People Operations & Talent Strategy Executive
People Operations · Workforce Analytics · Talent Systems · Professional Services
I build the talent infrastructure that
scaling organizations need.
People operations executive with 25+ years bridging enterprise technology delivery and global people strategy in professional services. I build workforce analytics infrastructure, scalable talent programs, and operational systems for organizations that are growing faster than their people function can support. At Merkle (16,000 employees, professional services), I created the first global DEI people function from zero: $12MM budget, three regions, 11 Employee Resource Groups, and measurement frameworks that connected every talent investment to a financial outcome.
About
A people operations executive who builds talent infrastructure from the ground up.
Most people leaders come from HR. I came from enterprise technology delivery. For 20 years, I led data management and platform implementations for Fortune 1000 clients at Capgemini Ernst & Young and Merkle, managing programs valued at up to $20M. I learned where decisions stall, where talent gaps show up in the data, and where workforce investments fail to produce returns.
When I moved into people leadership at Merkle, I brought that implementation discipline with me. I built the first global DEI people function from zero, serving 16,000+ employees across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC with a $12MM budget over five years. I stood up 11 Employee Resource Groups, a 1,300-person champion network, workforce analytics frameworks using Workday, and development programs that produced three internal promotions within six months. I am focused on VP/SVP people operations roles at mid-market and larger professional services firms that are scaling and need someone to build the talent infrastructure that matches their growth.
Every company I speak with is wrestling with the same question: how do we leverage the power of AI while retaining and developing the people who matter most? Most HR professionals lack the technical fluency to answer that question. Most technologists lack the people sensitivity. I bring both, along with quantitative frameworks that translate workforce investments into language the CFO respects and the CHRO can execute.
My career proves a thesis that most organizations still haven't internalized: the best talent strategies are built by leaders who understand both the data and the humans behind it, and can translate both into language the CEO respects.
Leadership Philosophy
"I'm renting my title, but I own my brand."
Four pillars: transparency, promise, control, and consensus. Trust is the default. Autonomy is granted. When workforce data reveals uncomfortable truths, I act on them, but I build alignment before I act.
For Boards & CEOs
I operate at the governance level. Board member at Genesys Works National Capitol Region. Chief Technology & Transformation Advisor at Mind for Mission. I understand fiduciary responsibility, enterprise risk, and the connection between workforce health and shareholder value.
Target Roles
Impact
Every initiative connects to a financial outcome.
Business & Financial Performance
$20MM+
Revenue Under Management
Fortune 1000 Digital Transformations
20%
Profit Margin Improvement
Under Armour Platform Restructure
$1M
Operational Cost Savings
Lowe's CRM Implementation
10%
Delivery Cost Reduction
Cross-Platform Efficiency Gains
3x
Promotion Velocity
Three Promotions in Six Months via LIFT
18%
Revenue Growth Recovered
P&G $250M Platform Turnaround
Talent & Workforce Outcomes
$12MM
Budget Stewarded Over 5 Years
Global Talent Operations, Americas, EMEA, APAC
50%
Talent Pipeline Expansion
Applicant Pool Diversity Growth
1,300
Employee Champions Mobilized
Talent Infrastructure Across 16,000+
4%+
Women in Executive Ranks
Leadership Bench Strength Increase
35%
Diverse Recruitment Lift
Howard University Partnership ROI
5
Industry Awards
Including Microsoft DEI Champion of the Year
Awards & Recognition
Microsoft Advertising DEI Champion of the Year
2018
DEI Champion for Merkle
2019
Digital Revolution Awards: D&I Employer of the Year (UK)
2022
Building Futures Award, Genesys Works
2022
US Agency Awards Shortlist: Best Inclusion Initiative
2023
Expertise
Where data, people, and financial discipline converge.
Workforce Analytics & Predictive Modeling
Using workforce data to predict attrition risk, quantify retention economics, and identify performance patterns before they impact the P&L.
People Operations Infrastructure at Scale
Building talent functions from zero to center of excellence with defensible ROI, including ERGs, champion networks, measurement frameworks, and regional operating models.
Enterprise Digital Delivery
25+ years leading $20MM+ technology transformations for Fortune 1000 brands, delivering cost reduction, productivity improvement, and revenue growth.
Talent System Architecture
Designing fair, transparent talent systems that accelerate promotion velocity, reduce time-to-fill for critical roles, and connect people investments to financial outcomes.
AI Workforce Readiness
Helping organizations prepare their workforce for AI driven disruption by identifying which roles require human judgment, which tasks can be automated, and how to retool teams for maximum value creation while preserving institutional knowledge.
Organizational Design & Restructuring
Aligning talent capabilities with strategic business objectives to protect margins, mitigate succession risk, and accelerate enterprise performance.
Case Study
Building a global talent function from zero.
Before
Merkle had no formal people operations infrastructure for talent development, no measurement framework, no dedicated budget, and no global coordination across 16,000+ employees in three regions. Talent representation was stagnant. Leadership bench strength was weak in diversity. There was no infrastructure to connect people strategy to business outcomes.
Problem
The CEO needed a center of excellence that could operate at enterprise scale, produce measurable financial and talent outcomes, and withstand scrutiny from the CFO and external stakeholders. This was not a communications exercise. It was an operational build that required budget management, vendor selection, technology integration, cross-regional governance, and executive stakeholder alignment.
Action
I recruited a team of six professionals across three regions within 12 months and built the function from the ground up. I secured and managed a $12MM budget over five years, established 11 Employee Resource Groups with 1,300 champions, created systematic measurement frameworks using Workday and workforce analytics that enabled quarterly reporting to the CEO and CFO on retention economics, promotion velocity, and talent pipeline ROI, launched the LIFT leadership program, formed Merkle's first Howard University partnership, and embedded inclusive hiring practices with the first Inclusive Hiring Manager.
Result
50% increase in diverse talent pipeline. 4% rise in women executives. 7% growth in underrepresented talent. 35% boost in diverse recruitment via Howard University. Three internal promotions in six months through LIFT. Employee Pulse scores improved from 3.0 to 4.1. Five industry awards including Microsoft DEI Champion of the Year. Published thought leadership in Quartz, Digiday, and Afrotech. The function became a model referenced by Dentsu's global leadership.
Publications
Published perspectives on the future of work.
Executive Bio (1 Page PDF)
Downloadable for recruiters, hiring managers, and board introductions.
Career Timeline
25+ years building teams, systems, and bottom line results.
2020 to Present
Global Chief Culture Officer
Merkle / Dentsu
Built global DEI people operations function from zero. $12MM budget over five years. 16,000+ employees across Americas, EMEA, and APAC. Established workforce analytics frameworks, talent development programs, and regional operating models.
2011 to 2020
Senior Director & Delivery Engagement Leader
Merkle
Led $20MM+ in digital transformations. Improved profit margins 20%, reduced delivery costs 10%, recovered 18% revenue growth. 4 promotions in tenure.
2007 to 2011
Associate Program Manager
Merkle
Transformed underperforming $250M P&G marketing platform. Grew revenue 18%, profitability 27%. Reduced system downtime from 18 hours to 4 to 6 hours.
2000 to 2007
Manager & Senior Consultant
Capgemini Ernst & Young
Led engagements valued up to $30M across telecom, media, entertainment, and health sciences. 2 promotions based on top line financial performance.
Education & Executive Development
◆M.S. Computer Information Systems, University of Phoenix
◆B.S. Computer Science, University of Maryland
◆Harvard: Building Organizational Cultures
◆Cambridge: Prince of Wales Business & Sustainability
◆Georgetown: Certificate in DEI
◆McKinsey: Connected Leaders Academy
◆Duke: Building Financial Acumen
◆PMP Certified, Project Management Institute
Governance & Community Impact
Extending enterprise discipline to community ecosystems.
Board of Directors, 2021 to Present
Genesys Works National Capitol Region
Governance oversight for a workforce development nonprofit that creates career pathways for young adults from underserved communities into corporate internships and full time employment. Connecting enterprise talent pipeline strategy with community level workforce infrastructure.
Strategic Advisor, 2025 to Present
Cultural Academy for Excellence (CAFE)
CAFE is an award winning 501(c)(3) that has used performing arts to develop leadership, discipline, and academic achievement in over 1,500 youth since 1996. As strategic advisor during its 30th anniversary year, I led a comprehensive brand, technology, and marketing transformation: delivering a full brand refresh, implementing a 13 platform digital ecosystem with CRM integration, and managing a holiday concert campaign that generated $5,297 in revenue with 5X return on ad spend. Applied Fortune 1000 operational methodology to strengthen how a community organization communicates its mission and connects with supporters.
$5,297
Concert Revenue
228 Tickets, 4.9/5 Rating
5X
Ad Return on Spend
Facebook Campaign on $101 Investment
2X
Email Engagement
Open and Click Rate Improvement
13
Platforms Integrated
Full Digital Ecosystem Documented
"Kirt Morris brought a level of strategic marketing and technology expertise to CAFE that most nonprofits our size simply cannot access. His work has strengthened every aspect of how we communicate our mission and connect with our supporters. I recommend Kirt without reservation."
Lorna Green
Founder & CEO, Cultural Academy for Excellence
Chief Technology & Transformation Advisor
Mind for Mission
Advisory role helping mission driven organizations navigate AI adoption by identifying which work requires human judgment and which can be automated, ensuring technology serves the mission without displacing the people who deliver it.
For executive, board, or strategic advisory discussions.
I am focused on VP/SVP people operations and talent strategy roles at mid-market and larger professional services firms navigating growth, transformation, or organizational scale. If your organization is building the talent infrastructure to match its growth ambitions, I welcome the conversation.
Direct contact.
Odenton, Maryland · Open to Remote & Hybrid
© 2026 Kirt Morris. Board Member, Genesys Works National Capitol Region. Strategic Advisor, Cultural Academy for Excellence. Chief Technology & Transformation Advisor, Mind for Mission.