MARIA T.

SCHAFER
Box 37, 196 Mahopac Avenue * Granite Springs, New York 10527 *
(914) 873-0262 * msad4c4e@westpost.net

HUMAN RESOURCES AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

Recognized industry expert in human capital management: change management, organ
ization development, talent and staffing management including specialized focus
on managing IT talent requirements. Forge and guide initiatives for exceptional
business development, revenue generation, profits, and cost savings.
* Demonstrate expertise in business development, directing operations, process i
mprovement, system development, policy and procedure development, project and pr
ogram management, productization, sales and marketing, budget control, and custo
mer satisfaction.
* Perform consulting for Fortune 1000 clients in diverse industries, including h
uman resources and business operations/administration.
* Specialize in talent recruitment and retention, change and organization manage
ment and assessment, enterprise HR software analysis, product development, IT ro
le and compensation analysis.
* Develop and maximize key business relationships and strategic partnerships.
* Recruit, train, and motivate teams to exceed enterprise expectations.
* Identify and optimize opportunities to expand assigned role.

Global Corporate Leadership * Business Modeling * Strategic Planning * Organizat

ion Development * Joint Ventures * World-Class Operations * HRIT Revenue Generat
ion & Savings * Research & Analysis * Budget Control * P&L * Data Management * R
eporting * Compliance * Executive & Staff Recruiting * Talent Management & Reten
tion * Workforce Optimization * Performance Management * ERP & CRM * Needs Asse
ssments * Resource Allocation * Benchmarking * Outsourcing & Rightsizing * Netwo
rking Corporate & Media Relations * Change Management * Executive Presentations
* Negotiations *
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Market Research & Consulting Firm., Yorktown Heights, New York * 2008 - Present
Provider of business and human resources solutions to Fortune 1000 clients.
Senior Director
Identify and secure business opportunities in challenging market through redefin
ition of value proposition, expanded marketing techniques, and provision of outs
tanding service. Perform human resources consulting for Fortune 1000 clients in
diverse industries. Propose wide-ranging solutions through business development,
human resources outsourcing, marketing development, competitive intelligence, p
rocess improvements, and compensation benchmarking.
* Facilitated improvement in major pharmaceutical firm's recruiting process, red
ucing time-to-hire from 120 to 35 days.
* Developed outsourcing program for rightsizing initiative of major financial in
stitution.
* Performed role review of IT staff for financial services firm and created comp
ensation program for improved retention.
DCM INC., Brooklyn, New York * 2007 - 2008
Provider of management and fundraising services for non-profit organizations.
Director of Recruiting, Training, and Retention
Realized outstanding performance of human resource generalist functions in enter
prise operating without formal Human Resources Department, managing staff lifecy
cle processes from hire to exit. Developed policy and procedure manual, training
materials and programs, mentoring program for new hires, monthly employee newsl
etter, and other communications tools. Formulated recruiting strategies for inte
rnal and externally based staff. Ensured local, state, and federal compliance wi
th hiring guidelines. Negotiated management contracts and salaries. Reviewed ret
ention and compensation strategies on annual basis. Reported on results of human
resources-related training to management on regular basis.
* Reduced number of training sessions for new managers to 1 annually, lowering c
osts by 20% over prior year.
THE HUMAN CAPITAL GROUP, Yorktown Heights, New York * 2005 - 2007
Provider of recruitment services to wide-ranging enterprises.
Senior Director
Resolved human resource and business modeling issues for financial services, med
ia, and technology organizations. Teamed with clients to improve sourcing method
ologies, candidate identification, and recruiting, recommending technology solut
ions when appropriate. Provided staff development and performance management str
ategies, as well as compensation and reward management review.
* Provided rationale for IT salaries based on market data for major financial se
rvices firm, resulting in 5% improvement in retention rates.
* Delivered model for major insurance firm's human resources group, enabling bet
ter utilization of human resources staff across several business units.
* Participated in redefinition of IT operations roles for major manufacturing fi
rm, resulting in improved in-house staff retention.
META GROUP, Stamford, Connecticut * 1996 - 2005
Provider of enterprise research, analysis, and consulting services for Global 20
00 firms in Information Technology and Human Resources.
Service Director & Senior Program Director, Stamford, Connecticut (1998 - 2005)
Developed and realized multi-million dollar Human Capital Management research an
d consulting practice within 1 year in company previously based in technology. C
ontrolled P&L in IT HCM practice, directed HCM Analysts and staff, and acted as
company's press spokesperson. Advised external clients, including Bank of Americ
a, Banc One, and GE Capital, on workforce management strategies and tools. Revie
wed enterprise-focused software products and tools and provided reporting. Perfo
rmed research and writing in other practice areas, and acted as columnist for na
tional human resources and IT publications. Developed and directed Sourcing and
Staffing Conference, as well as HCM Workshop, and presented at company and indus
try conferences. Drafted HCM marketing materials, and teamed with Sales & Market
ing staff on product promotion. Secured and maintained research relationships wi
th leading HCM software vendors.
* Created assessment model to quickly determine key areas for alignment and proc
ess improvement for HCM service clients. Delivered regular monthly consulting ba
sed on assessments.
* Researched, drafted, and expedited delivery of No. 1 company research product,
IT Staffing & Compensation Guide, featuring more than 1,000 pages. Catapulted g
uide revenue to $10M over 6 years.
* Added ~$1M in consulting revenues to HCM service, through self-initiated effor
ts, providing expertise in organization development and change management
Senior Product Manager, META Group/SPEX, Paris, France (1996 - 1998)
Engaged as 1 of 3 professionals challenged with start-up of META Group U.S. and
SPEX France joint venture, providing product development of software analysis to
ol for North American and international marketplaces. Oversaw project lifecycle
through budgeting, research, overhaul of product's visual and graphic format, pl
anning, and content development. Performed selection of software for technology
and business applications. Evaluated and wrote product reviews for wide-ranging
enterprise software. Collaborated with Software Development Analysts in U.S. and
Europe. Trained marketing staff, developed marketing collateral, and supported
sales staff. Provided media contact, and introduced and authored SPEX newsletter
.
* Initiated joint venture, resulting in development as wholly-owned subsidiary i
n 3 years.
Career note: Additional positions include Product Manager, Language Group with I
nternational Thomson Publishing; Consultant with NYNEX Corporation; French-Engli
sh Translator with MAT Translation and Documentation Services; Executive Recruit
er with M. Theodore Associates & Select Staffing; and Product Manager with CBS P
ublishing & Prentice Hall; Bilingual French, conversant in Italian and German la
nguages.
EDUCATION
M.S., English as a Second Language, State University of New York at Albany, Alba
ny, New York, degree work completed
B.A., French Language and Literature, State University of New York at Binghamton
, Binghamton, New York
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
International Labor Relations Human Resources Program, Cornell University, Ithac
a, New York
Advanced Courses in Professional Business Text Translation, Universite de Paris,
Paris, France
Diploma, French Language and Civilization, Universite de la Sorbonne, Paris, Fra
nce