Anneliese Moffitt

People & Culture Director | HR Strategy, Org Design, Talent, Performance | Startups and Scaleups

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

About

I bring a sharp operational mindset, a deep belief in people, and a bias for action. I’m a PMP-certified People leader with a strong foundation in program and project management, and a proven track record of building HR strategy that delivers business impact. My work spans international startups and scaleups across Europe and the Middle East, where I’ve partnered closely with executive leadership to drive culture, clarify structure, and tackle complex organizational challenges. My passion lies in building resilient teams and cultures where both people and business performance thrive. I specialize in helping founder-led organizations scale intentionally - designing systems that align with values, enable clarity, and foster a culture of grit and innovation.

Experience

  • Global Head of People at 44.01
    Sep 2025 - Present · 10 mos

    Senior People leader for a multi-country, venture-backed climate technology company, partnering directly with the CEO and executive team to design the organization for scale, capital efficiency, and international growth. Own the end-to-end People strategy across four jurisdictions, covering org design, workforce planning, executive hiring, compensation architecture, performance systems, and employee experience Partner with CEO and founders on 2026 organizational blueprint aligned to fundraising milestones and operational expansion Co-led company-wide OKR cycle and operating rhythm redesign to increase clarity, executive accountability, and cross-functional execution Designed scalable onboarding and performance architecture to support high-growth hiring while improving retention and role clarity Advise executive team on succession risk, leadership capability gaps, and structural trade-offs impacting runway and performance Established People systems, policies, and governance structures to professionalize the function during rapid scale

  • AstroLabs (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
    • Head of People
      May 2023 - Aug 2025 · 2 yrs 4 mos

      Senior People leader for a 120+ person, multi-country expansion platform operating across the GCC. Reported directly to the CEO and led the People function through rapid scale, organizational restructuring, and commercial growth. Owned end-to-end People strategy across three jurisdictions, covering org design, talent acquisition, performance, compensation, and leadership development Built and led a cross-functional People team supporting 120+ team members across UAE, KSA, and Lebanon Designed and executed structured recruitment strategy, improving hiring quality and onboarding integration Launched company-wide OKRs, performance reviews, and a Management Training Program to align execution with strategic priorities Drove measurable engagement and productivity improvements: +7.2% engagement, +8.3% role clarity, +5.3% workplace advocacy Reduced voluntary turnover by 38% in high-churn units through targeted retention strategy Elevated Glassdoor rating to 4.1 through culture and employer brand initiatives Standardized UAE and KSA employment contracts, reducing end-of-service cost exposure by 40% Led three-country salary benchmarking review to ensure market competitiveness and retention As Interim Head of AstroLabs Talent, delivered a 200% quarterly revenue increase (Q3 vs Q1, 2023).

    • Special Programs Manager, People & Ops
      Jan 2023 - Apr 2023 · 4 mos

  • Opontia (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
    • Program Manager - People & Culture
      May 2022 - Jan 2023 · 9 mos

      Strategic People operator supporting 100+ team members across four markets. Reported to the VP of People with dotted-line exposure to the CEO, acting as a Chief of Staff–style partner on executive-driven people, culture, and alignment initiatives during multi-country expansion. Advised executive team on people and culture strategy using data-driven insights to improve engagement and retention Led company-wide strategic planning cycles and internal communications across four-country operations, strengthening alignment and execution clarity Redesigned monthly All Hands format, resulting in 95% of team members reporting improved goal clarity Designed and delivered executive offsites, hackathons, and engagement programs to drive cohesion during growth phase Improved employee recognition processes, increasing engagement scores by 20% Partnered on cultural due diligence and integration planning during expansion initiatives Supported launch of Turkey operations and onboarding of regional GM and BD leadership Acted as cross-functional partner in crisis response and risk mitigation across multiple business units

    • Senior Business Development Manager
      Jul 2021 - May 2022 · 11 mos

  • Program Manager at Prometheus Solutions
    Jan 2018 - Jul 2021 · 3 yrs 7 mos

    Cofounder; managed a team of 22 in the UAE and Egypt across marketing, sales, product development and training departments with the objective of delivering projects to governmental and private stakeholders in the MENA region

  • Senior Project Manager at Horizon
    Jan 2016 - Dec 2017 · 2 yrs

    Streamlined and expanded their flagship renewable energy technology program from the Czech Republic to the international market through development of new relationships with outside stakeholders and the successful delivery of the program internationally; reported to the CEO