Holly K.

About Holly K.

As an experienced leader in spearheading HR departments from the ground up, I specialize in managing full-cycle HR for start-up and established companies, driving strategic initiatives in talent acquisition, employee development, and compensation and benefits. I bring expertise in acquisitions, organizational resizing, implementing new systems and programs, and boosting employee engagement. I thrive on building scalable, people-focused solutions that empower teams and foster a thriving workplace culture.

Experience

1. Head of People

   Andesite

   Dec 2025 — Present · US

   Own the People Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive People roadmap that aligns with and drives our business objectives. Lead all aspects of the function, from onboarding and talent management to scaling our people and culture programs.• Be a Strategic Partner to Leadership: Serve on the leadership team as the primary expert on people and culture. Provide counsel on organizational design, talent strategy, and scaling a high-performance, remote-first team.• Build Foundational Programs: Design, implement, and scale the core programs that support our team, including performance management, compensation and leveling frameworks, learning and development, and employee engagement initiatives.• Champion Culture: Intentionally cultivate and scale our unique culture. Help define and embody our core values, and develop rituals and practices that foster connection, collaboration, and inclusivity in a distributed environment.• Establish Operational Excellence: Build a lean, efficient, and compliant People Operations function. Implement and manage the right systems and processes to support the full employee lifecycle seamlessly.

Education

• Radford University

  Master of Science, Corporate & Professional Communication

  2009 — 2011

• Radford University

  Bachelor of Science, Communication; Public Relations; Psychology

  2005 — 2008

Skills

• Corporate Communications
• Public Speaking
• Social Networking
• Human Resource Development
• HR Management
• HR Department Start-Up
• University Teaching
• Human Resource Planning
• Event Planning
• Research
• Shrm
• Event Management
• Human Resources
• Marketing
• Marketing Communications