Catherine Nolasco, SHRM-CP
People Operations Leader
13+ Years Building Scalable, People-Centered HR Operations · Payroll Governance · Absence Management · Multi-State Compliance · Global Mobility & Immigration · HRIS Architecture
What I Do
The problems I solve and what that looks like in practice
The Problem
- HR infrastructure that can't scale with the business
- Compliance gaps that create legal and financial exposure
- Payroll and leave programs running on manual processes
- HRIS data nobody trusts for decisions
- People teams that react instead of lead
What Cat Does
- Builds centralized, scalable People Operations models
- Designs governance frameworks and compliance controls
- Modernizes HRIS and automates manual workflows
- Establishes payroll governance and absence management programs
- Develops and coaches high-performing HR teams
The Result
- Zero compliance violations across 7 years and 5 jurisdictions
- HR operations that scale without adding headcount
- Leaders who trust their data and make faster decisions
- Employee experience that reflects the company's values
- A People team that's seen as a strategic partner
About
13+ years of progressive People Operations leadership across high-growth global companies
🏗️ Centralizing & Scaling People Operations
Built centralized, shared services HR models from the ground up at global SaaS companies — owning the full employee lifecycle, payroll governance, absence management, and compliance infrastructure across distributed, multi-state workforces.
📋 Payroll & Absence Management Governance
Led payroll operations governance and absence management programs at scale — establishing performance standards, serving as escalation point for complex FMLA/ADA situations, and ensuring consistent, people-centered service delivery across complex regulatory environments.
⚙️ HR Technology & Modernization
Deep HRIS expertise across Workday, Rippling, ADP Workforce Now, and SAP SuccessFactors. I use automation and workflow design to eliminate manual work, reduce operational risk, and build the data infrastructure leaders need to make confident decisions.
🌍 Multi-State Compliance & Governance Frameworks
Zero compliance violations over 7 years managing HR operations across 5 international jurisdictions. Built governance control frameworks, policy lifecycle programs, and compliance calendars that held the standard through multiple restructurings and leadership transitions.
Beyond the Resume
The story behind 13 years in People Operations
🎓 How I got here
I started as a Criminal Justice major at SF State because I wanted to give back to my community and be a positive role model. During an internship with the San Mateo County Domestic Violence Unit, something shifted — I realized my calling wasn't in the courtroom. It was in the workplace. The same drive to protect people, advocate for fairness, and create safe environments translated directly into HR. I just didn't know it yet.
After graduating, I moved to LA to chase the career. I started at Quiksilver and Pacific Dental Services, learning how large organizations operated — processes, departments, the full employee lifecycle for retail and healthcare companies. A job offer from VF Corporation (The North Face, lucy, JanSport) brought me back to the Bay Area, which led to Dolby, and eventually into the startup world. It was a strong foundation. But I wanted more than the beginning and the end.
🚀 The startup years
I stepped away from large corporations and dove into the startup world — four startups before landing at Ridecell, six total across my career. Each one taught me something the last one couldn't. I got to touch every part of HR, not just onboarding and offboarding. Compliance, immigration, benefits, payroll, culture, systems — all of it. I took the best practices from each company and built my own flavor: processes rigorous enough to hold up legally, human enough to actually work, and efficient enough to scale.
That approach is what I brought to Ridecell — where I stayed for 7 years and did my best work.
🌎 Life outside of work
I'm originally from the SF Bay Area — it's home base and where I return every quarter. I split my time between San Francisco, Puerto Vallarta, and Toronto, spending time with family, friends, and exploring. Remote work has given me the flexibility to do meaningful work from anywhere while staying rooted in the Bay.
My dog Lizzy is a local celebrity in PV — she rides on my back wherever I go and has her own fan club. She's basically my co-founder.
I'm also a photographer at heart — I love capturing candid moments and special memories. I became the unofficial company photographer at Ridecell, always showing up with my camera (and selfie stick) to make sure no great moment went undocumented.
13-Year Career Progression
From HR Coordinator to Head of People Operations — a consistent arc of growing scope, responsibility, and strategic impact.
Impact at a Glance
Key metrics across 13 years of People Operations leadership
Experience
Reverse chronological — most recent first
- Providing senior-level People Ops advisory and execution — compliance governance, HRIS management, and immigration program administration
- Leading knowledge transfer to incoming senior leadership, maintaining uninterrupted service delivery across all active HR workstreams
- Managing full-scope immigration program (H-1B, STEM OPT, green card) as primary liaison between counsel and employees
- Led enterprise People Operations strategy for 500+ employee global workforce, owning full HR compliance lifecycle including payroll governance, I-9 program management, and HRIS integrity (Rippling)
- Supported post-acquisition organizational integration following October 2025 M&A — aligned People Ops infrastructure, HRIS data, and HR workflows across combined organization
- Conducted 60-day comprehensive compliance audit; designed scalable target operating model for SOC 2 readiness and external audits
- Established governance frameworks and control standards achieving 100% reverification compliance and audit-ready recordkeeping
- Built and led centralized People Operations shared services model across 5 jurisdictions — owning full employee lifecycle, payroll governance, absence management, multi-state compliance, and HRIS infrastructure
- Led payroll operations governance — established performance standards, process improvement initiatives, and scalability frameworks that strengthened accuracy and compliance
- Managed absence and leave programs as escalation point for complex FMLA/ADA/multi-state situations; delivered consistent people-centered service delivery
- Owned HRIS platforms (ADP Workforce Now, Sapling) as single source of truth; built data governance frameworks and automated workflows for board-level reporting
- Coached and developed HR team; delivered regular performance conversations, development planning, and employee engagement programs
- Maintained zero compliance violations through multiple RIFs and restructurings over 7 years
- Managed People Operations for 700+ employees across onboarding, benefits, payroll, compliance, and HRIS
- Reduced onboarding cycle by 30% through process redesign and automation; improved compliance tracking accuracy
- Implemented digital HR workflows, reducing paper usage by 80% and improving data accuracy
- Led SAP SuccessFactors HRIS implementation — configuration, testing, documentation, and end-user training
- Developed process documentation and audit procedures to maintain data integrity across HR systems
- Administered employee records in Workday and Taleo for 1,000+ employees; managed ~20 new hires/week with I-9/E-Verify compliance
- Administered HRIS transactions for 2,500+ employees across national healthcare offices; maintained employee lifecycle records and ensured data integrity across HR systems.
- Assisted with UKG (UltiPro) implementation and configuration; trained all employees on UKG Employee Self-Service at new hire orientations.
- Processed employee lifecycle transactions in PeopleSoft including compensation adjustments and internal transfers; maintained and audited 6,000+ employee files for I-9, payroll, benefits, and training compliance.
- Redesigned the New Hire Orientation program and facilitated corporate campus tours educating new hires on Quiksilver's brand history and culture.
Featured Projects
Three examples of the work behind the metrics
ADP → Rippling HRIS Migration
HRIS ModernizationPost-M&A People Ops Integration
Organizational TransformationAI-Powered HR Automation Suite
HR TechnologyCore Competencies
Core expertise across People Operations disciplines
HR Operations & Shared Services
Payroll & Absence Management
Compliance & Governance
HR Technology & HRIS
Team Leadership & Development
Process & Transformation
HRIS & Tech Stack
Platforms and tools used hands-on across my career
AI & Automation
I don't just use AI — I build with it
Built 3 production HR automation tools using Claude AI
Multi-Jurisdiction Operations
8 jurisdictions managed across People Operations, compliance, and HR programs
Multi-state
Global Mobility & Immigration
End-to-end immigration case management across 6 visa categories — US and India workforces
Types Managed
Immigration Programs
H-1B Cap Lotteries
Visa & Immigration Categories
What I Managed End-to-End
Education & Credentials
Certificate, Human Resource Management
California State University, Long Beach
Bachelor of Arts, Criminal Justice
San Francisco State University
SHRM-CP Certified
Society for Human Resource Management
Active through December 2026
Culture & Engagement
Building the programs and moments that made people feel proud to work there
CONVERGE Sales Kickoff
MC · Event LeadServed as MC for Ridecell's annual all-company sales kickoff — CONVERGE. Coordinated logistics, ran the production schedule, and brought the energy that set the tone for the year.
All-Hands Opener — Ridecell
Opener & HostServed as the Opener for Ridecell's company-wide All-Hands meetings — kicking off each session, setting the tone for the full organization, and creating an engaging and inclusive experience for the global team.
Monthly All-Hands — Prezent AI
Presenter & HostPresented and led the company-wide All-Hands calls at Prezent AI every month — welcoming and announcing all new hires, people events, anniversaries, milestones, and People Operations updates. Owned the agenda, coordinated cross-functional updates, and delivered a consistent, engaging experience for the full US and India workforce.
Employee Appreciation Day
Spearheaded — Ridecell & Prezent AIDesigned and ran company-wide Employee Appreciation programs at both Ridecell and Prezent AI — creating custom recognition templates for employees to post on Ridecell's #daily_gratitudes channel and Prezent's Wall of Love. Achieved 80% employee participation, turning a single day into a full month-long celebration of appreciation and belonging.
International Women's Day
SpearheadedRidecell: Ran the full IWD program independently — interviewed 15 women across the company and published employee spotlights throughout the month of March, creating a sustained campaign of visibility and recognition.
Prezent AI: Spearheaded IWD celebration with the People Success Team — collaborated to gather employee photos and partnered with the marketing team to design the "Empowered Women, Empower Prezent" graphic.
Pride Month · First-Ever at Ridecell
Spearheaded · DEI InitiativeImplemented Ridecell's first-ever Pride Month celebration — redesigning the company logo as a Pride flag, organizing team events, and building a culture where inclusion was visible and celebrated. The response from the team made it a recurring annual program.
Summer Picnic
SpearheadedOrganized annual summer picnics including custom swag boxes and branded giveaways — designed the swag, coordinated vendors, and executed the full event experience.
Winter Holiday Party
SpearheadedPlanned and ran annual holiday celebrations including venue selection, programming, and custom recognition moments — including designing and distributing anniversary jackets for 5-year tenure recipients.
Swag & Recognition Design
DesignerDesigned and sourced company swag across multiple programs — anniversary jackets, custom swag boxes, branded blankets, and event giveaways that employees actually wanted to keep.
In the Field
13 years of teams, culture, and moments that mattered
What Colleagues Say
Real testimonials from colleagues across Ridecell and Prezent AI
"You both did a fantastic job today with the All Hands! Thank you for all the hustle and the quality work — it really shows in the production and results of a smooth and great All Hands. You are a HUGE part of the behind the scenes and often front-of-the-line magic — 💫🙏"
"Thank you for making my onboarding so smooth and a lovely experience. Wishing you all the best."
"Really good work on how we have managed costs for our team the past few months. Very grateful to you for being proactive about this and being on top of it. It'll help."
"Special thanks for helping me out regarding California paid family leave and immigration things. Appreciate your proactiveness for being a helping hand."
"Cat? You are fan-tastic! Just saw the photos you shared — so much gold. You bring the best out in people by being you. Even better, you can capture it."
"Photos are AMAZING!!!! OMG. You have a great talent. Thank you for rallying the crowd last week at CONVERGE! Love the energy and sense of fun you brought to the event. Great work!"
"Thank you @Cat! And really to all here who make Ridecell the inclusive for all of us 365 place it is."
"Proud this month and every month! Thanks @Cat and the team. You guys rock!"
"You did awesome! You bring so much good energy and your presence lifts the whole company every time you're on."
"Great job Team on today's Beat! And great initiatives between Employee Appreciation Day and International Women's Day — Thanks for reminding everyone at Prezent what's the most important."
"You are a superstar — great job with the Monthly meeting."
"That was a wow show, @Cat Nolasco. Loved the energy, you were super cool during the call. Amazinggg!" — Lavanya DS | "Absolutely! You killed it!!" — Donal Avlani | "YEAAAAAHHHH!! Lessssgoooooo" — Sugeerthaa K | "@Cat Nolasco You rocked it with so much enthusiasm! Many more monthly beat calls to go!" — Aishvarya Raj
What I'm Looking For
Open to new opportunities as of May 2026
Role Level
Head / Director of People Operations
Function
People Operations · HR Compliance · HR Advisor
Work Type
Remote · Full-Time
Location
SF Bay Area based · Returns home quarterly · Open to US remote
Company Stage
Series B–D · Growth-stage · Mission-driven orgs
Start Date
Available now · Flexible for the right role