Karena Denlinger

Director of Employee Experience

Professional Overview
Karena Denlinger is an experienced human resources and people operations professional with a demonstrated track record of driving exceptional employee experiences. As the Director of Employee Experience at both The Black Tux and Marke, she is responsible for spearheading innovative talent strategies, cultivating positive workplace cultures, and empowering teams to achieve their full potential.

Experience Summary

Current Roles
Director of Employee Experience, The Black Tux (2022-09-01 to Present)

• Leads the development and implementation of comprehensive employee experience programs, encompassing talent management, learning and development, and diversity and inclusion initiatives

• Partners closely with executive leadership to align people strategies with the organization's strategic goals and values

• Drives continuous improvement in employee engagement, retention, and productivity through data-driven insights and best practices

Director of Employee Experience, Marke (2022-09-01 to Present)

• Collaborates with the executive team to enhance the company's employer brand and attract top talent in the competitive tech industry

• Oversees the design and delivery of tailored training and development programs to upskill employees and support their career growth

• Implements robust performance management systems to foster a culture of continuous feedback and improvement

Career Progression
Prior to her current roles, Karena held various people-focused positions, including Director, People at XSELL Technologies, Manager, People Experience at XSELL Technologies, Human Resources Manager at Experian, and several roles at Centro, where she progressively took on more responsibility in the areas of education, development, and business partnership.

Throughout her career, Karena has demonstrated a strong aptitude for driving organizational transformation, fostering positive workplace cultures, and enabling teams to achieve their full potential. Her expertise spans talent management, employee engagement, learning and development, and strategic HR initiatives.

Academic Background
Karena holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she graduated with distinction.

Areas of Expertise

• Employee experience design and implementation

• Talent acquisition and retention strategies

• Learning and development program management

• Performance management and coaching

• HR analytics and data-driven decision-making

• Organizational change management

• Diversity, equity, and inclusion program development

Professional Impact

• Spearheaded the redesign of the employee onboarding process at XSELL Technologies, resulting in a 25% increase in new hire satisfaction and a 15% reduction in time-to-productivity

• Implemented a leadership development program at Experian that led to a 20% increase in internal promotions and a 30% improvement in manager effectiveness ratings

• Developed and deployed a comprehensive well-being initiative at Centro that contributed to a 15% increase in employee engagement scores and a 10% reduction in absenteeism

Conclusion
Karena Denlinger is a highly strategic and results-driven human resources leader, committed to creating exceptional employee experiences that drive organizational success. With her extensive expertise in talent management, learning and development, and people-centric initiatives, Karena is poised to make a significant impact in her current roles and continue to shape the future of work.