Biographic

1. Bi
Robert H. Ficken, Jr...
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DRIVING BUSINESS RESULTS BY
fic
™
OPTIMIZING HUMAN CAPITAL
ROI-driven, “make it happen” Human
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
CAREER AT A GLANCE Resources Executive known for achieving
key business objectives by maximizing human
A-T Solutions capital, thereby saving companies money and
EVP of Human Resources •• contributing to bottom-line growth. Brings a
North Idaho College “business first, HR second” mindset, partnering
Director of Human Resources • with line management to drive sustainable
The Home Depot
business and operations-related results. Aligns
Regional Human Resources Exec. •••
desired outcomes with processes by ensuring
Applied Materials
companies hire, promote and reward on
Divisional Human Resources Exec. •••
performance-based criteria. Agile, quick study
Data Broadcasting Corp.
able to make immediate impact.
Director of Human Resources •••
Century Theatres
Vice President of Human Resources ••••
Drug Barn Stores, Inc.
HR AS STRATEGIC RESOURCE
VP of Human Resources & Loss Prev. ••••••••
www.ask-hr.com
Founder and CEO •••••••••••••••••••••• Profit
Speaking Personally...
Q
M&A
How can HR be a strategic business contributor to any Integration
Product
Development
company?
A. HR needs to understand the business as well as the financial goals of Impact of HR
the company, then look for ways to drive organizational performance while
thinking “business” first and “HR” second. It also needs to make financially
solid decisions based on trend analysis, cost-benefit analysis and ROI. Systems-
thinking and gap analysis along with strong business acumen is key to moving High Sales and
the organization towards its goals while delivering quantifiable results. Performance Customer
Q A.
Culture Service
How do you define a “high performance” culture?
A winning strategy with an organizational design, practices,
capabilities and culture that is aligned to that strategy. Leadership must
communicate the company’s vision in a way that obtains employee Delivering Measurable
buy-in and commitment. It comes down to:
1. Promote the best, coach the rest. Results through Strategic HR
Reduced
2. Create clear expectations.
3. Establish accountability and consequences.
Q A. What was your favorite assignment, and why?
I recently worked for a defense contractor whose workforce
was committed to supporting our troops while serving in Iraq/Afghan-
processing time and cost of new-hire
paperwork by 4,900 hours
Increased
istan. We provided training that helped troops learn to identify and
defeat IEDs, provided threat assessments, and conducted IED simulation
exercises. I felt great pride and gratification in what we were doing.
Q A. What are the keys to successful acquisition integration? customer service rankings by more than 27%
Added
Planning for integration should start as soon as an acqui-
sition is being considered, and a merger/acquisition checklist should $4M profit through dual
be used. Due diligence should be conducted for the people side of sourcing strategy
the integration as much as for the financial side. Do the people and
cultures fit together? Who stays? Who goes? Tension is created by the Lowered attrition from 44% to 40%,
contributing $8B to bottom line
Led
unknown, so announce the integration plan as soon as possible and
provide frequent updates. I have led 30+ merger-acquisition projects
from due diligence to full integration so I know where the pitfalls are 30+ successful mergers and
likely to occur. acquisitions
740 Senca Court • Danville, CA 94526 • Mobile: 925-989-6017 • BFicken@onebox.com