Adept in delivering results in both fast-paced entrepreneurial and well-established organizations, Kara Halvorsen has spent over 15 years in a variety of human resource and business management roles. Acting as a key advisor to start-up, healthcare and financial services groups and executives she has provided consulting and leadership coaching to improving organizational and personal performance.

Ms. Halvorsen’s start-up experience includes senior management positions at Snapfish.com, the leading online consumer photo service and Eployment.com, an early entry in web-based recruiting & assessment technology. As Vice President of People at Snapfish, she developed the HR infrastructure, as well as closed the company’s largest customer acquisition deal. As Vice President of ASP’s for Eployment.com she was the domain staffing expert in product development and sales and also managed the company’s beta relationship with the Charles Schwab Corporation.

In healthcare, as the Director of Staffing & Workforce Planning for McKesson, Ms. Halvorsen restructured and improved their staffing function and during the HBOC merger consolidated the companies’ staffing departments. As a human resource consultant for Genentech, she provided a variety of OD consulting and training to the company’s commercial and administrative groups, advising members of the executive committee, facilitating change management and realigning organization structures around core business strategies.

In financial services, she was the Regional Director for Chrisman & Company, an executive search firm. Opening their San Francisco office, she achieved profitability during the first year of operation and managed the major relationship with Silicon Valley Bank. At Bank of California, predecessor to Union Bank of California, she was responsible for international human resources and implemented an industry leading incentive plan, which substantially reduced adversely classified assets resulting in the release of the MOU with the Office of the Comptroller of Currency. Additionally she served as principal HR adviser to the bank's Japanese executive management team. At Security Pacific Bank, predecessor to Bank of America, she was the senior Management Development Officer for the Northern California management training program.

Previous to entering human resources, Ms. Halvorsen held management roles in lending & operations including Vice President and commercial lender for both Bank of California and Security Pacific Bank.

Ms. Halvorsen currently is a member of the advisory board for Snaphire.com, a job site hosting, recruiting and retention application and is a member of several HR organizations. She holds a B.S. in Organizational Behavior from University of San Francisco.

To contact Ms. Halvorsen you may email her at kara@karahalvorsen.com or call 415-331-9205.