Jamie Viramontes

Where HR expertise meets AI innovation. Keeping HR Human™. Konnect is a Modern HR firm built around a simple thesis: AI should make HR more human, not less. Founded in 2020, we serve mid-market companies with a five-product suite (HR Services, Managed Payroll, Konnect AI, KonnectER, and KonnectEd), combining embedded HR expertise with AI-powered scale. I founded Konnect to solve the tension every HR leader and CEO feels but few can articulate. Leadership wants AI everywhere. Employees still want a human when it matters. And most "AI for HR" solutions are built to replace, not to support. Konnect's model of real people who know your business, backed by Sophie (our AI persona inside Konnect AI), closes that gap. WHO WE SERVE: • HR leaders who want AI as a teammate, not a threat • Mid-market CEOs (50 to 500 employees) who need Fortune 500-caliber HR without the headcount • PE-backed operators who need HR infrastructure to keep pace with growth SELECTED PROOF POINTS ✪ ESTABLISHED KEEPING HR HUMAN™ AS THE DEFINING POV FOR MODERN HR. ✪ BUILT A FIVE-PRODUCT SUITE INTEGRATING HUMAN SERVICES AND AI, WITH SOPHIE (KONNECT AI) HANDLING TIER-1 EMPLOYEE SUPPORT AT SCALE. ✪ SCALED CLIENT PORTFOLIO ACROSS FOOD & BEVERAGE, RETAIL, HEALTHCARE, AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. • YETI: "Konnect has become an extension of our team." (Jayme Barbosa) • Rubio's Coastal Grill: "Konnect AI has been a game changer." (Clyde Lewis, VP of Operations) ✪ SHIFTING REVENUE MIX FROM SERVICES-HEAVY TO 75/25 SAAS/SERVICE, BUILDING HR TECH THAT SCALES BEYOND HUMAN HOURS. ✪ FORBES HR COUNCIL MEMBER, CONTRIBUTING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ON MODERN HR AND AI ADOPTION. Konnect isn't traditional HR outsourcing. It's what HR looks like when someone who's actually run it (CHRO at Forever 21 and UCI Health, VP of HR at Chipotle) rebuilds it from scratch for the AI era.

Serve on the Dean's Leadership Circle, a select group of senior executives partnering with the Dean to shape the school's strategic direction through leadership, mentorship, and philanthropy.

FHired to rebuild the People function and lead cultural transformation across 540+ global locations and 20,000 employees ($2B revenue). Navigated the company through COVID, remote work, and the Great Resignation. ✪ SAVED $5M through process improvements and technology streamlining. ✪ REDUCED FIRST-YEAR TURNOVER BY 30% through overhauled talent strategy. ✪ LED CULTURE TRANSFORMATION, launching DE&I strategy, LMS, and quarterly performance framework.

Recruited to lead HR through Chipotle's HQ relocation from Denver to California and to solve three root-cause issues: ineffective structure, high turnover, and disconnected people strategy. Oversaw Talent Acquisition, OD, L&D, and HRBP functions across the U.S., Canada, and Europe during a period of opening one new location every 24 hours. ✪ SAVED $4M through process redesign using Kaizen methodology. ✪ REDUCED TURNOVER BY 30% within one year via "Raising the BAR" talent strategy. ✪ RECRUITED 800 NEW HIRES IN 6 MONTHS across all levels through VP.

Led HR for a 4,000-employee, 384-bed acute care hospital and one of LA County's largest emergency trauma centers. 85% unionized workforce with strained labor relations at time of hire. ✪ SAVED $2.2M ANNUALLY through retention and engagement strategy; improved RN retention by 46%. ✪ NEGOTIATED a 4-year nursing union contract. ✪ ELEVATED SURVEY RESULTS across JCHAO, CMS, and CDPH readiness.

Promoted to CHRO to bring structure and process to HR across 6,000 employees at UCI Medical Center and University Physicians & Surgeons. ✪ SAVED $50M in 12 months using Kaizen methodology. ✪ OPENED 4 PRIMARY CARE SITES in 3 months. ✪ REDUCED FIRST-YEAR TURNOVER BY 16%; elevated internal customer survey scores from 1 to 9.5.

Led Talent Acquisition, Compensation, HRIS, and Labor Relations for the 19,000-employee UCI Medical Center & Campus. Partnered with CFO on position control and workforce analytics.

Led HR strategy for 5,000 employee population and built a scalable recruiting engine through expansion from 300 to 400 dental offices across 18 states. Reduced turnover by 20%.

Led HR through two acquisitions and bankruptcy-related workforce reductions supporting 7,000 employees.

Global recruitment and ER for 5,600 employees; rolled out Six Sigma recruiting and performance programs.

I was consulted on various HR topics and led significant initiatives and programs impacting 13K global employees. Partnering with executives, we developed organizational strategies resulting in $2M cost savings. Designated as an HR business partner for several client groups (800+ employees), I collaborated on forming and implementing strategies to drive cultural change.