Melissa Bruno

CEO

New York City, United States23 yrs 7 mos experience

Key Highlights

  • Expert in building leadership and talent systems for growth.
  • Proven track record in high-growth and transformation environments.
  • Founder of a niche luxury travel business with global experience.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic HR leader with extensive experience in high-growth SaaS and travel industries.

Contact

Skills

Core Skills

Human Resources (hr)Strategic Human Resource PlanningLeadership DevelopmentHr Strategy

Other Skills

Culture DevelopmentStrategic Human Resources LeadershipExecutive TeamTeam FacilitationTalent ManagementPerformance ManagementTalent AcquisitionTravel PlanningRecruitingChange ManagementWorkforce PlanningProject ManagementStrategic PlanningOrganizational DesignOnboarding

About

I build the leadership, culture, and talent systems that drive business growth. From Series A through Series D, across revenue stages of $5M to $500M, I've partnered with CEOs and boards to translate business ambition into org design, leadership capability, and people infrastructure that delivers: stronger retention, higher-performing teams, and scalable growth. My work spans talent acquisition, total rewards, performance management, organizational design, and HR operations, at companies navigating hypergrowth, M&A, IPO, and transformation. My style is candid, commercial, and human. I care about culture. The kind that shows up in decisions, leadership behavior, and business results. I'm most energized by companies at inflection points, where intentional leadership and disciplined people strategy unlock the next stage of growth. Outside of work, I feed my entrepreneurial spirit by doing what I love most - travel. I've traveled to 98 countries and built a niche luxury travel business around it. Because operators build things, and I'm no exception.

Experience

23 yrs 7 mos
Total Experience
3 yrs 2 mos
Average Tenure
2 yrs 4 mos
Current Experience

Sortly

2 roles

Chief People Officer

Promoted

Feb 2025Present · 1 yr 3 mos · United States

Fractional Chief People Officer

Jan 2024Feb 2025 · 1 yr 1 mo · United States

Wanderlink

Founder + Chief Experience Officer

May 2023Present · 3 yrs

  • Design unique luxury travel experiences around the world. Specializing in small group travel.

Chief

Member

Oct 2021Sep 2024 · 2 yrs 11 mos

  • Chief is a private network built to drive more women into positions of power and keep them there. Chief is the only organization specifically designed for senior women leaders to strengthen their leadership journey, cross-pollinate ideas across industries, and effect change from the top down.
Leadership DevelopmentStrategic Human Resources LeadershipHR Strategy

Mb cpo consulting

Chief People Officer

Feb 2021Mar 2025 · 4 yrs 1 mo · United States

  • Consult, advise and enable businesses to advance their mission by partnering with C-level executives in modernizing their people practices and programs.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Stack overflow

VP of People

Jan 2019Jan 2021 · 2 yrs · New York City Area

  • Lead, create and execute the People Strategy for a globally dispersed remote technology SaaS platform. Provide vision and counsel to executive leadership through accelerated growth and transformation of the organization through culture and employee engagement strategies. Coach, hire and train a global team of HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, People Ops, L&D, DEI, Comp & Benefits.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Ivy

VP, People + Culture

Jan 2018Feb 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo · New York, New York

  • Growth startup with over 100 people across (7) locations. IVY connects people to transformative experiences by providing members access to the most influential thought leaders, experiential events & travel experiences around the world. Create the talent strategy and execution plan to align to business objectives. Hire, train, coach and mentor a team of 5.

Persado

Head of HR & Talent

Aug 2015Sep 2017 · 2 yrs 1 mo · New York City Area

  • Design and execute the talent/people strategy to align with business growth objectives. Lead talent/people processes by proactively setting performance guidelines and identifying top performers, while creating best-fit learning and development org-wide initiatives.
  • Achieved 2016 Great Places to Work Certification with a 97% employee engagement & satisfaction rate by Trust Survey Index administered through Great Places to Work Institute.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Network for teaching entrepreneurship (nfte)

VP of Talent

Jan 2013Jan 2015 · 2 yrs · New York City Area

  • Create and execute the human resource strategy and tactical execution of a high-growth education management organization with 11 program offices serving 18 states. Develop organizational effectiveness by building customized compensation, performance management, leadership development, talent acquisition and retention frameworks aligned to organizational priorities.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Invigorate travel

Founder

Dec 2012Dec 2020 · 8 yrs · New York City Metropolitan Area

  • Closed due to COVID
  • Founder & and Operator of a Boutique Lifestyle travel services company designing one-of-a-kind travel experiences around the world. Incorporating elements of wellness into each one of our itineraries. Specializing in small group travel (max group size of 12).
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Ips talent solutions

Founder & HR Consultant

Jan 2011Jan 2013 · 2 yrs

  • Founder/operator of human resources consulting and advisory services company, providing contractual and project work in human resources services with a focus on talent acquisition, retention, performance management, HR transformation & strategy.
Human Resources (HR)

Experian marketing services

VP HR

Jan 2007Jan 2011 · 4 yrs · New York City Area

  • Led the division's human resources function as a business partner providing strategic and tactical counsel to the leadership team. Focus on leading the effort of acquiring mission critical talent to support high-growth businesses as well as instilling organizational values that drive a high performance culture. Oversee and direct HR operations in multiple domestic and international sites with an oversight of a team of over 20.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Intralinks

VP Human Resources

Jan 2002Jan 2007 · 5 yrs · New York, New York, United States

  • Lead the design and development of the human resources strategic and tactical plan to address the needs of a high-growth business. Specific to: compensation, recruitment & retention, benefit design, performance management, employee relations, employee training Managed a team of HR business partners, Talent Acquisition, Learning and Development, Comp & Benefits.
Human Resources (HR)Strategic Human Resource PlanningCulture Development

Education

The Wharton School

Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program

Jan 2021Jan 2021

SUNY Oneonta

Bachelors of Science — Business Economics

Cornell University

Certificate in Situational Leadership

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