Regina M Picciano
Mahopac,USA
Summary
With both line and staff experience, I bring a non-traditional perspective to Human Resources, helping leaders clarify purpose and vision for their teams. I excel at strategic thinking, local action, and simplifying people strategies to deliver business results.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
VP of Human Resources
Emmi Desserts
Freeport, Long Island
01.2026 - Current
- Oversee human resource function and identify talent, learning and development, culture and engagement strategies that drive growth for employee population.
- Support the North American Leadership team with organization effectiveness, org design and talent management initiatives.
- Leading manufacturer of high-quality retail & foodservice desserts, operating four bakeries in Tristate Area.
Chief People Officer
Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc
Hunts Point, Bronx NY
01.2024 - 10.2025
- Managed a team of 30 HR professionals, diagnosing and strengthening foundational processes.
- Improved leadership team effectiveness by introducing high performance team tools and assessments.
- Improved talent management experiences and improved engagement scores on fairness, equity and transparency by implementing organization design principles, succession planning, and quarterly reviews of promotions.
- Ensured leadership team supported recommendations by aligning talent moves against a leadership competency framework.
- Partnered with CFO to significantly improve financial accountability and responsibility across the Leadership Team by provided guardrails for budget and merits.
- Ensured 100% participation and managed $7MM budget.
- Moved to market-based compensation philosophy and aligned starting hourly base salaries for hourly population.
- Reduced unexcused absences by 30% by providing competitive PTO and moving from accrual-based vesting to forward based vesting in January.
- Proactively implemented positive employee engagement sessions and union avoidance training which resulted in successful elimination of a union petition at the Philadelphia Branch.
- Improved compliance and governance by launching progressive discipline training, updating employee handbook, implementing E-Verify, and ensuring 100% respect in the workplace training.
- Baldor is a high-growth specialty food distributor operating in multiple locations and has a total population of 2600 employees and $1.6B in revenue.
VP General Manager – Pearl Sales Division
Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits
Syosset, NY
04.2022 - 12.2023
- I served as the primary sales leader responsible for the successful management of the relationship and distribution for three of the largest suppliers for Southern Glazers - Pernod, Campari and Ste. Michelle.
- I was the first Human Resource Professional to be moved from human resources to a sales function.
- 100% of the team educated on Business Math, Sales Force Planning, Trade Marketing and Commercial Insights, Systems, etc.
- Overall, in first year delivered results to top 3 suppliers, grew 2.1% volume, 8% in revenue, 10.5% in gross profit and contributed 1.2MM bottom line.
- Grew market share with wines.
- Direct full range of sales activities for the NY Market through a sales team of 5 Sales Directors, 12 Area Managers, 8 Commercial Support Team, and approximately 90 sales and overlay representatives.
- One of the largest distributors of adult beverages across the United States. The NY market 2000 employees and approximately $1.8B in revenue.
VP of Human Resources
Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits
Syosset, NY
07.2018 - 04.2022
- In this role I supported the General Manager and his leadership team.
- I was tasked with transforming the human resource function and building credibility with the business.
- I also lead the talent, career and succession planning for the NY Market.
- Launched mentor and development program for top women in succession pools.
- Successfully rolled out leadership competency framework and embedded them in recruitment, development, succession and performance management processes.
- 100% completion of Performance and Development Plans for all non-union employees.
- Successfully launched a labor relations governance process that was embraced by the Union Leaders Team.
- Created and rolled out a people first leadership strategy and ensured all people leaders trained in how to coach and lead employees.
- Ensured all leaders participated and identified talent to help facilitate sessions.
- Created a career framework strategy that was leveraged across the US.
- One of the largest distributors of adult beverages across the United States. The NY market 2000 employees and approximately $1.8B in revenue.
2nd VP of Human Resources Head of Talent Acquisition
Guardian Life Insurance
New York, NY
01.2017 - 06.2018
- I was appointed by the CHRO to turn around the recruiting function and lead a large-scale change project to overhaul the talent acquisition strategy and processes.
- Key accomplishments include the following:
- Significant improvement in interview process through streamlining process.
- Went from an average of twelve onsite visits for open roles down to three and reduced cancelled interviews to less than 20%.
- Quality and consistency of kickoff calls (from less than 20% kickoff calls to 90+%).
- Reduced officer time to fill from an average of 75 days to 50 days and non-officer from 54 to 50 days.
- Implemented across the organization standardized job requisition forms, interview guides, and introduction of behavioral based interviewing.
- Improved relationship and partnership with HRBP population and recruiting team.
- Guardian is a mutual life insurance company based out of New York City.
Human Resource Business Partner
Guardian Life Insurance
New York, NY
07.2013 - 12.2016
- In this role I supported the VP of Sales and the Group Sales Leadership Team on all human resource strategies.
- Moved from 40% compliance of goal setting in workday to 95+%.
- Improved engagement scores 5% or more in areas such as communication, trust and ethics, recognition, values and change management.
- Consolidated talent management insights and developed succession and development plans for high potential candidates.
- Rolled out leadership competency framework and created development program.
- Recognized for a CEO Award for spearheading a major change across 26 US sales offices.
- Identified and implemented standard sales competency framework 100% of all roles within sales.
- Embedded competency framework in goal setting and development plans.
- Guardian is a mutual life insurance company based out of New York City.
Northeast Regional Human Resource Director
Coca Cola Refreshments
New York, New York
07.2012 - 07.2013
- I was recruited back by colleagues and joined as the Northeast Regional Human Resource Director supporting the President and his leadership team.
- I managed a team of 7 Human Resource Business Partners, all of whom were responsible for their respective market units.
- Strong focus on Talent, Capability and Culture.
- This role was eliminated as part of a consolidation six months after I joined.
- One of the largest distributors of Coca Cola products.
Director Learning & Development
Diageo North America
Norwalk, CT
04.2009 - 08.2012
- Responsible for identifying, building, and executing training programs to support basic management, coaching, and commercial sales training.
- Key Accomplishment: Successfully rolled out a national training program for all spirits sales.
- Survey results showed that 82% of the respondents found value in the training curriculum and 85% felt the quality of the content offered was better than expected or excellent.
- 90% of the participants agree or strongly agree that they could apply the learnings to improve their overall job performance.
- Diageo North America is the leading premium drinks business across the US and Canada.
Director Talent Acquisition
Diageo North America
Norwalk, CT
12.2007 - 03.2009
- Led a team of recruiters and coordinators responsible for sourcing, screening, interviewing, and presenting talent to the business.
- Diageo North America is the leading premium drinks business across the US and Canada.
Director Human Resource Business Partner
Diageo North America
Norwalk, CT
05.2003 - 11.2007
- Supported the Sales President and Leadership Team.
- Fostered a high-performance culture and implemented HR initiatives in resourcing, retention, capability building, recognition, rewards, and diversity.
- Key Accomplishments: Led the leadership team through mission leadership, aligning the General Managers and their teams on their priorities and ways of working.
- As a result the team scored significantly better than other teams in passion, leadership, pride, and empowerment.
- Reduced turnover to less than 10%.
- More than 50% of leadership positions had diverse successors.
- Improved feedback on development plans from 77% to 89%.
- 100% support for Diversity and Inclusion initiatives across each of the 14 Clusters.
- All Directors + completed development plans and performance commitments.
- Diageo North America is the leading premium drinks business across the US and Canada.
Human Resource Manager Shared Services
Diageo North America
Norwalk, CT
01.2002 - 04.2003
- Responsible for supporting the supply organization on all human resource activities that related to the life cycle of an employee or organizational changes.
- Recognized for an award leading the integration of the Seagram employees with Diageo.
- Diageo North America is the leading premium drinks business across the US and Canada.
Education
Master of Science - Education/Human Resource Management
Fordham University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
SUNY College at Purchase
Skills
- Agile Change Leader
- Execution & Leadership
- Optimizing Efficiency
- HR Expertise
- Business Acumen
- Sales Leadership
Certification
- Change Management
- High Performance Team Workshops
- DDI BBI
- Situational Leadership
- Emotional Quotient
- Myers Britts
- Lominger Competency Framework
- MRG Sales Profiles
- Core Selling Skills
- Negotiation Skills
- NLI Institute: Certification in Foundations of Neuroleadership
Timeline
VP of Human Resources
Emmi Desserts
01.2026 - Current
Chief People Officer
Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc
01.2024 - 10.2025
VP General Manager – Pearl Sales Division
Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits
04.2022 - 12.2023
VP of Human Resources
Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits
07.2018 - 04.2022
2nd VP of Human Resources Head of Talent Acquisition
Guardian Life Insurance
01.2017 - 06.2018
Human Resource Business Partner
Guardian Life Insurance
07.2013 - 12.2016
Northeast Regional Human Resource Director
Coca Cola Refreshments
07.2012 - 07.2013
Director Learning & Development
Diageo North America
04.2009 - 08.2012
Director Talent Acquisition
Diageo North America
12.2007 - 03.2009
Director Human Resource Business Partner
Diageo North America
05.2003 - 11.2007
Human Resource Manager Shared Services
Diageo North America
01.2002 - 04.2003
Master of Science - Education/Human Resource Management
Fordham University
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
SUNY College at Purchase