Jennifer Pikoos

Jennifer Pikoos has been a leader in Human Resources and related functions for over 20 years, having worked in multiple industries, including automotive, banking/financial services, and biotechnology, as well as public accounting.

Prior to recently transitioning from full-time corporate positions held over the past 29 years to consulting and contract-based HR work, Jennifer held several executive HR leadership positions, including serving as the Head of Human Resources, DEI, and Corporate Facilities and Events for Kia America. Spanning 12 locations across multiple states and about 600 employees at Kia, Jennifer led all people and facilities aspects in successfully navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic while driving the on-going addition of employees and supporting Kia’s record-breaking sales and profitability. Concurrently, Jennifer also led the people, culture, and facilities for Kia’s re-branding initiatives across the U.S., incorporating a global change of its legal name, logo, and overall brand identification.

Before Kia, Jennifer led Human Resources for over 15 years at IndyMac Bank and eventually OneWest Bank before, during, and after the financial crisis of 2008. As part of the executive leadership team, she successfully helped guide these institutions through multiple acquisitions and mergers, in addition to several bank failures.

Prior to Jennifer’s career transition into HR, she was a CPA and worked as an audit manager for Deloitte & Touché for over six years. While at Deloitte, Jennifer attended UCLA’s Fully Employed MBA Program earning her MBA while working full-time. As she was completing her MBA, Jennifer was recruited by Amgen, a biopharmaceutical company, to work in the finance organization.

During her time at Amgen, Jennifer became engaged to her husband and decided it was time to make the career change that changed her life, moving from accounting and finance to human resources. Given her passion for building relationships and solving the challenges organizations face with their team members while driving business success, it was an obvious decision.

Jennifer and her husband reside in South Orange County with their two children. She currently serves as an advisory board member for the Assistance League of Laguna Beach and has previously spent considerable time volunteering for Girls Inc., Junior Achievement, Working Wardrobes, and multiple other organizations supporting the needs of young people and under-served people, schools, and communities.