Sarah Keenan

Experience

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  Ford Motor Company

  Jan 1997 - Jan 2001

  Human Resources Associate - Labour Relations and Organization & Personnel Planning

  • Administered all aspects of the CAW collective agreement including discipline interviews, determination of discipline dispositions, grievance investigations, and contract interpretation.• Established positive professional relations with union leadership and management team to promote collaborative labour relations in a highly demanding industrial environment.• Dealt effectively with all levels of employees.• Conducted research for union demands and company proposals for 1999 negotiations with CAW.• Participated in the creation of the Windsor Site Personnel Development Committees (PDC). PDCs are committees of functional line managers and Human Resources personnel who focus on personnel planning and succession planning.• Participated in recruitment effort for over 300 new production workers. Successes• Lead annual compensation planning co-ordination for 5 plants of the Windsor Site (approximately 1000 salaried employees). Ensured consistency and adherence to established guidelines.• Coordinated 3 day business leadership workshops for 250 salaried employees. Facilitated workshop team building activities. Coordinated with the local United Way office for ½ day community service activity that was part of workshop.• Implemented centralized co-op student recruiting process for the 5 plants of the Windsor site to eliminate duplication of efforts for the recruitment of 50-60 co-op students per semester. Implemented site wide assessment centers for the hiring of new production and maintenance supervisors resulting in the hiring of approximately 50 new supervisors across the Windsor site. Show less

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  Rogers Communications

  Jan 2001 - Jan 2002

  Human Resources Advisor

  • Supporting the IT Department within Rogers Wireless, developed, coached, and provided operational and strategic guidance relevant to the needs of the client group in areas such as leadership skills, performance management, recruitment, legal and procedural compliance, workplace policies, employee relations, compensation planning and effective teamwork. • Active participant in a variety of projects including: employee engagement, bonus/merit planning, management training, talent management and compensation planning. Show less

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  Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club

  Jan 2002 - Jan 2004

  Manager, Human Resources

  • Developed, implemented and co-ordinated policies and programs related to employment, employee relations, compensation, benefits, and employee development for the Toronto Blue Jays.• Balanced the needs of the business with the interests of employees for all Toronto Blue Jays staff by acting as an internal “ombudsman.”• Provided consistent human resources counsel to the senior leadership team on employee relations and performance management issues including ensuring legal and procedural compliance.• Established Employee Development programs within the organization to encourage staff to grow beyond current knowledge, skills and abilities.• Consulted on restructuring of various departments within the organization. • Effectively managed and recommended solutions for employee retention.• Oversaw all recruitment for the Toronto Blue Jays.• Conducted workshops on performance management and other human resource issues.Successes• Established HR department within the Blue Jays organization. Developed HR processes and policies based on what was available at Rogers, and created new practices as dictated by the needs of the organization.• Implemented quarterly staff meetings for all front office staff to help increase communications across the organization. • Established and managed Human Resources budget coming in under budget each year.• Administered benefits for US based employees. Successfully facilitated the transition of benefits plan carriers for 125 Canadian employees and 60 US employees under extremely short timeframe. • Facilitated the termination of approximately 50 employees resulting in zero litigation. Show less

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  Rogers Communications

  Jan 2004 - Jan 2007

  Sr Manager / Manager, Human Resources

  • Provided consistent human resources counsel to senior leadership team for Rogers’ corporate offices and shared operations (IT, Procurement, Real Estate & Facilities, Corporate Marketing, Finance, Human Resources).• Provided coaching, leadership, direction and feedback to a team of up to 8 HR professionals to effectively manage and resolve employee issues and manage change.• Developed, coached, and provided operational and strategic guidance relevant to the needs of the client group in areas such as leadership skills, performance management, recruitment, legal and procedural compliance, workplace policies, employee relations, compensation planning and effective teamwork. • Active participant in a variety of projects including: employee engagement, bonus/merit planning, management training, talent management and compensation planning.Successes• Domain lead for HR outsourcing project.• Facilitated sessions at Procurement department management team off-site to help improve the team-work of a new management team.• Worked with legal counsel on mediation of 6 cases – all resolved for less than anticipated costs.• Led Finance department consolidation from separate Finance departments for each operating company to a centralized finance function. Show less

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  Independent Consultant

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2009

  Consultant

  • Provide HR consulting to small organizations to help develop strategies that contribute to the achievement of business goals and company success• Researching and implementing company-wide programs including company values, performance management, policies, and employee communications

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  The Marketing Store

  Jan 2009 - Jan 2012

  Director, People & Practices / VP, Human Resources - North America

  2009-2010 covered the maternity leave for the Toronto office Director of People & CultureRecruited back to The Marketing Store in 2012 to be the North American VP of Human Resources supporting offices in Toronto and Chicago• As a member of the Senior Management Team, provided strategic Human Resources guidance to management at all levels while supporting and initiating Human Resources programs and processes• Lead a team of 5 HR professionals in 2 locations to support a 250 person marketing & advertising agency and a 115 person call centre• Familiarization with employment legislation in Canada and Illinois• Established HR strategy and make adjustments throughout the year as required by changing business needsSuccesses• Significantly reduced employee procurement costs by increasing use of social media for recruitment • Established weekly Employee Relations meetings with call centre management to increase their ability to effectively manage employee issues.• Set agenda and facilitated Senior Management 2-day strategic planning off-site.• Developed new call centre recruiting model.• Established salary banding model for the Toronto agency. Show less

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  Lowe’s Companies Canada

  Jan 2011 - Jan 2012

  Regional Director Human Resources

  • Acted as the expert for all basic and complex Employee Relations matters within the store environment in Canada (26 stores in Ontario and Alberta)• Developed the Field Human Resources Strategy: design and facilitate the execution and implementation of programs to support all stores.• Optimized HR performance metrics: employee engagement, productivity, further enhance customer satisfactionSuccesses• Structured and piloted a new store HR audit• Enhanced communication with the HR professionals located in the store environment across the country to increase consistent application of HR practices. Show less

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  SjK Consulting

  Jan 2012 - Jan 2014

  Consultant

  Provide HR consulting to entrepreneurial organizations to help develop strategies that contributed to the achievement of business goals and company success.• Researched and implemented company-wide programs including formalizing company values, developing competencies, implementing on-line performance management process, reviewing policies, developing, implementing and providing analysis for an employee engagement survey, and providing coaching and counsel to management on employee communications and employee relations issues Show less

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  CNW Group

  Jan 2014 - Jan 2017

  Regional Vice President, Human Resources

  • Provided strategic HR guidance to the Senior Management Team and management at all levels while supporting and initiating Human Resources program and processes• Lead a team of 6 professionals comprised of HR Business Partner Services, Talent Acquisition, Training & Development, Payroll/Benefits, Facilities Management• Established HR strategy and adjusted accordingly throughout year as business priorities changedSuccesses• Saved approximately $300,000 annually by bringing talent acquisition in-house• Successfully lead and negotiated the collective bargaining process for 4 union locals• Facilitated successful termination of approximately 40 employees with no litigation• Consolidated and developed new policies as a result of the Cision acquisition of CNW in summer 2016 Show less

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  SjK Consulting

  Jan 2018 - now

  Consultant

  Provide Executive Coaching and HR consulting to entrepreneurial organizations to help develop strategies that contribute to the achievement of business goals and company success.

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  Fusion Mediation Group

  May 2020 - now

  Mediator