Our Collective Group
Learn more about our Founders.
HUMAN RESOURCES, EXECUTIVE COACHING, EXECUTIVE SEARCH
Melissa Wallace
As a businessperson who has always been fascinated by human behavior, Melissa has invested 30+ years leading HR teams. She’s been fortunate to have worked with and learned from inspirational CEOs in family-owned companies, start-up growth brands, and global public corporations. She’s worked in companies that acquired other businesses, were sold, and went public.
As an HR generalist leader with some amazing HR teams, she has developed strategic plans and budgets, created new departments, opened distribution centers and EComm teams, and managed HR operations. She’s been focused on talent acquisition, learning & development and succession planning. She’s led Total Rewards (benefits, compensation and recognition), employee engagement, associate relations, HRIS launches and initiated DEI.
Melissa believes in setting people up for success so they can build successful brands and deliver results. She enjoys adding value to companies by recruiting and developing teams with cross-functional leaders, resulting in positive cultures.
The Wallace Group, LLC
Her consulting practice applies all of the HR and leadership experience she has developed over her career. They can help you with HR projects, talent acquisition, succession planning, executive coaching, and interim or fractional HR needs.
Click here to contact The Wallace Group, LLC.
Get to know Melissa:
Melissa has a BA in Psychology, a PHR from the Society of Human Resources and is a Certified Executive Coach. She is married with a daughter/son-in-law (and grand puppy) and a son / his fiancé. She is the family photographer and an avid traveler. She loves concerts, Broadway shows, physical fitness, cooking, beach walking, interior design, and is a NY Mets and NY Giants fan.
Specific areas of expertise include:
Global HR Leadership | Performance Management and Succession Planning | Organizational Design | Talent Management | Employee Engagement & Experience | Strategic Planning & Execution | Learning & Development | Talent Acquisition & Retention | Executive Coaching | Talent Development | Associate Relations | Mergers & Acquisitions | Change Management | People Operations | Team Building & Leadership | Total Rewards
TALENT DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE, MASTER FACILITATOR, LEADERSHIP COACH
Christina Davis
Christina has had a lifelong love affair with learning. She’s curious. And likes to share what she learns. With this insatiable appetite for learning and a natural affinity towards teaching, combined with an interest in business, she has pursued many facets of organizational learning & development strategies and experiences. Christina integrates these diverse capabilities as a true strategic and collaborative business partner who leads initiatives that inspire leaders, teams, and associates to thrive, grow, and deliver consistently high performance levels.
Additionally, her global change management background, including senior management roles in Asia, Australia, and Europe, gives her additional insight into best practices for global talent development and retention.
With her background working with organizations of every size, she understands the opportunities and inhibiting factors that may affect organizations, teams, and individual growth. Christina brings entrepreneurial expertise, having been involved in several start-ups in addition to starting the advisory consultancy 9ine Group in 2006 and The People Collective in 2023. Underpinning her strong track record is senior-level involvement in several start-ups and growth brands, as well as first-hand experience in large global organizations and franchises.
Get to know Christina:
Christina Davis is an authority on creatively bringing organizations and people in sync through company-wide strategic Talent Development initiatives. A senior executive with over 20 years of experience leading change and learning efforts, she has worked with corporations and non-profit businesses for individuals and small emerging brands. This includes learning + development, executive coaching, communications, ; ideation facilitation. In addition, her experience includes sales, branding, marketing, PR oversight, and event planning.
She currently divides her time between New York City & Connecticut with her partner. When she’s not working, she runs a small home styling company, continues to practice yoga after nearly 20 years and is always ready with her camera to capture the small moments of everyday life.
Specific areas of expertise include:
Learning and Development (L&D) | Talent Development Strategy and Implementation | Leadership Development | Team Development | Internal Communications | Culture Design and Alignment | Performance Coaching | Ideation Facilitation | Master Facilitator | Train-the-Trainer | Program and Resource Advisory Customer Experience Design and Planning | Event Planning
HUMAN RESOURCES EXECUTIVE, COACH, CONNECTOR
Zuzel Prieto
As an accomplished human resources executive, I offer a wealth of global experience in shaping HR strategy and driving transformative organizational effectiveness while leading corporate change across operations worldwide. Throughout my career, I have managed complex projects, influenced executive decision-making, and improved global cross-functional collaboration. Recognized as an innovative business partner and executive advisor, I mentor, motivate, coach, and develop executive and world-class teams while advocating a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
My experience is vast. I have delivered strategic HR business partnerships to global shared services and creative functions, leading teams across regions to deliver on-time and cost-effective measures. I lived abroad in Hong Kong, working closely with the Managing Director and his executive team to deliver organizational best practices across all the Asia Sourcing organizations. I have also led teams supporting groups across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, dealing with highly complex and confidential projects across countries like Italy and Argentina, where employment laws are more formidable. I have both M&A and Divestiture experience, having been part of over 5 major acquisitions like Kate Spade and Lucky Brand Jeans and as the HR lead for the sale of a brand to a private equity firm. I led HR teams to support retail/field organizations of up to 10,000 at peak season across North America and Europe for full-price and outlet stores. Drove key initiatives to build talent and business efficiencies. Earlier in my career, I handled labor relations and had accountability for over 7 distribution centers while managing relationships with three different unions.
Get to know Zuzel:
I have a BA in both Psychology and Sociology. I am certified to facilitate many programs like Myers=Briggs, Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI), Situational Leadership, and ValuEthics programs. I am bilingual (fluent in Spanish) and live in New Jersey. I am a zealous traveler and have used my bilingual skills in many of the countries I have visited (both personally and professionally). As cliché as it sounds, I have a passion for and thrive when I travel to different parts of the world, learning about the culture and history of a place. I have been on 5 continents, traveled to over 50 countries, and have been to 36 states. I love photography, music, dancing, cooking, and watching sports, especially if any of my NY/NJ teams are playing.
Specific areas of expertise include:
Global HR Leadership | Strategic Planning & Execution | Organizational Design | Talent Management | Employee Engagement & Experience | Learning & Development | Recruitment & Selection | Talent Acquisition & Retention | Leadership Coaching & Mentoring | Talent Development | Performance Management | Employee & Labor Relations | Business Transformation | Mergers & Acquisitions | Divestiture | Change Management | People Operations | Team Building & Leadership | Data Analysis