
About Us
Navigating HR Through Turbulent Times

Today’s marketplace is dynamic and challenging. Effective use of your resources means maximizing performance and productivity; they are the key to your success and your profits. But how can you accomplish that?
​
Business Navigators can help.
Business Navigators builds on more than 20 years of success with human resource solutions that work. In 2021, we changed our name to emphasize our role in guiding HR strategies through turbulent times. All businesses must contend with staffing and retention issues, and new ideas about the nature and meaning of work. This is on top of compliance requirements, concerns about discrimination and workplace harassment, and everyday HR management.
​
How We Work
We typically blend on-site and remote contact to coach you and your HR leaders. And we do it with a positive, approachable style, combining results orientation with a sense of humor.
​
​
Mary Podolak
Mary Podolak is founder of Business Navigators. Her practical approaches have produced productivity gains and limited compliance risks in a variety of business situations.
​
With over 20 years of diverse human resources experience in the corporate world and private practice, she has successfully navigated an array of challenges:
​
-
Established HR policies for new and growing companies
-
Developed training for alternate dispute resolution
-
Investigated EEO concerns
-
Trained new HR staff in core skills
-
Assisted multiple small businesses through COVID furloughs, layoffs and reopenings.
A graduate of Smith College, Mary has completed human resources seminars on: Employment law, EEO/Affirmative Action, workplace harassment investigations, leadership, training, communication, and others too numerous to mention.
​
Cindy Lowden
Cindy Lowden has served in senior Human Resources positions for both small entrepreneurial companies and members of the Fortune 50 and Fortune 300.
Most recently she led a team of 85 Human Resources Business Partners and personally supported the C suite of a large financial services firm.
​
Cindy has deep experience in:
-
Strategic Talent Management
-
Coaching and Human Resources Consulting
-
Senior Level Staffing
-
Staff Upgrading and Staff Development
-
Risk Mitigation
A graduate of Duke University, Cindy also holds the designations of Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI). She is a member of Leadership America, Class of 2006.