Versatile HR Leader with entrepreneurial passion, diverse industry experience, and a strong track record of success in HR. Adept at working in a demanding, fast-paced environment with key strengths in building relationships and delivering results. Direct experience in managing complex acquisitions & divestitures, start-up organizations, consulting services, and fast growth operations.

Jason Walker is an HR industry veteran, talent advisor and global speaker helping businesses transform their people practices and policies in the rapidly changing world at work.
Jason has been honored with several industry awards, including being named one of HRO Today's HR Superstars in the Thought Leadership category in 2023. Additionally, he was a finalist in the 2022 Human Resource Today MVP Awards and the 2021 HRO Today Association Awards. His commitment to inclusivity has also been recognized, as evidenced by his inclusion in The Most Inclusive HR Influencer List™ #HRforAll in 2021. In 2023 Thrive HR Consulting also received prestigious recognition from BestStartup.us as one of the best US-Based Consulting Startups. In  2024, Thrive HR was named a top Talent Acquisition Startup by US Venture News. Mostly recently, Jason was named a LinkedIn Top Voice in Global Talent Acquisition and a Top Employee Relations Voice.

Heather has a professional background in human resources, recruiting, hospitality, and training and development. Her passion for helping others is evident throughout her career as she has managed a variety of opportunities with employees, clients, and candidates. Heather's success is driven by putting the needs of others first, and she is known for her ability to build solid relationships with key stakeholders across the organization.

Elizbeth Hanson has over 15 years background in Sales and Operations having worked for companies such as Dell, Epson, Adobe and Connections. Elizabeth grew up in Southern California and now lives in Austin, Texas. She is responsible for Payroll, Billing and Sales Operations for Thrive HR Consulting.

Alan is a seasoned expert specializing in shared services, global payroll, mobility, and expatriate management activities.

His industry experience includes leadership positions at BMC Software, Mentor Graphics, Pride International, BearingPoint, Mobil Oil, and Thomson Learning where he directed a variety of shared services organizations, dealt with important legal and tax compliance issues, and drove change initiatives involving organizational and process effectiveness. 

As Senior Director, Global Payroll & Mobility Services for 12 years at BMC Software, Inc., in Houston, Texas, he negotiated innovative and balanced Service Level Agreements based on achieving certain key performance measures and implemented and directed global payroll activities for 6,500 employees in 30+ countries.  He also negotiated vendor service contracts and directed immigration, relocation and tax services for expatriate and cross-border employees.

As a consultant, he was a senior HR and payroll business advisor and thought leader at The Hackett Group where he was responsible for benchmarking and providing insight into best practices for large global companies.  At Deloitte & Touche, Alan was the original visionary behind the initial functional design and development of the firm’s proprietary commercial expatriate management software.  Alan was also a Senior Manager with Ernst & Young in their Human Capital Global Mobility practice where he handled tax compliance, outsourcing and international human resource consulting for clients with large expatriate populations.

Business Accomplishments

• Conducted global sourcing evaluations and interacted extensively with C-level executives at large technology and oil services companies.
• Established an organizational vision and directed the activities of a seventy-five person shared services organization involved in financial, cost and royalty accounting and reporting; payroll; payables; tax reporting; re-engineering; and major information systems initiatives (including the implementation of PeopleSoft HRMS). 
• Conducted HR, payroll and expatriate due diligence on a $1 billion international acquisition in the oil drilling industry.  Worked directly with the VP of HR.
• Effectively partnered with HR, tax and legal departments to restructure expatriate employment relationships that greatly reduced corporate and personal tax exposures.
• Published research articles on a variety of global payroll matters.

Alan received his Masters of Business Administration from The George Washington University and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh. 

HR Leader with a proven track record of managing people, processes, systems and programs to deliver high-level results tied to core business strategies and initiatives using a variety of change management and continuous improvement methodologies. Additional strong areas of experience include project management, people operations, system selection and implementations, digital resources, business intelligence, performance management, talent management, regulatory compliance, and transition services.

Distinguished business leader with over 25 years’ experience enhancing shareholder value through strategic business growth and transformation at global companies. A five-time Chief Human Resources and Sustainability Officer at Fortune 500 to late stage start-up companies, she was responsible for the ROI and governance of talent investments and architecting cultures. These strategies propelled business expansion into new markets and changed the business profile – resulting in significant shareholder returns.

Extensive background in global HR strategy and execution, human capital management, talent and organizational leadership, inclusion & diversity, ethics/compliance/governance, and risk management. Trusted advisor to the CSuite and Board, recognized for leading transformation, bringing people together to solve problems, driving performance outcomes and creating a workplace where employees are empowered and thrive.

Former CHRO and Chief Administration Officer at YETI, BMC Software, Talisman Energy, and technology SaaS startups, Miro and Kony. Began her career at iconic companies like General Electric and Cisco Systems. Currently advises several CEOs of HR AI start-ups at series A stage.

Lived and worked in five countries and speaks Italian, Portuguese, French, Spanish and English. Has managed budgets up to $200 million and spanning 90 countries with workforces ranging from 1,500-50,000 employees. With an MBA and executive coach certification, her approach is practical, business outcome-oriented, and grounded in first principles thinking. An expert in succession planning, executive compensation, leadership coaching, building high performing teams, sustainability, and navigating change.

Corporate, non-profit and advisory Board service and engagement:
• Current Co-Chair for National Association of Corporate Directors – Austin
• Current Advisory Board Member for Texas A&M Mays School of Business’ Center for Human Resources
• Former Independent Director for wellness SaaS startup, Good FX
• Former Board member: Society for the Performing Arts – Houston; Caprock Academy
• Former Advisory Board Member at Thunderbird University (now part of Arizona State University)
• Regular participant in Board meetings and former management liaison to the Compensation, Nominating and Governance, and M&A Committees at publicly traded companies: YETI, BMC Software, and Talisman Energy
• Successful IPO transition from private equity ownership by Cortec Group at YETI
• Ensured a smooth privatization of BMC Software sale to Bain Capital and Insight Partners
• Partnered with venture capital investors Accel and ICONIQ Capital at Miro

Key transitions include scaling operations, driving growth, and improved profitability at critical inflection points:
• Global market expansion: YETI, BMC Software, Talisman Energy resulting in double digit y/y revenue growth
• Transition from private to IPO/publicly traded company: YETI
• Public to private transition and shareholder activism: BMC Software
• Global M&A: Performed due diligence and integration for 25+ acquisitions: Miro, BMC Software, Cisco and GE
• Scaled services through product expansion, alliances, and partnerships: Cisco, BMC Software, YETI
• Transition from on-prem enterprise software to SaaS: BMC Software
• Direct sales to multi route sales; web, channel, inside sales: YETI, BMC Software, Miro

Certified corporate director by Stanford University and NACD.DC. Holds a B.A. from Marlboro College and an
International MBA from Thunderbird. Passionate about mentoring women and next-generation leaders. Enjoys musical theater, gourmet cooking, spending time in the mountains, and traveling with her family.

Barbie's extensive background in designing and implementing HR strategies aligned with business objectives perfectly aligns with our mission at Thrive HR Consulting. Her expertise in talent management, diversity and inclusion, change management, and data-driven decision-making will undoubtedly bolster our ability to provide tailored solutions that drive unique business and people strategies.
As a published author of "Lead and Let Live," Barbie's thought leadership and insights on leadership and HR best practices further enrich our advisory services. We're confident that Barbie's addition to our team will enable us to better serve our clients and continue our journey towards HR excellence.

Amy’s extensive experience includes navigating businesses through intricate Business Transformation and Change Management processes. She possesses deep experiences in crafting Total Rewards strategies, demonstrating expertise in Executive Compensation. Additionally, her skill set extends to People Operations and Data Analytics, enabling organizations to leverage data-driven insights for informed decision-making. Amy is well-versed in Organizational Design and Process Management, contributing to the structural efficiency of diverse enterprises. Her commitment to fostering inclusive workplaces is evident through her leadership in Employee Engagement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. This comprehensive skill set positions Amy as a valuable asset to guide organizations through strategic HR endeavors.
As an advisor, Amy will play a crucial role in guiding organizations through fractional CHRO solutions, significantly strengthening Thrive HR Consulting's capabilities in delivering business-driven value-based HR support. Her expertise will position the firm to provide top-notch support tailored to drive unique business and people strategies.