Retensa

Employee Retention Consultants at Retensa

“The mechanics of industry is easy. The real engine is the people: their motivation and direction.” –Ken Gilbert

Companies grow with courageous, inquisitive, and innovative people. Retensa stays dedicated to this formula, and has become the most recognized Employee Retention Experts in the world. Selected Retensa team bios and advisors are listed below. Great appreciation goes out to each one for their hard work and commitment to our vision.

Carol Ann Caccioppoli: Program Director, Training

Carol Ann Caccioppoli has over 25 years of experience in learning and development, with a focus on training and retaining employees. She has applied proven strategies in manager effectiveness, interpersonal skills, organizational change, project management, and cross-generational motivation for clients such as KPMG LLP, Chevrolet, Bayer, and Costco. As a Vice President at Prudential Securities, she led a team that delivered customer service and leadership training across national and international operations. She collaborated with senior leaders, line managers, and administrative staff to design and launch a mentor program that served 17,000 employees.

Carol Ann has led off-site leadership training sessions for groups ranging from 5 to over 500 managers and supervisors. She has delivered management training from Tampa to Tokyo, addressing workforce challenges in retail, manufacturing, and transportation. Her work has improved employee morale and training satisfaction scores, increased business performance through better personnel use, and significantly reduced turnover and absenteeism at a retail bank. She has a strong record of helping companies shift their culture. Carol Ann has also taught as adjunct faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Hofstra University, and currently teaches in the GOAL MBA program at Adelphi University.

Chason Hecht: CEO

Chason Hecht is a leader in employee retention and the founder of Retensa, a company that tackles the social, operational, and financial costs of employee turnover. He built Retensa into a global provider of retention programs, operating in 59 countries and 22 languages. Recognized as a top expert in the field, Chason has been featured by NBC News, ABC News, Forbes, BusinessWeek, the Associated Press, HR Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the World Policy Journal, and the United Nations. He is a frequent keynote speaker around the world and publishes Employee Retention News. Earlier in his career, he served as Vice President of Operations at an international manufacturer, where he led employee recognition programs and ERP software initiatives. He also managed a $40 million IT budget across the US and Europe as Manager of Technology at a global consulting firm.

Beyond his professional work, Chason has bicycled across the United States, climbed Mt. Fuji, and worked with the Israeli army.

Dana Small: Director, Employee Experience

Dana Small is a seasoned talent management professional with expertise in survey design, analysis, and understanding employee perceptions. She creates employee surveys for clients worldwide, including private companies, public institutions, educational organizations, and nonprofits, ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of employees. Her experience spans Exit Interviews, Employee Engagement, Program Evaluation, Training Needs Assessments, and Employee Commitment. She has deep industry knowledge in accounting, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology, and professional services.
Dana also improves hiring and selection programs by developing workplace competency models, building competency-based organizational structures, and implementing performance rating tools. She has created and launched enterprise-wide mentoring programs, handling needs assessments, mentor and mentee selection, and training. Before joining Retensa, Dana worked at AIG, where she evaluated leadership training initiatives. She holds a BA in Psychology, cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University, and an MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University, where she was a Masters Scholar.

David Mazer: Project Manager, Services

David is a skilled talent management professional who contributes to Retensa’s training program development, employee survey design, advanced analytics, and performance management strategies. He specializes in creating and delivering leadership development and performance management training. His survey expertise includes New Hire, Quality of Hire, Work Climate, Employee Commitment, Exit Interviews, and Upward Evaluation surveys. He analyzes turnover data and provides actionable recommendations to strengthen employee retention. Before joining Retensa, David led the human resources department at a boutique hospitality company.
He holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from Long Island University and a Ph.D. in Applied Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University. His research focuses on team dynamics, and he co-authored a book chapter titled “What Matters for Team Cohesion Measurement? A Synthesis.” David regularly presents his findings at conferences such as the Eastern Psychological Association, the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, and the Association for Psychological Science.

David Sperber: Project Manager, Software

David Sperber brings strategic thinking, data-driven insights, and a strong focus on employee wellbeing to help organizations enhance their employee experience. He works closely with small and mid-sized businesses to understand their specific challenges and create tailored retention strategies that align with their goals. He believes that effective talent management uses data to attract and retain top talent, and that predictive insights can shape environments where employees thrive.

Devoreaux LaVoie: Manager, Talent Operations

David applies his passion for analytics and visualization to build advanced dashboards and reports that give organizations a deeper understanding of their workforce. Before joining Retensa, he consulted for Lander College in Queens, where he identified key drivers of student engagement and designed interventions to improve retention. He earned his Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Touro University, graduating with honors. Outside of work, David enjoys mountain climbing, reading across genres, and playing guitar at full volume.

Devoreaux LaVoie is a talent management professional with deep experience in talent acquisition, development, and employee retention. She specializes in training services, survey design, and qualitative data analysis to create customized solutions that strengthen the employer-employee relationship. She leads a team that delivers insights across the employee experience, including onboarding, learning and development, organizational leadership, and performance management.
Devoreaux has led People and Culture projects for a wide range of clients, developing strategic plans that boost motivation and engagement. Her work includes improving employee experience at every stage of the employee lifecycle and implementing tools that support organizational change. She graduated with honors from New York University, earning both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts. She enjoys traveling and has visited six of the seven continents. In her free time, she might be found sipping a margarita or catching a Broadway show.

Diksha Mangtani: Talent Analytics Manager

Diksha Mangtani leads the Analytics Services team at Retensa, where she delivers workforce insights using machine learning and predictive modeling to reduce employee turnover. She helps multinational clients answer key workforce questions and make informed decisions about organizational change and people strategy, while maintaining high standards in analytics. Diksha holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Baruch College, CUNY, and a Master’s degree in Applied Psychology from the University of Mumbai. She has developed personality assessments based on the Five-Factor Model and conducted research on workplace emotions, focusing on how self-efficacy can reduce envy and improve performance.
With a background as a psychotherapist, Diksha brings a diagnostic mindset to uncover meaningful organizational insights. She combines technical expertise with a deep understanding of human behavior to drive impactful change. Outside of work, she is a passionate soccer fan and a devoted metal music enthusiast; you’ll often find her headbanging to her favorite tracks.

Greg Stanley: Technology Manager

Greg Stanley leads software development operations for Retensa’s Technology division. A lifelong coder, he began programming in 1981 on a Texas Instruments TI-99/4A and later earned a degree in Computer Science from Millersville University. Over the past 20 years, Greg built a reputation as a creative problem solver and expert in Adobe ColdFusion. He has developed software solutions for medical institutions, national retailers, and global publishers. At the Chicago Tribune, he created systems that allowed hundreds of users to instantly search tens of millions of historical ads. For the LA Times, he engineered tools to process hundreds of XML layouts per minute.
Greg specializes in building applications, websites, and automating workflows to accelerate business results. His work focuses on solving complex challenges with practical, scalable solutions. While technology continues to evolve, Greg holds firm to one belief: with a computer, you can change the world.

Ishita Arora: Project Manager – Technology

Ishita is a certified Scrum Product Owner who collaborates with the technology team to develop new features and workforce dashboards for TalentPulse. She also supports clients by answering questions and sharing quick tips to help them navigate the platform. Her focus on client needs drives her to work closely with stakeholders and consultants to align software capabilities with business goals. In addition to her product role, she serves as Retensa’s security and compliance manager, ensuring that sensitive client data stays protected and meets industry and GDPR standards.
Ishita began her career as a software developer at Tata Consultancy Services, where she built financial security software for banks, financial institutions, and trade brokers. She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science with a specialization in Business Intelligence and Analytics from Stevens Institute of Technology. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, camping, and exploring new cuisines—though sometimes she’s just putting out fires in the kitchen.

Jennifer Saunders, Marketing Manager

Jennifer Saunders is a strategic marketing leader recognized for accelerating growth and elevating brand influence across technology, software, professional services, and transportation sectors. As an independent marketing strategist and consultantfor over a decade, she delivered measurable results for more than 50 organizations by combining data-driven insights with creative execution.

At Retensa, Jennifer leverages this expertise to expand market reach and strengthen the company’s position as the global authority on employee retention through thought leadership and integrated marketing programs. She earned a BA in Communications from SUNY Plattsburgh in New York. Outside of work, Jennifer enjoys solving the New York Times Spelling Bee and searching for the perfect espresso martini.

Lucius Pham: Senior Talent Analytics Consultant

Lucius Pham works with a global team to solve employee turnover challenges using AI-powered predictive analytics. He helps organizations prioritize retention strategies that attract, motivate, and retain top talent. By applying Retensa’s employee listening and people analytics software, he distills the core of a retention-focused culture. Lucius designs and leads People and Culture initiatives that resonate across diverse populations and support organizations in navigating the complexities of the modern hybrid workplace. His work helps create environments where employees feel valued, motivated, and aligned with company goals.
He holds an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from New York University and a Business Management certificate from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. With a strong foundation in social science methodology and a deep understanding of matrixed organizations, Lucius found his niche in driving sustainable success through human motivation. When not working, he enjoys climbing, especially climbing ranks in his favorite online video game.

Mohit Sharma: Machine Learning Engineer

Mohit applies his expertise in Natural Language Processing, deep neural networks, and advanced modeling techniques to improve sentiment analysis, significant difference detection, and turnover prediction algorithms. His work helps organizations of all sizes uncover patterns that lead to actionable insights. By using autoregressive and autoencoding language models, he enables clients to make smarter, data-driven decisions. He also refines Retensa’s employee turnover forecasts to better anticipate attrition in complex and unpredictable environments.
He holds a master’s degree in data science from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree in information technology. Mohit specializes in statistical and predictive modeling, software design, and development. His passion for solving complex problems drives his interest in advancing narrow and generative AI toward artificial general intelligence. Outside of work, he enjoys ranking and rewatching movies, solving chess puzzles, and immersing himself in opera, symphony, concerto, and chamber music.

Phyllis Rosen: Program Director – Coaching

Phyllis Rosen brings over 24 years of experience in leadership, staff, and executive coaching, along with training and learning program development. She helps individuals overcome barriers to reach higher levels of performance, organizational success, and personal fulfillment. At UBS, she served as Corporate Vice President and Manager of Training, where she led the design and delivery of leadership programs for the firm’s top-performing brokers.
Phyllis facilitates accelerated development sessions for professionals at all levels, including managers, financial advisors, technologists, and support staff. She has also worked as a corporate and career coach for executives and professionals. As Director of a regional nonprofit, she managed a seven-figure budget to create training and retention programs for IT workers. She is a certified career and executive coach through the Coaches Training Institute, a founder of the Career Counselor Consortium, and a former board director of the NYC chapter of the International Coach Federation.

Rutvik Pramod Dumre: Software Product Specialist

Rutvik is a certified AI and machine learning practitioner who contributes to Retensa’s technology team by integrating advanced tools like generative AI and sentiment analysis into its employee experience software. He creates and enforces security policies, manages international compliance, and protects client data by continuously assessing risks and upholding top industry standards. With a strong background in data analytics, he improves user experience through web analytics and maintains automated testing processes to ensure code quality and system efficiency.
He is an internationally published research author with five publications and over 30 citations in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and human-computer interaction. Before joining Retensa, Rutvik worked as an AI researcher at Stony Brook University. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Engineering, with a minor in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, cooking, and traveling.