Suggestions
Paul W. Collins
Talent & Organization Development Executive | People & Culture | Employee Experience | Leadership | Inclusion & Diversity | Change & Engagement
Professional Background
Paul W. Collins is a seasoned executive specializing in Talent Management and Organization Development, with a strong focus on driving growth in workforce engagement, culture, and organizational priorities. With extensive experience in established businesses, entrepreneurial startups, and turnarounds, Paul brings a contemporary, strategic approach to leadership. His career spans working with Fortune 500 companies, enabling him to adeptly navigate complex multi-site organizations through mergers and acquisitions, transformations, and divestitures.
Paul’s rich background in workplace transformation highlights his exceptional ability to align diverse stakeholders around shared visions for cultural and employee experience enhancements. His strategic initiatives not only improve employer branding but also lead to remarkable productivity increases and enhanced employee attraction and retention rates.
Education and Achievements
Paul’s educational foundation is impressive, featuring an Executive Development program at the prestigious Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Queen's University, along with dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Humanities focused on Psychology and Sociology from Trent University. Additionally, he has earned a Human Resources Development Certificate from the University of Toronto, further solidifying his expertise in the field of Human Resources.
Throughout his illustrious career, Paul has accumulated numerous accolades. Notably, he championed an employee engagement score that placed in the 97th percentile of the global Gallup database, coupled with an astonishing 98% employee participation rate. His leadership has led to an internal talent fill rate of 80% during a significant split of a Fortune 500 company and the debut of a new Fortune 500 startup. This success stems from his quality-driven succession planning processes and actionable development plans that have consistently proven effective in dynamic corporate environments.
Paul has also played a pivotal role in forging change capability and crafting a resilient workforce across five mergers and acquisitions, ensuring that key talent remains engaged and retained. His efforts have transformed the organizational culture and values for over ten companies undergoing significant strategy resets, showcasing his deft ability to implement solutions that resonate with employees.
In his work, Paul has aligned more than 600 leaders towards new leadership behaviors, integrating accountability into their performance ratings, which emphasizes the importance of leadership as a business priority. His methods have successfully increased leadership effectiveness across seven corporations through targeted skill-building, coaching, and assessments focused on results and talent retention.
In terms of diversity and inclusion, Paul has made considerable strides, notably achieving a 25% growth in women occupying roles at the AVP+ level over three years, and attaining a key goal of gender parity in senior leadership among the companies he has influenced.
Achievements
Collins has also spearheaded employee experience strategies integral to both the M&A processes within Fortune 500 companies and the startup phases. His approach focuses on fostering collaboration while ensuring that the business's core objectives are prioritized.
Paul is recognized for embodying a multifaceted leadership style that promotes integrated leadership at various organizational levels, including personal leadership behaviors, team leadership, and organizational practices. His commitment to demonstrating leadership within the community and shaping a positive culture is evident through his various leadership interactions.
Colleagues, peers, and mentees consistently commend Paul for his unique leadership qualities. He is seen as a leader who fosters an environment of communication, empowerment, empathy, and transparency. He is intuitive, accessible, adaptive, and respectful—qualities that have contributed to his reputation as an influential leader in the human resources and organizational development space.
Previous Roles and Contributions
Paul's organizational experience is equally remarkable, having served in vital roles across a range of institutions. His tenure included significant positions such as Vice President of Human Resources for Talent Management & Organization Development at IGM Financial and Assistant Vice President of Human Resources at Mackenzie Investments. His expertise as Human Resources Director for Talent & Organization Effectiveness at both Mondelēz International and The Kraft Heinz Company showcases his prowess in the industry.
Furthermore, he has held managerial roles in global learning and leadership strategies at Manulife Financial, as well as corporate learning and development at Zurich North America, enhancing strategic leadership functionalities across these organizations. Paul has also contributed to academia as a professor at Loyalist College, underlining his commitment to developing the next generation of leaders in human resources.
Overall, Paul W. Collins exemplifies the characteristics of a modern organizational leader with a proven talent for driving cultural transformations, enhancing employee engagement, and building resilient organizations. His contributions in various high-stakes environments illustrate his capabilities and commitment to ethical leadership, inclusivity, and effective organizational management.
