• About Me

     

    Data-driven People Leader | HR Strategy, Analytics, Operations, PMO | HRBP | HR Consultant

     

    With more than 12 years experience in various HR functions, including internal and with HR B2B vendors, I have a solid foundation and passion for all things People.

     

    Throughout my career, I’ve worked in various startups, as an independent contractor and advisor, overseeing generalist and specialized HR duties, such as talent acquisition, learning, and organizational development.

     

    I’ve also taught psychology as an adjunct instructor part-time in both a private vocational college and a state university- work that I’ve valued deeply.

     

    This breadth of exposure has afforded me a profoundly well-rounded skill set, including a natural gravity towards leadership and people development.

     

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    “Human resources are like natural resources; they're often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they're not just lying around on the surface. You have to create the circumstances where they show themselves.”

     

    Sir Ken Robinson

     

     

  • Connect

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    Austin, TX

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    mikejcilla@gmail.com

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    Network

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    Angel.co

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    @mjcilla

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    Values

    Individuality, Openness, Efficacy, Winning, and Humility

    *sense of humor is also very important

  • Click to read my Renegade HR manifesto, when I realized that redefning HR meant adopting a renegade approach at times

    Manifesto

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    Resume

    For full details of my work experience

  • Experience

     

    My guiding principle is to provide a strong and capable HR function, setting the tone for how employees experience work, and how organizations leverage their people to execute toward their mission.

    Over the past twelve years, my varied experience has oscillated between external, HR business-process consultant roles, and in-house generalist, specialist (i.e., L&D, People Strategy & Analytics), and business partner (HRBP - FTE) / advisory (SME - independent contractor) positions in startups, SMBs, and multinational organizations.

    Throughout this diversity of HR experience, one constant and guiding theme for me is simply supporting leaders with the growth of their organizations, and adding significant impact to organizational health.

    I’m always open to connecting on topics ranging from:

    - People Analytics
    - HR Tech
    - Talent Assessment
    - Employer Branding
    - Organization Development
    - L&D / Training
    - Gamification
    - Organizational / Behavioral Research
    - Team Dynamics / Manager Effectiveness
    - Leadership Development
    - Industrial-Organizational Psychology
    - Disruptive Startup Business Models

    Juul Labs logo

    Juul Labs

    Multiple HR roles over the course of 4 years, culminating in...

    Director, HR Strategy & Insights

    • Building a team to support long-term strategic planning for the HR function, including the delivery of global people analytics and insights across the employee lifecycle, and PMO scope for optimizing, enhancing, and implementing HR tools and systems.
    • Previously, as a Sr. HR Business Partner I supported executives and senior leadership across various corporate and commercial client groups: Field Sales, Marketing, Strategy, Consumer Insights, Direct to Consumer (eCommerce), Performance Planning, & Insights (Sales Operations & Analytics), Sales Enablement, and Retail.
    • Partner with Finance, Strategy, and HR COEs on people data and processes with recurring data reconnaissance activities and multiple organizational restructures.

     

    Notable Accomplishments:

    • Supported the opening of Americas HQ office in Austin, TX by being the point-of contact for various operational and logistical needs, while ensuring a best-in-class experience for a group of over 50 employee relocations.
    • Point of contact for expertise on adverse employment actions, employee relations cases, investigations, etc.
    • Own the reporting, processing, communications, and change management of all people data, including initiatives around compensation, performance management, talent review and succession planning, and org design.
    • Analyzed employee engagement data for business relevance and key insights / inferences, reported on data/results across entire business unit in a comprehensive presentation for VP audience.
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    HR Consultant, Managed Services

    Hired as one of the first consultants for Namely's Managed Services team, with a mission to define and deliver a new, enhanced, B2B administrative service offering.

    Developed tools and processes to track and scale Managed Services HR Consulting, including case management, SLAs, SOPs, and knowledge-base content on various consulting activities and client deliverables, including:

    • Guidance with compliance 
    • Policies and procedures 
    • Performance review and corrective action 
    • ADA interactive process 
    • FMLA administration and leave tracking
    • Management of unemployment claims and responses
    • Compliance reporting

    Analyze and form a thorough understanding of each client’s unique HR needs/objectives and provide guidance in a consultative manner.

    Collaborate with a team of Namely subject matter experts in HRIS, Benefits and Payroll on ~$5M book of business.

    javelin-networks, cyber security, startup, Austin, TX

    Trusted HR Advisor (Contractor)

    Javelin-Networks is an innovative cyber-security startup with a unique, all-in-one, artificial intelligence-driven platform.

     

    Founded, advised, and funded by leaders from the cyber-security industry and former Israeli military cyber intelligence, Javelin-Networks is poised for success in an estimated $120B market.

    • Trusted HR Advisor to CEO and HR support to founding executive team.  
    • Manage the day-to-day payroll, benefits administration, and new-hire employee on-boarding. 
    Brand Besties, Brand Ambassadors, Promo Models, Event Marketing,, Experiential Marketing

    Business Process Consultant (Contractor)

    Brand Besties hires and trains brand ambassadors, models, promotional models, spokespersons, certified cocktail waitresses, and hostesses to provide experiential and highly personalized experiences at high-end events, product launches, and parties.

    • Researching, developing, and implementing essential business processes (e.g., work-flows, roles/responsibilities, policies).
    • HR management projects as necessary (e.g., employee handbook, contracts, training materials, etc.)
    GasPedal, SocialMedia.Org, Austin, TX

    Learning and Development Consultant

    Unique opportunity to update GasPedal’s employee handbook (Culture Guide).

    • GasPedal runs the communities for SocialMedia.Org and SocialMedia.Org Health — and they’re radically focused on company culture.
    • Working with the CEO and VP of Communications, I updated HR policy; cleared the brush of duplicate copy throughout the archives; and applied knowledge management principles to ensure a smooth learning experience for future updates to the online knowledge-base.
    Victory Marketing Agency, Brand Ambassadors, Promo Models, Event Marketing,, Experiential Marketing

    HR Director

    Worked closely with Victory’s executive team overseeing a broad spectrum of responsibilities such as:

    • Staffing the organization. 
    • Training and developing employees at all levels. 
    • Managing a diverse workforce. 
    • Maintaining a fair and equitable compensation program. 
    • Developing personnel policies and procedures. 
    • Planning ways to meet the human resource needs of the future. 
    • Ensuring that internal policies and programs conform to all laws that affect the workplace.
    Global HR Research, Background Screening, Drug Tests, Pre-employment Testing, Assessment

    Talent Acquisition and Assessment Manager

    • Program Manager of new GHRR Pre-hire Intelligence division with product offerings including off-the-shelf online pre-employment assessments and enterprise-level customized talent acquisition solutions.
    • Reported to CEO on new division (NewCo) including presenting feasibility study to Board of Directors, drafting program budget, sourcing personnel, and developing relationships to external partners / constituents, both domestically and internationally.
    • Worked directly with prospects and clients throughout full sales lifecycle, including conducting demos, onboarding and account management.
    • Developed marketing materials, including website copy, promotional videos, FAQ sheets, etc., and conducted 1-hour webinar certified for SHRM CE credit.
    Electronic Arts EA

    Learning and Development Consultant

    • Consultant to VP of Profitable Creativity in a corporate university that served 8,000 employees in 19 locations throughout the world.
    • Assisted in program design and content development for MBA-style learning modules directed toward high-potential senior managers.
    • Programs were focused on divergent aspects relevant to professionals in the gaming industry, such as: disruptive economics, innovation, online consumer behavior, long-term competitive strategy, and data analytics/visualization.
    evolv cornerstone on demand

    Technical Support (Contractor)

    Evolv was a Big Data predictive workforce analytics startup prior to being acquired by Cornerstone OnDemand.

    • Internship w/ Selection Science (I/O Psychologists) team assessing the utility of a language-based scoring matrix used for applicants completing an Interactive Voice Response phone screen.

    Technical Support / Quality Assurance:

    • Developed a framework for assisting with any technical difficulties the users (prospective job applicants) of Evolv's solution encountered.
    • Responded to all technical issues in a timely manner, and provided feedback to Evolv's back-end developers whenever I noticed patterns of problems that ultimately were not user errors.