Julie Kruger

About Julie Kruger

CAREER SNAPSHOT• 21+ year career across multiple HR disciplines leading teams of 20+ HR professionals.• Executive Focus Areas: Strategic Planning and Execution, Leadership Development, Executive Compensation, Risk Management, Succession Planning, Budget Management• Functional Areas Managed: Talent Acquisition, Field HR, Benefits, Compensation, HRIS, Employee Relations, Talent Management, Payroll, Project Management• Industries Served: Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Distribution, Marine TransportationSELECT ACHIEVEMENTS• Operational Efficiency: Led enterprise-wide restructuring, reducing G&A by $10M annually.• Benefit Strategy: Developed 3-year wellness program reversing medical claim trends and saving $3M annually.• AI-Driven Automation: Deployed AI tools to accelerate recruiting and onboarding, cutting time-to-hire and generating $1M in annual operating income.• Talent Management: Launched Apprentice Program, reducing turnover by 25% and saving $1M annually.• Technology Integration: Standardized HR platforms post-acquisition delivering $1M in cost savings.EXECUTIVE STRENGTHS• Modernization Strategist – Leverages HR technology, analytics, and AI to transform processes and elevate HR service delivery, driving efficiency and enabling organizational evolution.• Executive Communicator – Influences enterprise decisions by providing strategic insights on executive compensation, succession planning, benefits optimization, governance, and other HR-related initiatives.• Strategic Integrator – Aligns people strategy with business objectives via collaboration and solution design. Successfully integrated HR operations during multiple M&A activities across diverse industries, driving organizational success.LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT• Pragmatic Perspective: Excels at leveraging resources and processes to drive efficiencies and identify solutions. Manages through ambiguity with a realistic view of possibilities and will present well-researched data to support innovation.• Leader of Change: Agile learner that appreciates what information others need to align and deliver on change. • Attention to Detail: Diligent and data-driven, brings a thorough approach and process-orientation to deliver tangible results.• Adaptable and Approachable: Kind and easygoing by nature, empathetic to individual work styles. Focus on longer-term objectives. Encourages others to bring forward new ideas that will improve efficiency.• Collaborative and Transparent Communicator: Values clarity and prioritizes 1:1 relationships and builds connections across the organization.

Experience

1. Vice President Human Resources

   Kirby

   Feb 2023 — Present · Houston, TX, US

   Direct and lead a team of 20+ HR professionals across Field HR, Talent Acquisition, Benefits, Compensation, HRIS, and Employee Relations. Serve as an advisor to the Board of Directors, delivering insights on executive compensation and talent management initiatives to influence enterprise-level decisions. • AI-Driven Automation: Implemented AI solutions to enable HR business partners and hiring managers to direct efforts toward strategic initiatives. Delivered $1M in annual operating income through efficiency gains.• Technology Integration: Consolidated and optimized HR platforms across multiple business units post-acquisition, streamlining workflows, renegotiating vendor contracts, and delivering $1M in cost savings.• Cost Management: Implemented targeted cost-saving initiatives that reduced medical claim trends by 50% annually for three consecutive years.• Strategic Workforce Planning: Developed and launched targeted talent pipeline strategies across all business units, including an apprentice program to mitigate succession risks with 20% of technical staff nearing retirement. Achieved a 25% reduction in turnover and delivered $1M in annual savings.• Leadership & Talent Development: Designed and implemented front-line leader training to build critical leadership competencies, improve engagement, and reduce turnover.• Employee Engagement: Led enterprise engagement initiatives using surveys and focus groups to drive measurable improvements in satisfaction, fostering a culture of continuous feedback and improvement.

Education

• Texas A&M University

  Bachelor of Science - BS

  2003