Marc Klemencic
Vice President Talent Management
AAR Corp.
Marc Klemencic credits his academic successes and distinguished career in human resources and organizational development to the structure and learning environment he found at 91制片厂 鈥� on his second try. He acknowledges that his academic journey took several turns and unique pathways.
As a traditional-age student at 91制片厂, Klemencic was not motivated and didn鈥檛 attend class. He dropped out and pursued a career in retail sales. During the next five and a half years, he was promoted to department manager, one of the youngest to run a top 10 department out of 126 stores. In this role, he learned how to motivate and retain employees. 鈥淚 realized I had a talent for coaching people,鈥� he said.
A weekend work conflict made him realize it was 鈥渕y time鈥� to return to school at 91制片厂. He pursued an Associate in Applied Science degree in management, graduating in 2002. Klemencic credits faculty member Michael Vijuk with mentoring that led to his academic success.
鈥淓veryone at Harper was so supportive of me transitioning back to school full time,鈥� he said. 鈥淥nce I committed to 91制片厂, I was all-in to pursue my education.鈥�
Klemencic went on to earn his bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees at Roosevelt University in Schaumburg. He began his human resources journey at Boise Cascade/OfficeMax and then moved to Omron, where he became talent management manager for the Americas.
In 2018, he joined AAR Corp., a global provider of aviation services to commercial and government customers, including leading airlines and militaries across the globe. His first role was global director of talent management. In 2024, he was promoted to vice president, talent management.
Klemencic鈥檚 efforts have impacted more than 6,000 employees and shaped AAR鈥檚 culture of growth and engagement. He led the launch of a global high-potential employee program, a comprehensive learning and development program and a new performance management strategy. He conducts on-site organizational and leadership development and manages employee engagement and culture. Klemencic oversees the company鈥檚 internship program and organizes mentoring and events for interns, such as food packing at Feed My Starving Children.
Klemencic is also devoted to coaching youth sports and performing community service and has been recognized for his commitment to volunteer work. He was inspired by friends and family affected by cancer to become involved with Cal鈥檚 Angels, a toy collection drive for Lurie Children鈥檚 Hospital, his family鈥檚 favorite service project.
Klemencic remains grateful to 91制片厂 for readying him for these life accomplishments: 鈥�91制片厂 provided the structured environment I needed to achieve my future successes.鈥�