Kari Lawry — Inforum

Chief Operating Officer, Inforum

About Inforum

Inforum is one of the largest and most prestigious business forums in the nation, with more than 1,800 members from a broad cross-section of the business community. Inforum provides opportunities for businesswomen to forge alliances, discuss vital civic and business issues and make connections that help accelerate careers. Inforum offers a highly esteemed and successful leadership training program through its non-profit education and research arm, Inforum Center for Leadership. Founded as the Women′s Economic Club in 1962 in Detroit, Inforum has affiliates in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan. More than 70 businesses and Fortune 100 companies support the organization.

Learn more about Inforum.

Biography

Decisive and energetic Human Resources executive with extensive experience in consumer products, healthcare, banking and homebuilding industries. Known as a strategic business partner that can transform the ′big picture′ into operational solutions that drive employee engagement, customer delight, product improvement and a stronger corporate image. An innovative problem solver with background in team management, performance consulting, organizational change, and communication strategies. Experience with large scale corporate mergers overseeing employee, system, culture and process integration.

Experience

Inforum

Chief Operating Officer, August 2008 - Present

• Directly responsible for development, implementation and ROI measurements for leadership development training and cutting-edge research for women leaders in varying stages of their career, innovative programming and blockbuster speakers (700+ in attendance).

• Oversee financial and programmatic budgets and profit/loss statements, collect and report evaluation metrics to two different Board of Directors ensuring measurable return and quality standards for members and corporate investors.

• Develop and implement plans for strategic marketing and communication internally as well as externally to media / press.

• Report directly into the CEO, and work closely with statewide Human Resource leaders, corporate executives and individual members in three regional markets throughout Michigan.

Vice President, Inforum Center for Leadership, June 2008 - August 2008

• Directly responsible for development, implementation and ROI measurements for leadership development programs for women in varying stages of career progression.

• Oversee financial and programmatic record keeping / P & L, collect and report evaluation metrics to our Board of Directors to ensure measurable return for members and corporate investors.

• Develop and implement plans for strategic marketing and communication internally and externally to media / press.

• Report directly into the CEO and work closely with statewide Human Resource leaders, business leaders and Inforum membership in three regional markets throughout Michigan.

Pulte Homes

National Director of Human Resources, 2006 - June 2008

• Managed $1 Million+ budget to implement six key operational strategies: Employment Branding, Workplace Flexibility, Training & Awareness, Talent Pipeline, Communications, and Leadership Accountability.

• Developed employment branding strategy focusing on empowerment, innovation, career development opportunities and manager and co-worker quality which attracts and retains high potential, diverse talent.

• Oversaw national college recruiting strategy, including school representation, branding, ROI metrics, and innovative PR plans which ensures company as employer of choice to interested graduating students.

• Conducted employee surveys, focus groups, and interviews to gather quantitative and qualitative data on satisfaction and performance to quantify ROI and continually improve human resources initiatives.

• Established inclusion and diversity philosophy and initiatives as part of Pulte′s corporate values as well as a key component of the CEO′s agenda, goals, and objectives.

• Developed and implemented ″Reverse Mentoring Program″ which ensured junior level, high potential employees partnered with senior leaders in the organization for individual coaching and development increasing career satisfaction and decreasing turnover.
  

Area Vice President of Human Resources, 2002 - 2006

• Assisted the senior leadership team through the merger with Del Webb, to date the largest merger in the industry. Directed all aspects of cultural integration, including due diligence and post-merger integration activities such as employee, systems and process integration, and development of common work culture.

• Redesigned and implemented various processes and procedures that resulted in consistent application of business approaches and improved sales and operations execution.
  

Director of Employee Relations, 2000 - 2002

• Responsible for the employee relations activities for the entire company which included 30 locations nationally and over 4000 employees. Focus areas were strategic development, performance management, training, coaching and counseling at all levels.

Citigroup Inc. - Citicorp, F.S.B., Miami, FL & Long Island City, NY

Leadership, Staffing, and Development Director, 1999 - 2000

• Developed and managed leadership development program for new MBA hires.

• Managed expatriation and repatriation of senior executives, aligning short and long term career goals.
  Senior Human Resources Manager, 1997 - 1999
  

• Oversaw general HR responsibilities for Florida retail banking network of over 500 employees in 32 field branches with approximately $780 Million in annual sales.

Baxter International, Inc., Deerfield, IL

Compensation, Benefits & System Manager, 1996 - 1997
Senior Human Resources Representative, 1994 - 1995
Human Resources Development Associate, 1993 - 1994

Masters level rotational program in four different business units within company.

Education

Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, Lake Forest, IL
Masters of Business Administration, 1996

• Executive Program
  

Michigan State University
Masters of Human Resources and Labor Relations, 1993

Michigan State University
Bachelor of Arts, 1991

• Economics and Sociology