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Hire the Top 1% of People Operations Consultants

The systems that scale from 20 to 200: HRIS, performance, incentives, and management rhythm. Most of these operators ran people functions inside brands doing $10M to $100M.

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About MentorPass

Est. 2020·10,000+ engagements·avg rating

The list

The 9 best people operations consultants

Ranked by what they actually built. We lead with a 3x VP of HR, then operators who designed comp plans, leadership structures, and performance systems inside real companies.

  1. 01Panagiota Hatzis

    Panagiota Hatzis

    Vetted operator

    3x VP of HR, currently VP of HR at HexClad

    Panagiota has run the people function as VP of HR three times, currently at HexClad. She gives real-time tactical feedback on team building, culture, and performance, the day-to-day calls that decide whether a growing org stays healthy. Start here if you need someone who has actually owned HR at scale, not advised on it from the outside.

    HR leadershipPerformance

Sound familiar?

From stuck to a plan you can run this week

The problems founders bring our people operations operators — and what they walk away with.

  1. I have an employee who is struggling to act as a people manager, and I don't know how I should be setting weekly goals and targets for her.

    A clear management rhythm: defined weekly goals, KPIs, and feedback loops the manager can actually run.

  2. We're trying to objectively assess team performance, but we keep relying on gut feel and end up avoiding the hard conversations.

The scope

What a people operations consultant actually does

The work our people operations operators take on, from first call to ongoing.

  • Org chart and team design

    Map the roles you need, the order to hire them, and how reporting lines should change as you scale.

  • Performance management systems

    Build the goals, KPIs, and feedback cadence that let you assess performance objectively and act on it.

  • Compensation and bonus plans

    Design pay and bonus structures that tie rewards to results and hold up in the comp conversation.

  • Equity and incentive planning

    Structure allocation, vesting, and timing for partners, executives, and key employees before it gets costly.

  • Leadership and management rhythm

    Set up the executive structure, accountability, and weekly cadence that keep a growing team healthy.

How MentorPass works

The easiest way to hire a people operations consultant

Find your expert, book a call, solve your problem — and keep them on when you’re ready.

  1. 1. Find your consultant

    Browse the ranked list of vetted operators. Every profile shows their track record, the brands they’ve scaled, and exactly what they go deep on.

  2. 2. Book a call

    Pick a time and share your context up front. They review it before you meet — no spending the first 20 minutes on background.

The guide

What to know before you hire a people operations consultant

A People Ops and HR consultant helps you build the systems that hold a team together as it grows. That work shows up the moment a company crosses roughly 20 people: the founder is still making every people decision by feel, performance reviews are improvised, comp is negotiated one conversation at a time, and the org chart is whatever happened by accident. A good consultant replaces that with structure.

What a people ops consultant does

The core work falls into a few buckets. Org design: which roles you need, in what order, and how reporting should change as you scale. Performance management: the goals, KPIs, and feedback cadence that let you assess people objectively instead of avoiding the hard conversation. Compensation: bonus and incentive plans that tie pay to results. Equity: allocation, vesting, and timing for partners and key hires, set up before it gets expensive to unwind. And the management rhythm itself, the weekly cadence and accountability that keep a growing team healthy.

What to look for when you hire one

Look for someone who has owned the problem, not studied it. There is a real gap between a career HR consultant and an operator who built and managed a team through scale. A VP of HR who ran the function inside a fast-growing brand has made the comp mistakes, fixed the broken org chart, and run the performance conversations you are about to face. So has a founder who scaled a company to nine figures. Ask what they built, what number it hit, and what they would do differently. Specifics beat credentials.

Match the person to the layer you are working on. Designing the executive team above you is a different job than setting weekly targets for a struggling first-time manager. Some operators are best at org structure across departments, others at leadership coaching, others at equity and incentive design. Pick for the decision in front of you.

Why founders use MentorPass for this

MentorPass connects you with operators who have done the exact thing you are trying to do, and you book them by the session. There is no retainer and no agency markup. The roster on this page includes a 3x VP of HR, a former COO who scaled a brand past a $1.2B valuation, and founders who built consumer companies from scratch. Most of the demand comes from DTC and ecommerce teams in the $10M to $100M range, so the advice is grounded in real scaling problems, not theory. Book a single call to pressure-test a plan, then come back as the team grows and the next decision lands.

Proof

Results from these people operations consultants

Average rating
5★

Average rating

Written reviews
79

Written reviews

Sessions booked
558

Sessions booked

Expert operators
9

Expert operators

I’m a creative strategist, and I’d been struggling to get a big winner at the top of funnel. The main issue was in the intro: I had been getting too specific with the mechanism. Joanna helped me realize it was okay to use a really short problem on-ramp and then get right into the solution, since some people already knew their problem and just wanted the solution. That shifted how I thought about addressing top of funnel, and we didn’t need to go super deep for some personas.
From a session with

Why MentorPass

MentorPass vs. the alternatives

When you need people operations help, you have four options. Here's how they actually stack up.

MentorPassAgenciesFreelance marketplacesFull-time hire
Time to first callThis weekWeeks of pitchesDays, hit or miss2–3 months

Industries

Where our people operations operators have done it

Real reps in these verticals, not theory. The kind of pattern-matching that only comes from having shipped in your category.

  • E-commerce People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR operators who've built and scaled DTC and online retail brands.
  • CPG People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR operators who've scaled consumer packaged goods brands in retail and DTC.
  • Agency People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR help built for agencies and professional service firms.
  • B2C SaaS People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR guidance for consumer apps and subscription products.
  • B2B SaaS People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR guidance for B2B software and platform companies.
  • Media People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR for media, content, and publishing brands.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What does a People Ops & HR consultant actually do?

They help you build the systems behind a growing team: org design, performance management, comp and bonus plans, equity structures, and the management rhythm that keeps it all running. On MentorPass that means a working session on your specific problem, not a generic HR audit.

How much does it cost?

You book by the session, so you pay for the time you use instead of a retainer. Most founders start with a single 30 or 60 minute call to pressure-test a structure or plan, then come back when the next decision comes up.

How do you vet these consultants?

Every person on this page held the role they advise on. We lead with a 3x VP of HR, and the rest are founders and operators who built and scaled real teams. Ratings and session counts are pulled from real bookings, not marketing copy.

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Hire a people operations consultant who's done it before

Pick a consultant and book a call — or tell us what you're working on and we'll route you to the right operator in the network.

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4.97

Panagiota Hatzis

3x VP of HR, currently VP of HR at HexClad

Meghan Caiazzo

9-figure founder, CEO @ Flerish Hydration

Ben Smith

Former COO at AG1, scaled to $600M+ and a $1.2B valuation

Vetted operator

Hire Founders & Operators from Top Brands

Culture
Team building
View profile
  • 02Meghan Caiazzo

    Meghan Caiazzo

    Vetted operator250+ sessions

    9-figure founder, CEO @ Flerish Hydration

    Meghan is a 9-figure founder and one of the top recurring mentors on MentorPass, with 250+ sessions booked. She works on high-performing teams, founder leadership, and the comp and incentive structures that keep them aligned. Founders come back to her because she sees the people problem behind the growth problem.

    Founder coachingTeam buildingLeadershipIncentives
    View profile
  • 03Ben Smith

    Ben Smith

    Vetted operator100+ sessions

    Former COO at AG1, scaled to $600M+ and a $1.2B valuation

    Ben was COO at AG1 and scaled it past $600M in revenue and a $1.2B valuation in four years. He has built and restructured ops teams across hyper-growth brands including Earth Breeze, Sugarfina, and Williams-Sonoma. Bring him your org structure questions: how the COO role evolves with scale, where the team breaks, and what to hire next.

    Org structureOperationsScaling teamsHiring
    View profile
  • 04Brennan Eccles

    Brennan Eccles

    Vetted operator60+ sessions

    VP of Marketing at Cuts Clothing

    Brennan is VP of Marketing at Cuts, where he builds and runs the team behind the brand. He is sharp on how to structure a marketing org, define department objectives, and decide whether a need is one hire or several. Useful when your people question is really a team-design question inside a growing function.

    Team structureDepartment objectivesHiring plan
    View profile
  • 05Ben-David Imberman

    Ben-David Imberman

    Vetted operator20+ sessions

    Founder & CEO at Clean Skin Club

    Ben-David founded and runs Clean Skin Club, building it across online and retail. As a CEO he has had to set up management structure and accountability while the team grew underneath him. Good for founders working through how to lead people through scale without losing control of the product.

    Founder leadershipManagement structureAccountability
    View profile
  • 06Nancy Pak

    Nancy Pak

    Vetted operator

    CEO at Tate's Bake Shop and Tom's of Maine, Board Chair at Daily Crunch

    Nancy has run consumer brands as CEO, including Tate's Bake Shop and Tom's of Maine, and chairs the board at Daily Crunch. She works on leadership structure, team building, and culture at the executive level. The right call when you are designing the management layer above you, not the layer below.

    Executive structureLeadershipCultureTeam building
    View profile
  • 07Matthew Parvis

    Matthew Parvis

    Vetted operator

    Co-Founder & CEO, Fresh Clean Threads

    Matthew co-founded and runs Fresh Clean Threads, so he has built a team and a management rhythm from scratch. He talks through the people and operations decisions a founder hits while scaling: who to hire, how to set objectives, and how to keep performance honest. Practical advice from someone still in the seat.

    Founder operationsTeam buildingPerformance
    View profile
  • 08Joanna Wallace

    Joanna Wallace

    Vetted operator

    Founder of CreativeRx, prev. founded the creative dept at HexClad

    Joanna founded the creative department at HexClad and now runs CreativeRx, advising brands like True Classic and birddogs. Building a function from zero means hiring, structuring, and managing a team, which is exactly the people work she did. Best for leaders staffing and structuring a creative or marketing org.

    Building a functionTeam structureHiring
    View profile
  • 09Sean McGinnis

    Sean McGinnis

    Vetted operator

    Growth coach and executive advisor to ecommerce operators

    Sean advises ecommerce operators on structuring the business for success in every department. His angle on people ops is organizational: clear roles, the right team design, and accountability across functions. A fit when you want an outside read on whether your org is built to grow.

    Org designTeam buildingAccountability
    View profile

    • A performance system that names underperformance early and gives you a fair process to act on it.

  • An employee is requesting performance incentives this year and we're having a hard time finding common ground.

    Bonus and incentive plans that align pay with results, so the conversation starts from a structure instead of a standoff.

  • My vision is much bigger than my current skill set, and I don't know how to structure the team to get there.

    An org chart built for where you're going: the right roles, the right sequence of hires, and a leadership layer that holds.

  • We want to bring in partners and key people with equity, but we don't know how to design the allocation or the vesting.

    An equity and incentive plan with sensible allocation, vesting, and timing, set up before it gets expensive to fix.

  • We're becoming omnichannel and bigger in retail, and I'm not sure how to structure the team from here.

    An org design that matches the new business: clear ownership across channels and the hires that come next.

  • Internal development and coaching

    Grow leaders from inside: career paths, manager coaching, and closing the skill gap on your own team.

    • 3. Leave with a game plan

    Get specific, prioritized advice you can act on this week — and keep working with them ongoing if it clicks.

  • Keep them on

    Found your match? Keep your people operations operator on as an ongoing advisor as you scale.

    • Joanna Wallace
    Ben is the real deal, one of the highest-signal 30 minutes I've had as an operator. I'm the co-founder & COO of a multi-brand DTC supplement group, and I came to Ben with questions about scaling operations, cash management during hyper-growth, and how the COO role evolves from startup to scale. He didn't give me frameworks or generic advice — he gave me positions. Clear, opinionated, immediately actionable answers drawn from actually having lived it: how to finance inventory growth with debt instead of equity, how to structure supplier terms and PO financing ahead of lead-time crunches, how to think about org design across a brand portfolio (shared back office, dedicated growth leads per brand), and some genuinely uncomfortable but necessary truths about hiring and letting go of people as the business outgrows them. What impressed me most is the density. Every answer was a decision, not a discussion. I walked away with concrete changes to make this quarter plus a clearer view of my own role for the next 18 months. I could have talked with him for hours. I'll be booking a longer session next time. If you're building a consumer brand and you're serious about scaling, book the call.
    From a session with Ben Smith
    Loved this session! Brennan came ultra prepared which was a positive surprise. Not all mentors take their time to really digest the context and do extra research before the call. He dropped quite a few resources that we can use to tackle our own marketing challenges. Plus the energy and the vibe of a friend that genuinely wants to be helpful was awesome. Highly recommended!
    From a session with Brennan Eccles
    I had an incredible call with Ben. He didn’t sugarcoat anything, and broke down the realities of product development, manufacturing, and e-commerce in a way that made everything click. What stood out most was how specific and experienced his advice was. Ben’s been in the trenches, he’s built a real uber successful brand, scaled it, and knows exactly what mistakes first-time founders make so I appreciated his candor, time and advice. Highly recommend
    From a session with Ben-David Imberman
    Who you actually getTop 1% people operations operatorsJunior account managersUnvetted freelancersHard to find senior talent
    Proven at your stageBuilt & scaled real brandsA playbook, not your contextVaries wildlyIf you can afford them
    CommitmentPer call — no lock-inMonthly retainerPer projectSalary + equity
    CostPer session$$$$ / month$$ / project$$$$$ + overhead
    Ongoing supportKeep them on as an advisorLocked into scopeChurn and rehirePermanent headcount
  • Marketplace People Ops / HR ConsultantsPeople Ops / HR for multi-vendor marketplaces and platforms.
    • Can I get help with comp, bonuses, and equity specifically?

    Yes. These are some of the most common reasons founders book here: aligning bonus incentives, designing equity allocation and vesting, and finding common ground on performance pay. Bring the real numbers and the consultant will work through them with you.

    I'm a founder, not an HR person. Is this still for me?

    Especially for you. A lot of buyers here say their vision outruns their current skill set on people and team building. The point of a session is to borrow someone who has already structured a team at your next stage.

    Can I keep working with the same consultant over time?

    Yes. Many founders rebook the same operator as the team grows, because the right person already knows your context and can pick up where the last call left off.