VANESSA APPIAH

ABOUT VANESSA

Vanessa Appiah, M.S. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, is a seasoned and trusted strategic advisor with deep expertise in Fortune 500 enterprise talent management, culture transformation, and organizational effectiveness. As a partner, she brings over a decade of experience leading large-scale people strategies that drive business outcomes, leadership accountability, and inclusive workplace cultures.

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Previously, Vanessa held enterprise-wide responsibility for the talent management and culture ecosystem at DICK'S Sporting Goods, supporting more than 50,000 employees across corporate functions, 850+ retail stores, and 5+ distribution centers. Her portfolio spanned performance management, succession planning, internal mobility, career growth frameworks, employee lifecycle, DE&I strategy, and Foot Locker acquisition efforts. Under her leadership, the company built integrated, scalable programs that strengthened leadership pipelines, enhanced employee experience and engagement, and shaped a culture rooted in accountability, performance, and belonging.

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Vanessa’s career trajectory demonstrates a clear and consistent pattern of accelerated leadership growth and sustained impact, as she quickly progressed into larger roles year-over-year, holding several senior leadership remits, including HR business partnership, employee experience, and field/frontline effectiveness. Her ability to translate enterprise priorities into practical, corporate- and frontline-ready initiatives made her a trusted partner to both executive leaders and frontline operators.

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Vanessa brings a sharp strategic lens, strong operational fluency, and a people-first mindset to every engagement. Her consulting approach is grounded in real-world executive experience, and she excels at helping organizations design and implement people strategies that are actionable, sustainable, and tied to measurable impact.