Seth McColley, MBA

Founder and Principal

6 Degrees or Less · Frisco, Texas, United States

Dec 2025 – Present(5 mos)

6 Degrees or Less, LLC is a people advisory and fractional HR practice. After years of building HR functions across industries, I’m stepping into work that lets me do what I love most: help organizations grow through stronger people, better leaders, and healthier cultures. Most small and midsize companies hit a point where people and culture become business-critical - long before they’re ready for a full-time CHRO. That’s the gap fractional HR fills, and it’s where I do my best work. At 6 Degrees or Less, I focus on: - Fractional CHRO & HR Leadership for growing small and midsize companies - People Development - leadership development, culture-building, talent programs - Strategic HR Consulting - org design, M&A integration, compensation, people ops - Leadership Coaching & Speaking on leadership, culture, and connection Why the name? Because great organizations are built on connection, and we’re all closer than we think. My work has always centered on trust, alignment, and what I call “relationshiping.”

Fractional CHRO

Suite Leap · Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Jul 2025 – Present(10 mos)

Fractional executives are essential strategic partners for companies facing complex growth challenges. We deliver seasoned expertise, fresh perspective, and focused execution to drive meaningful business transformation. Suite Leap provides comprehensive fractional C-suite talent across Finance, Marketing, Operations, Technology, Sales, and Human Resources - giving businesses affordable access to executive expertise at a fraction of full-time hiring costs.

VP, HR Practice Leader

Strong Tower Partners · Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Mar 2025 – Dec 2025(10 mos)

Strong Tower Partner is a global executive search, coaching, and talent solutions firm that helps businesses curate their #1 asset - talent - by hiring and developing the right leaders to drive success. - Collaborate and consult with existing clients on organizational design, talent acquisition, and talent management strategies - Leverage professional network and Sales Navigator to create sales opportunities and generate potential leads - Utilize LinkedIn and social media techniques to expand presence and reach target audiences - Partner with new and existing clients to support their temporary (interim/fractional) HR needs Target markets include private equity, family offices, and mid-market organizations.

Vice President Human Resources

ITOCHU Building Products Holdings, Inc. · Dallas, Texas, United States

Sep 2022 – Mar 2025(2 yrs 7 mos)

ITOCHU Building Products Holdings Inc. (IBP) is a holding company formed in April 2022 and headquartered in Dallas, TX. IBP is responsible for overseeing subsidiaries related to North American building products such as Master Halco, Alta Forest Products, US Premier Tube Mills, and Daiken North America Limited. - Worked alongside the executive leadership team of the holding company (IBP) and the four CEOs of each operating company to ensure HR strategies aligned with business objectives - Managed HR and Payroll functions and activities for a combined workforce of nearly 2,000 employees, from talent acquisition and talent development to employee relations and total rewards - Led the cross-functional effort to create a shared services organization (IBP) comprised of HR, Finance & Accounting, and IT employees from the four operating companies; expected net savings of $1.5M in the first year - Led a team of up to 22 HR professionals across the US and Canada, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values - Spearheaded HR initiatives for all merger and acquisition activities (e.g., due diligence, post-merger integration, etc.), ensuring smooth transitions, compliance, and retention of key talent, contributing to successful organizational growth and expansion - Initiated a dependent verification audit with an investment of $28k to achieve estimated savings of nearly $250k - Transformed and implemented strategies to enhance efficiency in benefits administration, payroll processes, and performance management, resulting in improved productivity and reduced overhead costs

Vice President Human Resources

Kirby-Smith Machinery, Inc. · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

Feb 2019 – Jul 2022(3 yrs 6 mos)

- Built the HR function, as their first HR Executive, focusing on process improvement, cost reduction, and team development - Updated the performance review process by revising and standardizing review forms and shifting all employees to one, consistent annual cadence; successfully managed a 4.5% merit budget in Spring 2022 - Successfully navigated the leadership team through the company's first-ever RIF event in Spring 2020 as the pandemic forced the organization to eliminate headcount and reduce costs (greater than $1.2M), impacting 38 employees - Improved recruiting and retention efforts through the creation of a manager training course focused on HR and Safety, implementing a 45-day new hire survey, organizing focus groups with key employees, and upgrading ATS in Spring 2020 - Led benefits committee and set overall total rewards strategy, reducing and managing costs (self-funded, $6.3M budget); successfully led the effort to transition to a new benefits broker in June 2021, which yielded a $2MM laser being removed from our stop loss renewal and 36% reduction in plan renewal costs (for 2022 plan year)

Talent Acquisition Manager

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. · Dallas, Texas

Apr 2016 – Nov 2018(2 yrs 8 mos)

- Led the talent acquisition efforts for McCarthy’s Southern Region, from Texas to the Carolinas, to attract and hire top talent - Full-cycle recruiting that included experienced professionals, college graduates, and interns - Managed and led the region’s Intern Advantage program focused on college recruiting efforts for 20+ programs across the United States, hiring 40-50 summer interns each year - Partnered with the executive champion to revamp the interview processes and enhance the candidate experience - Built and improved the overall interviewing capability of hiring managers through training, co-interviewing, and coaching

Director, Field Human Resources

Team Car Care Dba Jiffy Lube · Dallas, Texas

Oct 2014 – Oct 2015(1 yr 1 mo)

- Provided HR guidance and counsel to the Executive Leadership Team and seven Regional Vice Presidents - Led an HR team that supported both Field Operations across 550+ locations and the Store Support Center based in Dallas - Partnered with leaders to set the people agenda, develop recruiting strategy, and build the capability of Field Operations - Managed the entire recruiting function for Field Operations, including an RPO team focused on store-level management - Revised background check and drug testing policies to be more competitive, saving more than $200k annually - Created and implemented a referral program, online exit interview, and a 90-day new hire survey across the system - With oversight by the private equity leadership team, I built a project plan and strategy to centralize the entire Field HR function, resulting in a significant headcount reduction, increased efficiency, and annual cost savings of more than $600k

Director, Human Resources

Zimbra · Frisco, Texas

Jul 2013 – Oct 2014(1 yr 4 mos)

- Led the HR function of a collaboration start-up software company in high-growth mode globally - Primarily responsible for talent acquisition, performance management, benefits administration, employee engagement, employee relations, compensation and benefits, and vendor management across offices in North America, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Singapore, and Latin America - Integrated more than 80 VMware employees and hired more than 100 new employees worldwide within 15 months when the company acquired an entire business unit (Zimbra) of VMware - Managed an HR team in the U.S. and worked closely with BPO partners in India, Singapore, Japan, and the UK to establish payroll practices, implement HR policies, and create benefits administration guidelines

Director, Human Resources

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits · Dallas, Texas

Jul 2011 – Aug 2012(1 yr 2 mos)

- Partnered with the executive leadership team to create and drive the people strategy for two sales divisions, comprised of five distribution centers and more than 2,000 employees in Texas - Led the recruitment, acquisition, and onboarding of four executive-level sales leaders from external suppliers - Partnered with the corporate HR team on change management efforts, creating new policies and processes, redesigning and enhancing the intranet site, and establishing the HR Business Partner model - Managed and led a team of HR professionals who provided field-level support to Sales and Operations

Human Resources Manager

Pizza Hut · Plano, Texas

Sep 2009 – Jun 2011(1 yr 10 mos)

- Provided HR support for corporate staff in Plano, TX, and Help Desk operations in Louisville, KY - Coached executive-level leaders, senior managers, and associates through Yum!’s Building People Capability cycle, which included an in-depth talent review and individual development plans for all associates - Managed costs related to severance and relocation, with an annual budget greater than $1MM - Mentored four HR summer interns who were all offered full-time positions

People Capability Leader

Pizza Hut · Greater Denver Area

Apr 2007 – Sep 2009(2 yrs 6 mos)

- Provided HR leadership for company-owned operations in Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Spokane - Drove each region's people strategy and key people processes and metrics through strategic partnerships with region directors, spending 20% of the time in restaurants, facilitating monthly workforce planning meetings, assessing and calibrating talent quarterly, and driving compliance - Piloted Yum!’s wellness initiative in the Phoenix region, which led to a successful nationwide wellness program - Created a timeline and the process to address the federal government's No Match initiative, first in Arizona (2007) and then nationally (2008), impacting more than 1,100 associates nationally - Created and piloted an exit interview process across five regions and more than 400 restaurants

Senior Human Resources Manager

AT&T

Sep 1999 – Apr 2007(7 yrs 8 mos)

Nearly eight years with the telecom giant formerly known as AT&T Wireless Services (owned by AT&T) which spun off from AT&T to become AT&T Wireless Group, which was bought by Cingular Wireless (largest acquisition in U.S. history at the time...$41B) only to become known as the AT&T you know today. - Provided HR leadership for the Rocky Mountain Region, with operations in Colorado, Utah, and Boise - Led HR programs and strategies as a member of the region leadership team, including employee relations, labor relations, compensation, and general HR practices - Along with senior management, developed strategies to increase productivity, reduce turnover, optimize staffing, and execute action items developed in regular strategic planning sessions - Partnered with union leaders (Communications Workers of America) on employee relations matters. - Provided HR leadership for two separate call center operations, with an employee population of more than 1000, and managed a team of three HR professionals - Engineered and led workforce consolidation efforts for two separate departments, resulting in a 33% headcount reduction - Provided HR support for the entire HR organization (300+ associates) - Led a project team of functional partners to build, from scratch, a web-based Employee Separation Process for the company’s entire employee population - Partnered with HR senior management on compensation projects, performance management matters, change management efforts, employee recognition, and HR strategy - Chosen to lead the HR effort in shutting down AT&T Fixed Wireless. Partnered with internal HR subject matter experts and exiting HR staff to successfully redeploy more than 1000 employees over a 12-month period - Provided HR leadership and support Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis markets

Human Resources Generalist

KBR · Houston, Texas Area

Mar 1997 – Sep 1999(2 yrs 7 mos)

KBR, Inc. (formerly known as Kellogg, Brown & Root), was previously a subsidiary of Halliburton. - Provided HR support for KBR’s Maintenance Operations organization - Partnered with management to resolve employee relations, compensation and benefits matters - Facilitated on-site training on OFCCP compliance, EEO/AAP compliance, Sexual Harassment, and Dispute Resolution for front-line supervisors and employees - Spent the early part of my career in Employee Services and Benefits