I worked with Susan for nearly 10 years while leading Google’s SEEMEA operations and later at the EMEA level. She played a mission-critical role in Google’s expansion across Southern & Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. When building high-performing teams, it's not just about skills—it’s about finding that rare combination of attitude, team spirit, and drive that shapes a winning culture. Susan had an extraordinary instinct—not the vague kind, but the kind rooted in deep operational understanding of what leadership success looks like in complex, fast-moving environments. She was more than a talent partner—she was the strategic force behind building leadership teams in 30+ emerging markets. From hiring Country Managers and first boots on the ground to chairing our regional Hiring Committee, Susan consistently identified and onboarded world-class executives who matched the pace, ambition, and complexity of our growth. Her insight, precision, and relentless drive helped shape Google's leadership bench across an entire region.

Susan helped us do what every People team wants to do—but rarely has the time or clarity for. She cut through the noise and gave us a surgical audit of our entire TA function, from recruiter metrics to employer brand strategy. The insights were sharp, actionable, and perfectly aligned to our growth stage. We walked away with a clear roadmap—and the confidence to execute it.

Susan redefined how we hire leaders. She personally led the end-to-end hiring of our top execs—partnering closely with founders, challenging assumptions, and designing hiring processes that went far beyond gut feel. Her work gave us a system: structured interviews, scoring frameworks, calibrated panels. Add to that her overhaul of performance, leveling, compensation, and org design, and you get a Talent engine that’s built to scale. The impact she had on our leadership and people practices was profound—she raised the bar across the board.

Susan’s impact went far beyond the search itself. She brought clarity, confidence, and a level of market insight that changed the entire conversation. We were at a crossroads—debating a hire that didn’t feel quite right. Susan stepped in, challenged the brief, and brought us a slate of truly world-class candidates. Every profile raised the bar. In the end, we hired internally—but her process helped us avoid a costly misstep, align our leadership team, and gain a deep understanding of the talent landscape. That kind of value is rare.

I wouldn’t have joined Google if it weren’t for Susan. She identified the fit early on and navigated one of the most complex hiring processes I’ve ever seen—with rare cultural intelligence and relentless drive. This was a high-stakes hire: a strategic market, a global bar, and a business need for a leader who could operate across cultures and drive meaningful impact from day one. Susan understood not just the technical and leadership requirements, but the unspoken dynamics—what kind of person would succeed in a high-pressure, cross-cultural environment. She bridged worlds - California and Moscow, candidate and company - guiding both sides with clarity and conviction. After I joined, she helped me build out my leadership team with the same sharp eye for impact, context, and long-term fit. Susan sees what others don’t and makes the impossible happen.