Michelle Gustilo-Smithson

Human Resources

·         Transformed HR partnerships with key agency stakeholders across departments such as media, programmatic, analytics and operations areas; with a focus on aligning human resource strategies with company goals, driving change management, and creating a consistent and positive employee culture. 

·         Collaborated with department leads across 5 offices on employee retention, talent-related initiatives, and employee relations matters.  

·         Led and motivated human resource staff to drive people strategy that attracted, developed, motivated and retained the industry’s most talented people. 

·         Utilized data from several sources including Power BI, Greenhouse and SAP to understand the pulse of the agency and created action plans to continue to improve workforce environment and talent analytics.

·         Addressed inconsistencies in agency workflows in collaboration with the HR operations team and implemented a streamlined approach to maximize effectiveness. 

·         Updated people-related policies and procedures and took leaders and employees through necessary changes.

·         Created, executed and tracked progression of employees and leaders’ succession plans and provided insights to leadership.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

·         Responsible for building the agencywide diversity and inclusion strategy, including design, development, and implementation across five offices (Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis New York and Winston, encompassing 900+ employees)

·         Operationalized and led industry recognized DEI programming and activations including Once In A Lifetime, Diversity Digest and A Day of Service

·         Leveraged quantitative and qualitative data and trends to plan, drive, and measure D+I programs, including leading companywide focus and feedback groups.

·         Board member of DEI Executive Councils of IPG, IPG Mediabrands Agency Group, and Mediahub Worldwide

·         Led efforts for increased representation of historically underrepresented communities from 29% (2020) to 39% (2024)

·         Streamlined efforts with the talent acquisition team and agency leadership in creating hiring strategies to attract employees from diverse backgrounds (including partnerships with underrepresented communities, affinity groups, networks, non-profits, colleges and universities).   

·         Partnered with agency leadership to strategize retention efforts of employees who come from historically marginalized backgrounds and maintained attrition rate of less than 10% for the BIPOC and LBTQ+ communities.

·         Advised, advocated for, and partnered closely with 6 ERGs (employee resource groups) and our DEI taskforce IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity Alliance) in creating meaningful activations and opportunities for professional and personal development of members and functioned as the primary liaison between executive leadership and ERGs.

·         Identified learning and development opportunities in the DEI realm and executed trainings for appropriate populations.

●        Oversaw employee relations, performance, compensation, onboarding, offboarding, benefits, leave administration and compliance efforts across over 20 business units in the Los Angeles office.

●        Successfully designed and implemented “People Experience Programs” across five U.S. offices (Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis New York and Winston), which included 600+ employees.

●        Partnered with agency leaders to address change management needs, maximized agency/employee performance and drove a culture of belonging and inclusion.

●        Worked closely with the recruitment team to maximize talent acquisition strategies including involvement in multicultural recruitment efforts and campus recruiting.

●        Actively led two companywide DEI task forces, Action (advocacy and culture) and Support (education and resources), with monthly activations that amplified voices and supported allyship to underrepresented communities. Founded the AAPI Team ERG, a space that offered community, support, and awareness of AAPI related opportunities for its 60+ members.

●        Successfully established the company’s first HR department and continually led through company growth (~450%).

●        Partnered closely with senior management and employees to ensure the maintenance of a balanced and productive work environment and culture.

●        Advised management and business unit leaders regarding HR best practices, coaching and counseling of employees, and the performance management process.

●        Supervised, guided and mentored a team of human resource professionals.

●        Managed all company employee relations issues and worked towards full resolutions.

●        Overhauled and proactively maintained company’s talent pipeline and recruitment process including identifying diverse and qualified candidates, interviewing, pre-employment, and the onboarding process

●        Orchestrated company’s benefits program including benefit negotiations with carriers and brokers.

●        Conducted mandated compliance reporting for the DOL, EEO, and IRS.

●        Proactively identified needs for employee development and training; developed and delivered companywide trainings.

●        Represented company in complaints and employment related legal matters, designed timekeeping system for non-exempt employees and oversaw company occupational health and safety program.

●        Founded company’s first Activities Committee which created events and activities that fostered unity and team building.