Kawel B. LauBach

Principal, HR & OD Practice Leader, and Executive Coach

Kawel LauBach is an exceptionally accomplished Human Resources and Organization Development executive with an extensive, proven track record of building high performance organizations. His 30 years of experience in Operations, HR, and leadership roles within aviation, biotechnology, healthcare, hospitality, and logistics have included Fortune 500 companies of Caesars, United Parcel Service, and most notably, Southwest Airlines. His strength as a strategic and market-differentiating executive emerged from his adept operations expertise coupled with HR and OD savvy.

Kawel’s leadership has been honored with numerous awards in his career including “Global CHRO of The Year” (HRO Today, 2015) for closely linking employee and customer experience with oversight of both within the HR function, “America’s Best Employers” (Forbes) as a premier workplace for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment for the first time in its twenty-year history, and “40 Under Forty” (The Times Leader, 2010) for his innovation in business.

A visionary within the Human Resource leadership community, Kawel is accredited for developing targeted business and human capital strategies that are culture-centric, goal-oriented, and budget-sensitive. He provides organizations with his proven, uncanny ability to collaborate across every level and function of the organization, with the distinct ability to elevate performance. An expert in managing vast HR operations including workforce and succession planning, employment branding, employee acquisition and staffing, organizational design, talent development, labor and employee relations, total rewards, HR metrics and analytics, and compliance Kawel enhances overall HR effectiveness while boosting employee engagement and retention as well as organizational productivity.

Kawel has held numerous executive roles including Chief Executive Officer for a fully vertical biotech company he started where his entrepreneurial efforts effectively branded, developed, and produced naturopathic, nano-emulsified formulas for improved pain, anxiety, and sleep management. He also has held Chief Human Resource Officer roles for Turning Stone Enterprises, Signature Healthcare, and Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment (global), all distinguished brands. Kawel’s primary contribution was in providing measurable and quantifiable realities while creating winning, best in class workplace cultures and significantly contributing to other top business awards.

Prior to becoming CHRO, Kawel held HR leadership roles, responsible for employee relations within the celebrated People Department across the vast and rapidly expanding Southwest Airlines. His ability to collaborate with senior Southwest executives, including former CEO Herb Kelleher, provide a leading- edge basis which he successfully implemented in numerous organizations while Director HR (Caesars), Director of HR (Mohegan), Vice President of Administration (Mohegan). Further, the opportunity to develop and hone his management skills within both Southwest Airlines Ramp and United Parcel Service Hub operations, provides sound credibility to his strategic mindset and counsel. Additionally, he has served on non-profit boards to assist children with early learning intervention, DEI, and leadership development.

Kawel earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from the University of Louisville.