Valhalla HR is a Fractional CHRO / HR Business based in Denver, Colorado that services clients across the United States.

Forging the Path Between People & Profits

The Valhalla HR Advantage

Valhalla HR was founded out of a deep conviction—To mobilize businesses around their greatest asset: their people.

The name “Valhalla HR” is rooted in the legendary Norse Hall of Honor – a place reserved for the strongest, most capable warriors who stood for something greater than themselves. Similarly, my approach to building high-performing cultures is rooted in the belief that employees play the most vital role in shaping the success and legacy of the company. Valhalla HR is inspired by a place of honor, recognition and excellence where the goal is to help organizations build and sustain cultures that value their people in ways that recognize their contributions in meaningful ways.

Meet the Team

Founder & CEO , Dan Bonach

“The true measure of leadership is the impact you have on people’s lives, not just the bottom line”

In 2025, I founded Valhalla HR based on a simple belief: companies and employees deserve better from HR.

Too often, I’ve seen organizations struggle because HR is underfunded, under-resourced, or misunderstood. When experienced HR leadership isn’t at the table, businesses miss the opportunity to unlock the full potential of their people and create sustainable results.

With over 20 years of experience leading HR teams across Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, I partner with organizations to accelerate the effectiveness of their HR function or help build it from the ground up. The goal is the same in every engagement: HR that operates as a true strategic partner to the business.

Fractional CHRO Profile

- UnitedHealth Group
- Land O’Lakes
- Molson Coors
- Pioneer Lines
- Schwazze
- Bloom Montana
- University of Minnesota-Duluth: Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- University of St. Thomas: Master’s of Business Administration (MBA)
- Healthcare
- Agriculture
- Alcohol/Beer
- Railroad
- Cannabis
- CPG
- Warehousing & Distribution
- Manufacturing
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Employee Relations
- Union Risk Advisory & Avoidance
- Human Resource Function Design
- Talent Acquisition Optimization
- Succession / Legacy Planning
- Employee Engagement
- Safety Program Design
- Learning & Development
- Leadership Development Programs
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Program Design

Current Fractional Clients

Applied Herbals is a parent company focused on sourcing and delivering ingredients within the essential oils, terpenes, flavors, and fragrance industries. It acts as a foundation for a family of brands, including The Essential Oil Company and Extract

Portfolio of Work

- 10 years as Head of HR
- 20 years of total HR experience
- Led HR department for companies ranging in size from 120 to 900 employees
- Designed, built HR function/departments from scratch, fully optimizing the team and results
- Led employee engagement strategies, resulting in YoY eNPS improvements
- Led safety strategy to achieve 5 consecutive years of injury reduction and a 75% reduction in recordables
- Design and launched core values
- Attained an 80% reduction in turnover with a Delivery team of over 100 employees
- Provided strategic counsel and execution support with multiple restructures, reductions in force, and location/store openings
- HR Leadership for 10+ acquisitions, across multiple states, with acquisition sizes ranging from 30 to 500
- Led culture integration of 6 acquisitions within a 2 year period, growing the workforce from 180 to 850 employees
- Developed and executed people strategies that improved onboarding experiences post-acquisition
- Designed a sustainable and scalable M&A HR Checklist, Change Management, and Communication Plan to ensure an effective pre-close process to enable a seamless Day 1 for new employees
- Led Leadership Cohort of over 50 high potential leaders, effectively resulting in 80% promotion rate
- Led leadership development strategy for 120 leaders, utilizing various tools to support leadership effectiveness and common “leadership language” across the company
- Built and developed “Leadership 101” training programs aimed to improve line
- Implemented new HRIS systems, streamlining payroll, benefits administration, and recruitment functions
- Transformed Talent Acquisition teams, leading to 30%+ improvement in time-to-fill and a 50%+ increase in quality of hires
- Led compensation restructuring efforts, harmonizing multiple benefits plans and enhancing total rewards programs
- Designed and implemented 10+ incentive programs to drive performance and engagement
- Partnered with Board of Director’s Compensation Committee to establish key metrics and executive incentive plans
- Implemented 401k plans
- Designed and executed Positive Employee Relations strategies, maintaining union-free status across multiple sites in multiple highly unionized industries
- Established foundational HR policies, handbooks, and compliance frameworks to support business operations
- Led COVID-19 response team and strategies, including vaccine mandates, testing protocols, and exemption policies

Our Services

Valhalla HR specializes in Fractional HR, specifically at the CHRO level, and is based in Denver, Colorado currently providing services to Colorado, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida. While Executive level HR is our forte, we are growing each day and are now offering Fractional HR services at the Manager-Director level to support our growing client base.

Project-Based HR Work

HR services designed to support a specific need. With tools, templates and resources, these are the things that we have fine-tuned over 20 years that are plug & play for your business.

Comprehensive HR Function Review
Culture Audit
Union Risk Audit
Compliance Audit
Handbook Review & Design
Policy Review & Design
Performance Management Review & Design
Succession Planning Tools & Strategy
Training & Development Programs
Leadership Development Programs & Strategy
Talent Acquisition
HRIS Evaluation

Fractional HR

Fractional HR Manager and Fractional HR Director services available for growing companies that need experienced, hands-on HR execution without a full-time hire.

Fractional HR support embedded to build, design, evolve, and optimize your HR function to best-in-class standards.

This offering is designed for companies that need experienced HR leadership on a short-term or flexible basis. Whether you need immediate coverage to stabilize the HR function, support during growth or transition, or clarity around what level of HR leadership your organization truly needs, we step in with confidence and precision.

Services typically operate at the Manager or Director level and may include employee handbook creation, employee relations support and “office hours,” policy and compliance execution, manager coaching, and day-to-day HR operations. For organizations between full-time headcount, we provide continuity and structure without the risk or ramp time of a permanent hire.

We integrate quickly, require minimal onboarding, and operate as a true extension of your team, delivering consistent, practical HR execution aligned with The Valhalla Way.

Fractional CHRO

Fractional Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) services for organizations that need executive-level people strategy without a full-time hire.

Comprehensive HR leadership for startups and mid-size organizations that need executive-level people strategy without a full-time CHRO.

This engagement is designed for companies navigating growth, complexity, or transition and typically embeds directly within the executive team on a fractional, but ongoing basis. As a strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team, the focus is on aligning people, performance, and culture with business outcomes from day one.

Fractional CHRO support goes beyond day-to-day HR execution. It includes building scalable people strategy, advising on organizational design and leadership effectiveness, supporting M&A and integration efforts, strengthening executive decision-making, and ensuring HR functions as a driver of growth rather than a reactive cost center.

This is your unfair advantage: experienced perspective, speed and agility, and a trusted partner who builds culture, capability, and accountability alongside your leadership team.

Fractional CHRO Services

Valhalla HR primarily focuses on long-term, intimate relationships with CEO’s and Executive Teams, enabling and unlocking the full potential of creating an optimized and best-in-class Human Resources team, while aiming to achieve cultural success within their organization. Valhalla HR prides itself in creating the foundation for organizations fully embrace the human element to the business by Forging the Path Between People & Profits.