PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Dr. Susan “Sue” Pella, a licensed attorney and labor lawyer, is the Deputy General Counsel for RKA’s global executive office, advising the firm’s Chairman, CEO, CHRO, and Executive Committee, on strategy, operational, as well as in labor relations and related matters.

She is also in practice client service and serves as a Senior Human Resources Executive Advisor in the Global Human Capital, Labor and Workforce Investigations practice, advising law firms, as well as in-house and external company counsel on labor issues, sexual and other types of harassment allegations and litigation, alleged and actual firings, discrimination resolution, arbitration and litigation support, for through domestic and international legal counsel, and direector for heads of legal, chief legal counsel and general counsels, heads of compliance and investigations, and Boards and Audit Committees.

Sue also delivers related training, and has done so globally.

Susan has extensive experience helping organizations solve complex workforce challenges, reduce risk, improve organizational performance, and strengthen workplace culture. Throughout her career, she has partnered with executive leadership at all levels, to develop practical, legally sound solutions that balance business objectives with employee engagement.

Her expertise spans Human Resources, Labor Relations, Employee Relations, Labor & Employment, organizational effectiveness, compliance, change management, and HR technology and investigations.

Sue has led HR functions throughout most of the United States, and supported global operations in approximately 20 countries.

Industry Experience

Sue has served organizations ranging from entrepreneurial startups, to Fortune 500 companies, with workforces from approximately 275 employees to more than 20,000 and global. She has led teams of up to 50 professionals as direct reports, and has significant experience across a wide variety of industries, including:

• Professional Services
• Private Equity
• Healthcare
• Financial Services and Banking
• Retail
• Automotive
• Hospitality
• Startups and High-Growth Organizations

Prior to joining RKA Worldwide Group, Sue held roles with organizations including Johnson & Johnson, Berkeley Research Group, M&T Bank, Delaware North Companies, and Bridgestone/Firestone.

Areas of Expertise

Sue advises organizations in:

• HR investigations and Human Resources Strategy

• Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining

• Employee Relations

• Labor & Employment Compliance

• Workplace Investigations

• Organizational Culture and Employee Engagement

• Change Management

• Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Integration

• Executive and Management Coaching

• HR Compliance and Risk Management

• Benefits Strategy

• HRIS Selection and Implementation

• Leadership Development

• Policy Development and Employee Handbooks

• Manager Training

• Performance Management

• Talent Strategy

Representative Results

Sue has consistently delivered measurable business results while strengthening employee relations, and minimizing organizational risk. Highlights include:

• Negotiated a labor agreement that saved the organization more than $16 million while preserving employee benefits and services.

• Generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional revenue through implementation of tax credit programs.

• Reduced unemployment compensation liability by more than $1 million through improved management practices and a success rate exceeding 95% in contested claims.

• Reduced benefit plan expenses by approximately $1 millionthrough strategic program management.

• Designed Human Resources and Employee Relations intranets, management tools, and training programs that improved consistency, compliance, and managerial effectiveness.

• Implemented a comprehensive wellness initiative that achieved a 4:1 return on investment, increased employee participation to 45%, and improved employee retention.

• Successfully resolved 14 inherited employment lawsuitswith minimal financial exposure and has not had a new employment lawsuit arise during her tenure at any organization she has served.

• Maintained zero voluntary turnover among her own teams throughout her leadership career.

• Reduced labor grievances by 90% in one year, decreasing annual grievances from approximately 100 to 10.

• Developed, in partnership with Information Technology, an automated solution that eliminated a 10-year Civil Service backlog in only 11 months.

• Reduced training costs by $50,000 while improving management effectiveness and reducing customer dissatisfaction by 10%.

• Managed a newly established profit-and-loss business unit to profitability during my first year of operation.

• Authored numerous Employee Handbooks and Human Resources policies for both U.S. and international operations.

Leadership Approach

Sue is recognized for building strong domestic and global Human Resources functions, that serve as strategic business partners. She believes effective organizations are built through well-trained leaders, clear processes, legal compliance, and cultures that support accountability, engagement, and high performance.

Her collaborative approach enables executives to proactively manage workforce challenges while reducing legal exposure and improving operational effectiveness. She is particularly skilled at helping organizations navigate periods of rapid growth, organizational transformation, mergers and acquisitions, labor negotiations, and cultural change.

Technology

Sue has extensive experience evaluating, negotiating, implementing, and optimizing Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). Her experience has included:

• UltiPro

• PeopleSoft

• Paylocity

• ADP

• SharePoint

• MyHub

She has led system selection, contract negotiations, implementation projects, process redesign, and user adoption initiatives to improve efficiency and organizational performance.

Why Hire Sue?

Organizations engage Sue Pella when they need an experienced executive advisor to resolve complex workforce issues, negotiate labor agreements, improve employee relations, reduce legal risk, strengthen organizational culture, or build high-performing Human Resources functions. Combining executive HR leadership with legal training, Sue helps organizations achieve measurable business results while developing practical, sustainable people strategies.