Open to opportunities

Dana Calder

@danacalder

Message

I lead people strategy and organizational design to drive sustainable revenue and engagement.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking for a People leadership role where I can partner with the CEO/CFO and GTM leaders to drive workforce planning, org design, and executive coaching aligned to EBITDA, margin discipline, and sustained engagement through change.

I’m a Head of People and senior operating leader with 10+ years of People and organizational leadership experience, partnering deeply with Go-to-Market organizations across Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product Strategy. I’m trusted by CEOs, CFOs, and Boards on workforce planning, organizational design, executive coaching, and talent decisions aligned to EBITDA, operating margin, CAC efficiency, and long-term value creation.

At Spreedly, I’ve led multi-cycle reorganizations and RIF design and execution during leadership transitions in a ~$50M fintech SaaS environment, protecting revenue-critical roles and maintaining engagement and delivery (with eNPS consistently in the high-30s). I re-architected the People function for clarity and scalability, built Optimal Employee Profiles (OEPs), role clarity, and leveling frameworks, and applied people analytics and AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini) to accelerate org design, workforce modeling, and scenario planning.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Senior Vice President, People

Current

Spreedly

Jan 2023 - Present (3 years 4 months)

Served as a senior People leader for a ~$50M fintech SaaS, partnering with the CEO and CFO on multi-year workforce planning aligned to EBITDA, operating margin, and growth scenarios. Led executive coaching for GTM leaders and sensitive reorganizations, sustaining eNPS in the high-30s while protecting revenue-critical and customer-facing capabilities.

Workforce Planning Organizational Design Reorganization RIF Design Executive Coaching Performance Management Talent Retention People Analytics Sales Capacity And Ramp

Vice President, Human Resources

Spreedly

Jan 2021 - Jan 2023 (2 years)

Acted as strategic People advisor during rapid scale and early operating rigor, aligning people strategy with revenue goals and GTM priorities. Partnered with Finance on compensation and rewards design, implemented modern performance infrastructure, and expanded operations into the UK via compliant partnerships/PEO models.

Compensation Structures Equity And Rewards Alignment Employee Engagement Talent Strategy Leadership Development

Director of Human Resources

Spreedly

Mar 2020 - Jan 2021 (10 months)

Owned People Operations during rapid remote transition and organizational scale, guiding leaders through early reorganizations while maintaining trust and stability. Established foundational DEIB initiatives, learning programs, and leadership development tracks.

People Operations Organizational Scale Remote Transition Leadership Development Employee Engagement

Strategic Account Manager

Spreedly

Apr 2018 - Mar 2020 (1 year 11 months)

Managed enterprise accounts and strategic payment processor partnerships, advising customers on payments strategy and API integrations. Built GTM and revenue fluency that informed later People and organizational design decisions.

Enterprise Account Management Strategic Partnerships Payments Strategy API Integration Stakeholder Management

Sales Development Representative

Spreedly

Jan 2018 - Jul 2018 (6 months)

Developed and managed early-stage sales motions by engaging enterprise accounts and supporting strategic payment processor partnerships. Advised customers on payments strategy and API integration needs to support revenue growth.

Sales Development Strategic Partnerships Payments Strategy API Integration Customer Discovery GTM Execution

Managing Director

The Iron Yard Academy

May 2015 - Nov 2017 (2 years 6 months)

Led instructors, staff, and students across technical education programs and managed delivery of sprint-based projects to MVP. Built partnerships and advisory boards with SaaS businesses, startups, and recruiting firms to support outcomes.

Team Management Advisory Board Building Operations Leadership Education Program Design

Account Executive

MetaMetrics

Jan 2013 - Jan 2015 (2 years)

Drove growth of digital learning solutions across school districts through consultative enterprise selling. Partnered on go-to-market strategy and used product feedback loops to improve solution fit.

Enterprise Sales Digital Learning Products Go To Market Strategy Consultative Selling Growth Strategy

Math & Science Sales Rep

Cengage Learning

Jan 2006 - Jan 2013 (7 years)

Consistently exceeded sales targets and grew digital revenue by selling math and science learning solutions. Influenced product development by translating market and customer insights into feedback for product teams.

Sales Target Achievement Customer Insights Consultative Selling Relationship Management Revenue Forecasting