Build an organization people choose to join and want to stay with.
Be The Place To Work helps leadership teams with HR strategy, talent management, leadership development, and culture. The practice is led by Stacey Berger, an HR executive with 30+ years of experience in financial services, health insurance, defense, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Consulting across the full scope of HR and talent management.
Engagements can focus on a single priority, such as a new performance process or a succession plan, or cover the HR function as a whole. Each area draws on work Stacey has led inside organizations.
HR Strategy and Organization
- HR Strategy and HR as a Business Partner
- Organizational Design and Change Management
- Workforce Planning
- Fractional and Interim HR Leadership
Talent Acquisition and Onboarding
- Talent Acquisition, Recruiting Strategy, and Employer Branding
- Onboarding
Performance and Leadership
- Performance Management
- Talent Reviews and Succession Planning
- Leadership Development
- Executive and Leadership Coaching
- Assessments for Teams and Leaders
Learning and Careers
- Learning and Development and Training
- Career Pathing and Career Development Programs
Culture and Engagement
- Employee Engagement, Culture, and Retention
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Rewards, Relations, and HR Operations
- Compensation, Total Rewards, and Job Architecture
- Employee Relations and Investigations
- Policies, Handbooks, and Compliance Support
- HR Operations, HRIS, and Process Improvement
Talent reviews and succession planning
A disciplined talent review process gives executives a shared view of performance, potential, and readiness across the organization. Stacey designs and facilitates the full cycle, from review criteria and calibration to succession slates and development plans.
Stacey leads talent reviews and succession planning at Blue Cross of Idaho. At Valiant she developed the Executive Selection Process, the Succession Planning Process, and nine-box talent matrix definitions.
- Talent review processCriteria, calendar, and manager preparation for a consistent annual cycle
- Nine-box calibrationFacilitated sessions that align leaders on performance and potential
- Readiness and succession slatesSuccessors for critical roles rated ready now, in one to two years, or later
- Leadership pipelineBench strength reporting by level and function, with gaps identified
- Development plansIndividual plans, stretch assignments, and mentoring tied to review outcomes
Employee engagement and retention
Engagement work is most effective when measurement, action planning, and manager follow-through are designed together. Stacey helps organizations gather useful feedback, set clear priorities, and build the culture and recognition practices that retain strong performers.
Stacey ran the employee engagement baseline survey at PEAK6 and led the Best Place to Work campaign and culture development at Valiant.
- Survey design and action planningBaseline and pulse surveys, executive readouts, and team-level action plans
- Stay interviewsStructured conversations with high performers and critical roles, plus turnover analysis
- CultureValues, expected behaviors, and employer of choice initiatives
- RecognitionRewards and recognition programs that reinforce the culture
- Manager enablementDiscussion guides and training so managers can lead the follow-up
Senior HR leadership in complex, regulated organizations.
Stacey has led talent and people functions in investment, FinTech, health insurance, and defense organizations, from start-up environments to large enterprises.
- Blue Cross of Idaho2023–presentDirector, Talent Management
- PEAK6 Investments2022–presentDirector, People Experience
- Valiant Integrated Services2018–2022Director, People Experience
- Cubic Global Defense2009–2018Operations Director
- HSBC (Household Finance)2001–2010Assistant Vice President, HR Manager and Senior Employee Relations Consultant
- National Strike Force (active duty) and Sector San Diego (reserve)1997–2007Lieutenant, United States Coast Guard
California Employment Training Panel contract awarded to offset the cost of an L&D department
Evaluated with the corporate compensation department at HSBC
Covered by 10 performance management processes she executed at HSBC
Federal, state, and local agencies trained on the Incident Response System
A practical process from first conversation to lasting results.
Every engagement is scoped around your goals, your timeline, and the capacity of your team. Recommendations are designed to be implemented and maintained by your organization.
Listen and assess
Interviews with leaders and a review of current practices, data, and priorities.
Design
A clear plan, program, or process built for your organization and its stage of growth.
Implement
Hands-on support with rollout, communication, training, and manager adoption.
Measure and refine
Agreed measures of progress and adjustments based on what the results show.
Project engagements
Defined scope and deliverables for a specific program or process.
Fractional and interim HR
Senior HR leadership on a set schedule or during a transition.
Advisory support
Ongoing counsel for executives and HR teams on people decisions.
Assessments and workshops
CliftonStrengths, DISC, and Hogan sessions for leaders and teams.
Start with a conversation about your organization.
A discovery call is a working conversation about your goals, your people, and where support would help most.