Building a Total Rewards Function for a 36,000 Employee Utility Services Company

CLIENT

Asplundh

INDUSTRY

Tree & Utility Services

SOLUTION

Contained Search

SIZE

36,000 employees

ROLES FILLED

Vice President of Total Rewards

IMPACT

Built rewards framework

Background

Asplundh is one of the largest utility and vegetation management companies in the world, employing more than 36,000 people across North America. As the organization evolved, Asplundh sought to modernize and elevate its total rewards function. This included introducing a formal compensation structure and building a team capable of supporting enterprise-wide workforce planning.

The Challenge

The company needed to hire its first Vice President of Total Rewards — a senior leader who could design and implement compensation strategy, build out a scalable framework, oversee benefits, and advise executive leadership. The role required deep analytical capability, experience leading total rewards transformation, and the ability to operate within a complex, distributed environment.

Juno’s Approach

Through a contained model, Juno partnered directly with HR leadership to refine the role profile and identify the competencies most critical for long-term success. The HR & TA practice team focused on passive networks and senior-level niche talent pools, prioritizing candidates with experience leading compensation strategy for large, multi-location organizations. Outreach emphasized strategic influence, systems thinking, and the ability to modernize structures at scale.

The Outcome

Juno successfully placed a Vice President of Total Rewards with robust experience building compensation frameworks, leading benefits strategy, and guiding enterprise-level total rewards evolution. The candidate integrated quickly and brought clarity and structure to a function ready for modernization. Asplundh also expressed strong satisfaction with the recruitment experience.

Lasting Impact

The placement enabled Asplundh to establish a strategic foundation for compensation and benefits, supporting consistent, scalable growth across a large workforce. The company has since re-engaged Juno to fill additional specialized HR roles, including a Technical Oracle Fusion SME.