Payal is a seasoned People leader and executive coach with expertise in building strategic People teams and innovative development programs. She has led People functions at startups, scaling one from 75 to 350 through IPO and acquisition and hyperscaling another from 500 to 1500 in 15 months. She has also held key roles at MetLife and PwC, overseeing internal and client work across talent, internal communications, and people analytics. Known for her creativity and energy, Payal now focuses her time on fractional/interim People roles at startups. She holds an MBA from UVA and a Coaching Certification from the Hudson Institute.