Leadership Journey
A selective 24-month leadership development engagement designed to help leadership teams strengthen capability, improve execution, and sustain development through structured activities over time.
Build stronger HR capability with SHRM Training & Development Programs designed for people leaders who need practical tools, strategic confidence, and peer-supported growth. People Leader Accelerator combines expert-led frameworks, downloadable guides, mentoring, assessments, and facilitated learning to help HR teams align talent decisions with business priorities and lead through scale, change, and complexity with greater clarity.
Explore structured HR leadership programs, advisory support, peer learning, and practical tools for stronger people strategy.
A selective 24-month leadership development engagement designed to help leadership teams strengthen capability, improve execution, and sustain development through structured activities over time.
Personalized mentoring for HR leaders stepping into broader scope, higher visibility, or first-time top-of-function roles, with focus on judgment, presence, and decision quality.
An annual peer learning membership offering curated small-group access to HR leaders in similar organizations through facilitated monthly discussions and professional community support.
A multi-day leadership development retreat featuring values exploration, reflection, panel discussions, intention-setting, networking meals, and social gatherings for professional growth.
A comprehensive guide and sample workbook helping HR leaders align workforce priorities, business goals, strategic initiatives, and people management practices.
A 75-page guide teaching HR teams how to identify meaningful workforce metrics, build dashboards, and use people data to influence organizational decisions.
People Leader Accelerator turns HR development into applied business capability. Through expert faculty, evidence-based frameworks, downloadable guides, mentoring, and peer discussion, leaders learn how to connect people priorities to company goals, improve decision quality, and navigate growth-stage challenges with less disruption, stronger alignment, and clearer executive communication across functions and leadership teams at scale confidently.
See how HR leaders turn practical frameworks into stronger strategy, alignment, and leadership impact.
"I left the PLA program with several key takeaways. First, the value of making time for your own thoughts. This program was great for structured reflection. Second, don't over-engineer things, especially in growth companies. And finally, my biggest 'takeaway' from the PLA was really the new relationships. I've already found..."
"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..."
"I left the PLA program with several key takeaways. First, the value of making time for your own thoughts. This program was great for structured reflection. Second, don't over-engineer things, especially in growth companies. And finally, my biggest 'takeaway' from the PLA was really the new relationships. I've already found..."
"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..."
"I left the PLA program with several key takeaways. First, the value of making time for your own thoughts. This program was great for structured reflection. Second, don't over-engineer things, especially in growth companies. And finally, my biggest 'takeaway' from the PLA was really the new relationships. I've already found..."
"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 experienced faculty, applied resources, and peer-supported development.
Learn from HR leaders with 25–30+ years of practitioner and coaching experience.
Use guides, templates, dashboards, and frameworks designed for immediate workplace application.
Connect HR priorities to business goals, executive expectations, and organizational performance.
Join alumni and mastermind communities that support ongoing peer learning and mentoring.
Learn from experienced HR practitioners, coaches, and academics.
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.
Training typically focuses on immediate skills, tools, and knowledge needed to perform current HR responsibilities more effectively. Development is broader and longer-term, building judgment, leadership capacity, strategic influence, and readiness for expanded roles. People Leader Accelerator combines both by offering practical guides, facilitated learning, mentoring, and peer discussion that help HR leaders apply concepts to real organizational challenges.
Talk with People Leader Accelerator about your HR development goals.
Recognized senior HR expertise for strategic programs.
Compensation expertise supporting executive-level HR education.
Academic recognition for business school leadership.
Share your HR development goals, leadership challenges, or program questions, and People Leader Accelerator will help identify the right next step.
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