Ren Akinci

Emerald (NYSE: EEX) is a leading B2B events, media, and e-commerce company connecting businesses and professionals through live events, digital platforms, content, and market intelligence across a diverse portfolio of industries and brands. Report directly to the CEO and lead a 15-person global People & Culture team supporting employees across the US, Canada, UK, France, Spain, South Africa, and China during a period of significant acquisition activity, organizational transformation, and operational integration.

The Great Minds People & Culture podcast was created to have more candid conversations about leadership, culture, and navigating change. Each episode brings together insights from leaders and industry experts to share practical lessons, real experiences, and perspectives that help organizations and people lead more intentionally in evolving environments.

Serve as an active board member supporting organizational leadership, strategic planning, and mission-driven initiatives for a global nonprofit focused on advancing animal welfare and sustainable food systems.

Speaker, SXSW (2025)Led panel discussion focused on leadership, workplace evolution, and the intersection of parenting, adaptability, and modern organizational culture.

MDC Partners (NASDAQ: MDCA), now part of Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), is a global marketing communications network and one of the industry's most celebrated collections of independent creative talent. The network includes agencies such as Anomaly, 72andSunny, CP+B, Forsman & Bodenfors, Doner, and Instrument. - VP, Global Head of HR at MDC Partners, reporting directly to Mark Penn, CEO of MDC Partners and Chairman and CEO of Stagwell. Based at the holding company level, the role combined executive HR support for corporate leadership with the design and delivery of network-wide people programs; requiring deep relationships with agency founders, CHROs, and business leaders across 50+ independent agencies to implement effectively across a highly autonomous, decentralized network

VICE Media is a global media and broadcasting company known for its digital journalism, documentary storytelling, and entertainment content across international markets. - Benefits Manager at VICE during a period of rapid organizational expansion, managing a small team and serving as the primary HR point of contact for all wellness programs for approximately 2,000 employees across multiple offices and remote teams. - Supported hyper-growth operations by onboarding approximately 10 new employees weekly, training HR team members to scale people operations at pace - Owned benefits strategy, plan design, and open enrollment end-to-end for approximately 2,000 employees across multiple offices and remote teams - Implemented centralized leave administration and tracking across FMLA, PFL, STD, and LTD, bringing compliance consistency to a fast-moving organization - Expanded family-friendly benefits offerings through programs including Milk Stork, Helpr, and Bright Horizons, strengthening support for working parents during a period of significant workforce growth - Partnered on mental health and well-being initiatives tailored to journalists and employees regularly exposed to crisis reporting and traumatic content - Supported HR for unionized employee populations, navigating the intersection of benefits design and collective bargaining obligations - Owned the benefits workstream of a company-wide Workday implementation, ensuring accurate plan configuration and data integrity across the full employee population

Mashable is a global multi-platform media and entertainment company focused on digital culture, technology, and entertainment content. Payroll and Benefits Manager at Mashable during a period of explosive growth, operating as a team of four — two recruiters, a CPO, and myself — while building the HR infrastructure to support the company's expansion from approximately 100 to 400+ employees. - Built scalable HR processes, people operations infrastructure, and compliance procedures from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment - Managed global payroll, benefits administration, onboarding, and HR compliance end-to-end as the sole benefits and payroll function during a critical growth phase - Owned benefits strategy and plan design, partnering with brokers and vendors to analyze utilization and demographic data to drive successful negotiations and improved cost outcomes - Led weekly onboarding for new hires, creating a consistent employee experience during a period of accelerated hiring - Developed and implemented HR policies and reporting processes supporting labor law adherence and operational consistency across a rapidly scaling workforce - Independently implemented Namely HRIS, migrating from ADP and building out the platform from scratch to support a rapidly scaling global workforce

Two Boots is a well-known New York City hospitality and restaurant brand operating 17 locations across four states, recognized for its longstanding presence in the NYC food and entertainment culture. Reported directly to the Founder & CEO, Phil Hartman, partnering on workforce strategy, operational planning, employee relations, and organizational growth initiatives across a multi-location business. Led HR, payroll, compliance, and employee relations operations, ensuring adherence to labor laws and operational consistency across geographically dispersed teams. Partnered closely with Finance leadership on workforce cost analysis and staffing strategies to support business planning and operational decision-making. Developed and implemented HR policies, procedures, recruiting strategies, and succession planning initiatives supporting continued organizational growth and operational scalability. Managed full-cycle recruiting and employee relations efforts across corporate and restaurant operations, supporting leadership development and workforce retention. Introduced employee welfare and workplace support initiatives, including health benefits administration and anti-harassment training programs, strengthening employee experience and compliance practices.