Our Team

Peter Petrella, President

Pete oversees company strategy, drives growth initiatives, and enhances TalentRise’s service offerings to meet the evolving needs of our diverse client base. He spearheads the development of innovative talent acquisition solutions and leadership programs that align with the company’s mission to empower organizations with top-tier talent and leadership capabilities. 

Meet Pete

Kristen Fox, Practice Leader, Coaching and Leadership Development

Kristen focuses on building leaders’ mental agility and helping them authentically navigate challenges. With nearly two decades of HR leadership experience across multiple industries, Kristen partners with CEOs and leadership teams to drive leadership and team transformations. Kristen is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Positive Intelligence Coach (CPQC), Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), and SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

Meet Kristen

Carl Kutsmode, Senior Vice President, Business Development

Carl has spent the last 25+ years helping employers from startups to global organizations optimize their talent practices, processes, technologies, and strategies. A pioneer in the digital transformation of recruiting, Carl helps employers gain competitive business advantages by equipping them to succeed in attracting, recruiting, and retaining exceptional executive-level talent to assuage their hiring needs.

Meet Carl

Tom Hausler, Director of Recruiting and Operations

With 11+ years of full lifecycle recruitment industry experience, Tom develops and manages client and candidate relationships to ensure a positive experience throughout the entire process. Serving a dual role as Director of Recruiting and Operations for both TalentRise and Viaduct, Tom assists both startups and emerging businesses. His primary responsibility is to manage the entire strategic recruitment process—sourcing, screening, selecting, hiring, and onboarding—matching clients with talent.

 

Meet Tom

Laura Barker, Director of Coaching and Leadership Development

Laura has 20+ years of business experience in HR and project management and has worked with small, mid-market, and large national and international companies in the pharmaceutical, hospitality, employee engagement, supply chain, and food manufacturing industries. Laura holds a B.A. from McGill University and is coach-certified with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Co-Active Training Institute (CTI).

Meet Laura

Elana Cunningham, Engagement Coordinator

Elana Cunningham is the Engagement Coordinator at TalentRise, where she plays a vital role in client relationship management, marketing, and internal operations. As a key liaison between the executive recruiting and coaching teams, clients, and candidates, Elana ensures seamless delivery and client engagement across TalentRise’s recruitment and leadership development practices.

Meet Elana

Steve Disselhorst, Executive Coach

Steve Disselhorst is a Leadership and Executive Coach focused on building inclusive, adaptable leaders. His approach to coaching helps leaders develop critical skills, including effective communication, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and psychological safety. Steve is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) with over 25 years of experience.

Meet Steve

Sarah Garcia, Talent Consultant

Sarah is a talent consultant dedicated to connecting VP and C-Suite leaders across a variety of industries. She thrives on learning and understanding the intricacies of each client’s domain, allowing her to develop customized recruitment strategies that address their specific needs.

Meet Sarah

Adam Nye, Talent Consultant

Adam serves as a Talent Consultant within the TalentRise Executive Search practice. In addition to his recruiting expertise, Adam brings over 12 years of leadership experience in nonprofits and schools, focusing on strategic planning, training and development, and equity and inclusion practices.

Meet Adam

Jennifer Seal, Sr. Talent Consultant and Executive Recruiter

Jennifer serves as a Senior Talent Consultant and Executive Recruiter within the TalentRise Executive Search practice. An industry veteran with 17+ years of experience, Jennifer has full-cycle recruitment and executive search experience across multiple industries with deep expertise in C-suite, director, sales, human resources, technology, manufacturing, and healthcare roles.

Meet Jennifer

Barbara Strother, Talent Consultant

Barbara has an extensive background recruiting highly skilled leaders across a variety of industries. She has over a decade of experience in executive placement and corporate recruiting. Her areas of recruitment expertise include accounting and finance, sales, marketing, HR, payroll, legal and risk, and operational leadership.

Meet Barbara

Heather Sullivan, Executive Recruiting Consultant

Heather serves as an Executive Recruiting Consultant within the TalentRise Executive Search practice. An industry veteran with more than 15 years of full lifecycle recruitment and executive search expertise, Heather has worked on a wide variety of technical and non-technical roles. Her specialty areas of recruiting are in healthcare and professional services.

Meet Heather

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