People Strategies for High Growth Companies

Driving growth for a scrappy start-up as a team of one HR expert, is a lot different from leading a team of HR pros with niche functional expertise. But, there’s a lot of cross-over, too.

We’re diving into specifics with HR experts whose expertise includes high-growth HR, private equity, asset management and finance.

What you’ll hear:

Leave space for the unpredictable. We held this session on a day when the air quality in much of the northeast was concerning and had business leaders turning to their HR teams for advice on how to keep employees safe and healthy. We don’t know what the next environmental challenge will be, just that it will come.

How do you get it all done as a small team? Build your network with intention, so you know who to call when you need something specific.

Every company’s in-person needs are different. Small scrappy start-up teams may have an easier time working remotely than investment firms running on an apprenticeship model that requires more time together. No matter what, building in flexibility, like “Work from anywhere August” is important.

Several core competencies stand out for modern HR leaders, including: Agility, having a growth mindset, understanding analytics, empathy, and having a commercial mindset.

HR leaders need training, too. With the world of work shifting so rapidly, HR pros need to prioritize their own learning and development, too.

AI is a major topic for HR leaders right now. No one has all of the answers, but HR is uniquely positioned to ensure leadership teams remain focused on how AI affects human capital as it continues to develop. We’ll be diving into AI and analytics during a future “Inspire Live” session this fall, so stay tuned.

Watch the full session

Meet the Panelists

Ariel Speicher is Head of HR at Point72. Previously, she served as Senior HR Business Partner, responsible for the planning and execution of talent management across the firm, managing the team of global HR Business Partners and leading Global Benefits and Compensation. Prior to Point72, Ariel was a strategic thought leader for EVPs in the Global Finance Organization for American Express. She joined American Express as an inaugural member of the HR Global Rotation Program and spent nearly a decade in HR roles of increasing responsibility in both the UK and New York offices.

Annette Krassner is CEO of Glocap Search where she brings over 25 years of experience within the financial services industry working with both small and large firms. Annette was most recently a Partner and the Chief Administrative Officer at Pine River Capital Management. Prior to joining Pine River, Annette spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs where she was a Managing Director in the Securities Division. She also co-headed the Prime Brokerage Consulting Services & Product Development team, having founded Consulting Services in 1999. She and her team helped hedge funds launch their businesses and facilitated their growth.

Monica Bright-Hill is an HR Business Partner Expert at Inspire Human Services, whose experience includes: people operations, workforce management, global mobility, immigration, employee engagement and experience, employee relations and program management. Most recently, Monica served as People Operations Manager at ChartHop, Inc., a 2-year-old start-up company, where she built programs and processes across all HR functions. Prior to ChartHop, Monica was Program Manager, People Operations/Total Rewards at UiPath, Inc. after being promoted from Operations Demand Manager for the Americas.