Your friend in HR...

Whether your company is a start-up; in a growth phase; or simply encountering challenging circumstances that require a "just in time" engagement of a seasoned HR and operations professional to support your teams, I can help. I spent the last thirty years, positioning Human Capital Management, Organizational Development, and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion as key drivers of profitability, risk management, and growth. My clients include Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global firms ranging from Electricite’ de France to EMC Corporation (now Dell).

I started this work at Clark University, in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I led their Global Transitions, Institute serving governments and international firms in the areas of organizational change and leadership. As Director of Graduate Programs in their College of Professional and Continuing Education, I supported the creation of several professionally focused master's degree programs and developed many of the courses in OD, DEI, HR Management and Adult Learning.

After leaving Clark University I joined UMASS Medical School as Executive Director of HR and Global programs for its Commonwealth Medicine business subsidiary. Most recently I spent 12 years as Director of International Business and Senior Advisor to the CEO and COO for a management consulting firm in Boston.

I hold a master's degree from Emerson College, a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and have conducted extensive post-graduate work in cross cultural training and development at The University of Connecticut. I am a long-standing supporter of the Northeast Human Resources Association, where I have conducted training and offered presentations on the themes of Global HR and The Operationalization of DEI at their conferences.

I was honored to receive the White Dennison Award in Communication from Syracuse University, The

Partner In Education Innovation Award issued by Łódzkie Centrum Doskonalenia Nauczycieli i Kształcenia Praktycznego and the Silver Owl Award from The University of Social Sciences, Warsaw for my "commitment to promoting transnational studies."

Integrating Human Capital Management and DEI into your corporate strategy and management approaches

Diverse Leadership Experience Informs My Approach

Because of my diverse experience across sectors and industries, I can provide multi-dimensional approaches to meeting the needs of your company. In my career, I have been brought in by clients to solve what they thought was an HR issue, only to discover that root causes were grounded in finance functions, manager behavior, sales behaviors and other functions external to core HR. In many cases I have improved processes, behaviors, and technology solutions that connected administrative and business units to HR which resulted in significantly improved recruitment and retention outcomes. When addressing HR challenges, we need to look at the entire ecosystem of your firm to fully understand how to optimize human capital management.

My Approach

What I value the most as an executive consultant, is the importance of humility and honesty when engaging employees at every level of an organization. After almost 40 years of advising companies on human capital issues, I have learned that all input is valuable; you know your business better than any outsider, and hubris is a deadly disease for any leader.

Friends of mine in the HR profession refer to me as a "unicorn". My background is unusual for HR professionals, since I have augmented my human capital management expertise with decades of work in operations, sales, M&A, and global business leadership. This has served me and my clients well and allowed me to draw from very diverse experiences and knowledge to bring alternative perspectives to executive decisionmakers. I provide discrete advice, planning, and organizational development strategies for companies that are facing the challenges of changing markets, a shifting workforce, and the need for agility in a rapidly evolving economy. I do not take the place of your HR professionals. I partner with them to succeed. Whether you are re-engineering how your HR function should serve your business or just want a third-party assessment of an already strong HR team, I can provide the partnership of a small consultancy with the depth of experience and knowledge typically found in the larger consulting firms.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is Embedded in Every Aspect of Your Company's Health

I am a strong believer in the power of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and have worked in the discipline since 1993. I understand the dynamic tension between the moral imperative for social justice and the reluctance of organizations to change what they always have done to successfully build their business. It's not simply a matter of resistance to change, but rather the difficulty of navigating the complex operational, cultural, and financial commitment that is required for a company to redistribute control from the group in power to those underrepresented in the ranks of managers and executives. As someone who has seen both the best and the worst of DEI in companies for almost four decades, I can help your Diversity Officer, CHRO and support committees to go beyond the performative aspects of DEI (awareness events, YouTube links, and Informant presentations) to operationalizing DEI in impactful and measurable ways. If you cannot measure an initiative and determine its ROI, it is doomed to failure. It is my objective to align your DEI Initiative with the goal of supporting the growth and health of your company.

Testimonials

"He leads as a seasoned senior advisor at the C-Suite and Board level while maintaining a strong ability to relate effectively with employees at all levels"

"Rich Maguire is an excellent HR Executive. Strategic in overall approach he is an effective, experienced leader who engages with a well-honed leadership and management toolkit. He leads as a seasoned senior advisor at the C-Suite and Board level while maintaining a strong ability to relate effectively with employees at all levels. He has a deep understanding of the complexities that arise when servicing a large workforce that is geographically dispersed and handles the unique daily challenges that a human resource professional faces with ease. He is a change agent who makes a positive difference bringing high integrity to all aspects of the work.

At UMass Chan Medical School, where I knew Rich, he impressively led his team in the analysis of the organization’s benefit structure which led to a redesign that increased the range of benefits while reducing overall expense. He redesigned a recruitment process that had a remarkable impact on our hiring. We were able to decrease recruitment time while improving our ability to reach and select prime, highly talented employees.

Rich is a highly respected and valued member of the leadership. He is a strong coach and mentor and is committed to delivering the best outcomes for the organization, its shareholders, and its employees. He has a passion for excellence underpinned with great business acumen and insight. He is an asset to any organization fortunate enough to engage him.

-Louise Eichman PMO Executive and EVP

"Rich is an excellent strategist who anticipates potential outcomes by applying “If This, Then That” in a most disciplined manner."

"Rich is an excellent strategist who anticipates potential outcomes by applying “If This, Then That” in a most disciplined manner.

Rich has a unique ability to synthesize facts in a way that helps lead to logical and defensible recommendations. He believes deeply that effective and disciplined operations are only possible if based on a well-communicated strategy.

He understands the “How To” when it comes to aligning People, Process, and Technology issues that occur in the everyday trenches with the strategies developed in the executive suite. As such, he is a valuable member of the executive suite and a useful ally to the managers carrying out their assignments."

Paul Buckley, Principal

Prodeo Orbis Ignis

"Rich professionalized the HR function in my organization."

"Rich professionalized the HR function in my organization. His ability to work across functions with physicians, community care leaders, researchers, and staff at all levels made him a trusted resource."

Ron Steingard, MD

Former CMO of Commonwealth Medicine

"We worked together seamlessly, and he was a huge support for all of our endeavors, both client facing and internally. His expertise with Human Resources, employee management and technology were the key to our success."

"It has been a pleasure to work with Rich Maguire over the last several years. We worked as a unified team on the restructuring of a large operations firm and worked collaboratively to build HR and IT requirements We worked together seamlessly, and he was a huge support for all of our endeavors, both client facing and internally. His expertise with Human Resources, employee management and technology were the key to our success. I cannot thank him enough for his oversight, and friendship as a colleague."

-Kevin Carlson, Chief Technology Officer