Laura Thiele

Laura Thiele is Chief People Officer of Optimizely. Based in the Philadelphia suburbs, Laura joined Optimizely in 2020 and currently leads a team of talented HR professionals focused on talent attraction, development, retention, and culture. Laura has a passion for HR technology that has enabled Optimizely to digitally transform and scale. Laura and her team have grown and transformed Optimizely from 700+ to 1500+ Optimizers, accelerated people transformation, navigated a global pandemic, and supported 3 acquisitions. With an established career of over 25 years, Laura has prior experience at SAP and Lockheed Martin with deep domain expertise in organizational transformation, project management, change management, M&A, HRIS, and leadership coaching. Laura had previously taught in the master’s program at Villanova University, and held prior certifications in PHR, and GPHR. Laura graduated summa cum laude from James Madison University with a BBA in HR Management with a minor in Spanish. She holds a graduate degree from Villanova University in Human Organization Science. Her greatest passions are family and health. Laura and her husband Patrick have raised three sons and are soon eager to be empty nesters.