Brenda Lawrence

Consulting to Startups, PE-Backed, Founder-Led, and Fortune 500 Companies

Provide flexible consulting and interim leadership that blends hands-on operational execution with strategic C-suite partnership. Support organizations navigating growth, transformation, and complex people challenges.

• Interim HR Leadership & Strategic Projects
  Lead organizations through hyper-growth, restructures, downsizing, M&A integration, leadership transitions, and compliance remediation.
• HR Roadmaps, Operating Models & Organizational Design
  Develop scalable HR roadmaps, maturity models, and people strategies that align with business goals, growth stage, and funding environment.
• Policy, Process & Governance Development
  Build, update, and modernize global HR policies, employee handbooks, and operating frameworks aligned with multi-jurisdictional legal and regulatory requirements.
• Compliance, Immigration & Risk Management
  Conduct HR compliance audits, SoX control reviews, and risk assessments; strengthen governance and reduce exposure. Manage immigration compliance including visa documentation, I-9 audit readiness, and partnership with immigration counsel for global mobility workflows.
• Employee Relations & Investigations
  Advise on complex ER matters including investigations, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and terminations.
• HCM Implementations & Systems Optimization
  Lead global HCM implementations and HRIS integrations to streamline workflows, digitize manual processes, and improve data accuracy, automation, and reporting.
• Benefits Strategy, Management & PEO/RFP Leadership
  Oversee benefits planning, renewals, and plan design; lead PEO evaluations, transitions, and full vendor RFP processes to optimize cost, compliance, and scalability.
• Training & Compliance Education
  Deliver manager and HR team training on compliance, GDPR/CCPA, harassment prevention, labor regulations, and effective policy interpretation.
• Total Rewards & Compensation Support
  Provide compensation benchmarking, salary structure development, executive pay support, equity program guidance, and compensation governance.
• Fractional Head of People Leadership
  Lead People Operations, culture initiatives, talent programs, performance management, and day-to-day HR functions during leadership gaps or rapid organizational change.

Global Semiconductor Leader | 30,000+ Employees | North America, EMEA, APAC

Led global HR strategy across Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, HCM/HRIS, compliance, employee relations, and organizational development for a culturally diverse multinational workforce.

• Built and led a global HR shared service center, standardizing processes and improving HR delivery across corporate and manufacturing sites.
• Led HR setup for multiple new factories from the ground up, including workforce planning, hiring, and site-level HR infrastructure.
• Operated with startup-level speed and agility within a large enterprise, creating scalable HR systems during rapid growth and expansion.
• Built and executed global HR strategy aligned to business growth, operational needs, and multi-region workforce requirements.
• Oversaw Total Rewards, including global compensation, executive pay, equity, incentives, and self-funded benefits; improved retention by 12% and generated $1M+ in annual savings through vendor and plan optimization.
• Directed global compensation benchmarking and pay equity initiatives to ensure market competitiveness and compliance with evolving pay transparency regulations.
• Led global HCM/HRIS implementations and optimization digitizing processes, improving data integrity, and reducing HR cycle times by 30% while achieving flawless SoX audits.
• Served as Data Protection Officer (DPO) for GDPR, CCPA, and global data governance, achieving 100% audit compliance.
• Managed complex global employee relations and provided executive coaching to mitigate risk and drive consistent, equitable practices.
• Directed enterprise Talent Acquisition, reducing time-to-fill by 18%, strengthening diverse pipelines, and launching early-career programs.
• Built scalable leadership development and manager training programs; launched a global learning platform that reduced training costs by 20%.
• Led HR due diligence and post-merger integration for multiple acquisitions, aligning systems, culture, and policies with minimal disruption.

• Led end-to-end HR operations across North America, EMEA, and APAC, aligning corporate and plant-level initiatives to accelerate growth, stabilize workforce operations, and support evolving business priorities.
• Designed and executed global talent acquisition strategies that significantly reduced time-to-fill, strengthened technical and leadership pipelines, and elevated the company’s employer brand in competitive labor markets.
• Developed region-specific compensation and benefits frameworks aligned with local market conditions, pay practices, and regulatory requirements to improve competitiveness, internal equity, and retention.
• Partnered with C-suite and functional executives to forecast workforce needs tied to long-term technology roadmaps, ensuring the right talent, skills, and organizational capabilities were in place to support future investment and innovation.

Progressed from Recruiting Specialist to Sr. Manager, HR overseeing recruitment systems, scaling hiring operations, leading HR process transformations, and advancing leadership enablement programs across the global semiconductor business.