Amber Russell — CEO

"Oh great, HR is here…" That’s what people think when they hear “HR.” But I’m not here to police your coffee breaks or enforce meaningless policies. I’m here to build companies where people actually want to work. I’ve been deep in the People space for longer than I’d like to admit, helping startups scale, fix, and transform their people operations. No college degree, no traditional path—just a career built from the ground up with a front-row seat to what works and what absolutely doesn’t. I’ve led HR teams across Tech, SaaS, Construction, and Consumer Goods, learning something invaluable at every stop. I thrive in high-growth environments, aligning people strategy with business goals to unlock revenue and build cultures that attract and keep top talent. Some of my wins: 🛟 Saved $1M+ in recruiting costs by revamping hiring strategies. ꜜ Reduced payroll expenses by $250K while keeping employees engaged. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Brought voluntary attrition below 5%, driving a $50M revenue increase and a 10x valuation. I specialize in talent strategy, HR technology, employee engagement, DEIB, and scaling operations for Series B – D startups. Whether implementing leadership acceleration programs or designing compensation structures that attract (and retain) top talent, I bring data-backed solutions that fuel business growth. Outside of work? You’ll find me at yoga, cooking up something delicious, cheering my kids on at their sports and theater events, or snuggling with my two dogs. Let’s connect—I promise I won’t send you a policy update.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic HR leader with expertise in scaling operations for high-growth startups.

Location: Boston, MA, USA

Experience: 20 yrs 7 mos

Skills

Talent Management
Leadership Development
Talent Strategy
Operations Management
Hr Strategy
Hr Technology

Career Highlights

Saved over $1M in recruiting costs.
Reduced payroll expenses by $250K while engaging employees.
Drove a $50M revenue increase with low attrition.

Work Experience

Muck Rack

Vice President, Talent Management (8 mos)

Solve Talent

President and Co-Founder (1 yr)

PartsTech

Chief of Staff (2 yrs)

Chief People Officer (2 yrs)

Dutchie

Senior Director, Talent Management + Engagement (2 yrs 4 mos)

Pegasystems

Director, People Operations and Technology (2 yrs 1 mo)

Vistaprint

Director of Talent Services + Technology (7 mos)

Senior Talent and Experience Business Partner (1 yr 5 mos)

Progress

Human Capital Manager (1 yr)

ClearBridge Technology Group

Human Resources Manager (4 yrs 10 mos)

Isis Parenting

Associate (1 yr 8 mos)

Bovis Lend Lease

Quality Coordinator (2 yrs 2 mos)

Randstad HR Solutions

Professional Agent (1 yr 10 mos)

Education

at Six Sigma Qualtec Trained in Train the Trainer, Team Leader and Project Success training.

Amber Russell

CEO

Boston, MA, USA20 yrs 7 mos experience

Key Highlights

Saved over $1M in recruiting costs.
Reduced payroll expenses by $250K while engaging employees.
Drove a $50M revenue increase with low attrition.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic HR leader with expertise in scaling operations for high-growth startups.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Talent ManagementLeadership DevelopmentTalent StrategyOperations ManagementHr StrategyHr Technology

Other Skills

Talent AcquisitionSuccession PlanningHR CompliancePeople BudgetsStrategic CoordinationCompensationBenefitsHRISWorkforce PlanningOnboardingRetention StrategiesTalent ServicesHR Service DeliveryTechnology StrategyEmployee Wellness

About

Experience

20 yrs 7 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 2 mos

Average Tenure

8 mos

Current Experience

Muck rack

Vice President, Talent Management

Sep 2025 – Present · 8 mos · Greater Boston · Remote

I lead the Talent Management function, with a focus on evolving company culture and driving professional development. I manage a talented full scope team of six that is responsible for fostering a performance-driven environment while creating a welcoming and engaging employee experience.
As a member of the executive team I collaborate with my peers on various projects to ensure we build an intentional culture focused on high performance retention and strong employee engagement. I develop and implement growth plans for team members, ensuring they have the tools and opportunities to advance in their careers. Succession planning is a key focus, as I work to build a strong leadership pipeline for the future. Additionally, I oversee manager effectiveness programs, helping leaders refine their skills to better support their teams and create a high-performance culture.
My work is centered around creating an engaging and supportive environment where employees are empowered to thrive and grow, and the organization continues to develop strong leadership at all levels.

Talent AcquisitionTalent ManagementSuccession PlanningLeadership Development

Solve talent

President and Co-Founder

May 2025 – Present · 1 yr · Greater Boston · Remote

Co-founded a boutique HR and Operations firm, delivering tailored strategies for small businesses in the Greater Boston area.
Develop customized solutions to enhance employee retention, drive performance, and mitigate risks.
Provided hands-on support in Talent Strategy, Business Design, and HR Compliance, fostering partnerships that lead to lasting success.

Partstech

2 roles

Chief of Staff

Aug 2023 – Aug 2025 · 2 yrs · Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States · Remote

I drive organizational alignment and operational success across the US and Europe by defining people budgets, refining strategies, and managing large-scale integration efforts. I work closely with the executive team and private equity firm to ensure seamless business transformations, leading the Steering Committee—which includes CEOs, COOs, and key stakeholders—to oversee strategic coordination. By revamping the company roadmap and establishing company-wide OKRs, I contributed to a $50M revenue increase and a successful exit at a 10x valuation.

Chief People Officer

Aug 2023 – Aug 2025 · 2 yrs · Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States · Remote

I lead the $1.1M people strategy for a fast-growing 140-person technology company, overseeing compensation, benefits, HRIS, employee experience, recruiting, and learning and development. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership, I ensure people strategies align with business objectives while managing the integration of all talent processes post-acquisition. I optimized workforce expenses by transitioning the European team to a PEO model, reducing payroll costs by $150,000 while maintaining compliance and employee satisfaction. Additionally, I launched foundational DEIB programs, introduced key cultural initiatives, and revamped benefits to reduce voluntary attrition to under 5%.

Dutchie

Senior Director, Talent Management + Engagement

Apr 2021 – Aug 2023 · 2 yrs 4 mos · Boston, Massachusetts, United States · Remote

I helped build Dutchie’s entire people organization from the ground up during a period of rapid growth, leading a team of seven and developing scalable HR infrastructure. I implemented structured workforce planning and refined hiring strategies to support 100% headcount growth, ensuring seamless onboarding and retention. I also introduced new compensation and career development structures, which improved the employee net promoter score by 30% and reduced voluntary attrition from 15% to 9%. To foster internal mobility, I created clear career pathing frameworks, launched mentorship programs, and built transparent internal hiring processes.

Pegasystems

Director, People Operations and Technology

Mar 2019 – Apr 2021 · 2 yrs 1 mo · Greater Boston Area

I managed a global team of 30+ HRIS and HR operations professionals, overseeing HR technology and talent services for 5,000+ employees. Tasked with fixing a broken SuccessFactors implementation, I streamlined workflows, enhanced system capabilities, and stabilized a global shared services model—ultimately saving $100,000 in time and labor costs. Additionally, I improved the hiring process by developing a talent attraction model, reducing time-to-interview by more than 24 hours.

Vistaprint

2 roles

Director of Talent Services + Technology

Promoted

Jul 2018 – Feb 2019 · 7 mos · Waltham, MA · Hybrid

I led a 30-person HR operation across Manufacturing, Customer Support, and Corporate Services—the only leader to work across all three functions. I spearheaded HR service delivery, optimized technology strategy, and enhanced workforce planning. By leading an Agile implementation of SAP SuccessFactors, I delivered $250,000 in cost savings and created a sustainable support model to improve the employee experience.

Senior Talent and Experience Business Partner

Feb 2017 – Jul 2018 · 1 yr 5 mos · Waltham, MA · Hybrid

I partnered with senior leadership to develop workforce planning, organizational design, and performance management initiatives. I played a pivotal role in securing approval for a multi-million-dollar HRIS investment, successfully presenting the business case after five previous failed attempts.

Progress

Human Capital Manager

Feb 2016 – Feb 2017 · 1 yr · Greater Boston Area · On-site

I led human capital operations for a 900-employee workforce, contributing to the Workday HRIS implementation and driving employee engagement. I also introduced global performance management initiatives, coached managers to foster a high-performance culture, and improved operational efficiencies across HR processes.

Clearbridge technology group

Human Resources Manager

Apr 2011 – Feb 2016 · 4 yrs 10 mos · Billerica, MA

Developed and implemented the HR operations of the company during a time of fast, large scale growth. Received President's Cub Award and Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award in recognition of my efforts in development of the Human Resources Department. As part of the Executive Committee I partnered with Senior Leaders to choose and implement benefits, background check and employee relations processes. Created an on-boarding plan and grew the Human Resources team to support the organization and consultants working externally.