Executive Search
Senior HR recruitment for Director, VP, and Chief People Officer roles, led directly by the Principal with complimentary executive mentoring for placed candidates.
People Leader Accelerator provides collaborative HR services for leaders navigating growth, complexity, and high-stakes people decisions. From organizational assessments and executive search to mentoring, strategic planning, and practical toolkits, our faculty-led approach helps HR teams connect people priorities to business outcomes with clarity, confidence, and less disruption.
Faculty-led HR advisory, assessments, executive search, mentoring, and practical resources for strategic people leadership.
Senior HR recruitment for Director, VP, and Chief People Officer roles, led directly by the Principal with complimentary executive mentoring for placed candidates.
A customized 360 and team effectiveness assessment using Lominger/Korn Ferry and Table Group methodologies to identify leadership strengths, risks, and action priorities.
Selective 1:1 mentoring for HR leaders entering broader, higher-visibility roles where judgment, presence, and decision quality carry real business consequences.
A comprehensive planning guide that helps HR leaders align people priorities, workforce needs, and functional initiatives with broader organizational goals.
A multi-month leadership development engagement designed to strengthen leadership teams through continuous development, structured activities, and customized advisory support.
A complete RIF resource package with project plans, selection templates, communication scripts, severance tools, and legal templates for clearer workforce transitions.
Strong HR leadership requires more than templates; it requires judgment, strategic alignment, and practical tools that fit the business. People Leader Accelerator combines seasoned practitioner insight, academic rigor, and peer-informed learning to help leaders clarify priorities, make better decisions, and create people systems that support sustainable organizational growth.
HR leaders use PLA frameworks to improve decisions, strengthen teams, and connect people strategy to business outcomes.
"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 blends practical HR experience, rigorous frameworks, and community-based development.
Learn from faculty with 25–30+ years of real HR and talent leadership experience.
Apply proven frameworks across planning, analytics, compensation, onboarding, culture, and leadership decisions.
Work through selective advisory engagements designed for complex, high-consequence organizational situations.
Access peer learning, mentoring, and alumni connections that continue beyond a single engagement.
Meet the experts behind People Leader Accelerator.
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.
People Leader Accelerator supports HR and people leaders through advisory services, organizational assessments, executive search, leadership development, mentoring, and downloadable HR tools. Services are designed to help leaders align HR priorities with business goals, improve decision quality, build scalable people systems, and navigate complex workforce moments such as growth, compensation planning, onboarding, culture design, and reductions in force.
Connect with our faculty-led team for practical guidance.
Recognized academic excellence in management education.
Executive compensation expertise supporting strategic rewards work.
Senior HR certification demonstrating advanced people leadership.
Share your HR challenge, leadership goal, or organizational need, and we’ll help identify the right advisory, assessment, search, or resource path.
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.