring people feel valued and heard. Combines executive presence with a hands-on approach, clear communication, and data-informed decision-making to rally cross-functional teams, inspire high performance, and align employee potential with measurable business impact.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Human Resources Officer
Exeter Finance LLC
Irving, TX
01.2016 - 05.2024
- Led HR functions for a 1,000+-employee indirect subprime auto finance company, collaborating with the executive team to shape human capital strategy for sustained growth. Directed succession planning, talent and performance management, change initiatives, learning and development, and total rewards including compensation, benefits, and payroll.
- Selected Achievements:
- Championed culture-building initiatives, including a formal Diversity, Equity & Inclusion program and a peer-driven “E3” employee recognition platform, that raised minority representation in management roles by 20%.
- Revamped performance management process, boosting productivity metrics by 28% and employee engagement scores by 34%.
- Strengthened employer brand, earning placement on Forbes’ “America’s Best Midsize Employers” list (2023).
Chief Human Resources Officer
Santander Consumer USA, Inc.
Dallas, TX
04.2009 - 12.2015
- Directed all human-resources operations, policies, and strategic initiatives during a period of rapid organizational growth. Partnered with executive leadership to align human-capital strategy with corporate direction, regulatory requirements, and business objectives. Led talent management, succession planning, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and HR compliance for a multi-site and multi-state workforce. Led development of competitive and cost-effective total rewards programs to attract and retain top talent.
- Selected Achievements:
- Reduced employee turnover from 22% to 13% by implementing targeted engagement, retention, and leadership development initiatives.
- Scaled workforce from roughly 1,000 to over 5,000 employees through predictive-analytics-driven recruitment and robust workforce planning.
- Executed corporate headquarters relocation, transitioning 1,150 jobs to downtown Dallas and planning 350 additional hires to support continued expansion.
- Developed and rolled out a corporate-wide succession-planning framework that safeguarded leadership continuity during high-growth phases.
- Played a key role in the company’s successful 2014 initial public offering by building scalable HR processes and governance structures.
VP, HRIS
Drive Financial Services (Santander Consumer USA)
Dallas, TX
10.2006 - 03.2009
- Directed enterprise HR system strategy, governance, and daily operations. Managed system administration, data integrity, security, and vendor relationships while aligning HR, payroll, and IT requirements with business objectives.
- Selected Achievements:
- Supported a workforce that scaled roughly 1,000 employees through rapid company acquisition.
- Orchestrated HRIS due-diligence and data-migration workstream enabling seamless close and post-merger integration of the $650 million Banco Santander acquisition.
- Consolidated disparate HR modules into a unified HRIS and talent-management ecosystem, eliminating redundancies and standardizing processes enterprise-wide.
Education
SHRM - Senior HR Professional Certification
Dallas01-2009
Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls01-1998
Skills
- HR Analytics
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Hands-On Approach
- Retention Strategies
- Open & Effective Communication
- Conflict Resolution
- Compensation and Benefits
- HR Technology
Timeline
Chief Human Resources Officer
Exeter Finance LLC
01.2016 - 05.2024
Chief Human Resources Officer
Santander Consumer USA, Inc.
04.2009 - 12.2015
VP, HRIS
Drive Financial Services (Santander Consumer USA)
10.2006 - 03.2009
SHRM - Senior HR Professional Certification
Midwestern State University
Career Highlights
- Talent Retention: Reduced annual employee turnover from 22% to 13% by engineering data-driven engagement, leadership-development, and incentive programs.
- Workforce Scaling: Expanded headcount from 1,000 to 5,000 employees during rapid growth through predictive analytics, recruiting and disciplined workforce planning.
- Diversity & Inclusion: Elevated minority representation in management roles by 20% by instituting an enterprise-wide DEI strategy and recognition platform.
- IPO Readiness: Created scalable HR processes and governance that underpinned Santander Consumer USA’s successful 2014 initial public offering.
- Performance Excellence: Revamped performance management architecture, lifting productivity metrics by 28% and employee-engagement scores by 34%.