Kirsten Menes

Group Head of Talent | Building leadership, talent management, learning and recruitment for scale | IMD MBA @ Action

About

I build talent teams and ecosystems that enable organisations to grow and people to thrive. With 15+ years in senior FMCG and consumer goods roles before moving into global talent and HR leadership, I bring a deeply commercial, results-driven lens to everything I do in the people domain. I understand, from both sides, how leadership, talent and capability directly drive business results. Today, as Group Head of Talent at Action, I partner with the CHRO, CEO and Executive Committee to build the leadership, succession and learning infrastructure required to support rapid international expansion as well as sustained performance in existing markets. Previously, as Global Talent Director at Nutreco (SHV Group), I built an integrated Global Talent CoE, encompassing Talent Management, Learning & Development and Talent Acquisition. What defines my work is not programs, but impact: creating clarity around leadership, unlocking potential at individual, team and organisational level, and building systems that make great people decisions replicable and sustainable. I bring a unique combination of commercial leadership experience, change leadership, and deep expertise across all elements of Talent, from succession and leadership to L&D and Talent Acquisition, gained in complex global environments. This allows me to quickly identify the real levers of performance and growth and translate them into practical, integrated solutions. One belief has guided my entire career: It is more often the how than the what that drives sustainable results.

Country

Netherlands

City

Amsterdam

Industry

Human Resources

Skill

Talent Management, HR Strategy, Employee Engagement, Leadership Development, Succession Planning, Organizational Performance Management, Learning & Development Solutions, Culture Change, Black Belt (Six Sigma), Employee Experience, Performance Management, Coaching, Employer Branding, Diversity, Marketing, Vitality, Employee Learning & Development, Global Talent Acquisition, Creative Problem Solving, Leadership

Experience

Group Head of Talent

Action

2025-9 - Present · 1 yr 1 mo

Zwaagdijk-Oost, North Holland, Netherlands

Leading the Group Talent agenda for Europe’s fastest-growing discount retailer (80,000+ employees, 3,000+ stores), reporting to the CHRO and partnering closely with the CEO and Executive Committee. Key focus areas: Group-wide leadership and succession architecture Performance management Learning & development to support 80,000+ employees and scale across markets High-potential and executive development Employee engagement D&I and vitality programs

Global Talent Director

Nutreco

2022-6 - 2025-8 · 3 yrs 3 mos

Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands

Established and led Nutreco’s first Global Talent CoE, integrating Talent Management, Learning & Development and Talent Acquisition. Highlights: Built a global CoE team from 3 to 25 across the Talent Management, Learning & Development and Talent Acquisition pillars. Launched a digital Leadership Academy reaching 25% of employees in year one Designed and successfully ran Top and High potential leadership programs Developed first global EVP & Employer Brand and re-launched an analytics-driven career site. Transformed recruitment from local operational into a strategic, tech-enabled Talent Acquisition function across 4 regions globally. Key member of D&I team defining strategy & implementing programs including senior female succession, Employee Resource Groups and Inclusive Leadership Compass team interventions from Board level to Business Unit management teams. Represented the CHRO at Group leadership and SHV forums