As someone who has broken down walls and through glass ceilings her whole career, Sue Hardek doesn’t flinch at any challenge. She has earned admiration and respect as a dynamic and resourceful Talent Executive known for her ability to achieve positive business results by successfully leading talent management, talent acquisition and talent operations functions. With a network spanning the globe and a wealth of experience in recruiting and associated talent initiatives, Sue is committed to finding the right talent for her clients’ business in today’s digitally connected world. In her first foray into the talent industry at a large Chicago recruitment firm, Sue became the first female Managing Director and led the Technology Recruiting practice which was responsible for 60% of all revenue. Following the merger of Cap Gemini and the consulting arm of Ernst & Young, Sue was brought in as an Executive Search Consultant responsible for hiring Partner-level talent across the nation, also consulting with the head of Talent Acquisition on organizational design initiatives for this team. After being recruited by global digital marketing agency Digitas, Sue rose to VP/Group Director of Human Resources. She was instrumental in growing the Chicago office headcount 500%, building the talent organization and team, hiring the executive team and taking it through the Publicis acquisition. Sue’s talents were soon sought by Manifest Digital, a PE-backed experience design firm, when UX was new to the market as a practice and the talent market was undefined. As Chief Talent Officer, she built the talent organization and team from the ground up, scaled headcount 300% and led the integration of acquired companies. Before joining Talentfoot, Sue returned to Executive Search, leading her own boutique firm specializing in Talent Acquisition and HR consulting for Digital Marketing, Technology and Design clients at the Director level and above. As Managing Partner, she also served as advisor and coach to Executive-level clients on organizational design and HR best practices. Sue earned a B.S. in Accounting from Villanova University. When she’s not brushing glass from shattered ceilings off her shoulders, you can find her watching Villanova basketball, teaching in her community and exploring the world through the eyes of her young son.