Dennis served as Senior Advisor, Vice Chairman, Senior Executive & Director and CHRO. Along with the executive team, he achieved effective oversight of more than 60 portfolio companies worldwide. Dennis provided co-leadership of a team of more than 100 operating personnel and 50 contingent resources. He built bench strength of leadership and multi-functional expertise in the operating and portfolio companies. Central leadership role in the design and deployment of process-based platforms to create self-sufficiency within portfolio companies by leveraging a beta-site approach. Led sourcing, assessment, selection, engagement, assimilation, compensation, development and separations of executives globally. With the team, achieved successful due diligence, acquisitions, integrations, restructurings, transformations and asset monetization’s – including the advance positioning for sales and the execution of IPOs. Company representative in investor meetings. Operating performance was materially enhanced on an integrated basis in distressed companies, business carveouts and complicated assets to achieve monetization at strong risk adjusted returns.

Dennis’ responsibilities covered all aspects of human capital management and organizational effectiveness for the company’s 380,000 associates, as well as, communications and external affairs in this $90B company. He led the design and implementation of internationally recognized human capital platforms which were created and deployed with the contribution of all levels of management and store associate representation. Over 100 enterprise-wide process-based initiatives implemented within an 18-month timeframe. This work contributed to Chief Executive Magazine’s selection of Home Depot for the top 10 for Best Companies for Leaders. Innovation included hiring partnerships with: The United States Department of Defense, United States Department of Veterans Affairs and United States Department of Labor; prominent Hispanic organizations; and, the AARP. This innovation resulted in new market access for the company, the engagement of talented associates and impressive media coverage. Dennis also led the company’s transition from a decentralized purchasing model to a “hybrid” model in which a central office oversees purchasing while store and division-level managers decide what to sell based on the local market. Shortly after implementation, the hybrid model helped improve the company’s gross margins by 1 percent — an achievement Fortune Magazine described as “a huge accomplishment in the world of retailing.” In the six-year period Dennis was at Home Depot, the team’s achievements included: Sales more than doubled from $45B to $90B; generated more than 20 percent average annual earnings growth; net earnings more than doubled from $2.5 billion to $5.7 billion; EPS growth of 153%; Dividend Growth of 322%; added more than 1,000 new stores and more than 135,000 jobs, leading Home Depot to becoming the world’s second-largest retailer; completed 38 acquisitions in 2 years – all exceeded pro forma; created a building supply company with over 900 branch offices; achieved high retention resulting in attrition reductions of 40+% with store associates and more than a 70+% with store managers; and, Home Depot was recognized in Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Company Top 20 list.

Key leadership role in this leading international Aerospace and Defense Company with diversified Engineering & Construction and Commercial Electronics businesses. Revenues over $15B with more than 100,000 employees. Dennis and his team implemented a fully integrated change management framework for the organization focused on achievement of competitive advantage. Key contributor to the integration of the acquisitions of the aerospace and defense businesses at: Hughes Electronics; E-Systems; and, Texas Instruments. Along with the team, set the stage to shift the strategic focus from a diversified industrial company to a defense electronic systems and services company. Dennis led the introduction of a comprehensive human capital platform and impactful labor strategy which received broad recognition – including his induction into the National Academy of Human Resources.

As a Labor and Employment Counsel, the head of Labor Relations and Chief Negotiator for the Defense, Plastics and Transformer businesses in Massachusetts, Dennis led the planning and successful negotiation of a critical transition from a piecework to daywork compensation arrangement with the International Union of Electrical Workers. This conversion was key to the competitive positioning of GE Transformer in the marketplace. Working with co-counsel, achieved a 100% favorable result with cases before the National Labor Relation Board and an impressive win rate in labor arbitrations. Promoted to the Corporate Labor Relations team, led planning for issue analysis and argumentation for GE’s national negotiations with various unions representing a workforce of more than 100,000 GE employees. As a bargaining team member and the Chief Negotiator for the Pension and Insurance bargaining table, the team achieved ratification of the National Agreement and met all quantitative and qualitative objectives. While head of human resources, communications and external affairs of GE Power Systems, was selected as an Advisor for subsequent national labor negotiations. All contracts were successfully executed and achieved critical objectives to maintain basic managerial rights, retain GE businesses competitive position and provide an equitable job package for the workforce. All financial and operational metrics were also achieved. Held various leadership roles in the successful planning and execution of major operating initiatives and transactions: Power Systems Restructuring Project; Lighting Leadership Program; Housewares Disposition; Major Appliance Rationalization; Nuovo Pignone International Acquisition; etc. On the commercial side of the business, served as a staff executive assigned to customers in Thailand, Turkey and Puerto Rico. Also, created and led ‘HR Solutions’, a consulting initiative which leveraged process platforms as a channel to market with customers throughout the world – resulting in market access, competitive differentiation and increased revenues. Selected as a Corporate representative to work in Moscow, Russia to create a training platform for Deputy Ministers. During tenure at Power Systems the business more than doubled sales.

Triggered by the strategic planning process at Home Depot – Donovan launched Operation Career Front, a national beta-site initiative with the United States Secretary of Labor, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the United States Under Secretary of Defense to hire tens of thousands of departing military into Home Depot stores. The program was launched at the National Press Club. Not only did Operation Career Front put highly qualified transitioning military into HD stores and recognize their contributions – it lowered attrition rates, and increased Home Depot’s participation in the defense related market for Home Depot products. From a reputation standpoint, this initiative resulted in hundreds of thousands of favorable media hits. Frederico Juarbe, US Assistant Labor Secretary for Veterans’ Employment and Training, praised Operation Career Front as a model for other companies. The company was ranked No. 1 among the top military-friendly employers by G.I. Jobs magazine and was honored with a Secretary of Defense Employment Support Freedom Award.

Donovan was the founder of ‘HR Solutions’ a global business initiative which commercially leveraged human resources as a channel to market with customers and partners around the world. The offering included elements of his human capital platform and change management framework along with operating processes as best practices to be deployed in customer’s organizations. The initiative focused on differentiation against the global competition, increasing sales and generating an aftermarket revenue stream through long term service agreements. HR solutions engaged with more than 50 customers around the world including: Shanghai Electric [China]; PREPA [Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority]; Southern Company [US]; Saudi Aramco [Saudi Arabia] ; Iberdrola [Spain]; ENELVEN [Venezuela]; TEPCO [Tokyo Electric and Power Company – Japan], Royal Dutch Shell [Netherlands]; EGAT [Electrical Generating Authority of Thailand], IMECO [Indonesia]; and, Bechtel [USA]

Recognizing the Hispanic community’s annual purchasing power and growing percent of the national workforce, Donovan and his team at Home Depot initiated and managed ‘Unidos Podemos/United We Can’, a groundbreaking hiring partnership with the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), along with several of the country’s leading national Hispanic organizations including: ASPIRA Association; Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU); National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and SER, Jobs for Progress National. The program resulted in leveraging talent and demographics in the workforce, increased sales, and the formation and deployment of joint marketing and merchandising initiatives with the participating organizations.

Donovan worked with the Pentagon to hire Junior Military Officers into Home Depot’s new Store Management Program, initially placing some 550 JMOs – including 119 graduates from military academies at West Point, Annapolis and the Air Force Academy. After a relatively short period of time, overall JMO’s outperformed on store metrics. “Similar to Operation Career Front” the program lowered attrition, increased store performance, provided an enhanced market opportunity for product sales to the defense sector, and resulted in significant company reputation benefits through favorable media.

An acclaimed corporate partnership between Home Depot and AARP was developed by Donovan and his team. The partnership created the opportunity to better connect with the 50+ US population which had relatively higher disposable income, spending a significant percent on home improvement products. In addition, the 50+ segment had lower attrition in big box retail and more favorable customer service ratings on average. And, the significant size of AARP’s membership provided HD with the opportunity to differentiate in this market segment. The partnership significantly increased hiring of the 50+ population, raised associate capability, reduced attrition, improved customer loyalty, generated sales, resulted in co-branded products through a merchandising partnership called ‘Living In Place’ and, provided access to impactful marketing and merchandising data.

“Committed to being an Employer of Choice, Home Depot developed a program that drives sales and engagement by financially rewarding their associates for keeping an eye on increasing the bottom line”- Hewitt Business Wire. Designed by Donovan and his team, the Success Sharing initiative gained senior management’s support, by focusing associates on extending and expanding sales. Under the plan, when a store meets its sales plan for a six-month period, a percentage of anything over and above that plan was put into a pool and divided among the eligible associates at the store. Right out of the gate, results were impressive with Home Depot paying out $47 million to associates, with almost 50% of stores qualifying for the plan by reaching or exceeding their sales.