DAYTON, Ohio, April 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB), a leading National Security company delivering advanced engineering services and product solutions to Defense, Intelligence, Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security and Federal agencies, announced today that on April 22, MacB President and CEO, Sid Fuchs, provided the keynote address to the WashingtonExec Strategic Human Capital Council. The council is comprised of top Human Resources (HR) executives in the Washington D.C. area.
Speaking at the Tower Club Tysons Corner in Vienna, Va., Fuchs focused his remarks on how CEOs and HR must work together to build an organization focused on growth and employee development and retention. "As a CEO, my goal is to build a team with the right skill sets with clearly defined performance indicators to drive growth and profitability. HR plays a critical role - if not the main role - in making sure this objective is met." He also added that, "HR must report to the CEO, not the CFO or the COO. People are the most important asset in any company and to delegate that responsibility to anyone other than the CEO demonstrates a misalignment of priorities."
At the conclusion of his remarks, a member of the council asked what HR executives can do when a new CEO is hired. Fuchs responded by pointing out that CEOs want intelligence on what they are walking into. "The best thing to do when a CEO comes on board is to tell them where the potential landmines lie. Provide intelligence and analysis on key situations, sensitive areas and why others have failed. This is the fastest way to show your value and to build a long-lasting relationship."
Another question centered on how HR professionals should work with Board members. Striking a cautionary tone he counseled, "Your relationship is with the CEO. You should never have a conversation with the Board without the CEO knowing about it. When these situations come to light, as it always does, you will have lost the confidence of the CEO. When the trust is gone, it's over."
Before closing the meeting, Fuchs left the council with some final thoughts. "HR is critical to a growing organization. Build a strategic relationship with your CEO. Anticipate trends, question policies to ensure they are appropriate and not creating bureaucracy, be creative and offer solutions before problems arise. Treat employees like they are your customers. Stay unbiased and don't lose your objectivity. If you focus on these things, you will be viewed as a strategic enabler of the company."
Commenting on Fuchs' talk, Kay Curling, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer at Salient Federal Solutions and Co-chair of the WashingtonExec Strategic Human Capital Council, said, "Sid used his past experiences to provide insight into how HR could strategically partner with the CEO to help achieve his or her objectives. In an easy to understand style he conveyed that partnering with the CEO includes identifying red flags and land mines, turning data into meaningful information to spot trends and helping the CEO build and equip the leadership team."
The WashingtonExec Strategic Human Capital Council's mission is to exchange knowledge, experience and strategic ideas among corporate HR executive teams to equip HR leaders with the latest information and tools to help them make the best decisions for their companies, employees and customers.
ABOUT MACAULAY-BROWN, INC. (MacB)
For more than 30 years, MacAulay-Brown, Inc. (MacB) has been solving some of the Nation's most complex National Security challenges. Defense, Intelligence Community, Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security and Federal agencies rely on our advanced engineering services and product solutions to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. With Corporate Headquarters in Dayton, Ohio and National Capital Headquarters in Vienna, Va., our approximately 2,000 employees worldwide are dedicated to developing mission focused and results oriented solutions that make a difference where and when it matters most. Learn more about MacB at www.macb.com.
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