Recent Assignments

Wayne has been a key senior human resources leader for Kennametal Inc. during the past twelve years. He was promoted three times during the last seven years where he served as an executive leader overseeing the field human resources function for the entire U.S. and Latin American manufacturing operations. He has successfully managed over thirty staff and administrative team members.
While Wayne has an exceptional background in union avoidance and positive employee relations, he also excels in labor relations and contract negotiations. Recently, he negotiated the traditional three year agreements at two locations to four year contracts with the United Electrical Workers and the Steelworkers saving the company over $250,000 in reduced year over year wages and benefits, plus travel and administrative costs.

Experience and Expertise

Wayne Thompson is an experienced professional who has managed all aspects of the human resources function with responsibilities for thirty-four manufacturing locations and over 4,000 employees in a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Having over thirty years of experience in human resources, he possesses a tremendous level of skill in developing highly committed workforces through the utilization of numerous positive employee and labor relations processes and techniques. His union avoidance strategies have proven to be very effective even during the height of a union campaign. He is uniquely able to determine the right balance of fairness for both the employee and the business. As a strategic partner to senior management, he has successfully lead major change initiatives by aligning human capital with the needs of the business.
As an exceptional strategist, Wayne has effectively aligned the human capital resources at all of his locations to meet the challenging business demands. Some examples are; the introduction of union avoidance/positive employee relations processes, the integration of standardized employee rewards and recognition /communications plans, and the implementation of hourly associates merit based pay programs. These strategies have saved the company millions of dollars in avoidance of legal fees, union campaign expenses, increased employee performance, morale, and commitment.
Wayne is highly innovative in his approach to maximize the human resources commitment to the business. He has demonstrated the ability to implement rapid transitions that positively impact the bottom line while balancing the needs of all employees.

Education, Special Training and Certifications

Wayne has a Masters of Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Presbyterian College.