Parker Nielson

About Parker Nielson

I am a dedicated professional with a proven track record of consistently leading the way in developing innovative strategies that enhance team growth, elevate recruiting success, and drive business development initiatives to record-breaking levels. With over a decade of experience, I have honed recruiting and leadership skills to consistently attract exceptional candidates who serve as catalysts for organizational growth.At Toast I led a team of recruiters, committed to finding individuals who share Toast\'s values and passion for the restaurant industry. With a focus on enterprise talent acquisition strategies, driving hyper-growth and establishing new departments. One way we focused on driving DEI was through strategic partnerships with local communities.Through the pandemic, I strategically led hiring and partner relationships, demonstrating comprehensive control over hiring plans at Wayfair during unforeseen times. Directed high-performing recruiting teams for all sales hires in the United States during a 30%+ growth year, and managed multi-site operations and recruitment teams across multiple locations.Kforce was focused on client acquisition, relationship management, and talent search for diverse engineering and technology roles in Utah\'s tech sector.STARTUP EXPERIENCE - Apex was a startup at which I co-initiated the establishment and provided strategic oversight for a network of 30 corporate entities nationwide. Spearheaded corporate training programs to enhance communication and team development. Led efforts to drive company expansion and established high-performing sales teams.I am poised to contribute significantly to the pursuit of organizational prosperity through my demonstrated commitment to excellence and history of creating valuable assets. Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Experience

1. Head of People Strategy and Operations

   Thoropass

   Jan 2026 — Present · New York, NY, US

   As Head of People Strategy and Operations at Thoropass, I serve as the operational second-in-command to the SVP of People, leading the execution of our global People strategy and overseeing the day-to-day performance of the People function.I lead a cross-functional team spanning Talent Acquisition, People Operations, and People infrastructure, driving alignment across workforce planning, total rewards execution, HR systems, analytics, and global compliance. My role bridges strategy and execution ensuring that executive vision translates into scalable processes, measurable outcomes, and operational excellence.With employees across the US, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC, I oversee the full employee lifecycle while building the systems and structure required to support a distributed, high-growth organization. I own our People technology ecosystem (HRIS, ATS, integrations, automation), leveraging data and AI-enabled tools to improve hiring precision, workforce forecasting, and organizational decision-making.I partner closely with Finance, Legal, and executive leadership on headcount planning, compensation benchmarking, performance cycles, and engagement initiatives ensuring disciplined execution while strengthening culture and accountability.As a strategic and operational counterpart to the SVP of People, I step in as functional lead when needed and help shape the infrastructure required for long-term scale. My focus is building a modern, technology-enabled People organization positioned to support sustained growth and future leadership expansion.

Education

• Davis Technical College

  Culinary Arts/Chef Training

  2007 — 2009

• Davis Technical College

  EMS, Sports Medicine

  2007 — 2009

• University of Utah

  Sports Psychology

  2009 — 2013

Skills

• Project Management
• Event Management
• Maintenance
• Maintenance
• Leadership
• Product Management
• Networking
• Teaching
• Time Management
• Strategic Partnerships
• Negotiation
• Account Management
• Sales Management
• Software Documentation
• Social Media
• Research
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Strategy
• Integration
• Process Improvement
• Software Installation
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Customer Satisfaction
• Training
• New Business Development
• Team Building
• Management
• Technical Support
• Marketing
• Strategic Planning
• Event Planning
• Call Centers
• Business Development
• Operations Management
• Microsoft Word
• Customer Service
• Customer Experience
• Start-Ups