Open to opportunities

Julie Hawthorne

@juliehawthorne

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I am a People & Culture executive driving M&A integrations, talent strategy, and organizational performance.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek an executive HR role leading M&A integrations and enterprise people strategy in a growth-minded, collaborative organization that values DEI, sustainability, and measurable impact.

I am a collaborative HR strategist and servant leader with deep experience designing enterprise people strategies and leading large-scale integrations. I have led the due diligence and integration of over 370 acquisitions and served as an HR executive supporting ~65 locations and 2,000 employees.

I deliver measurable results—zero undesired turnover for 8+ years, $2.4M in cumulative HR savings, and a proprietary well-being program that improved attraction and retention. I champion DEI, sustainable business reporting, safety culture transformation, global immigration solutions, and automation to scale HR operations.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Senior Vice President, People

GEI Consultants, Inc.

Jan 2015 - Jul 2025 (10 years 6 months)

Led enterprise people strategy across ~65 locations and 2,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada; directed people integration for 20+ acquisitions, managed a $1.5M–$2.9M HR budget delivering $2.4M cumulative savings and oversaw a $21M+ Total Rewards program while transforming safety and launching a proprietary well-being program.

M&A HR strategy Total Rewards Workforce Planning DEI Employee Engagement

Director, Human Resources

Dignity Health Medical Foundation

Jan 2012 - Jan 2015 (3 years)

Directed HR strategy and operations for a 2,500-employee, 100+ location division, managing a $2.6M+ annual budget and leading cross-functional HR, Learning & OD, and Employee Health & Safety teams; led integration of 150+ acquisitions and enterprise engagement initiatives across a 60,000-employee system.

HR Operations Employee Engagement Budget Management Learning Development Compensation Change Management

Co-Head, Employee & Labor Relations

Waste Connections, Inc.

Jan 2008 - Jan 2012 (4 years)

Co-led the Employee & Labor Relations COE for 6,000+ union and non-union employees across 27 states and 250+ sites, resolving high-risk investigations and mitigating litigation exposure; led HR integration for 200+ acquisitions and improved grievance handling at contentious union sites.

Employee Relations Investigation Compliance Policy Development

Director, Human Resources

Java City

Jan 2006 - Jan 2008 (2 years)

Headed HR and Payroll for 350+ employees across 15+ states, revamped Total Rewards and benefits offerings, and led the payroll system transition from ADP to Ceridian through RFP and implementation.

HRIS Implementation Payroll Total Rewards Talent Acquisition Organizational Development Benefits Administration