Andrew Karas

Head of People & Culture @Ground Control Touring

Los Angeles, CA, US

Ground Control Touring is a boutique booking agency founded in the year by Eric Dimenstein and Jim Romeo. We currently offer exclusive North American tour booking from offices in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. We also represent many of our clients in international territories including Asia, Australia, and South America.As the first in-house HR leader at Ground Control Touring, I was brought on to build and lead the People & Culture function from the ground up. Reporting directly to senior leadership, I serve as both a strategic advisor and a hands-on partner across all aspects of HR.Key areas of focus include: • Designing and implementing core HR infrastructure: compensation, benefits, goal setting, performance reviews, recruiting, onboarding, and offboarding • Building strong, trust-based relationships from assistants to senior agents to support individual and team success • Leading employee relations with a focus on fairness, transparency, and resolution • Ensuring compliance with employment laws and regulations; managing the employee handbook and mandatory training • Partnering with executive leadership on people strategy, culture, and organizational development • Leveraging data and industry insights to guide decisions on policies, benefits, and total rewards • Managing the PEO (TriNet) relationship to optimize services and support • Driving initiatives that foster engagement, learning, and a strong employee experience—including surveys, feedback programs, and development opportunities • Collaborating with outside partners like EnterGain to bring in specialized HR expertise • Monitoring industry trends to ensure we remain a competitive and desirable place to workThis role is about more than policies. It’s about building a people-first environment where employees thrive, managers lead with intention, and the business scales with heart and integrity.

Southern New Hampshire University

Bachelor's degree