Tori Whaley, aPHR

Advocate Health

Managed leave of absence department general inquires, answering and researching claims while providing an exceptional employee experience in an organization of 20,000+.

Built and launched a process framework for a longstanding policy, working cross-functionally with management and a third-party vendor to deliver smooth employee payment operations.

Trained team members to navigate and master a complex, multi-step leave of absence process by breaking down difficult concepts into clear, actionable steps.

Audited closed claims, ensuring compliant and complete closure, supporting successful employee transitions back to work.

Established comprehensive SOPs for essential departmental processes, addressing foundational gaps and providing clear guidance for new employees.

Reviewed and updated website content, removing outdated language and aligning updates with standards across business groups.

Developed and launched process improvement teams to address outdated, complex policies, creating actionable tasks from findings to drive measurable change.

Human Resources Coordinator, Leave of Absence

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits

Delivered compassionate, concierge-level leave guidance to 20,000+ union and non-union employees across 21 states, building trust, reducing confusion, and ensuring a positive experience.

Resolved complex LOA cases with empathy and precision, increasing employee satisfaction and strengthening confidence in HR processes.

Partnered with 50+ executives, HRBPs, and stakeholders in 2023 to navigate challenging leave scenarios while advocating for employees through reasonable accommodations and return-to-work options.

Created user-friendly templates, policies, procedures, and process maps that streamlined HR operations, improved accessibility, and reinforced understanding of technical data.

Collaborated with Legal, Payroll, and Absence Management leadership to ensure compliant, fair, and employee-centered outcomes.

Processed weekly payroll for employees on LOA with 100% accuracy, streamlining workflows to guarantee timely and compliant payments.

Reviewed 2,000+ OSHA files for accuracy and legal adherence, ensuring compliance and mitigating organizational risk.

Facilitated interactive processes with empathy, assessing unique employee needs to deliver equitable outcomes and making separation decisions when necessary.

Liaised with third-party vendors through weekly meetings to address unclear claims, ensure proper handling, and strengthen accountability.

Wrote SOPs, letter templates, and a brochure to aid in understanding technical concepts. Created associated process maps in Visio for SOPs.

North Texas Community Foundation

Included Front Desk Administrator duties plus:

Strengthened internal IT support by learning troubleshooting skills, reducing outside vendor reliance, bringing a chronically over budget line item back within budget.

Partnered with stakeholders to overhaul 30+ outdated policies and procedures, streamlining operations and improving clarity for employees navigating internal processes.

Led cross-functional team to optimize a multi-departmental procedure, reducing procedure completion time.

Developed and cultivated a StrengthsFinder culture by designing team-building activities, creating peer-recognition programs, and facilitating workshops that increased collaboration, employee engagement, and performance alignment with individual strengths.

Trained staff and executives on collaboration best practices for a more inclusive culture.

Selected and implemented video-conferencing hardware for two conference rooms; coordinated install and trained staff.

Handpicked video conferencing equipment, one for primary and another for secondary conference room, overseeing timely installation and training staff.  

Reviewed weekly check deposit reconciliation with Finance to ensure accuracy and transparency.

Championed the recognition of Juneteenth as a company holiday, aligning organizational policies with cultural values and reinforcing employee belonging.

Operations Associate / Employee Experience Specialist

Allied with senior leadership to evaluate employee satisfaction via employee survey I created, shaping strategies that strengthened the workplace culture.

Served as the first point of contact for calls, emails, and visitors, delivering professional, attentive support, ensuring positive experiences.

Designed and led a comprehensive employee experience program spanning development, recognition, events, and retreats that reduced turnover by more than 60%.

Welcomed and onboarded new hires, streamlining system setup and acting as a trusted resource.

Orchestrated company events end-to-end successfully, including planning, logistics, vendor coordination, and on-site management, renforcing comapny dedication to staff.

Streamlined administrative operations by improving organization systems, optimizing database management, supporting projects which improved team productivity, all enhancing the employee experience.

Guided employees through complex LOA cases with compassion and precision, improving satisfaction and trust in HR processes.

Ensured accuracy of a 20,000+ contact CRM, enhancing reporting reliability and supporting data-driven decision making.

Enhanced workplace efficiency and culture by maintaining supply chains, managing kitchen and reception needs, and ensuring clean, welcoming common areas.

Served as primary liaison for vendors and building partners, fostering strong relationships, addressing concerns proactively, and ensuring timely resolution of all issues.

Created a sense of camaraderie and inclusion during the challenges of COVID through online events and activity groups.

Front Desk Administrator / Employee Experience Specialist

As a single mom I wanted to be present for my son. I traded marketing plans for a brush and bowl, becoming a hair colorist, spending most of my years at Neiman Marcus. A meticulous, creative problem solver, I actively listened to clients and provided white glove customer service. 

Trained regularly locally and attending conferences across the USA including New York City.	

Developed personal brand through customized processes and design as well as targeted customer experiences.

Utilized social media including Instagram and Facebook to drive business through examples of work.

Entrepreneur - Hair Color Specialist, Corporate Break

The HR team player you wish you had. People Champion | Leave & Accommodation Ninja | Employee Experience Passionista | Dazzling Communicator | Strategic Business Writer | Policy & Procedure Developer

I spent 15 years as an elite hair colorist in top Dallas salons, including Neiman Marcus, where I learned how to listen, earn trust, and deliver unforgettable experiences.

Today I bring that same mindset to my next company. I know that when employees feel supported, they create better customer experiences, and when customers feel valued, the business thrives.

I’m at my best tackling tough projects, solving problems others avoid, and building programs that make a real impact.

If you want someone who understands how employee and customer experience work together to drive success, let’s connect.

Benefits & Absence Management Partner

• Advocate for employees during the FMLA & ADA process
• Oversee FMLA & ADA process in over 20 states, including New York, Washington, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
• Collaborate with regional and local teams to ensure employees are safe and under state and local laws
• Work with unions to ensure employment agreements are being applied
• Manage a spreadsheet detailing all active, future, worker's compensation, and modified work. 
• Calculate wages for employees on leave, submitting to payroll weekly
• Initiate and administer the employee separation process

Sheena L.

SLN Coaching and Consulting

My mission is to help others recognize and achieve their highest potential. My coaching and consulting services combine nearly 20 years of coaching in the health and wellness space, with 10 years of learning and leadership development program creation. I provide a no-nonsense, practical approach while also helping you uncover unconscious or limiting beliefs that may be holding you back. 

If you are working toward a personal or professional goal but you're not seeing the progress you desire, or if you are feeling stuck and you aren't sure what to do next, coaching may be the perfect way to help you move forward.

Founder and CEO

hr-4uinc.

*Partner onboarding and engagement
*Community growth and connectivity

Board Vice President

Olsson

As a Talent Development Sr. Specialist, I am working on building and scaling an onboarding program for a growing engineering and design firm. I collaborate with stakeholders and new employees to bring forward creative as well as tried-and-true onboarding best practices. I ensure onboarding objectives align with business objectives so employees are successful in their roles, leading to greater firm success and results.

Talent Development Senior Specialist

Brazen & Bold Collective

The Brazen & Bold Collective is a community of humans who are determined to achieve their personal and professional goals and dreams at any stage of their lives.  

💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛💛

Our mission is to help people take action to achieve their goals and dreams at any stage of their life.  We do this by:

💥Creating a COMMUNITY of goal-oriented people who share ideas and support each other
💥Creating CONTENT delivered via webinars that empower people by providing information, tools, stories, and experiences
💥Offering group and individual COACHING to help you develop and execute your personalized action plan

https://www.brazenboldcollective.com/

Co-Founder

Life Time Inc.

In my promotion to Sr. Manager, I facilitated team member onboarding and development for more than 150 locations in the United States and Canada. Team member learning and development was enhanced by fostering education vendor partnerships with cutting edge industry leaders. Client engagement was maximized through consistent development of team member knowledge and skills. I devised trainings, certifications, and workshops as well as provided mentorship, coaching, and collaboration with subject matter experts to drive team member career growth.
Examples of my contributions include:
• I launched a pilot and new organizational structure with the development of Change Management Communication Plan.
• The opening of 15 new locations was supported with training and education for managers.
• I achieved a reduction in new employee turnover by 8% year-over-year with the deployment of enhanced learning programs.
• I successfully onboarded and oversaw performance of 100-150 team members monthly.

Sr. National Onboarding & Development Manager

As National Education Manager, I created and implemented curriculum, certification guides, and resources. I drove the communication strategy for product enhancements. Virtual certification courses and trainings were delivered for 100-150+ new employees monthly. In addition, I improved the leadership culture through mentorship and leadership workshops.
Some of my accomplishments were:
• I led the hiring of 1000+ team members resulting in $23M in sales and $45M in annualized productivity.
• I pioneered the Career Acceleration Program for emerging leaders and mentors through self-paced workshops leading to an increase in employee satisfaction and productivity by 20%.
• Talent Acquisition efforts were supported by facilitating final interviews for 120 clubs resulting in 300+ new employees.
• The transition from a live classroom environment to virtual setting for new hires was orchestrated.

National Onboarding & Education Manager

In this position, I offered live certification courses to onboard new personal trainers each month for 12 clubs across region. I led the coaching of leaders and emerging leaders through our Leadership Awareness Course and Career Acceleration Program. Club visits were organized to provide coaching and mentorship to new personal trainers and leaders. I also managed my personal book of business and regularly exceeded performance goals.
Some noteworthy achievements included:
• I boosted year-over-year growth in headcount, productivity, and team member Net Promotor Score (NPS) with the implementation of a proprietary mentorship program and recovery programs to improve team culture.
• The mentorship program and leadership support workshops were employed resulting in improvement in new employee performance by 22%.

Regional Education Specialist

As an Assistant Personal Training Manager, I designed and delivered personal training programs for executive level clientele. I managed a sub-team to exceed our monthly budget. Weekly team meetings were organized for team building and to achieve company initiatives.
A few of my contributions were as follows:
• Top client retention was realized by providing individualized training programs for clients.
• I consistently achieved top 10% in personal sales performance.
• I was recognized for top sub-team performance for multiple months by utilizing coaching and enhancing customer service and sales skills.

Assistant Personal Training Manager, Personal Trainer

24 Hour Fitness

Personal Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor

Heartland Health

Personal training, administer wellness screenings

Wellness Specialist

Life Time Fitness

Personal Trainer

Weight-A-Minute

Fitness Consultant

An accomplished Senior Onboarding & Development Manager, I have over 15 years of experience delivering innovative onboarding and training programs to enhance staff knowledge, success, and retention. 

I have proven success in achieving maximum growth in revenue as well as high levels of staff retention year-over-year. A knowledgeable leader, I have the keen ability to empower development and growth of top performing teams. I am a results-oriented professional that can optimize organizational structure to facilitate achievement of mission and strategic goals for businesses.

Areas of my expertise include:
·      Organizational Design
·      Talent Management
·      Training & Development
·      Strategic Planning
·      Live & Virtual Employee Engagement
·      Cultural Transformation
·      Learning & Growth Development
·      Leadership Accountability & Enablement
·      Talent Acquisition
·      Onboarding
·      People Strategy
·      Team Leadership


Credentials:

🗞️International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach
🗞️Holistic Life, Career, and Executive Coach
🗞️Association for Talent Development New Employee Onboarding 
🗞️Precision Nutrition Sleep, Stress Management, and Recovery Coach
🗞️Yoga & Meditation Teacher
🗞️Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach

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Tori Whaley, aPHR

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