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Kristina Olney

Global People Operations Leader, Builder & Operator | Scaling Teams and Infrastructure for High-Grow

About Me

I build People organizations that scale — and the leaders inside them who make that possible. I'm a global People executive, builder, and operator with 15+ years of experience scaling high-impact People Operations and HR organizations across high-growth, venture and private equity-backed technology companies and multinational environments. I partner closely with CEOs and executive teams to align people strategy with business outcomes — whether that means scaling globally, navigating M&A, modernizing HR infrastructure, or evolving leadership and culture for the next stage of growth. My background spans VP Global People Operations and Head of People roles across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. I've built People functions from the ground up, led enterprise HR transformations, opened and operationalized international entities, and guided organizations through acquisitions, integrations, and periods of rapid change. Most recently, I led people due diligence and integration planning for Clari's merger with Salesloft, a Vista Private Equity portfolio company — one of the most operationally complex People challenges I've taken on, and one of the most rewarding. I bring a pragmatic operator's mindset to People leadership — balancing strategy with hands-on execution and building systems that scale across borders and through change. My work spans global People Operations and workforce strategy, M&A due diligence and organizational integration, total rewards and compensation design, HR systems and people analytics, executive and leadership development, and global compliance, governance, and risk management. What drives me is the belief that exceptional People leadership isn't a support function — it's a competitive advantage. If you're building something ambitious and need a partner to scale the human side of the business — let's talk.

Jurisdiction

United States | United Kingdom | India | Canada | Poland | United Arab Emirates | France | Germany | Japan | China | Ireland | Egypt

Notable Employer

  • VP, Global People Operations at Clari
  • Senior Director, People Operations at Clari

Experience

Seniority LevelExecutive
Years of Experience15-20 years
Current StatusActive
VP, Global People OperationsNotableClari
2023 - 2026

Lead global People Operations and workforce strategy for a distributed workforce across North America, United Kingdom, Poland and India. Partner with the CEO and executive leadership team to align people strategy, organizational scale, and operational performance across a global technology company. People Strategy & Executive Partnership • Serve as executive partner to the CEO and leadership team, advising on organizational design, workforce strategy, leadership development, and culture initiatives • Support executive decision-making through people analytics and workforce insights to drive business outcomes • Lead company-wide initiatives focused on employee engagement, leadership, and organizational effectiveness Global People Operations & Workplace Experience • Lead global People Operations including HR operations, total rewards, employee experience, workplace strategy, learning & development and global compliance • Oversee programs across the full employee lifecycle including onboarding, performance management, engagement, and other employee programs • Ensure operational consistency and compliance across a globally distributed workforce spanning multiple regions and regulatory environments • Oversee workplace experience and global office operations supporting a positive and productive employee environment Organizational Scale & Infrastructure • Built and scaled global People infrastructure to support rapid headcount growth and international expansion • Lead HR systems strategy and operational improvements to strengthen reporting, people analytics, and scalable processes • Partner with Finance and Legal to ensure people programs align with governance, compliance, and risk management requirements M&A & Organizational Transformation • Led people due diligence and integration planning for strategic M&A initiatives • Support post-acquisition integration and change management during periods of organizational transformation

Senior Director, People OperationsNotableClari
2021 - 2023

Scaled People Operations during a period of rapid organizational growth while building the global infrastructure required to support a distributed workforce. Global People Operations • Led end-to-end People Operations for a global workforce across the U.S. and international regions • Oversaw HR operations including benefits, HR systems, compliance, employee lifecycle programs, and vendor management • Managed global workplace and facilities operations supporting distributed teams and office locations Organizational Growth & Global Expansion • Supported company growth from approximately 300 to more than 700 employees across multiple international regions • Opened and operationalized international entities including Canada and Poland • Established global benefits programs, vendor partnerships, and localized policies to support international employees M&A & Organizational Change • Partnered with executive leadership on M&A initiatives, supporting people due diligence, integration planning, and post-close execution • Led change management initiatives during periods of organizational transformation • Supported company-wide communications and engagement strategies during periods of rapid growth People Programs & Employee Experience • Designed and scaled onboarding, performance management, and employee experience programs aligned with company values and growth stage • Partnered cross-functionally to deliver global engagement initiatives and leadership development programs • Built and developed a high-performing People Operations team supporting global employees

Sr. Director, People Operations (Head of People)Incorta
2019 - 2021

First People leader responsible for building and scaling the global People function for a rapidly growing data analytics platform. Partnered with the executive leadership team to establish the company’s People strategy, operational infrastructure, and organizational programs during a period of significant growth and international expansion. People Strategy & Leadership • Built and led the global People function including People Operations, Talent, and HR programs • Partnered with executive leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and company culture initiatives • Established leadership development programs focused on management effectiveness and scaling leadership capability • Implemented company-wide performance management and goal-setting frameworks Global Expansion & Workforce Operations • Led HR operations across the U.S., UK, and Middle East supporting a distributed global workforce • Opened and operationalized the company’s UK subsidiary including legal setup, hiring infrastructure, and compliance • Implemented global payroll solutions supporting employees in the UK, Egypt, and UAE • Managed immigration programs and external counsel relationships to support international hiring HR Infrastructure & Systems • Built foundational HR infrastructure including HRIS implementation, payroll systems, benefits programs, and HR policies to support operational scale • Led RFP and transition for global benefits brokers and redesigned company benefits programs Operations, Culture & Compliance • Partnered with leadership to strengthen culture through employee engagement initiatives, global town halls, and company communications • Supported compliance initiatives including SOC2 certification, HR policies, and internal security protocols • Oversaw the design and build-out of the company’s 25,000 sq ft headquarters including vendor selection, office design, and workplace operations

HR DirectorMarin Software
2019 - 2019

Led HR strategy and global People Operations for a publicly traded digital advertising platform with employees across 11 international offices. • Oversaw global HR functions including talent management, employee relations, total rewards, and global compliance • Partnered with the CEO and operating leadership on long-term organizational planning and workforce strategy • Led leadership development and employee engagement initiatives across global teams • Managed HR programs across multiple international locations while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational consistency • Provided strategic HR partnership to senior leadership during periods of organizational change

HR ManagerMarin Software
2015 - 2019

Managed HR operations across the U.S. and APAC while implementing programs and systems to support a growing global workforce. • Led day-to-day HR operations across multiple regions including benefits, employee relations, and compliance • Implemented HRIS improvements and automated reporting to improve data visibility and operational efficiency • Redesigned onboarding, offboarding, and performance management processes to improve employee experience and program adoption • Partnered with leadership on employee relations, workforce planning, and global HR initiatives • Served as primary HR liaison for internal and external compliance audits

Education

Masters of ManagementNotre Dame de Namur
2013 - 2014
Degree of Human DevelopmentSonoma State University
2005 - 2009

Skills

Core skills0
Interests0
Languages1

Languages

English