Startup CXO

Chief People Officer

Human Resources has evolved from transactional, compliance‐focused administrative work to more strategic, proactive work that touches all aspects of the business. The work is much more rewarding and impactful now. This section focuses on the “new HR” which I'll call “People,” and also focuses on a particular framing for People leaders who want to help a CEO and leadership team create a people‐centric, values‐driven, learning organization and culture that optimizes the contribution and experience of employees and their impact to the company. Trust me, as someone who has experienced traditional HR and also worked with CEOs who are only business‐ and not people‐focused, strategically driving a people‐focused company is much more rewarding and impactful. If your founder/CEO has interest in building a values‐driven company, you'll find this Part relevant to your success. I've been lucky to work with Matt at both Return Path and at Bolster, and his mentorship and guidance helped me be more impactful in my People roles, and also expand my impact. At Bolster, I'm working with two sides of our marketplace: members (executives who want to work in on‐demand roles) and clients (CEOs who need to bolster their leadership teams with on‐demand executive talent).

I started my career in a very traditional HR role as the HR Manager at a 100‐person truck stop. I did everything you'd expect in that role including hiring, processing payroll, writing an employee manual, dealing ...