​I'm Elena, your HR alchemist, transforming chaotic startups and scale-ups into people-powered machines. With 6+ startups under my belt and 14 years in HR and Recruitment. I bring the magic: building HR from the ground up, attracting top talent, and crafting cultures that fuel epic growth.

I am passionate about helping companies, especially startups, and scale-ups, to build strong and efficient HR functions from the ground up, fostering company success by employing the best talent, nurturing it, creating strong teams, and committed to helping all parties to work together towards shared success.

Remember that chaotic early stage where HR is an afterthought? But also the most exciting of the times. That's why I love helping founders navigate the exciting (and sometimes messy) world of scaling a company.

That's where I come in and dive into the beautiful chaos together with you. I'm the one who turns that HR mayhem into a streamlined, strategic function that not only supports but accelerates growth.

My superpower? I speak fluent "startup," understanding your unique challenges and scaling pains. Turning startup chaos into thriving cultures where people feel valued, empowered, and look forward to Mondays.

Building HR from scratch in environments where it's been overlooked or is gasping to keep up with rocket-ship growth. I have scaled companies from 2 to 200+ employees across 40+ nationalities in just over a year. And it was magic and fun, true contribution I’m proud of.

Why startups and scale-ups, you ask? Because they are run by the most exciting people on the planet - the doers, the dreamers, the "I'll sleep when I'm dead" types. These are my people. I speak their language and understand their challenges.

Throughout my career, I have worked across industries - from cutting-edge Fintech and Blockchain to traditional Oil & Gas and Banking. With over 100 LinkedIn recommendations that say I CAN help. I do.

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I believe people are the key to thriving businesses, driven by leaders who know how to inspire their teams. Witnessing these transformational changes is why I love working in HR and management, building synergies, and fostering a positive work culture. I ensure that HR is a trusted partner for employees and a reliable advisor for management.

I value organizations that prioritize transparency and communication and give employees a sense of ownership. I support building and maintaining a culture with strong core values by providing development tools such as mentoring, coaching, and empowerment through learning and development, innovation, and intrinsic rewards.

My passion and focus are on helping companies accelerate and transform through inspiring leadership, hands-on people strategy, and attracting and developing top talent. Through my engagement I aim to build a culture of integrity, agility, and innovation, creating a work environment where employees on Sunday evenings feel the joy that they "gotta" go to work rather than "have to."

But I'm not just here to talk about my achievements. I want to hear about YOUR challenges. HR is a mess? Struggling to find the right talent? Let's talk.

Whether you are a founder wondering where to start with HR, a CEO looking to transform your people operations so it is not a paper filing function any longer. I'm here to help.

Let's turn your HR function into the secret weapon it's meant to be.

P.S. When I'm not knee-deep in HR & Talent strategy, you will find me exploring the world (75+ countries and counting!), diving into the depths of the ocean, spending time with my dogs, or practicing yoga. Life's too short for boring bios, right? I am inspired to be making a difference, because tomorrow is never guaranteed.

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”Steve Jobs

My areas of expertise include:

• HR Setup from the Ground Up, HR Transformation & Restructuring

• Strategic & Operational Human Resources

• Startups & Scale-ups

• Technology, Ed-tech, Crypto, Fintech, Blockchain, Oil & Gas, Banking, Sustainability

• Talent Acquisition, Executive Search & Recruitment

• On-boarding & Off-boarding

• UAE Labor Law & HR Compliance

• Total Rewards, Benefits & Compensation

• Policies & Procedures drafting & on-boarding

• HR Leadership

• Budgeting, Payroll

• Operations, Project Management

• Digitalization & Innovation

• HRMS, HRIS, ATS, CRM

• Performance Evaluation

• Crisis Management

• Training & Development

• Employee Engagement & Company Culture

• Executive Leadership Coaching & Mentoring

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