Cielo Leadership

Sue Marks

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Sue Marks is the CEO of 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.

Marissa Geist

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Marissa Geist oversees the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of Cielo, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer. Her previous roles at Cielo include Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the Americas, where she was responsible for the leadership for all sales, delivery and operations in the Americas, which encompasses the North America and Latin America regions. She joined Cielo in 2015 as Senior Vice President of Global Operations, where she was instrumental in refining our global operating model and contributed to Cielo’s ability to predict, fulfill and exceed client needs. Prior to joining Cielo, she spent 11 years at ManpowerGroup in a number of senior roles, finishing as Vice President Client Programs. Marissa is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing. She currently resides in Brookfield, Wisconsin with her husband and four boys.

Seb O’Connell

President of EMEA & APAC

In his role as President of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, Seb O'Connell leads the organization’s creation and delivery of customized, innovative solutions to clients seeking transformational change. As a member of the Cielo Global Executive Team, he plays a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the organization as it expands its footprint in Europe and beyond. Seb brings to Cielo a strong background in business development as well as insightful solution design and operational delivery. Throughout his career, he has proven successful at growing organizations and people, and delivering world-class results for RPO clients across the globe. An acknowledged industry thought leader and EMEA Advisory Board Member to HRO Today Services & Technology Association, Seb is frequently quoted in the media and is a highly-regarded speaker at regional, national and international conferences and seminars.

Darren Simons

President of the Americas

As President of the Americas, Darren Simons is responsible for leading the North and Latin American operations focused on creating and delivering value for our clients, employees and shareholders. With more than 25 years of experience in all facets of talent acquisition and its enabling technology, Darren is a proven global leader who has worked to transform how the global marketplace acquires and manages talent. Prior to joining Cielo, Darren was President of CDI’s Talent and Technology Solutions business, a $600M business unit focused on delivering recruitment services and talent through contingent, co-sourced and outsourced business models. Previously he has also held executive leadership roles at Allegis Global Solutions, Randstad SourceRight, Stream Global Services and ManpowerGroup. Darren holds an MBA with Honors from Thunderbird School of Global Management the number one ranked school the world for global business. He also has graduate executive education certificates from IMD in Lausanne Switzerland and UWM in Milwaukee. Darren is a highly-regarded speaker at regional, national and international conferences and seminars.

Joy Krausert

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

As Chief Financial Officer, Joy Krausert handles the financial details and strategic big picture for Cielo. Joy has nearly 30 years of experience in the professional financial and executive environment, and she has won the Milwaukee Business Journal’s CFO of the Year award on multiple occasions. Throughout her time in the profession, Joy has developed a thorough understanding of all factors that drive Cielo’s successes, in addition to the needs and desires of clients. She has a proven track record of success in business acquisitions and start-ups, achieving rapid profitable growth and executing rewarding exit strategies for entrepreneurial companies. Joy sits on the Board for Financial Executives International as well as Catholic Memorial High School. Prior to entering the profession, Joy attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, earning her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting.

Kristen Wright

Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer

As Chief Marketing Officer, Kristen Wright is responsible for driving Cielo’s brand and continuing to build its reputation as a global authority on talent acquisition, talent management and human resources. Kristen directly supports the lead generation efforts of the sales team and oversees all advertising, branding, marketing, public relations and social media initiatives. With more than 15 years of industry experience as a Brand educator and evangelist with exceptional foundation in market penetration, Kristen's background complements Cielo’s strong leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and exceptional capabilities. Kristen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in French and a Master of Science in Management and International Business from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She resides in Menomonee Falls, WI with her husband and two children.

Chris Herrmannsen

Executive Vice President – Strategic Initiatives

Chris Herrmannsen is Cielo’s Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. In this role, he has ownership of Cielo’s expansion strategies into new markets and strategic partnerships with international talent leaders. The former CEO of Ochre House, Chris is an entrepreneur, board member, consultant and independent investor, striving daily to foster an environment that inspires sustainable growth, direction and boundless energy for Cielo’s clients. With 25 years of experience in the talent acquisition and talent management industry, Chris brings unparalleled expertise and strategic guidance to all client partnerships. He graduated from the University of Cape Town, located in the Western Cape province of South Africa, with his Bachelor of Commerce in dual majors, Economics and Accountancy.

John Coyle

Partner, Permira

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.

Sue Marks

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Sue Marks is the CEO of 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.

John Mulflur

Principal, Permira

John is a Principal at Permira and focuses on investment opportunities in Industrials and Business Services. He has worked on a number of transactions, including Cielo and DiversiTech. Prior to joining Permira, John worked for Irving Place Capital, a midmarket private equity firm based in New York. Before that, he was with Thoma Cressey in Chicago and both GSO Capital Partners and Morgan Stanley in New York. John holds a degree in Economics and History from the University of Notre Dame and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Malaika Myers

CHRO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Malaika Myers is Chief Human Resources Officer at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Before that, she led the global human resources function for Jarden Corporation and served as CHRO for Arysta LifeScience, where she led the HR function through a transition in operating model and worked to prepare the company for an IPO/acquisition. She also served in various senior human resources roles at global wine and spirits company Diageo PLC and spent 10 years with PepsiCo, where she held numerous positions before serving as Vice President of Human Resources for the PepsiCo Sales Organization. She started her HR career with FMC Corporation.

Dominik Pozny

Principal, Permira

Dominik covers investment opportunities across all sectors, with a particular focus on the Industrials sector. He has worked on a number of transactions, including CABB, Cielo and P&I. Prior to joining Permira, Dominik spent three years in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Frankfurt, covering mergers and acquisitions transactions across all sectors.