Executive Search
Recruit and select senior HR professionals for Director, VP, and Chief People Officer roles with direct Principal involvement and complimentary executive mentoring for placements.
First Contact HR Services from People Leader Accelerator help HR leaders, executives, and people teams make confident decisions with practical frameworks, senior advisory support, and proven development resources. From executive search and organizational assessments to mentoring, workforce planning, and leadership development, the platform equips people leaders to operate strategically, reduce execution risk, and connect HR priorities directly to business outcomes.
Strategic advisory, search, assessment, mentoring, and HR resources for people leaders facing meaningful business decisions.
Recruit and select senior HR professionals for Director, VP, and Chief People Officer roles with direct Principal involvement and complimentary executive mentoring for placements.
Evaluate executive or leadership team effectiveness through custom 360 surveys, stakeholder interviews, team diagnostics, debriefs, and prioritized action planning.
Support HR leaders stepping into broader scope, higher visibility, or first-time top-of-function roles with tailored 1:1 advisory guidance.
Navigate high-stakes people decisions such as leadership readiness, keep-coach-move-exit questions, and execution risk assessments when consequences are significant.
Develop leadership teams over a structured, multi-month journey designed to strengthen alignment, capability, and long-term organizational effectiveness.
Access templates, scripts, project plans, communication tools, and legal-supporting documents for workforce reductions and sensitive organizational transitions.
People Leader Accelerator helps organizations move beyond reactive HR activity toward strategic people leadership. Through advisory engagements, executive search, leadership development, and practical downloadable frameworks, HR leaders gain clearer priorities, stronger decision quality, and tools they can apply immediately. The result is a more focused people function that supports growth, reduces disruption, and earns greater influence with executive stakeholders.
See how strategic HR frameworks help leaders make clearer decisions and strengthen organizational impact.
"PLA offers a truly unique learning experience through its emphasis on reflection and practical application. Each week dives into a new People topic, with assignments designed to encourage deep reflection on how you've applied key concepts and how you'll implement them going forward. The assignments are incredibly practical and I..."
"Every week I look forward to the PLA meetings and even get excited about the homework because I know the readings will provide valuable information to reflect on. What I have learned in PLA has helped build my confidence. It is not just the knowledge I've gained, but the connections..."
People Leader Accelerator combines real-world HR experience, rigorous frameworks, and practical support for strategic people leadership.
Faculty includes seasoned HR executives, academics, and coaches with 85+ years combined experience.
Guides, templates, and advisory frameworks are designed for immediate use in real business settings.
Executive search, assessment, and mentoring services address complex leadership decisions with meaningful consequences.
Members and alumni gain peer learning, mentorship, and ongoing development beyond one-time resources.
Experienced faculty guiding modern HR and people leaders.
Core Faculty – HR & Talent Leadership
Andrew Bartlow is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, specializing in HR and Talent Leadership with 25 years of deep practitioner experience. He is co-author of 'Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations' and holds prestigious certifications including CECP, SPHR, Six Sigma, and Executive Coaching. Andrew brings a unique blend of academic rigor and real-world application to his teaching, having served as a private equity operating partner, venture advisor, and HR mentor. His curriculum equips HR and people leaders with strategic frameworks to drive organizational success in high-growth environments. Andrew is dedicated to bridging the gap between operational HR and strategic business partnership for professionals across the United States.
Core Faculty – People Operations & Executive Coaching
Marie Szuts serves as Core Faculty at People Leader Accelerator, focusing on People Operations and Executive Coaching. She brings firsthand experience leading the people function at high-growth tech organizations, including Figma, where she developed scalable HR strategies during periods of rapid expansion. Marie holds a BA and MA from Yale University and is a certified Executive Coach through the prestigious Hudson Institute. She also advises people leader networks, venture capital firms, and companies navigating growth challenges. Her practical, experience-driven approach helps HR professionals elevate their strategic impact and build resilient people operations within dynamic organizations across the United States.
Core Faculty – Management & Human Resources Academic
Brad Harris, Ph.D. is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, bringing academic excellence and real-world management expertise to HR and people leaders. He serves as Associate Dean of MBA Programs and Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris, and is an affiliated professor at the University of Illinois. Brad is co-author of 'Scaling for Success' and '3D Team Leadership,' with research published in leading academic journals. He holds a Ph.D. in Management from Texas A&M University and an Executive Coaching Diploma from Emory University. Recognized as a top '40 Under 40 Business School Professor' by Poets and Quants, Brad is committed to equipping leaders with evidence-based frameworks for organizational success.
Core Faculty – HR Leadership & Executive Coaching
Carmela Krantz is a Core Faculty member at People Leader Accelerator, specializing in HR Leadership and Executive Coaching with an impressive 30 years of experience building and leading HR functions in rapidly growing businesses. A trailblazer in her field, Carmela has served as the first VP of HR at nine companies, including six start-ups, giving her unparalleled insight into the unique challenges of scaling people operations from the ground up. She is a certified executive coach and the founder of WOVEN. Carmela's practical wisdom and passion for developing HR leaders make her an invaluable resource for professionals seeking to accelerate their strategic impact within high-growth and entrepreneurial organizations across the United States.
First Contact HR Services support HR professionals, people leaders, executives, and founders who need strategic guidance, practical tools, or senior-level advisory support. People Leader Accelerator is especially relevant for Chief People Officers, VP-level HR leaders, HR business partners, talent leaders, organizational development professionals, and CEOs navigating growth, leadership decisions, workforce planning, or organizational change.
Connect with experienced faculty for practical next-step guidance.
Recognition for academic excellence in business education.
Executive compensation expertise supporting strategic HR decisions.
Senior HR certification reflecting advanced people leadership knowledge.
Share your HR leadership challenge, advisory need, or resource interest, and the team will help identify the right next step.
To help us assist you faster, please include the reason for your message so the relevant team can reach out as soon as possible.
To help us assist you faster, please include the reason for your message so the relevant team can reach out as soon as possible.