Kristen Suess

Kristen Suess has extensive experience in human resources, starting in 2007 as an HR Generalist at Chung Dahm Immersion School. From there, they worked as an HR Generalist at Galdos Systems Inc, where they were responsible for performance management, payroll, benefits administration, and recruitment. Kristen then became an HR Representative and Associate at Cannon Design, overseeing HR functions for multiple offices and handling recruiting, employee relations, and performance evaluations.

In 2010, Suess became the Chair of the Coastal Vancouver Advisory Council - Professional Mentoring Program Portfolio at the Human Resources Management Association (HRMA). In this role, they provided leadership to a team of volunteers, managed mentoring relationships, and contributed to the organization's initiatives.

Suess joined Starbucks in 2011 as a Senior Human Resources Associate, supporting a Regional Director and District Managers in employee relations and performance management. Kristen then became a Learning Business Partner, working with the Regional Vice President to develop and deliver learning solutions for over 6000 retail employees. Finally, Suess served as a Partner Resources Manager for Western Canada, implementing the People Plan and supporting talent attraction, development, and engagement.

In 2013, Suess started their own business called Rock My Resume, offering interview coaching and resume editing services. Kristen owned and operated the company until 2020.

Suess joined Slack in 2016 as the People Partner for Canada, supporting the Vancouver and Toronto offices as well as the global Customer Experience team. Kristen played a key role in developing global people programs and initiatives, including the Leadership framework and development program known as Base Camp. Suess was later promoted to Senior Manager and then Director of People (HRBP), overseeing the experience and support of the Customer Experience team during Slack's acquisition by Salesforce.

Most recently, in 2022, Suess has taken on the role of Principal People Business Partner at Apollo GraphQL. No specific start or end dates are provided for this role. Additionally, in the same year, they founded People Up, a company that offers HR consulting services and curated resources to job seekers, employees, and employers.

Kristen Suess completed their Bachelor of Commerce degree in General Business Management from the University of Victoria, attending from 2000 to 2004. In 2018, they pursued a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University. In the same year, they also obtained their Certified Executive Coach (CEC) certification from Royal Roads University. Additionally, Kristen holds the Strategic Human Resources Business Partner (sHRBP) certification from the Human Capital Institute (HCI) which they obtained in October 2016. Kristen also obtained the Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR) certification from CPHR BC & Yukon in December 2009.