Head of People & Global Operations
Jacob & Co
- Owned the People function for 300+ employees across five countries
- Led the HRIS transition to Rippling with zero compliance findings
- Drove $485K in annual savings through process redesign
New York, NY People & Operations Executive
I walk into chaos and leave behind systems people can actually run.
Founding operator who has built the People and Operations function from zero three times, and rebuilt it at a fourth — including through a NASDAQ IPO and growth from 15 to 150+.
3×Built from zero
NASDAQIPO as founding exec
$45.8MBudget owned
5Countries, global ops
15→150+Headcount scale
01 About
For twelve years, I have been the person CEOs call when a company needs to scale without breaking.
I lead with clarity, move fast, and leave organizations more capable than I found them — with the People and Operations infrastructure to prove it.
I build the infrastructure, compensation, org design, and operating systems that let a company grow, then make sure the people using them can actually run them. I have built the function from zero three times and rebuilt it at a fourth: through a NASDAQ IPO and 10X headcount growth at MindMed, a 300-plus person global group across five countries at Jacob & Co, and a Series A company where I owned operations and finance end to end.
Before founding my talent and operations practice, I led the Events Team at Capital Factory across Austin and Dallas — executing SXSW and ACL events with over 10,000 in attendance alongside 400+ events throughout the year. I also spent two years at BMW Group in Greenville, SC, managing project and IT functions across the southeastern US. I bring a lens on talent and a focus on operations — the combination that turns people systems into competitive advantage.
I am drawn to early and growth-stage companies where the systems do not exist yet and someone has to build them. I lead with clarity, move fast, and leave organizations more capable than I found them.
02 Selected Work
Roles where the function had to be built.
Founding operator work: building People and Operations from zero, then making sure it runs without me.
Chief Operating Officer
Press Hook
- Built operations and the people function from scratch
- Owned the financial model, budgets, P&L, investor relations, and the raise
- Lifted efficiency 40% and cut manual workload 60%
Founding Executive, Head of Global Business Operations & People
MindMed
- Built People and Operations from zero through a NASDAQ IPO
- Scaled headcount from 15 to 150+ and owned a $45.8M budget
- Integrated the $30M HealthMode acquisition end to end
Also
Your Chief of Staff — Founder
2024–Present
Founder of a community, job board, and newsletter for senior operators and chiefs of staff.
Capital Factory — Events Team Lead
2016–2019
Led the Events Team across Austin and Dallas, executing SXSW and ACL events with 10,000+ in attendance and 400+ events per year.
03 By the Numbers
Scale, in the numbers.
3×
Built the function from zero
NASDAQ
IPO as a founding executive
$45.8M
Operating budget owned
5
Countries of global operations
400+
Events delivered per year
15→150+
Headcount scale at MindMed
04 Capabilities
What I bring to the build.
- 01People Strategy & Org Design
- 02Total Rewards & Compensation
- 03HRIS Implementation
- 04Financial Operations & P&L
- 05IPO Readiness
- 06M&A Integration
- 07Workforce Planning
- 08Global Compliance
- 09Performance Management
- 10Change Adoption & Manager Enablement
05 FAQ
Straight answers.
What does Rachann McKnight do?
She is a People & Operations executive and founding operator who builds the People and Operations function from zero — three times, including through a NASDAQ IPO at MindMed. She led 300+ employees across five countries at Jacob & Co.
What companies has Rachann McKnight scaled?
Three, in different ways: MindMed, where she scaled headcount from 15 to 150+ through a NASDAQ IPO; Jacob & Co, People & Global Operations for 300+ employees across five countries; and Press Hook, where she served as COO at a Series A SaaS company.
Is she available for advisory or operator roles?
Yes — operator, fractional COO, and advisory engagements with early and growth-stage companies. Reach out at rachannmcknight@gmail.com or on LinkedIn.
What are her core capabilities?
Ten, end to end:
- People Strategy & Org Design
- Total Rewards & Compensation
- HRIS Implementation
- Financial Operations & P&L
- IPO Readiness
- M&A Integration
- Workforce Planning
- Global Compliance
- Performance Management
- Change Adoption & Manager Enablement
What prior experience does she have before her operator roles?
She led the Events Team at Capital Factory across Austin and Dallas — executing SXSW and ACL events with over 10,000 in attendance alongside 400+ events throughout the year. She also spent two years at BMW Group in Greenville, SC, managing project and IT functions across the southeastern US.
06 Contact
Let's build what's missing.
Operator, fractional COO, and advisory engagements with early and growth-stage companies. If your People and Operations function doesn't exist yet — that's the part I'm for.