Veronica P. Delgado
EXECUTIVE MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
STRATEGIC EXECUTIVE ADVISOR
TALENT LEADER
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
A seasoned professional with a rich blend of international and domestic experience, deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). My passion lies in embracing diverse perspectives, driving innovation, and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of technology and AI in the workplace.
My guiding principles revolve around fostering DEIB, embracing diverse thought, and continuously challenging traditional solutions with fresh perspectives. I firmly believe in the power of technology and innovation to shape the future of work and am committed to championing organizational design, culture, and equitable pay practices.
My strengths lie in my unwavering dedication, innovative mindset, and profound belief in people and processes. I approach challenges with an entrepreneurial spirit, always seeking solutions that drive business growth and empower individuals to thrive. My unique perspective as a business-minded executive and human resource advisor enables me to provide strategic guidance and executive coaching that truly resonates.
In summary, I am deeply passionate about adding value to people's lives and organizations, whether through organizational design, culture development, or executive advisement. I find fulfillment in teaching and serving on boards, where I can contribute to the success of organizations and help them achieve their business objectives. Retaining a CHRO or CPO role in the dynamic landscape of HR strategy is my goal, where I can collaborate with the C-suite to cultivate a culture of holistic well-being and drive meaningful change.
Who am i?
Senior Global Business Leader with expertise in Human Resources, corporate transformation, and nonprofit Boards of Directors. Brings deep experience in total rewards strategy, organizational effectiveness, diversity & inclusion initiatives, talent acquisition and management, and mergers & acquisitions/divestitures.
My Goals
My overarching goal is to leverage my expertise and experience to shape impactful HR solutions that prioritize the whole person approach to work. I aspire to foster cultures that celebrate diversity and inclusivity, driving innovation and synergy within organizations. Ultimately, I aim to leave a lasting legacy of positive transformation in the workplace and beyond.
A Journey of Resilience, Family, and Values
I hail from the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana, where I spent my formative years immersed in the construction engineering environment alongside my father. He was a respected leader at Lockheed Martin, overseeing the A-Team tasked with building the external tank for the space shuttle. His mentorship instilled in me invaluable lessons about leadership and resilience.
During a challenging period marked by the tragedy of the space shuttle explosion, I recognized the importance of retaining top talent. This realization led me to pivot into human resources, where I discovered my passion for nurturing and empowering individuals in service-oriented environments.
Growing up as an only child with four older siblings, our home was always filled with music and warmth. Our family gatherings were characterized by Southern hospitality, where doors were open to all, and everyone was treated like kin.
From my upbringing, I've cultivated a deep appreciation for hard work, dedication, agility, and the entrepreneurial spirit. These values have guided me throughout my career and personal life, shaping my approach to challenges and opportunities
In my free time, I cherish moments spent with my family, exploring new destinations and cultures. Our adventures have taken us to Paris, France, a place that holds a special spot in our hearts. Inspired by our experiences as foreigners, I am passionate about promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in all aspects of life.
Currently residing in Scottsdale, Arizona, my family and I are avid lacrosse enthusiasts, cheering on our son as he plays for Brophy High School. Our recent trip to Philadelphia to witness Notre Dame's championship victory was a highlight for us.
In essence, my journey has been defined by a love for learning, a commitment to excellence, and a deep-seated belief in the power of community and connection. I look forward to continuing this journey and embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.
Industry knowledge
Interpersonal skills
Senior Global Business Leader with expertise in Human Resources, corporate transformation, and nonprofit Boards of Directors. Brings deep experience in total rewards strategy, organizational effectiveness, diversity & inclusion initiatives, talent acquisition and management, and mergers & acquisitions/divestitures.
strengths
Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Change Management
Strategic Planning
Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Communication and Influence
Track Record of Success
These achievements underscore my commitment to leadership, education, professional development, and diversity advocacy in both the HR profession and the broader community.
My experience in managing budgets and revenue for companies, ranging from 500 million to 3 billion, has instilled in me a deep understanding of financial management. I've successfully handled budgets exceeding 1.5 million and worked on transactions with acquisitions upward of 900 million, all while overseeing employee sizes ranging from 5 to over 150.
I'm considered a trusted advisor to the HR strategy, which includes cost savings, return on investment in HR systems, acquisitions, and valuation processes.
LSU MBA Alumni Houston, President, Served on the Board of Directors for Dream Soar, Family Services of Baton Rouge (Executive Board), and HR Houston Board of Directors. Trained by Diversity Academy for executive board members in Houston, TX. Additionally, a member of NACD.
Adjunct faculty at the University of Houston and Professor of Talent Management in the NBA program. Also served as an Adjunct Professor for Strategic Leadership at the University of Texas Nursing School.
Chief Member, National SHRM Member, World at Work Member (for compensation professionals), Dress for Success Member (Phoenix, AZ), Founding member Vistage CHROs (Houston, TX).
Recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Business, Leadership, Top 20 Business Women, and honored as a Top 50 CHRO by the National Diversity Council.
conferences & public speaking engagements
HR Consulting services in various industries, including healthcare, entertainment, and construction services. Strategic advisor to C Suite exploring, initiating, and customizing talent acquisition, talent management, competency-based learning, compliance, and total rewards programs for all staff levels. Private- Family businesses. PE-backed organizations.
- Private Family Business: Instituted organizational structure and framework to initiate critical succession planning for retiring members and knowledge transfer with organizational generational change, created solid performance management system with assessment instituted to assist in role progression.
- PE-Backed Construction Company: Prepared organization for transfer to new PE firm. Revisited and revised employment agreements, policies, procedures, and retention of key talent with competitive compensation plans.
- Counsel to CEO. Develop business strategy with leadership team. Focus on cutting-edge data analytics and AI technologies to provide customized solutions that match best candidates with the most suitable employers. Provide strategic advice to the leadership team and clients and develop new clients.
With 13K employees and $2.5B in revenue, it is a strategic infrastructure services company that partners with regulated utilities to build and maintain the energy network that powers millions of homes and businesses across the U.S. and Canada.
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team and reported directly to the Chief Executive Officer.
- Lead HR function for the acquisition of Riggs Distler $855 million transaction and due diligence.
- Increased retention year over year by 15% and worked closely with operational leadership to ensure the recruitment and retention of the industry’s best talent.
- Realized increases of up to 10% in the promotion of women and people of color by implementing and overseeing strategy to cultivate a workplace culture of inclusivity.
- Developed leadership development training on inclusivity, gender differences, disability, sexual harassment, suicide prevention, and other topics to increase awareness, support values, and comply with applicable laws.
- Designed total rewards packages to attract and retain top talent. These included multiple compensation programs related to the union and non-union employee population of over 13,000 employees.
- Created quarterly talent reviews and succession planning for high-potential populations. We achieved a 10% increase in retention of top talent, with 20 ELT attending leadership programs at the Center of Creative Leadership.
Privately held company providing products and services to owners and operators of business jets for corporate and personal air travel.
- Led global People function for a $2+ billion business with over 2,000 employees in 14 countries. Also responsible for global internal communications and facilities.
- Instituted 15 new measurement tools and a new performance management system aligned with the operational management process to drive improved performance and higher-quality talent globally.
- Created and instituted Talent Review and Succession processes and plans for all employees globally. Reviewed quarterly at the Board of Directors' closed session, with successful action plans, and demonstrated development for the next CEO candidate and Chairman of the Board.
- Led divestitures of the in-house fuel division to the World Fuel Services for HR processes and programs.
- Developed and implemented 501(c)(3) to help employees in need and elevate engagement and retention.
- Collaborated with the CEO to implement the Winning Culture Program, resulting in a 34% reduction of voluntary attrition.
- Led transformation to establish a new HR operating model, processes, and HRIS system (ADP and Workday). Resulted in $2M in savings year over year and $7M in human capital cost-cutting overall.
Privately held commercial construction organization with $1B in revenue.
- Reported to President and CEO. Oversaw the people function and managed a managerial and administrative staff of 10.
- Restructured HR service delivery to align with corporate business segments' needs, increasing effectiveness by 25%.
- Leveraged LEAN Construction to champion innovation and continuous improvement that resulted in a financial performance increase of $1.5M year one.
- Increased project manager (representing 35% of the population) job satisfaction from 3.5 to 4.5 on a 5-point scale through focus on employee engagement and actionable initiatives.
- Oversaw HR transformation to deliver elevated organization development, talent management, talent acquisition and compensation/benefits programs. Decreased operating costs by 20%.
- Analyzed trends, best practices, and policies in 15 sources to provide the best talent through CPEG and other sources in the construction space and implemented HRIS System (Fennel) in-house based on data analytics.
Supplier of industrial gases and services to various industries with 20.48 Euros in revenue and 66K employees.
- Led new function to drive Leadership Development and Succession Planning for 1,500 high-potentials in various plants and corporate functions and 800 technical experts globally. Reported to the Group Deputy Director & Head of Corporate HR.
- Spearheaded review and implementation of global HCM Systems for talent acquisition (TAS), talent management (TMS), and learning management (LMS). Streamlined tool selection processes for 15+ countries. Migrated employee master data from multiple ERPs to SAS Solutions (Taleo, SuccessFactors, and Cornerstone).
- Designed and introduced a global talent acquisition pipeline strategy that included competency-based career development paths, and performance management guidelines. Introduced dashboards to drive accountability, reducing turnover by 25% while increasing promotions of women by 5% and people of color by 3%.
- Led the high potential program for managerial and technical career ladders, placing optics on the skill base of 3K global employees. Drove an increase in rotation assignments by 15%, and increased retention by 20%.
- Established and rolled out metrics, KPIs, and data analytics to support enterprise talent management initiatives, including engagement surveys, promotion rates, time-to-promote, and a mentoring program.
Global engineering, construction, and services companies that support the energy, petrochemical, government services, and civil infrastructure sectors. Halliburton acquired Dresser Industries in 1998 and merged Dresser’s engineering subsidiary, M.W. Kellogg Company, with Halliburton’s construction subsidiary, Brown & Root.
- Managed a global team of 12 managers and employees in Iraq, Australia, Great Britain, Indonesia, Mexico, and the U.S. Oversaw performance management, talent acquisition, and learning development systems and processes for approximately 2K employees. Managed corporate universities and colleges with a curriculum of 200+ leadership, technical, and non-technical courses. Served as liaison with Texas A&M University for executive classes. Managed a $1M budget.
- Increased participation in classes by 30% and retention of mission-critical, government-cleared employees by conducting business needs assessments, launching/overseeing the development of new state-of-the-art courses, and evaluating/identifying “off-the-shelf” classes.
- Oversaw succession planning, high-potential programs, and quarterly talent review. Prepared and reported on performance for the Board Deck.
- Designed and instituted leadership development programs and global ethics training for an employee base of 45K. Achieved 100% compliance across a global employee population.
- I was promoted to support the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer on HR strategy related to mergers and acquisitions, global change management initiatives, and HRIS system evaluation/recommendations. Reported to the CAO.
- Developed and implemented strategy and global compensation structure. Created/updated summary plan documents. Managed compliance with government contracts. Participated in domestic and international salary surveys for market pricing. Reported to the Director of Total Rewards. Managed a staff of six.
Number one cancer hospital in the World. Visionary research in cancer and preventative care. Employee headcount: 13,000 (1,800 direct population for Nursing Division).
- Leadership. I worked directly through the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) on Strategic Leadership and organizational restructuring for the nursing division. I was one of 12 Executive Advisors and provided HR strategy. I co-supervised the nursing payroll and recruitment at the main hospital with HR COEs. I managed the JACO process and TPAPN process for all the nursing population.
- Business Partner. First business partner for MDACC and worked to set the success of the new role in the hospital with HR AVP. Created the delivery of service model with AVP and Directors for Human Resources. Selected for Nursing Leadership Council as a non-practitioner. Created the APN/NP competency model. Ensured the success of the overall nursing vision and growth with the CNO. The following tasks daily: Process Improvements and Development, Compensation review (market review, equity review), Employee Relations issues, Governance and guidelines, Employee Development and review of needs within Nursing, Staffing Review of needs, Organization Development beginning to trend retention and turnover. Digitalization of HR process for a new role in MDACC.
Publicly owned construction engineering and pipe fabrication company. Acquisitions included Stone & Webster and The IT Group and other minors. Employee headcount: 20,000 (domestic and international).
- Due Diligence Overview. I worked directly with the Vice President of Human Resources and senior management to determine the feasibility of onboarding employees during key acquisitions. We reviewed claims experience, rate of pay, tenure, and human capital offerings.
- Organizational Structure. Organizational Structure. Created multiple organizational compensation structures, including Engineering, Maintenance, Construction, Manufacturing, and Craft positions. Worked directly with information systems to create a database to maintain job descriptions and methods to update them as needed based on job enrichment, etc. Introduced Position Description Questionnaire forms to create job descriptions. Developed five variable pay components, including bonus structure and compensation philosophy. Created and implemented multiple compensation structures for 15,000 full-time employees, domestic and international.
- Executive Compensation. I reviewed the executive total compensation to present to the Board of Directors and recommended changes as needed. I also worked directly with Financial Accountants to oversee Stock Option offerings and made suggestions related to Stock Purchase Plans for non-management engineering staff.
- Compliance Overview. Developed three (3) Affirmative Action plans and data analysis for manufacturing and fabrication subsidiaries. Worked directly with Compliance to ensure comparable worth.
- Information Systems. implementation and integration from acquisition consisting of Oracle/Peoplesoft/JD Edwards.
Affiliations/Honors
Teaching Experience / Advancing the HR Profession
A Lux Consulting /Rocket City LLC.
Houston, TX and Scottsdale, AZ
2023– Present
Centuri Group, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ
2021 – 2023
Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc.
Houston, TX
2015 – 2021
Aquinas Management Services (Linbeck)
Houston, TX
2012 – 2015
Air Liquide
Paris, France
2009 – 2012
Kellogg, Brown & Root
Houston, TX
2007 - 2009
Kellogg, Brown & Root
Houston, TX
2006 - 2007
Kellogg, Brown & Root
Houston, TX
2006
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, TX
2003 - 2006
Keith Nichols
Joseph Arnett, CPA, MBA, PMP, FPC
