Work has never stopped evolving and we’ve been studying it for decades. We have studied the interconnectivity of jobs that makes teams teams; we know what it means to build multidisciplinary organizations and to celebrate everyone’s contribution to the mission. We have the tools.
We can help you.
We know that working in HR is not easy. The Human Resources function must constantly uphold the integrity of organizational policy, build cohesion across the workforce, and align capacity to mission. We’ve been in your shoes. Our principal consultants have worked as HR professionals for some of the largest, most complex global employers in the world. We’re ready to help.
— Carla Lazarte, Head of People and Organizational Development, International Potato Center
The inspiration for the Birches Group name comes from the poetry of Robert Frost. In Frost’s poetry, much imagery is taken from nature including those of birch trees. Birch trees are distinctive. They are not among the largest trees in the forest, but they are among the most distinctive, flexible, and hardy. In our work with clients, we understand that organizations are not static entities, but living communities. Like a forest, organizations need to find flexibility, diversity, and a capacity of sustained renewal to remain healthy and vibrant.
“So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It’s when I’m weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood….
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.”– Robert Frost
The Birches Group Team provides a unique combination of hands-on experience, broad-based knowledge in managing international human resources programs, and designing and implementing innovative and practical policies at some significant global institutions.
Managing Partner
Gary is a founder and managing partner of Birches Group, based in New York. He provides executive leadership to the firm. Gary specializes in Organization Design, including Job Design, Skills Assessment, and Performance Management, and has led large-scale projects for many of our clients in these areas. Gary is the primary designer of our Community™ methodology, and an expert on the history and evolution of work. Before forming Birches Group, Gary had a long career with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), where he was responsible for compensation and HR policy.
Partner
Lars is a founder and partner of Birches Group, and managing director of Birches Umeå, based in Umeå, Sweden. Lars is an expert data modeler, and provides special analyses with rich, graphical elements for many of our consulting projects. He also works with clients on salary scale design. Lars is one of the architects of our survey methodology and Indigo™ software, and continues to innovate and improve our tools and systems. Prior to Birches Group, Lars was part of the team that managed salary surveys for the UN system.
Partner
Lulu is a founding partner of Birches Group. She is responsible for oversight of our Operations Center in Manila, Philippines, and works with select clients on compensation surveys and scale design projects. Lulu has worked on many projects involving staff unions and other groups where complex and difficult compensation issues needed to be addressed. Lulu was a career UN employee and part of the UNDP compensation team. Lulu splits her time between our offices in New York and Manila.
Partner
Jeff is a founder and partner at Birches Group in New York. Jeff manages some of our most important client relationships with large, international public sector organizations, and oversees the development and evolution of our technology solutions to ensure alignment with client needs. Prior to forming Birches Group, Jeff gained nine years of developing market compensation experience as part of the UNDP compensation team. He is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and is an attorney admitted to the New York State Bar.
Partner
Warren joined Birches Group in New York as a partner in 2007, following a long career in Compensation and Benefits at Colgate-Palmolive. He held the position of Director, International Compensation for 10 years immediately prior to joining Birches Group. Warren has broad experience working across the globe with clients on local national and expatriate compensation projects. He leads our Business Development and Client Services teams, and manages our strategic partnerships around the world. Warren previously held leadership positions for the Expatriate Management Committee of the National Foreign Trade Council and was president of the Latin America Compensation and Benefits Forum.
Manager, Consulting and Project Management
Bea is the leader of our business with large international public sector organizations and manages our team of project managers. She has been with Birches Group since the inception of the company and has a wide range of experience with our clients, products, and services. Prior to this role, Bea was the manager of our Manila Data Center.
Manager, Design and Strategy
PJ leads our Design and Strategy Team in Manila, focusing on the continuing evolution of our products and services. His team also provides consulting services in the areas of organization design, job evaluation, scale design, training, skills assessment, and performance management. PJ began his Birches Group career as a survey analyst in 2006.
Manager, Survey Operations
Sleg manages our survey operations team, which is responsible for securing data, data analysis, and survey production for our surveys in over 150 countries. She began her Birches Group career as a survey analyst, serving as a team leader for Latin America before assuming her current role. Sleg is a fluent Spanish speaker.
Manager, Business Development — Multisector
Len leads our Business Development Team for multisector (corporate and smaller international government clients) in Manila. Her team is responsible for managing sales and survey participation, and works closely with our strategic partners to continuously grow our business and ensure we are meeting our clients’ needs. Len began her Birches Group career as a survey analyst for Latin America, also serving as Team Leader for Latin America and for East Africa, before assuming her current role. Len is also a fluent Spanish speaker.
Manager, IT
Ryan is the leader of our information technology group in Manila. Ryan and his team are responsible for the development and maintenance of our proprietary software systems, and provides support for computer operations in Manila. Ryan began his Birches Group career as a systems analyst and has progressed to his current role over a 10-year tenure.
Senior Consultant, International Development
Curtis leads the Birches Group International Development Practice, including our business with international NGOs and other international development clients. He also manages our NGO Business Development Team in Manila. Prior to joining Birches Group, Curtis had a long career with another consultancy, and prior to that, functional HR roles for the Methodist Church. He has been working with development organizations for over 20 years and understands the unique challenges development- and mission-driven organizations face in managing their human resources. He is based in Savannah, Georgia.
Manager, Consulting and Projects
Benette manages large, specialized consulting projects and key client relationships. Benette began her Birches Group career as a Compensation Analyst in 2006 and has progressed to oversee our client relations and sales teams before moving to her current role under consulting and project management. Benette is a fluent Francophone.
Manager, Consulting and Projects
Reena manages large, specialized consulting projects, key client relationships, as well as oversees the implementation of Performance Management with key clients. Reena began her Birches Group career as a Compensation Analyst in 2010 and has progressed to become a Team Lead for the Africa region and managed many of our specialized surveys in different countries, before assuming her current role under consulting and project management. Reena is also a fluent French-speaker.
Lead, Scale Design Services
Mancel leads our Scale Design Team in Manila. Her team delivers a program of scale design projects across all three of our client groups but has extensive experience with the international development sector. She began her Birches Group career as a Compensation Analyst in 2011 before becoming a Senior Analyst for our Africa survey team.
Senior Specialist, Marketing
Bianca manages our Marketing Team in Manila. She crafts messaging around Community™ concepts and develops promotional campaigns answering why Community™ should be each organization’s preferred solution, focusing on its simplicity and integrated approach. She has held various roles within Birches Group since 2009, starting as a Compensation Analyst and worked her way to Compensation Team Lead, and Training Program Services Manager. In addition to her current role in marketing and communications, she represents Birches Group in international HR conferences with private sector audiences.
Lead, Organization Design and Training
Trixia leads our Organization Design team in Manila. Her team executes specialized OD consulting projects, covering job evaluation, job structure design, and training. Trixia also leads the development of content and design of different outputs for our Community™ integrated platform. Trixia held various roles in Birches Group, starting as a Compensation Analyst in our Africa team in 2012, working her way to a Senior Analyst role under our Client Relations Team and later as a Training and Organizational Development Associate.
Specialist, Skills and Performance
Marie analyzes skills and performance management issues presented by client organizations and within as need in Birches Group. She also demonstrates in depth knowledge of the Community™ methodology and provides refined insight to support optimal assessment of skills and performance found in the workforce. Through the application of the Community™ methodologies, Marie delivers analyses which explicitly value experience and ensures gender neutral treatment of the workforce concerning the value of experience and performance..
Senior Developer, IT
Jefferson is part of our Information Technology Team in Manila. As Senior Developer, he leads the design and implementation of our web-based Community™ platform and each of its solutions. Jefferson joined Birches Group in 2017 but has had extensive experience in program development.
Team Lead, Client Services
JM manages our Client Services Team in Manila. Her team receives and addresses queries and support requirements of clients, from access to our different Community™ solutions, product demonstrations, and ongoing support. JM began her career at Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst, then moved into a Senior Analyst role under our NGO Engagement team before assuming her current role under Client Services.
Team Lead, Business Development – Multisector for Europe, the Middle East and Africa
Kipp oversees engagement activities for private sector and international organization clients in multiple countries. He works closely with our business development team to grow survey participation and identify further business opportunities in collaboration with our strategic partners. Kipp began his career in Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst in the Asia regional team, moved into a Senior Analyst role under our Europe and Middle East team before moving into Business Development.
Team Lead, Business Development – Multisector for Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean
Josef also oversees engagement activities for our private sector and international organization clients in multiple countries. He works closely with our business development team to grow survey participation and identify further business opportunities in collaboration with our strategic partners. Josef began his career in Birches Group as an Account Executive, then Senior Account Executive under our Outreach team before assuming the Team Lead role in Business Development.
Team Lead, Business Development – NGO
Timmy oversees engagement activities for our NGO sector clients in multiple countries. She works closely with our business development team to grow survey participation and identify further business opportunities on different Community™ solutions to our clients. Timmy began her career in Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst then transitioned to Senior Analyst under our NGO engagement team before moving into Business Development.
Team Lead, Business Development – NGO
Sheila oversees engagement activities for our NGO sector clients in multiple countries. She works closely with our business development team to grow survey participation and identify further business opportunities on different Community™ solutions to our clients. Sheila began her career in Birches Group in 2015 as a Compensation Analyst in 2015, then transitioned to Senior Account Executive under our Business Development team.
Team Lead – Survey Operations, East Africa and Asia
Dani oversees quality control and delivery of our compensation surveys in our East Africa and Asia regions. She has regional expertise in these markets and leads a team of analysts responsible for securing data, data analysis, and survey production. She began her career in Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst in our Latin America team, became Team Lead for Latin America before assuming her current role overseeing East Africa and Asia.
Team Lead – Survey Operations, Latin America and the Caribbean
Stephanie oversees quality control and delivery of our compensation surveys in our Latin American and Caribbean regions. She has regional expertise in these markets and leads a team of analysts responsible for securing data, data analysis, and survey production. She began her career in Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst in our Latin America team, then Senior Analyst before assuming her role as Team Lead. She speaks fluent Spanish.
Team Lead – Survey Operations, Europe and the Middle East
Alexis oversees quality control and delivery of our compensation surveys in our Europe and Middle East regions. She has regional expertise in these markets and leads a team of analysts responsible for securing data, data analysis, and survey production. Alexis began her career in Birches Group as a Compensation Analyst under our Africa team, then Senior Analyst before assuming her role as Team Lead.
Explore our Insights library to see our latest thought pieces, articles, data, and best practices in the integrated workforce management for the international development community.
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Money is the not the only way to engage staff, but it's a key part of your Employment Value Proposition. To effectively attract, retain and motivate your staff, you better get the money right! But you need more. You need an effective HR infrastructure.
Our global scope can help you reach the local talent you need. We have built an extensive network with international and local HR and business/industry associations, constantly expanding opportunities to serve our clients and deepening relationships with our partner organizations.
See what it’s like to work with a group of highly analytical and creative individuals who like collaborating with people and are curious about what drives work in the different corners of the world.
About Our Team
We’d love to hear from you about how we can help your organization thrive in your development efforts.