Talent & Engagement Executive · Practitioner-Scholar · AI-Powered HR Builder

Dr. Steve
Winkel

Doctor of Business Administration · GPHR · SHRM-SCP · ICF Coach

High-velocity HR executive with 20+ years of bias toward action. Trusted CPO partner across PE-backed, high-growth SaaS, and global enterprise environments. Independently builds and deploys AI-powered HR tools using LLM APIs and Claude Code — equally fluent in the boardroom, the command line, and the classroom.

View AI Portfolio → My Background

20+

Years in HR Leadership

AI Tools Built & Deployed

3×

M&A Integration Leader

12+

Pts Engagement Growth

Credentials & Recognition

DBA · URI GPHR SHRM-SCP ICF Coach Wharton CHRO Six Sigma GB GPTW Certified ATD Best '25 BuiltIn Best '24–26 President's Club '23

Professional Experience

Where I've Delivered

Constant Contact

Sep 2022 – Present
Waltham, MA (Hybrid)

Vice President, Talent & Engagement

Co-architected CEO-sponsored enterprise operating model redesign — two record revenue months followed within 90 days of rollout
Partnered with FP&A to identify significant workforce cost reduction opportunities across employee, BPO, and contingent worker populations
Drove employee engagement up 12 points in 24 months; reduced voluntary turnover meaningfully through CultureAmp-powered sentiment strategy
Built CTCT Career Coach via Claude Code — LLM-powered skill gap analysis tool that increased internal fill rate substantially year-over-year
Engineered LLM-driven Semi-Structured Interview Builder with Greenhouse ATS integration via MCP
Won 2026 company hackathon with AI-driven Motivational Intelligence Engine using Claude Sonnet and Gong APIs
CEO-selected for President's Club (2023); earned GPTW, ATD Best Award, BuiltIn Best recognition across three consecutive years

University of Rhode Island

Sep 2025 – Present
Kingston, RI

Executive in Residence & Adjunct Professor

Embedded senior practitioner resource within the College of Business and DBA program — supporting students, faculty, and program development
Adjunct Professor: MBA 540 — Organizational Decision Making and Design (Fall 2025)
Spearheading development of the URI DBA Alumni Network — building community and professional continuity across cohorts
Doctoral committee member for two DBA candidates researching HR and workforce topics
Co-authored the Doctor of Business Administration Program AI Acceptable Use Policy
Speaker on applied topics including AI in the dissertation process and evidence-based practice in organizations

Strength in Talent

Sep 2020 – Oct 2022
Monroe, CT

Principal Consultant & Founder

Launched boutique HR consultancy — achieved strong revenue and margin performance by Year 2
Served as fractional CHRO for PE-backed EHS firm; optimized people programs, recruitment, and onboarding within four months
Provided executive coaching to senior leaders tied to formal succession strategy
Led cultural and engagement integration post-M&A for a PE-backed real estate technology company

Inspira / Enthuse Marketing

Feb 2017 – Dec 2020
Norwalk, CT

Head of People & Culture (VP)

Built HR infrastructure and talent strategy from zero for 750+ employee sister agencies
Transitioned from PEO to self-funded benefits model — generating substantial cost savings and improving profitability
Elevated overall engagement significantly; achieved 98% in-house hiring while improving diversity pipeline
Led COVID restructuring including workforce reduction and comprehensive remote policy redesign

Survey Sampling Intl (Dynata)

2003 – 2017
Shelton, CT

Director, Org Development & Training

Built global training function (SSI University) from zero to 22,000+ annual learning hours
Sales/service enablement program increased bid volume and win rates for more than half the sales team; improved client satisfaction from below 85% to 93% in under 6 months
Integrated talent strategies across three M&A transactions
Led restructure of 370+ multinational Professional Services staff including compensation redesign

For full details, metrics, and a copy of my resume — connect on LinkedIn →

Applied AI & HR Technology

Tools I've Built

🎯

Career Coach

Self-driven career matrix with AI-powered skill gap analysis and personalized action planning.

📝

Performance Documentation Coach

Scripts difficult conversations, drafts follow-up emails, warnings, and PIPs via AI.

🤝

Coaching Simulator

Role-play platform for people leaders navigating real and hypothetical difficult scenarios.

💰

Total Rewards Calculator

Customizable benefit tool enabling employees to model take-home pay impact of benefit choices.

🔍

Interview Guide Builder

AI-generated competencies and semi-structured interview questions from JDs, PI targets, and intake notes.

📡

Source & Send

LinkedIn Boolean string generation and personalized passive candidate outreach messaging.

Education & Academic Work

Practitioner Scholar

Doctor of Business Administration

University of Rhode Island · Kingston, RI

Dissertation: Workplace Mental Health Disclosure, Employee Sentiments & Turnover Intention

Honors: Phi Kappa Phi · Enhancement of Graduate Research Award (2023) · Cohort Speaker

M.A., Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Fairfield University · Fairfield, CT

Grounding in the behavioral science of work — measurement, motivation, and organizational effectiveness. Paired with a B.A. in Organizational Communication & Vocal Performance from Fairfield.

Executive Development

Wharton · Columbia · IMD · UC Berkeley

CHRO Program (Wharton, 2022) · Capitalizing on Macroeconomic Change (Columbia) · Business Growth Opportunities (IMD) · Managing Risk in Complex Projects (UC Berkeley)

Dr. Steve Winkel