Our people

Marissa is the Chief Executive Officer of Cielo, the world’s leading global talent acquisition partner. She joined Cielo in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Global Operations, where she was instrumental in scaling Cielo’s delivery model. Prior to her appointment as CEO, she held multiple executive positions across the business.

Before joining Cielo, Marissa spent 11 years at ManpowerGroup. Prior to her career in professional services, she began her career in the nonprofit segment, working for United Cerebral Palsy of Wisconsin, and is a proud AmeriCorps VISTA alumni. Marissa is a member of the Forbes Human Resource Council and serves as a Trustee on the Workforce Committee at The Committee for Economic Development (CED), which is the public policy center of The Conference Board. Marissa is a graduate of the business school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Marissa currently resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with her husband, four boys and two beagles.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Tara oversees the business initiatives to drive both short- and long-term strategies to meet Cielo’s key objectives. She and her team activate the core elements of change management and interdepartmental collaboration on strategic initiatives, overseeing program management and mobilizing organizational resources.

Since joining Cielo in 2008, Tara has played a critical role in the growth of the organization through her decisive leadership and measurable expertise in several areas, from revenue growth and forecasting to client and employee engagement. Prior to Cielo, Tara held senior roles at MRA – The Management Association and Hatch Services. She has a BA in Communication from St. Norbert College and an MA in Communication from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee.

As CAO, Leslie is accountable for the company’s fiscal management, financial planning & reporting, IT operations and information security, legal and regulatory compliance, and the strategic management of procurement and contractual agreements to ensure Cielo’s sustainable growth. She joined Cielo in 2023, bringing with her 20 years of experience in financial leadership and business strategy in the industrial staffing, financial services, and manufacturing sectors.

In previous leadership roles at EmployBridge, Fidelity Investments, and GE, she established a track record of partnering with business leaders to achieve targets, develop policies, establish metrics, and collaborate on driving bottom-line productivity and growth initiatives. Leslie earned her Bachelor of Science with a dual focus in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management and also completed GE’s Financial Management Program. She lives with her husband and two children in the Greater Boston, MA area.

As Chief Operating Officer, Molly enables Cielo’s mission by ensuring we have the best talent positioned to provide excellent client service. She oversees talent acquisition, talent management, learning & development and HR operations for Cielo’s global operations.

She joined Cielo in September 2018 and brought with her extensive experience in human resource and general business management. Prior to Cielo, Molly spent much of her career in the banking industry holding positions in operations, strategic planning, human resources and P&L management. Molly is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and lives in Franklin with her husband and two children.

Kirsten Mayer is a dynamic and seasoned HR executive with over 18 years of experience in Human Resources driving strategic talent initiatives across global organizations. She leads global efforts in fostering high-performance cultures, developing future and growth-oriented people strategies, and drives continuous organizational transformation.

Her career at Cielo spans nearly a decade, where she has held pivotal roles including Senior Vice President of Global Talent Development and SVP of Client Services, playing a central role in scaling talent solutions and enhancing client satisfaction across EMEA and global markets. Kirsten's role as a strategic visionary, combined with her HR expertise, has enabled her to develop comprehensive solutions that support and enhance the growth and wellbeing of employees worldwide, fostering an engaging culture and contributing to the dependability and success of the business. 

She also holds a degree in Business Administration and Tourism, which laid the groundwork for her global outlook and client-centric approach.

Kirsten is a certified Diversity Manager underscoring her commitment to building inclusive, people-first organizations and is known for cross-cultural fluency, and unwavering commitment to empowering people and organizations to thrive. She is also a certified Business Coach and has degree in systemic counseling.

Matt has spent the last 20 years helping organizations transform their TA and HR approach through leading and delivering large-scale global outsourced services, consulting, and digital/tech product development. Matt, with diverse leadership positions in technology, operations and pre-sales, actively participates in global AI communities and advises start-ups, multi-national enterprises on AI strategy in HR and TA.

John is Head of the New York office and serves on Permira's Executive Committee. He has worked on a number of transactions, including Arysta LifeScience, Atrium Innovations, BakerCorp, Cielo, DiversiTech and Renaissance Learning. Prior to joining Permira, John was the Global Head of the Financial Sponsor Group at JPMorgan Securities, where he worked for over 20 years. John has a degree in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Marissa is the Chief Executive Officer of Cielo, the world’s leading global talent acquisition partner. She joined Cielo in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Global Operations, where she was instrumental in scaling Cielo’s delivery model. Prior to her appointment as CEO, she held multiple executive positions across the business.

Before joining Cielo, Marissa spent 11 years at ManpowerGroup. Prior to her career in professional services, she began her career in the nonprofit segment, working for United Cerebral Palsy of Wisconsin, and is a proud AmeriCorps VISTA alumni. Marissa is a member of the Forbes Human Resource Council and serves as a Trustee on the Workforce Committee at The Committee for Economic Development (CED), which is the public policy center of The Conference Board. Marissa is a graduate of the business school at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Marissa currently resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with her husband, four boys and two beagles.

Sue Marks is the Founder and active Board Member at Cielo, the world’s leading pure-play provider of technology-enabled Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) solutions. Sue’s visionary thinking, creative problem solving and ability to motivate and inspire people are the foundation of Cielo’s corporate culture and client relationships.

She is widely recognized as one of the key founders of, and a pioneer in, the RPO industry. Since its inception, she has been an annual member of the HRO Today HR Outsourcing Superstar listing and was recognized as Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the service business category. She is the winner of the Marquette University College of Business Administration’s Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship and a three-time winner of both the Working Woman 500 designation and the Future 50 of Wisconsin. Sue earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration from Marquette University and is an annual participant in YPOWPO’s prestigious executive education program at Harvard Business School.

Sean focuses on investment opportunities in the Services sector. He has worked on a number of transactions including DiversiTech, Cielo, Cambrex and Clearwater Analytics. Prior to pursuing his MBA, Sean worked in Permira’s New York office for three years. Before that, he worked at Citigroup in investment banking for three years. Sean holds a degree in Finance from The University of Notre Dame, USA and has an MBA from The Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, USA.