Melanie Johnson, CEBS PHR SHRM-CP

I’m a Senior People Operations leader with 10+ years of experience building and scaling HR functions in startup, high-growth, and distributed organizations. I’m known for identifying operational gaps and implementing practical, people-first programs that drive measurable results.

Across three organizations, I’ve built HR departments from the ground up, single-handedly onboarded 500+ employees during rapid growth, and supported workforce scaling from 40 to 450 employees as the sole People Operations professional. I’ve also led People operations programs within organizations exceeding 900 employees globally.

I focus on employee experience, engagement, and organizational effectiveness—improving HR eNPS scores by 11% and relaunching a dormant Employee Resource Group to 100+ participants. I’ve designed wellness programs that earned Cigna Gold and Bronze Wellness Awards and identified and deployed $25,000 in unused wellness funding to support employee appreciation initiatives.

In my recent roles, I’ve delivered savings and strengthened compliance outcomes by overhauling policies for multi-state compliance and reducing annual compliance risk exposure. I’ve also managed benefits redesign initiatives that reduced plan costs by 15%, improved vendor accountability through RFP processes, and transformed a Better Business Bureau rating from F to A+ with sustainable resolution workflows.