Trinae Saenz
Vice President, Human Resources
Open to VP of HR and CHRO roles / New York metro
Global HR / Total Rewards / M&A Integration / Labor Relations

Building HR functions
a company can run on.

Nearly 13 years leading HR at American University of Antigua College of Medicine, rising from Director to Vice President and reporting to the President & CEO. Over that time, HR grew from one part-time consultant into a team of more than 30 across five countries.

Start a conversation See the five countries
Trinae Saenz, Vice President of Human Resources
Reported toPresident & CEO
BoardWorkforce metrics, quarterly
NowFractional Chief People Officer
0
Faculty and staffEvery HR function, U.S. and Antigua
0
Person HR teamGrown from one part-time consultant
0
CountriesU.S., Antigua, India, Malaysia, Dubai
0
Retention liftTracked in HRIS, reported to the Board
The thesis

In 2013, HR was one part-time consultant and me.
It ended as a function the Board reviewed every quarter.

The numbers that mattered always went somewhere: to the CEO, to the executive committee, or to the Board. Turnover data in the HRIS showed where pay equity reviews, incentives, and recognition would matter most, and retention rose 20%. Performance reviews became a two-way process, and grievances fell about 30%. An HR function earns its seat when its results are measured the same way the business measures everything else. How I run HR, 2013 to today
Signature reach

Five countries.
One HR function.

American University of Antigua sits inside Manipal Education Americas. HR ran out of New York and reached every place the institution operated. Select a country to see what HR owned there.

HR team on the ground Oversight
HR function New York base United States Team Antigua & Barbuda Team Dubai Team India Team Malaysia Team Sri Lanka Oversight
The center of the network

HR function

Built from one part-time consultant into a team of more than 30. Reported to the President & CEO, sat on the executive committee from September 2019, and briefed the Board on workforce metrics every quarter.

  • Every HR function for 700+ faculty and staff in the U.S. and Antigua
  • $700K to $800K HR budget; $17M to $20M in U.S. and Antigua payroll
  • Owned HR integration for the Manipal transaction: role reductions, reassignments, salary and policy alignment
Executive committeeBoard reportingM&A integration

Gold nodes had HR staff on the ground. Sri Lanka was covered through oversight of Manipal schools and hospitals.

About

The top HR seat,
built from scratch.

My career has run through three demanding settings for HR: an elite New York law firm, a multi-state home care operator, and a global medical school.

At Davis Polk & Wardwell, selection as one of two interns from several hundred applicants led to a role in benefits and compensation, administering health and retirement plans under ERISA and HIPAA. At SYNERGY HomeCare, I ran HR for 10 locations across Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York and standardized policy to meet labor law in all three states.

Then came American University of Antigua College of Medicine, where HR started as one part-time consultant and me. Over nearly 13 years I built it into a team of more than 30 across five countries, owned the HR side of the Manipal transaction, and designed the job architecture and salary bands the university still uses. Today I advise organizations as a fractional Chief People Officer through Saenz Legacy LLC.

Total rewards

Job architecture, leveling, and salary bands benchmarked in PayScale. Annual compensation cycle with up to a 4% merit budget and more than $1M in bonus payroll. A 3x-base executive long-term incentive.

M&A and global HR

HR integration for the Manipal transaction. HR in India with oversight of Malaysia, Dubai, and Sri Lanka. Blue Marble global payroll for Antigua, India, and part of Dubai.

Culture and performance

Retention up 20% using HRIS turnover data. Grievances down about 30% after rebuilding reviews around self-reviews, peer feedback, and multi-level approval.

Employee and labor relations

Union relations for Antigua's unionized support staff, from contract negotiations to wage increases and benefits. EEOC matters handled with General Counsel.

HR technology

Platform moves from Insperity to ADP, Paylocity, and Workday. The rollout drove a 45% operational productivity gain.

The ladder

Four titles at one institution

Each promotion added scope, not just a new title. The path from Director to Vice President took seven years, with a seat on the executive committee along the way.

Step 1

Director, Human Resources

Apr 2013 to Mar 2019

Built the HR function from one part-time consultant. Ran faculty HR end to end: contracts, appointments, visas, work permits, and pay under a tax-deferred arrangement with the Government of Antigua & Barbuda.

One part-time consultant at the start
Step 2

Executive Director, Human Resources

Apr 2019 to Sep 2019

Head of HR for U.S. and global operations through the 2019 HRIS and performance system rollout.

HRIS and performance rollout
Step 3

Associate Vice President, HR

Sep 2019 to Dec 2020

Joined the executive committee. Led engagement, recognition, and wellness; the wellness program reaches more than 5,000 employees, faculty, and students and remains part of AUA benefits.

Seat on the executive committee
Step 4

Vice President, Human Resources

Dec 2020 to Feb 2026

Every HR function for 700+ faculty and staff, reporting to the President & CEO, with HR leadership in India and oversight of Malaysia, Dubai, and Sri Lanka.

Quarterly Board reporting
Career

Experience

MAR 2025 / PRESENT
Chief People Officer (Fractional)
Saenz Legacy LLC / White Plains, NY
Executive-level people strategy for organizations that need it without a full-time hire.
  • Coordinated three open enrollment periods for American University of Antigua covering 700+ employees.
  • Helped negotiate a projected double-digit benefits renewal down to single digits through plan design changes.
  • Filled a specialized senior HR role overseeing retirement plans for a major insurance organization in 2026.
3
Open enrollments coordinated
APR 2013 / FEB 2026
Director to Vice President, Human Resources
American University of Antigua College of Medicine (Manipal Education Americas, LLC) / New York, NY
Promoted from Director (2013) to Executive Director and Associate Vice President (2019) to Vice President of HR (December 2020). Led all HR functions for 700+ U.S. and Antigua faculty and staff, reporting to the President & CEO, and presented workforce metrics to the Board quarterly.
  • Grew HR from one part-time consultant into a team of more than 30 across five countries; owned a $700K to $800K HR budget.
  • Owned HR integration for the Manipal transaction: role reductions, reassignments, and salary and policy alignment.
  • Lifted retention 20% using HRIS turnover data, and cut grievances about 30% by rebuilding performance reviews as a two-way process.
  • Designed the job architecture, leveling, and salary bands still in use, and a long-term executive incentive paying 3x base salary at 10 years.
  • Moved HR from Insperity to ADP, Paylocity, and Workday, driving a 45% operational productivity gain; launched Blue Marble global payroll.
  • Led union relations for Antigua's unionized support staff; no HR, payroll, or benefits compliance penalties during tenure.
20% retention lift$17M to $20M payrollWorkdayUnion relations
30+
HR team built
2010 / 2013
Regional Director, Human Resources
SYNERGY HomeCare (independent owner-operator) / Fairfield, CT
Ran HR for 10 home care locations across Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, with 150 to 200 employees and a site HR staff of 20.
  • Standardized HR policies across all 10 locations to meet labor law in three states.
  • Built a performance management framework and leadership pipeline to sustain company growth.
  • Streamlined multi-state payroll and benefits procedures and controls; modernized HR technology.
10
Locations in three states
2007 / 2010
Benefits & Compensation Specialist
Davis Polk & Wardwell / New York, NY
Selected as one of two interns from several hundred applicants, then hired into the Benefits Department.
  • Administered firm-wide health and retirement benefits under ERISA and HIPAA.
  • Ran compensation benchmarking that informed salary structures for legal and administrative staff.
1 of 2
Interns selected
Proof

Results the Board
could read.

20%
Retention lift
Turnover data steered pay equity reviews, incentives, and recognition
About 30%
Fewer grievances
Two-way reviews with self-reviews and peer feedback
45%
Productivity gain
From the HRIS move to Workday and the performance rollout
3x base
Executive incentive
Long-term incentive paying out at 10 years
$1M+
Annual bonus payroll
With up to a 4% merit budget across 700+ employees
$17M to $20M
Payroll overseen
U.S. and Antigua, plus Blue Marble global payroll
Single digits
Benefits renewals
Against projected double-digit increases, in multiple years
Zero
Compliance penalties
HR, payroll, and benefits, across nearly 13 years
Capabilities

Core skills

Executive leadership

  • Board reporting
  • Executive committee
  • Strategic HR planning
  • Organizational design
  • Change management

Transformation

  • M&A integration
  • Restructuring
  • HR function build-out
  • Performance redesign
  • Workforce planning

Total rewards

  • Job architecture and salary bands
  • Merit and bonus cycles
  • Executive incentive design
  • Benefits renewals and plan design
  • Global and multi-state payroll

Relations and systems

  • Union and employee relations
  • EEOC matters and compliance
  • Global mobility
  • Workday HCM, Paylocity, ADP
  • Blue Marble, PayScale
Credentials

On paper

Certifications and memberships

  • SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)2017 to present
  • SHRM Executive Network (ENX)Member
  • Women in Leadership Institute (Linkage)Since 2024

Education and systems

  • B.S., Business Administration and ManagementSt. John's University
  • Workday HCM, Paylocity, ADPHRIS and payroll
  • Blue Marble, PayScaleGlobal payroll, pay benchmarking
Get in touch

Ready for the
next top HR seat.

Open to VP of HR, Head of HR, CHRO, and Chief People Officer roles across the New York metro area, including Westchester, Fairfield County, and Northern New Jersey, as well as hybrid and remote.

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