Jason Knight
Owner
Jason Knight’s limitless energy is surpassed only by the depth of his compassion. A true entrepreneur, Jason has been at the helm of two successful PEOs, starting Liberty Payroll & Benefit Solutions in 2007, which morphed into Human Capital Strategies in 2007. He built his team from trusted friends and colleagues, creating an environment that is focused on excellence yet never loses sight of family and what truly drives us all.
After receiving his B.A. in economics and business management from Northwood University, Jason delved into the financial services world, which eventually introduced him to the concept of a PEO. The idea really hit a chord because he had seen his father run a successful drywall contracting business that he didn’t expand due to his fear of hiring and working with employees. Jason saw this as a way to help other small-business owners achieve their dreams while alleviating many of the stressors along the way.
In addition to his role as owner and CEO of Human Capital Strategies, Jason is extremely involved in the community. He serves on the board of directors of Gabriel’s Angels, is a member of Arizona Business Leadership, and is a frequent guest on the John Adam show.
When not working hard at the office, Jason enjoys being with his bride of 12 years, Lisa, and their two children. His favorite way to unwind is to get the whole family piled up on the couch together enjoying a movie and some quality time.
Chuck O’Dell
Operations Manager
After speaking to Chuck O’Dell for just a matter of moments, one word comes to mind: integrity. This man has it in spades, and that’s saying something if it’s noticeable so quickly after first meeting him. The next thing you realize about Chuck is that he is full of passion; his emotion is evident when he speaks about his family and work. He prioritizes them both and is clearly able to balance each side to the best benefit of everyone.
Chuck joined Human Capital Strategies in 2010 when his long-time friend, owner Jason Knight, asked him to come on board to handle business-brokerage transactions as a value-added service for clients. That position soon grew to encompass the director of operations role, and now Chuck and Jason work in partnership on most company issues. The personal strengths of each complement the other well in strategizing, implementing, and managing the continued growth of Human Capital Strategies.
Chuck received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from Brigham Young University. After college, he began working at the national accounting firm of Touche Ross in Phoenix, during which time he became a CPA. While working in public accounting, he also developed a love of marketing and analysis work.
He parlayed that experience into a consulting role and for a three-year period worked as a traveling analyst for a national consulting firm. In that position, he analyzed financial statements and trends to identify strengths and weaknesses of businesses, with the goal of securing the company as a client. During his three years there, he closed more than 97% of the companies with which he worked, the highest close rate of any analyst in the company’s 70-year history.
Following that position, Chuck moved over to American Express as a financial advisor. In his first year, he received an award as the top-producing rookie for all of American Express nationwide. He also was honored with an award for finishing second place for advisors nationwide in his second year. He continued to receive their highest performance designations each year for the eight years he spent at American Express.
Chuck was able to secure clients with complex financial situations by making complex concepts easily understandable. His passion to help people get what they need and his ability to design and implement intricate, yet simple, financial strategies for his clients helped him to have the tremendous success he achieved.
Eventually, Chuck was promoted to a training position, spending one week each month teaching new advisors how to communicate difficult financial concepts to potential clients and then close those prospects on products and services.
As the real estate market boomed, Chuck saw an opportunity and began to apply his acquired financial and negotiation skills to buy and sell properties. It was during that time that the concept of being a business broker entered his mind. Never one to do things halfway, he sought out one of the largest and most successful networks of successful brokerage companies, Business Brokers Network. He joined the organization in 2007 and brought their models for small-business sales and exit strategies to Human Capital Strategies.
Chuck combines all of the skills he’s learned during his career to bring parties together to focus on the facts of the transaction and move beyond what can often be a very emotional time. While buying and selling a business can certainly be emotional, Chuck helps clients to see the bigger picture and create a win-win situation for both sides of transactions.
Julie Gage
Human Resources Manager
When it comes to human resources, Julie Gage knows the ins and outs. She cut her teeth in the industry as the HR manager at a PR firm in San Francisco before moving to the Phoenix area and joining Human Capital Strategies. Now, Julie plays an extremely important role: human resources manager at a company that provides human resources support! As such, she works with everyone—both internally and externally—to answer questions and provide direction regarding employee-relations issues and human resources issues. A WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HR INFORMATION, Julie stays current on federal and state regulations for all of the locations Human Capital Strategies has clients. To say it’s a big task is an understatement!
Perhaps one of the most vital things Julie has to do is keep Human Capital Strategies compliant. As the ultimate resource for all of their clients, Julie definitely wants Human Capital Strategies to be a model of success! Naturally, Julie is a great researcher and communicator, sharing information with everyone on a timely basis.
In her personal life, Julie is the proud mom of two daughters, aged 21 and 5, and recently added “grandmother” to her list of titles. In fact, her move to the Valley of the Sun was precipitated by the arrival of her new grandchild! When not enjoying the company of her girls, Julie keeps busy with a multitude of hobbies. She is an avid sports fan, mostly of her hometown teams: the San Francisco Giants and 49ers and San Jose Sharks. She loves music and even attended a conservatory of music to study piano. Julie also just enjoys picking up a good book when she finds a bit of quiet time. Of course, that can be a little challenging given that she is currently pursuing her master’s degree in HR management through a distance program.
At the end of a busy day, Julie likes to unwind with her younger daughter, watching Sponge Bob or baking, tying in the traditional cooking she learned from her Japanese mother. Sometimes, the two of them will pull out the Bento boxes and have a little picnic on the floor. Hopefully, she’s not reciting HR regulations in between bites!
Jason Call
Controller
Much like a superhero, Jason Call has a secret identity. Although he’s a successful accountant and Controller at Human Capital Strategies during the day, at night he transforms into a wannabe rock star, banging it out on his living room drum set. Jason is proof that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.
Jason received his Master in Accounting and Financial Management at the Keller Graduate School of Management. He is currently a CPA candidate as well. Prior to joining Human Capital Strategies at its inception, he worked at a software company as an accounting manager. He was inspired to move over to HCS because of his personal and professional relationship with the owner, the other Jason, Jason Knight.
Currently, Jason manages all payroll tax returns and reporting for the firm’s clients. He also supports internal operations as the resident accounting guru. He is passionate about helping small businesses to succeed and believes Human Capital Strategies plays an integral part in making that goal turn into a reality by helping to alleviate the stressors associated with employee paperwork and payroll.
After the work is done, Jason heads home to his wife and three children. He plays for them as a one-man band, rocking out to tunes on his iPod. Kasey Kasem better keep a lookout.
Scott Sandberg
Manager of Training & Development
Scott’s love of business and his deep understanding of effective training and employee development led him to his 18 year career in corporate training. After starting some profitable businesses of his own, Scott found a niche in professional development training bringing passion for business and a flair for captivating facilitation to the corporate arena. Strategic employee development through effective instructional design is a hallmark of his career. In the capacity of talent management, Scott has worked with The Limited Inc, Northern Automotive, The University of Phoenix, and Quma Learning Systems.
Scott holds a BS Degree in Business Marketing and an MS degree in Organizational Psychology. This branch of psychology is really the science of building effective and productive teams in a business environment.
When he is not working, Scott enjoys any outdoor recreation with his wife Faye and 5 children. Soccer dominates their household, with an occasional trip to Catalina to SCUBA dive or a trip the Arizona Mountains to take in the beauties of nature.
