Fractional CHRO & Risk Mitigation Advisor
Growing companies make consequential people decisions every day — often without anyone in the room who has seen how those decisions play out. Payne Business Advisors brings 25 years of executive HR experience — through Landon Johns — to founders and boards who need a trusted partner, not another consultant.
"He doesn't tell you what HR policy says. He tells you what it means for your business — and what to do about it."
CEO, Manufacturing — 500 employees
Who I Am
Most HR advisors have studied the problems. I've lived them — as an HR executive in the room when the charge landed, when the acquisition closed, when the leader needed to go. From plant floors to Fortune 500 boardrooms, I've built teams, resolved crises, and helped companies find their footing during the moments that matter most.
What I bring isn't a framework. It's clarity — earned over 25 years of genuine partnership with the CEOs, boards, and people who make businesses run.
Humility
I'm not here to be the smartest person in the room. I'm here to help you make the best decision for your business and your people.
Clarity
When things are complicated, you don't need more information — you need someone who can cut through and tell you exactly where you stand.
Execution
Advice alone doesn't protect your company. I stay with you through the work — investigation, mediation, board briefing, and resolution.
Genuine Partnership
I measure success by your outcomes — not my hours. Your company's integrity and continued growth are always the goal.
What I Do
Whether you're navigating a specific risk or building the people infrastructure your growth requires, I come in as a business partner first. The HR expertise follows.
HR Compliance & Regulatory Risk
EEOC charges, wage and hour exposure, policy gaps — I assess where you stand, prepare your response, and build the structure to prevent recurrence.
Employment Practices Liability
When a claim or charge arrives, you need someone who has been on both sides of the table. I guide you through the response with calm, experienced precision.
Workplace Investigations
Objective, thorough, and defensible. I conduct investigations that protect the company's integrity and give leadership the clarity they need to act decisively.
M&A HR Due Diligence
Before a deal closes, the people and HR risks deserve the same scrutiny as the financials. I surface what's there so you can negotiate, plan, and integrate without surprises.
Leadership & Culture Alignment
Growth stalls when leadership behavior and company values fall out of alignment. I help you identify it early, address it directly, and build the cohesion your team needs to execute.
Fractional CHRO / HR Leadership
On retainer or interim — I serve as your senior HR executive without the full-time overhead. Boards and CEOs gain a trusted, experienced voice in the leadership conversation.
Results
This is what it looks like to have the right partner in the room before, during, and after a high-stakes HR event.
Case Study — Manufacturing, 500 Employees
The situation
A 500-person manufacturer was hit with an EEOC charge of racial discrimination following a termination. The company faced potential liability, reputational risk, and an urgent need for board-level clarity on their exposure and options.
What we did
Within 90 days: a thorough investigation was completed, a defensible position statement prepared, the board and executive team briefed on potential actions, and a clear mitigation path laid out. I participated in every mediation meeting through to resolution.
How We Work Together
Every engagement is different. Some companies need a steady partner over time. Others need focused, high-intensity support for a specific situation. I'm built for both.
Monthly Retainer
Ongoing strategic HR and risk advisory — a consistent, senior voice in your leadership conversations without a full-time hire.
Project-Based
Focused engagement for a specific challenge: a charge response, a policy overhaul, an investigation, a due diligence review.
On-Call Advisory
Access when you need it. For CEOs and boards who want a trusted expert available the moment a situation surfaces.
Interim CHRO
Embedded part-time leadership during a transition, a search, or a period of accelerated growth. Full executive capability, fractional commitment.
Let's Talk
Whether you're managing an active situation or building the people foundation your next stage of growth requires, a conversation costs nothing — and clarity is worth everything.