Deborah Jacques has more than 20 years of experience as a Compensation professional, designing compensation programs and processes for organizations such as Dunkin Brands, LL Bean, and Liberty Group. At KMA, as Compensation Consultant, her areas of focus include executive compensation, base pay administration and design, incentive administration and design, salary structures, and job and market evaluations.
Prior to joining KMA, Deborah was Compensation Manager for Dunkin Brands. Before that, she worked at LL Bean for 10 years where she held roles as Leader, Compensation Consulting Group and Senior Compensation Analyst. Before that, she held roles of Assistant Vice President, Compensation, Senior Compensation Analyst, and Compensation Analyst at Liberty Group in Boston.
Deborah is a Member of World at Work Society for Certified Professionals, the Human Resources Association of Southern Maine, Maine Compensation Group (Founder), Maine Women’s Network, the New England Compensation Consortium (Steering Committee Member), the New England Human Resource Association (Chairperson, Comp Special Interest Group), and the National Association of Professional Women.
She earned a Masters of Science in Management Degree with specialization in Human Resources from Lesley University in Cambridge, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with minors in economics and psychology from the University of New Hampshire in Durham. She earned her Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification through World at Work.
Deborah lives in Auburn with her husband and one son. She enjoys traveling, being outdoors, camping, hiking, and kayaking, but most of all spending time with her family and friends.
Why did you choose to work in HR?
Professionally, I started out in banking, but an opportunity arose to work in compensation management, which turned out to be a nice fit for me. I liked the blend of people and finance, and went on to earn a Masters in Management with a specialization in Human Resources.
What do you like best about your work as an HR Professional?
Working in compensation management and analysis puts me in a position to help businesses manage their compensation dollars more effectively, while they also do their best to reward employees for demonstrating behaviors the company wants. It’s a win-win for the employer and the employees.
What is one takeaway from your work experience you’d like to share with others?
I worked on a significant project at one of my previous employers to lead the design of a new base pay compensation program. For most employers, wages are usually a top expense item, so how you approach compensation can be quite strategic and dramatically affect the bottom line. Do it well, and you help the organization reward behaviors that drive success, which boosts employee engagement plus aids in recruitment and retention.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in Auburn with my husband and son. I enjoy traveling, being outdoors, camping, hiking, and kayaking, but most of all spending time with my family and friends.