Armonk, NY, April 19, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kirk S. Santos, Global Human Resource Business Unit Leader of IBM, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in the field of human resources.

Kirk is a recognized practitioner and passionate advocate of the Human Resources (HR) profession with over 14+ years of business experience. Kirk has held significant HR leadership positions solely for Fortune 500 companies within the Entertainment, Consumer Products and Energy industries. He is a strong, charismatic leader with high ethical, moral standards and a powerful drive for delivering business results.

Kirk joined IBM in May 2007 as an experienced professional hire and effective December 2009, was appointed to a global HR Business Unit Leader role supporting the Marketing & Communications function within Sales & Distribution. Prior to this role, Kirk was the US NE Location Leader for Corporate HQ & TJ Watson Research. Kirk brings extensive, external business experience and was the Regional Director of HR for Harrah's Entertainment in Atlantic City, NJ before joining IBM. He was part of a senior leadership HR team responsible for driving significant transformational change within the 2nd and 3rd largest properties in the Harrah's brand: Bally's and Caesars. Kirk led a staff of 12 HR professionals (3 Managers and their direct reports) and partnered with a Shared Services HR team to support 10,200 employees in the areas of employee relations, succession planning, EEO, employee engagement and rewards and recognition. Kirk's prior HR experiences include: Director, Corporate HR for L'Oreal USA, Team Leader, Diversity Relations & Recruitment, Sr/Technology Specialist for Altria and HRIS Analyst, Employee Relations Representative as part of National Grid's HR Leadership Development Program. In these roles, Kirk provided HR consulting strategies that focused on organizational change management to optimize human capital through the use of key metrics that decreased turnover, increased climate and differentiated performance. Kirk has also served as a board member for national, non-profit organizations: The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA); The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE); and is actively engaged as an executive member with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA).

Kirk earned his Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources Management from Baruch College - CUNY in 1995 and his Master's Degree in Strategic & Human Resources Management from Long Island University in 1999. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and children, traveling to tropical locations, and avidly following the NY Yankees, Giants and Knicks. He attributes his success to his willingness to embrace risk in the most ambiguous of circumstances, his ability to foresee and face challenges, and the support he has received from his wife, his family and various mentors throughout his personal and professional life. Looking ahead, Kirk hopes to continue his professional growth and development through roles of increased scope and responsibility all the while building organizational capability within the human resources profession and for his company. A native New Yorker, he currently resides in Westchester county with his wife, Frances and their two children, Xavier and Evangeline.

About Cambridge Who's Who
Cambridge Who's Who is an exclusive membership organization that recognizes and empowers executives, professionals and entrepreneurs throughout the world. From healthcare to law, engineering to finance, manufacturing to education, every major industry is represented by its 400,000 active members.

Cambridge Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third party endorsement of their accomplishments and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, Cambridge Who's Who offers an online networking platform where members can establish new business relationships and achieve career advancement within their company, industry or profession.

For more information, please visit our site: Cambridge Who's Who.

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