Howard Salazar
About Howard Salazar
Howard Salazar serves as the Senior Vice President and Human Resources Director at Heartland Bank and Trust Company, where he has worked since 2020. He has extensive experience in human resources across various industries, including previous roles at Harley-Davidson and Hobbico.
Work at Heartland Bank and Trust
Howard Salazar currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Human Resources Director at Heartland Bank and Trust Company. He has held this position since 2020. Prior to this role, he worked as the Vice President and Human Resources Manager at the same institution, starting in 2019. His responsibilities include overseeing HR strategy, corporate policy development, and employee engagement initiatives within the organization.
Previous Experience at Harley-Davidson Motor Company
Before joining Heartland Bank and Trust, Howard Salazar worked at Harley-Davidson Motor Company for several years. He held multiple roles, including HR Manager for Sales and Channel Performance from 2011 to 2013, and HR Manager for Marketing, Parts and Accessories, General Merchandise, and Legal from 2003 to 2011. He also served as HR Operations Manager from 2013 to 2017, contributing to various HR functions during his tenure.
Education and Expertise
Howard Salazar has a solid educational background in Human Resources. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from the College of Lake County from 1989 to 1991. He then obtained a Bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1991 to 1993. He furthered his education with a Master's degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the same university in 2010. Additionally, he holds a PHR Certification, underscoring his expertise in HR practices.
Experience in HR Management
In addition to his roles at Harley-Davidson, Howard Salazar has held significant positions in other organizations. He was the HR Director at Hobbico from 2017 to 2018 and served as the Division HR Manager for Technical Paper at Kimberly-Clark from 2001 to 2003. He also worked as the Director of Human Resources for the Office of Student Affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2019. His experience spans various sectors, including manufacturing, banking, and consumer goods.
Skills and Specializations
Howard Salazar possesses a diverse skill set in human resources management. His expertise includes executive coaching, employee engagement, labor relations, and succession planning. He is also skilled in legal compliance, HRIS, mergers and acquisitions, compensation, and benefits. His comprehensive knowledge enables him to effectively develop and implement HR strategies that align with organizational goals.