DASHINI JEYATHURAI |
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Talent & Employee Experience Leader with extensive expertise in developing and executing people strategies that drive organizational transformation, engagement, and high performance. Proven track record in building world-class onboarding, development, and talent programs at leading tech companies. Passionate about creating a culture that empowers employees and aligns people initiatives with broader business goals. It’s not about making a c
ompany the best place to work but the best place to do great work. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Upstart
● Selected for Lazlo Bock’s Transformative CHRO Leadership Program at UC Berkeley (Beginning April 2025)
● Scope Expanded to Employee Experience, Development & Talent Programs (Dec 2023 – Pr
esent)
● Senior Director, Employee Experience & Development (Nov 2022 – Present) ● Director, Employee Experience & Development (Aug 2021 – Nov 2022)
Learning & Development:
- Transformed the onboarding process from a brief virtual session to a comprehensive 2‑day in‑person experience, connecting new hires with senior leadership and reinforcing Upstart’s culture. Leveraged ChatGPT to create “Scout,” an onboarding GPT for new hires based on their r
oles to speed up a new hire’s ramp (currently being piloted on the People Team). Also responsible for the end-to-end onboarding of new board members to Upstart’s board of directors.
- Led the design and implementation “Interviewing 101,” equipping teams to hire consistently across the board.
Leadership Enablement:
- P
artnered with the Chief People Officer to develop Upstart’s manager expectations, integrating these standards into hiring, performance reviews, and continuous learning programs.
- Launched manager communities and a dedicated onboarding program to uplevel Upstart managers, alongside a comprehensive leadership integration and executive coaching program for new and high potential senior leaders.
- Developed and facilitated monthly VP Forums to drive critical dialogue and strategic alignm
ent among senior leaders.
DASHINI JEYATHURAI |
Performance & Talent Programs:
- Led the end-to-end uplevelling of Upstart’s performance review process, collaborating with HR Tech to build a bespoke system in Workday and currently oversee internal calibration and promotion processes. In addition, responsible for all enablement and company-wide communication related to the performance review process.
Internal Communications & Employee Engagement:
- A
cted as the de facto internal communications lead for 2 years, orchestrating communications strategy for large-scale company events such as Upstart Live, weekly all-hands meetings, and milestone celebrations such as Upstart’s 10th anniversary. - Directed the development and deployment of an employee engagement survey strategy (in partnership with an external Industrial and Organizational Psychologist), uncovering actionable insigh
ts for Upstart’s leadership.
- Revamped Upstart’s recognition program for critical milestones such as Upstarter anniversaries and partnered with the Total Rewards team to develop a spot bonus recognition program.
- Drove the growth of 9 ERG communities, launching executive sponsorship roles and recognition initiatives for ERG Leads to bolster inclusion and engagemen t, as well as an Allyship
101 program to provide Upstarters with the tools to be effective allies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Waymo
Manager Development Lead (June 2020 – Aug 2021)
- Developed and implemented Waymo’s Manager Expectations in collaboration with executive leadership, ensuring buy-in across senior engineering and C-suite teams. - D
esigned a comprehensive learning and development strategy for managers—including a 5‑day onboarding journey, post-orientation networks, and ongoing quarterly communities—to foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Created targeted “just-in-time” learning nudges for hybrid management and adaptive leadership, enhancing managerial performance during organizational transitions. - Led the “Hyphen” ERG for Asian Americans & Allies, increasing membership by 50% through inno
vative marketing and virtual programming initiatives.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google People Development
People Ops Program Manager & Noogler Facilitator (Apr 2018 – Jun 2020) - Spearheaded the design and delivery of a comprehensive People Operations Onboarding pr
ogram for a 4,000+ organization, enabling over 1,000 new hires to integrate seamlessly into the culture.
- Developed onboarding roadmaps for senior People Ops leaders and Director+ roles, ensuring alignment with the company’s vision and operational excellence.
DASHINI JEYATHURAI |
- Enhanced global orientation processes by introducing self-service facilitator sign-ups and standardized communication protocols.
- Delivered impactful diversity & inclusion modules, earning accolades from participants for transformative content and delivery.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YouTube Trust & Safety
Global Knowledge Program Manager (Sept 2017 – Apr 2018) - Built and launched a c
entralized Knowledge Base for over 4,000 vendor agents across 10 global sites, improving policy compliance and operational efficiency. - Streamlined communications between the Policy team and global vendors, ensuring timely updates and reinforcing regulatory compliance—averting potential multi‐million dollar fines. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
gT
ech Consumers
Onboarding & Ongoing Development Program Manager (Aug 2014 – Sept 2017) - Designed and implemented a global career development program for individual contributors, driving a 30% reduction in onboarding costs through strategic vendor partnerships. - Launched Career Development Days across gTech offices worldwide, enhancing cross-regional knowledge sharing and professional gr
owth.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AdWords SMB Services
Account Strategist (Nov 2012 – Aug 2014)
- Optimized vendor case resolution times and streamlined case management processes, achieving a 30% week-over-week reduction in backlog.
- Enhanced soft skills development through targeted training initiatives and structured sup
ervisory engagements, improving overall client support quality. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDUCATION
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
MA in English & Women’s and Gender Studies
- Delivered lectures to 400+ undergraduate students and contributed scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Carleton College, Minnesota
BA in English & Women’s Studies, Summa Cum Laude (GPA: 3.98) - H
onored as a commencement speaker and recipient of multiple academic awards including the Mortar Board Fund Prize and Niles Prize.
- Awarded the Starr International Scholarship for full-tuition support throughout all four years. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DASHINI JEYATHURAI |
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
- Languages: Native in English and Malay
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & HONORS
- Board of Trustees, Carleton College
- Advisor for LifeLabs Learning
- (In progress) Coaching Certification with Co-Active Training Institute