Yolanda Watson

Compensation and total rewards professional with extensive experience building market-based pay programs, improving HR operations, and supporting compliance across higher education and corporate environments. Currently a Compensation Analyst at Lamar University (since 2022), she partners on compensation planning, job analysis, and pay strategy execution. Previously, she worked as a consultant with LEAP HR Consulting, helping organizations implement total rewards strategies, strengthen HR operations, and optimize HRIS platforms such as PeopleSoft, Paycom, Ceridian, ADP Payroll, and Paychex. She also served as Human Resources Director at Philander Smith College, leading HR operations spanning payroll, benefits, employee relations, performance management, and Title IX investigations while overseeing HRIS performance and vendor negotiations. Earlier in her career, she spent 15 years at McKesson as a Senior Compensation Analyst, managing job evaluations, market pricing, incentive plans, workforce analytics, and enterprise compensation cycles across multiple business units.