Tom Fennell

Fargo, ND 58104-7022 | Cell: 701-799-6289 | Email: tomfen@cableone.net

Summary
Senior Human Resources Professional with proven successes in various strategic and operational leadership and
management roles in the following industries: IT-Healthcare Software Development, IT-Customer Services &
Support, Workforce Consulting, Sales, Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution, and the U.S. Navy.

Professional Expertise

Talent Acquisition / Management

Organizational Change Management
Organizational Development
Leadership Development
Workforce Planning
Succession Planning

Performance Management
Employee / Labor Relations
Servant Leadership
Coaching / Mentoring
Employee Engagement
Customer Service

Accomplishments / Experience
Director HR Development | CoreLink Administrative Solutions | 04/2011 - Present | Fargo, ND

Chief People Officer - provide strategic leadership, executive coaching, mentorship, succession planning,
and sponsorship for all people initiatives to drive business and people strategies forward.
Established Human Resources / Organizational Development (HRD) Functions - designed, developed,
and fully staffed operational HRD functions to meet the needs of CoreLink - a new start-up company.
Facilitated the design, development, and implementation of Cultural Transformation Roadmap that
included a Culture Taskforce to drive aspire to cultural change throughout the organization.
Project Management - managed the design, development, and implementation of HRIS / Talent
Management (TMS) Solution-(Taleo) to meet employee information needs of the business, HR, and
training.
Leadership Development - spearheaded the design, development, and implementation of a three (3) tier
leadership development program to meet current and future organizational leadership talent needs at all
levels of leadership - (Executive Leadership, Core / Front-Line Leadership, and Hi Potential (HiPo)
Individual Contributors aspiring to become Future Leaders), resulting in increased leadership capabilities.
Organizational Development - Certified Advanced Emergenetics Associate - trained all CoreLink team
members (300+), in the brain science of Emergenetics-(Patterns of thinking and behaving that emerge
from genetics and life experiences.), which significantly increased effectiveness of communication,
collaboration, team building, and conflict resolution throughout the organization.

HR Manager / HR Business Partner | Microsoft Corporation |10/2004 - 04/2011| Fargo, ND

HR Business Partner / Trusted Advisor for Commercial Technical Support (CTS) organization consisting of
approximately 1,000 team members located across multiple geographies.
Provided consultant advisory services to leadership and team members lending an HR perspective to
client business strategies and decisions.
Talent Acquisition / Management - increased recruitment effectiveness and efficiencies throughout
business / client group by partnering with staffing group to ensure achievement of high volume targeted
staffing levels to meet the needs of the business.
Organizational Development - spearheaded the design, development and implementation of Career
Model Framework within client group, which increased effectiveness of career development discussions.
Increased Organizational / Leadership Capability - developed and facilitated HR training as needed within
client group (I.e. Career Development Workshops, Performance Management, Situational Leadership,
etc), resulting in more informed team members and increased management effectiveness in dealing
with identified employee career development, employee relations, and performance challenges.
Leadership Development served as HR Liaison for Microsoft Fargo Campus Americas Exceptional
Potential Leadership Development Program (EXPO-LDP) to develop future generation of business leaders,
resulting in development and building depth of leadership bench.

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Tom Fennell
Fargo, ND 58104-7022 | Cell: 701-799-6289 | Email: tomfen@cableone.net
Consultant - Staffing Services | Valley Employee Services | 08/2004 - 10/2004 | Fargo, ND

Managed contract staffing and workforce planning services for various business organizations in areas of
staffing management (contingent, vendors, temp to perm, and direct hire), Drug-Free Workplace Safety
Initiatives-(Drug Testing / Workplace Safety Programs), and DOT Compliance Pre-Audits.

HR Manager | New Flyer of America, Inc. | 11/2000 - 08/2004 | Crookston, MN

Organizational Capability - designed, developed, and operationally executed company policies and
procedures, which resulted in improved staffing levels to meet the needs of the business, employee
training and development, compensation, benefits, safety, and employee relations.
Employee / Labor Relations - Skilled Negotiator / Mediator - successfully negotiated two (2) Collective
Bargaining Agreements with Local Union during company acquisition process that resulted in fixed labor
cost of union employees, significantly improved labor / management relations, reduced employee
absenteeism rate, disciplinary issues, grievances, and employee turnover.
Leadership Development - spearheaded the design, development, and successful implementation of
Leadership and Management Training Program - (New Flyer Leadership Academy), for all front-line
supervisory and management personnel, which resulted in improved leadership / management skills of
front-line supervisors and managers.

Director HR / Training | Dakota Supply Group | 05/1998 - 11/2000 | Fargo, ND

Established Human Resources / Organizational Development (HRD) Functions - designed, developed,

and fully staffed operational HRD functions for Dakota Supply Group - an employee owned (ESOP)
wholesale distributor with 250+ employees dispersed among twelve (12) branch locations in two (2)
states - (North Dakota and South Dakota).
Organizational Capability - designed, developed, and implemented HRIS, HR policies, and procedures that
resulted in improved organizational consistency and effectiveness across all branch location in areas such
as talent acquisition, onboarding, development, and performance management.
Customer Service - designed, developed, and facilitated A-1 Customer Service Training to all employees
which resulted in improved customer service and increased sales volumes across all lines of business.

Recruiter in Charge | United States Navy Recruiting | 07/1994 - 04/1998 | Fargo, ND

Staffing Recruiter-in-Charge of five (5) state mid-west region encompassing 280,000 square miles of
territory.
Supervised 110 enlisted recruiting personnel, and 40 Navy Delayed Entry Program Recruits awaiting
assignment to Recruit Training.
Awarded Navy Commendation Medal, and six (6) Recruiting Gold Wreaths for consistently achieving
and/or exceeding 100% of recruiting production goals.

Education
Master of Science (M.S.): Management (with concentration in Human Resources)
University of Mary

Bismarck, ND

Bachelor of Science (B.S.): Business Administration / Management

Limestone College

Gaffney, SC

Affiliations
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Fargo-Moorhead Association for Talent Development (FM-ATD)
Emergenetics International

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