About IES

Karla is Chairman of the Board (COB), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and majority owner of Innovative Employee Solutions. Though no longer active in day-to-day operations of the company, Karla continues to serve as a key advisor in company policy and financial decisions. Karla began her career with TOPS Staffing Services in Denver, Colorado in 1971, and was promoted and relocated to San Diego to start a new branch in 1974. Karla went on to grow the company to approximately $50M in annual revenues, later becoming President of TOPS, and ultimately its sole owner. In March of 1998, Karla sold the assets of TOPS Staffing Services, but retained the company’s payrolling division, which was formally renamed Innovative Employee Solutions, Inc. in 1999. Under Karla’s supervision, the company grew significantly and currently has revenues of over $70 million. In the past 35+ years Karla has worked diligently for her industry and community. She was 1993-94 Chair of the American Staffing Association (ASA), where she also served on the Board of Directors for 10 years; a founding director of the San Diego Chapter of California Association of Temporary and Staffing Services (CATS); and Past President of the Independent Staffing Associates (ISA), an organization committed to innovation and excellence. She currently makes a significant contribution to her community by serving on the boards of a number of organizations, including the YMCA of San Diego County and Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation.

As the President of Innovative Employee Solutions, Kara Hertzog leads the global provider of contingent workforce solutions, specializing in Payrolling and Independent Contractor Compliance services. Founded in 1974 by Karla Hertzog in San Diego, California, IES has grown into one of the city’s largest women-owned businesses and been named one of its “Best Places to Work” 12 times. Kara is a third-generation member of the IES team. She has been closely connected to the company for many years, but officially joined the family business in 2006 as a Client Services Representative and in 2009, promoted to Business Development Manager. She later achieved success in a role as the National Business Development Manager and contributed to a 13% growth. In 2013, Kara scaled back her role at IES to endeavor a long-held passion for early childhood development and pursued an entrepreneurial venture launching NEST Chestnut Hill, a creative play space and upscale child enrichment center in the Philadelphia area. Kara continued to contribute to IES in a consultative capacity, lending her expertise to the sales, operations, and marketing departments. She was instrumental in implementing new marketing technology which resulted in a 361% increase in lead generation. In July of 2018, Kara returned to IES and assumed the role as COO. She oversees the operations of a multi-million-dollar organization and spearheads major strategic shifts for transforming the company from a functional focus to an enabler of innovation for the business so that it supports the company globally. Kara takes a vision and makes it reality through sound strategy development. She intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization and brings them together into a coherent whole. In September of 2019, Kara was promoted to President. In this role, she sets and implements the day-to-day and long-term business strategies in addition to driving profitable revenue growth through alternate sales channels and building strategic partnerships that enhance the position of the company as an industry leader. Prior to her leadership at IES and NEST, Kara developed her business and management skills and account service experience working in both the financial and nonprofit sectors in a variety of roles, including Senior Project Manager at Fleet Financial in Boston, and Director of Development for Angels Foster Family Network in San Diego. Kara received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Management from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, and her Masters in Education from Chestnut Hill College. A San Diego native, she has also played an active role in numerous local nonprofits and community leadership programs, including LEAD San Diego, and board membership for the YMCA’s Youth and Family Services division. Kara’s colleagues describe her as genuine, with an abundance of curiosity and a contagious laughter that can be heard down the hallways at IES. Kara is known for her fondness for flip flops and was celebrated when she announced Flip Flop Fridays at IES. Kara loves to travel with her family and friends, and she enjoys gardening and cooking with fresh farmed ingredients. She also loves the Chargers…still.

Peter joined IES in 2011 as the company’s Corporate Controller. In 2012 he was promoted to CFO, and in 2013 was also named President. Previously, he worked as Vice President and Controller for 3E Company, a subsidiary of Verisk Analytics, Inc, where he was responsible for the integration of the company’s accounting, treasury, reporting, tax, and financial systems. Prior to that, he was the Division Vice President of Finance and Information Systems at Follett Software Company. Peter’s extensive finance experience also includes serving in various roles and capacities for the Safety-Kleen Corporation, Laboratory Corporation of America, and Quest Diagnostics. As CFO, Peter is responsible for strategic and departmental leadership of the company, with special emphasis on IES’s accounting and finance departments. In addition, he serves as Treasurer for IES and administrator of the company’s 401k plan, and supervises the corporate budget process, from forecasts through compilation to implementation and monitoring. A licensed CPA, Peter received his Masters in Finance and Accounting from the University of Maryland, and his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Elmhurst College. Currently he also serves as Director on the board of Temporary Services Insurance, LTD (TSIL).

As the Chief Human Resources Officer, Tania leads human resources, information technology and the legal department at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES). Her expertise with issues surrounding joint employment and the Affordable Care Act has positioned IES as a leader in their industry. She is also an advocate for the temporary staffing industry and for companies to embrace contingent workers in their staffing strategy and into their culture. Her efforts to promote a great culture for employees has resulted in multiple local and national awards including San Diego Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” 12 times, the KUSI “Breaking Away Award of Excellence” (2015) and the American Staffing Association’s “Care Award” (2014, 2015). Tania is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) through the Human Resources Certification Institution (HRCI) and holds a SHRM-CP certification through SHRM. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Human Resources Association (NHRA) of San Diego for three years in the President’s office, and served on the board as Immediate Past President and Advisor for the newly formed San Diego HR Forum. In addition, Tania is a member of the National Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), was named San Diego’s HR Professional of the Year in 2011 by the San Diego Business Journal, and was recognized by the SDHR Forum Board of Directors at the 2016 HR Executive of the Year event. In 2018, Tania was the recipient of the SDSU SHRM Chapter’s Natasha Sandrock Arthur Outstanding Service Award. Most recently in November of 2019, the IES HR team was named a finalist for the SDHR Forum “HR Team of the Year” award. Tania’s colleagues describe her as incredibly authentic, strategic and fun. An ultra-runner, she can be found spending her weekends with her husband and two kids running or hiking the beautiful trails in San Diego.

Maria Goyer is the Chief Innovation Officer at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES), a leading global provider of contingent workforce solutions, specializing in Employer of Record payrolling and independent contractor compliance services in more than 150 countries. Maria drives strategic initiatives and implements innovative best practices across the organization, serving IES's growing global customer base. Maria applies more than 28 years of industry and strategic expertise in the development of all aspects of Business Process Outsourcing, including pioneering work in the Managed Service Providers (MSP), Vendor Management Systems (VMS), Employer of Record (EOR), Agent of Record (AOR) and Independent Contractor Compliance (ICC) industries and development of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications for global contingent workforce programs. Prior to joining IES, Maria played a key role where she served as the Senior Vice President of Strategy for iWorkGlobal. Her efforts led to 2020 American Business Awards Silver medals in Growth and International Expansion. Additionally, Maria was named to Staffing Industry Analysts 2020 & 2021 Global Power 150 – Women in Staffing list for her incredible contributions across the industry.

Sara Jensen is the Senior Vice President of Growth and Strategy at Innovative Employee Solutions, a leading global provider of contingent workforce solutions, specializing in employer of record payrolling and independent contractor compliance services. Founded in 1974 in San Diego, California, IES has grown into one of the city’s largest women-owned businesses and been named one of its “Best Places to Work” 12 times. Prior to joining IES in 2011, Sara worked in development for the nonprofit sector, where she honed extensive skills and experience in account management, corporate relations and sponsorship development in various roles at both national and local nonprofit organizations. A Washington native, Sara earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Western Washington University. Sara is a Certified Contingent Workforce Professional (CCWP), a member of the American Staffing Association’s “Women in Leadership Council”, the San Diego Chamber of Commerce Young Leaders and Advance program, as well as the San Diego Sales and Marketing Alliance. Sara was a San Diego Sales Leader of the Year finalist and named as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce in 2018. In her downtime, Sara loves going to the beach, practicing yoga and enjoying all that SoCal has to offer with her husband and their two children.

Christina Herrman is the Vice President of Client Delivery at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES), a leading global provider of contingent workforce solutions, specializing in Employer of Record payrolling and independent contractor compliance services in more than 150 countries. Christina has more than 20 years of experience in the Contingent Workforce space. Her expertise is in the areas of Global Contingent Workforce Management, Payrolling and Managed Service Provider (MSP), Vendor Management Systems (VMS), Statement of Work (SOW), Human Capital Management, Workforce Classification, and more. Christina plays an integral role in developing and implementing client lifecycle strategies including acquisition and implementation that supports company growth and the expansions of IES’s client base and future enterprise clients, optimizing delivery and creating best in class standards, including growing and evolving IES services. Christina has proven success guiding contingent worker strategies for initiatives that span across the globe for mid-market and large enterprises. In addition to experience in all elements of Contingent Workforce Services, Christina has a background in HR Administration, Personnel Management and Technology Solutions. Prior to joining IES, Christina played a key role at Randstad Sourceright where she drove strategic partnerships and oversaw services, solutions, and delivery within Managed Services Programs, Payroll Coordination and Independent Contractor Compliance Services Coordination; clients ranged within North America and led initiatives and expansion within EMEA and APAC regions. A Northern CA native, Christina earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento, where she also was a member of the Women’s Crew Team. Christina and her husband enjoy supporting their three children, all are collegiate soccer players, gardening, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Alex Gomez is the Vice President of Payroll and Billing Services at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES), a leading global provider of contingent workforce solutions, specializing in Employer of Record payrolling and independent contractor compliance services in more than 150 countries. Alex is a strategic leader responsible for managing our payroll, billing, and accounts receivable departments, and brings nearly 20 years of payroll and accounting experience. As an employment tax expert, he is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance, implementing proper accounting controls, and providing guidance on emerging legislation. In addition, Alex is responsible for the management of finance functions related to credit, banking, and our international accounting firms. Prior to joining IES, Alex spent several years consulting in various industries, including Staffing, Professional Employer Organizations (PEO), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Professional Services Organizations (PSO). His extensive background and industry expertise have been integral to his success in streamlining and scaling operations.