Marcia Zaruba O’Connor, Founder and President of The O’Connor Group

Marcia Zaruba O’Connor is the Founder and President of The O’Connor Group, a leading provider of human resource outsourcing, retained search, and recruiting operations for the life sciences, professional services, manufacturing, retail, cable & entertainment and non-profit sectors.  The O’Connor Group was started due to a need to assist these experienced leaders with their careers and to connect them to opportunities that best match their true interests and expertise.
Marcia is currently the President of the Philadelphia Human Resource Planning Society.  She is Past-President of the Philadelphia Regional Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and former Area 4 District Director for SHRM State Council.  Among her notable achievements as a volunteer leader, she helped create the Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year Award in 2001 in conjunction with four other SHRM area chapters.  Marcia serves on the Accounting Advisory Board at Widener University and the Human Resource Development Advisory Board for Villanova University.  Marcia is also on the leadership committee for Girls Today, Leaders Tomorrow and is on the Board with the Great Guy’s Group, a non-profit organization that offers diverse assistance to patients and families burdened by cancer.
 
Her previous experience includes service at Arthur Andersen, first as an auditor and culminating in her role as Director of all Philadelphia recruiting.  Marcia was also in charge of campus relations for Andersen Consulting in their Business Process Management Group. Marcia’s other roles include National Recruiting Manager for the Hay Group, a leading human resources consulting firm, and senior consultant for the executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group.  Before starting The O’Connor Group she was the Director of Human Capital Practice for the Philadelphia office of Resources Global Professionals, a leading global provider of project professionals.
 
Marcia graduated from Widener University with a BS degree in accounting and has an MS in Human Organization Development from Villanova University.
 

Stephen Brittin, Vice President of Operations

His diverse operational and HR experience includes managing large-scale, multi-location / internationalteams, harnessing cutting-edge technology to drive HR and Talent process improvements, cost efficiencies, and developing innovative solutions instrumental in achieving client companies’ goals. Stephen has been a leader within Manpower Business Solutions, having an active leadership role within Comcast Corporation, Saint Gobain, Gamesa and Vertex. His expertise includes Web 2.0 social media, direct sourcing techniques and training, vendor management, and client/candidate management strategy. Stephen’s areas of industry experience include telecommunications, media & television, venture capital, and contract research, as well as the functional areas of Technology (R&D, HW / SW Engineering & Quality), Marketing, Sales and Manufacturing.

Stephen’s focus with The O’Connor Group is to lead the operations strategy, implementation, solution design, and ongoing operational excellence. In addition, he oversees The O’Connor Group’s propriety, cost-effective Recruiting Efficiency and committed on further advancing the firm’s ability to address clients’ business needs of today and tomorrow.

Wayne Johnston, Vice President of Human Capital

Wayne draws on 20 years of success in recruiting solutions, executive search, talent acquisition, and business development in his current role as VP of Human Capital with The O’Connor Group. Equally adept in large, highly matrixed corporations like Merck, DuPont, Mitretek Systems and smaller fast-growth start-up operations such as Gamesa USA and Discovery.com, Wayne has experience in multiple industries, including Pharmaceutical, Consulting, Energy, Chemical, Manufacturing, IT, and Media. His roles have included Senior Director of HR Consulting for a regional career consulting and outplacement group, Director of Recruitment, North America for the world’s second largest provider of wind energy, Senior Staffing Consultant for a major pharmaceutical company, and Recruiting/HR Strategist for a global chemical company, a subsidiary of a public television station, and a government think tank. In these various capacities, he has managed outplacement for a $15B multinational corporation, built recruiting processes and operations yielding an unprecedented number of high-quality hires while reducing the cost per hire, implemented improvements to background checks and screening process that saved more than $100K annually, and sold e-learning training classes to diverse companies. Wayne is well versed in Taleo applicant tracking system and AIRS SourcePoint information systems. He is a Certified Targeted Selection Interviewer, Trainer and Interview Guide Creator by Development Dimensions International (DDI).With an MBA and Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management as well as a BS in Business Administration-Management/Marketing, Wayne leverages his educational background and experiential skills in providing consistently exceptional services to The O’Connor Group’s clients.

Wayne was nominated as the Delaware Valley HR Consultant of the Year and is certified as Master Career Coach and Life Options Retirement Coach. In 2001, Wayne established the Philadelphia Human Resource Network, a group offering free outplacement assistance, education, and technical support to displaced HR executives. During his tenure as leader, Wayne has facilitated more than 400 HR professionals acquiring positions in the tri-state area through his vast network of connections, skillfully matching talent with opportunities with diverse companies and industries.

Janice Rath, MBA, PHR, Director of Recruiting

Janice Rath is our Director of Recruiting with extensive, progressive experience with Fortune 500 organizations, including Microsoft Corporation, Starbucks Corporation and General Dynamics. Her expertise within recruitment includes a background in process improvement and best practices research. Janice was one of the founding members of the Professional Technical Diversity Network, a group formed by Microsoft employees whose mission was to provide a resource to connect individuals, community organizations, and employers to support the growth of a diverse network. She has served in leadership positions at the East Valley Human Resources Group as a Publicity Director in Phoenix, AZ. Janice graduated with an MBA at the University of Washington with a concentration in Human Resources and Finance and is a certified Human Resources Professional.

Jennifer Zbinden, Senior HR Management Consultant

Jennifer Zbinden has more than 20 years of HR experience, with in-depth experience in recruitment, HR management, process improvement, and project management. Industries in which she worked include healthcare, IT, insurance, financial services, and manufacturing. Jennifer has served in executive HR roles with Merrill Lynch and ContiMortgage Corporation. As a consultant, she has transitioned HR functions internationally, recruited globally, managed complex, multi-level projects, decreased client employment costs by two-thirds while increasing the quality and quantity of new hires, reduced benefits costs $.5M while retaining level of employee benefits. She has an M.A. in Human Resources from Rider University and a B.S. in Personnel and Industrial Labor Relations from Ithaca College.

Tracy Flynn, PHR, Senior HR Consultant

Tracy Flynn has a ten-year track record of crafting strategic and tactical HR initiatives that accomplish companies’ immediate and long-term goals.  Her expertise spans policy development, recruiting efficiency, performance enhancement, improved work practices, benefits/compensation improvement and cost control, employee engagement and retention, training program development, profitability, and compliance.  Regarded as an adviser and solutions innovator by the executives and management teams with which she works, Tracy’s career includes senior-level generalist, operations management, talent acquisition, training, and management positions for diverse industries.  Proactive, responsive, and highly effective, Tracy has a B.S. in Business Administration from Temple.

Carolyn Cott, Professional Writer

For 25 years, Carolyn has been helping organizations and individuals translate ideas into powerful language to improve their effectiveness, sphere of influence, and revenue growth. The scope of her work includes websites, white papers, proposals, marketing materials, resumes, presentations, and books. Carolyn has provided writing/editing services to IBM Corporation, Yale University, Nature Conservancy, Institute for International Business, NY Times bestselling author David Wroblewski, as well as professors, physicians, and executives. Carolyn has been a writing instructor at the university level. In 2009 and 2010 she was featured on the NBC 10 Show as a resume expert, and she serves as writing consultant for PA State Senator Daylin Leach’s Employment Resource Symposium. Carolyn has a B.A. in Ecology from Bard College and credits toward an M.A. in Writing from the University of Bath, England.

Jaime Armstrong, Senior Recruiter

Jaime has significant recruiting, client management and business development experience in several industries, including healthcare, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and insurance. The companies for which she’s worked include Peopleflex Accounting Professionals as well as Fortune 500 companies, ING Direct and MBNA America Bank. Jaime’s diverse career experience provides her with a unique appreciation of the needs of both clients and candidates. The candidates she has recruited and placed have facilitated companies’ goals achievement while advancing their careers. She’s distinguished herself throughout her career, including being awarded the lead national recruiter designation for Peopleflex. Jaime has a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Development from Penn State.

Smita Sanwardeker, Senior HR Consultant

Smita Sanwardeker has a track record of recruiting success for universities, small and mid-sized companies, Fortune 500 corporations, and non-profit organizations.  Her areas of expertise include recruiting for executive, technical, customer service, sales, marketing, health care, financial, IT, and management positions.  Smita partners with organizations to identify both the overt and more subtle elements of what defines a highly successful candidate for any given position.  Painstaking, competent, and productive, Smita is skilled in meeting both the immediate and long-term needs of client companies.  Her career has included Manager of Search Operations with Criterion Search Group, RPO Consultant for M&M Mars and Management Consultant for Comcast with TAPFIN RPO, as well as recruiting positions with Staffing Plus, Westaff, and Ohio University Graduate Department.  Smita has a M.S. from Ohio University and a B.S. from Miami University.

Anastasia Hanney, Recruitment Marketing Assistant

Anastasia is a business/marketing and recruiting assistant. Her background includes serving as a promotions director for an FM radio station and as a marketing intern for a Fortune 500 company. She has experience in developing and leveraging strategic partnerships, designing and implementing multi-media marketing programs, and providing staff training and mentoring. Anastasia has a B.A. in Radio/Television/Film Production and a B.S. in Business Marketing from Rowan University.

Jennifer Massanova, PHR, Senior HR Consultant

Jennifer is a senior HR manager with experience and contributions in recruiting and retention, campus relations, organizational development, performance management, training, employee relations, EEO/Affirmative Action, union avoidance, benefits, compensation, diversity, vendor management, and HR strategic analysis. Her career includes Senior Human Resources Manager with General Dynamics as well as HR leadership roles with BearingPoint, Hay Group, and Siemens North America. She has served in various executive capacities with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) was nominated as “SHRM Volunteer of the Year.” Jennifer has published HR articles in the IEEE newsletter, served as advisor for the career section of the Arizona Republic, and received the “Bright Star Award” from the Maricopa County Workforce Connections. Jennifer graduated from Rutgers University with a BA degree in English Literature and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources.