HR Advisory Board

Currently serving as the VP of Human Resources for Personal Protective Equipment at Honeywell, Ben has extensive experience in driving talent management, organizational design, and performance culture. Ben has held several senior HR positions at Honeywell, including Sr. HR Director of Safety & Productivity Solutions where he partnered with chief executives to support various functions, including Engineering, Commercial, Customer Service, IT, Strategy/M&A, Finance, and Legal. In these roles, he led global teams, drove HR standard work, and implemented strategic initiatives to improve recruitment, retention, and organizational effectiveness. Ben also has significant international experience, particularly in the Asia Pacific Region where we worked and lived for 14 years. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Ben served as the Business Director for NCH Corporation in Greater China, and the Director of Sales Training & Development for Asia Pacific. Ben began his career at Foster Partners Executive Search in Shanghai, where he quickly rose through the ranks to become Managing Director. Currently based in Charlotte, NC, Ben enjoys spending time at the beach or in the mountains with his 4 children and wife, Melanie.

Sharon Giles is currently Director of Human Resources at Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL).  Previous employers include Kimberly-Clark Corporation and Orbital ATK. With a career spanning over four decades, Sharon has gained a wide breadth of professional experience, which encompasses the full breadth of key HR focus areas. She has worked in consumer products and aerospace, profit and not-for-profit, and manufacturing and corporate settings. Sharon’s career began in recruiting; migrated to safety; moved next to employee relations, training and development; and then to talent management. From 2020 to 2022, Sharon taught or co-taught Mgmt 6675 Negotiation, Mediation, and Conflict Resolution as a USU-MHR adjunct instructor. She holds a BS from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from University of Phoenix. Sharon and her husband are enjoying the new world in the “grandparents club” and love every minute of it. They enjoy many outdoor activities, with the all-time favorite (so far) being their hike on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Steve is an accomplished business and senior human resources executive with a track record of successfully working with leadership teams to drive business results in diverse industries and global business environments – including highly regarded blue chip companies, startups, and a turnaround. He has held executive positions with some of the world’s most successful and iconic companies, including The Walt Disney Company, PepsiCo, and Honeywell. He is a highly effective and trusted partner to senior executives and others and is known for bringing creative and practical solutions to both the strategic and the operating human resources challenges facing an organization. 

Steve is currently President of Milovich Partners, a strategic human capital consulting, advisory and executive coaching company. He is also Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at the Institute for the Future in Palo, Alto, California and a Senior Advisor for The Boston Consulting Group.

Title: Director Global Performance Management and Leadership Development
Company: International Paper

Marcus is currently serving as HR Director, Strategy & Growth at General Mills. He started with General Mills (GMI) as an intern in 2011 and has been with the company full-time since 2012. Throughout his time with GMI, Marcus has worked in a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities, including HR experiences supporting manufacturing plants, mergers and acquisitions, business operating units, strategic projects, etc. Today, Marcus is the HR Business Partner for the Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, and his HR team supports General Mills’ strategic center united around growth, inclusive of Marketing, Corporate Strategy, Disruptive Growth, and commercial reporting and analytics. Outside of work, he is actively serving in his local church congregation. Marcus most enjoys spending his free time with his wife, their three children, and their dog—they love visiting Disney parks.

In 2011, I joined PepsiCo, relocating my family to Tennessee for my role as Sr. HR Representative. Over three years, I supported automation projects and led college recruitment for Frito Lay's eastern U.S. supply chain. Promoted to HR Manager in Denver in 2014, I facilitated the startup of a new warehousing unit and initiated PepsiCo's recruitment program for HR professionals at Utah State, a program we've been returning to for the past 10 years. By 2017, I oversaw the Bakersfield plant, and in 2019, I became HR Director for California Supply Chain, guiding over 3,000 employees through the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2022, I've been leading Southern California sales employees in a similar Director role.  Throughout all of this experience, I have been a part of many change teams, facilitating the dynamic food business and the accelerated growth that we have experienced at Frito Lay.

Matt began his career as a high school biology teacher in southern Oregon, a role he held for a decade before pursuing graduate studies at Utah State University and transitioning into HR. Over the years, Matt has built a diverse and successful career across industries and regions, starting with HR generalist roles and progressing to leadership positions. Most recently, Matt served as Head of HR Shared Services for North America at Hunter Douglas, where he led a 60+ person HR services team within the company’s Global Business Services organization. Prior to this role, he gained significant global experience managing teams across the U.S., EMEA, and Asia Pacific while supporting renowned brands like L’Oréal and Honeywell International. At every step, Matt has demonstrated a strong track record of success and a readiness to take on expanded responsibilities. Matt and his wife have been married for nearly 30 years and have three children. His family has been a constant source of support and inspiration throughout his career, and he enjoys spending time with them and celebrating their achievements.