Hello, I'm Rachel

I use communication as a tool to align teams so they can create greater impact.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked at the intersection of internal communications, HR, and the business, helping organizations build shared understanding and turn strategy into action.

I began my career at an international communications agency, delivering large-scale projects for the European Commission - experience that grounded me in shaping clear narratives, working with diverse stakeholders, and communicating complexity across cultures.

I later moved into HR, where I developed a deep, hands-on understanding of how people functions operate. This includes building an HR function from the ground up at a 50-person startup, as well as driving HR communications at Zalando and Flix.

What sets me apart from many communications specialists is my business experience. I’ve founded and scaled a small business and stepped in as an Interim CEO, giving me a practical understanding of P&Ls and business models. This perspective is a real advantage in alignment work.

My approach is informed by Design Thinking training (IDEO). Before designing solutions, I focus on understanding audiences and users, creating communication that is both impactful and human-centered.

Professional Experience

Freelance

Internal Communications Consultant

January 2024 - present

  • Increased employee engagement by +20% participation and +20-point internal NPS by designing and delivering Wayfair’s 2024 Summer and Winter Team Events.
  • Aligned a fast-growing, multi-office organization around strategy and impact by redesigning Moss Payments’ annual onsite, creating an evergreen concept that brought company goals to life.
  • Strengthened feedback culture and psychological safety by designing and facilitating a custom Radical Candor workshop for PowerUs as part of the company’s annual onsite.
  • Built a People & Culture community of practice with 750+ participants by founding and moderating a Berlin-based meetup series and partnering with organizations including Bonial and ThoughtWorks Germany.

Flix SE

Interim Senior HR Communications & Project Manager

February 2023 - December 2023

  • Created strategic clarity and alignment across a 3,000-person global organization by developing and delivering a company-wide internal communications plan for People & Organization topics.
  • Improved HR service quality and reduced operational load by redesigning and launching the Global Benefits Hub (SharePoint), achieving 1,000+ views in the first months through close collaboration with Corporate Communications, IT, Compensation & Benefits, and People Partners.
  • Increased engagement with learning and development offerings by designing and delivering the “Growing at Flix” internal campaign, including 15 interview-based employee films and Yammer distribution (1,200+ followers).
  • Drove engagement with refreshed company values by leading the internal communications campaign for the Flix4 Values relaunch, creating interview-based storytelling and repurposing content across exhibitions, intranet articles, and SharePoint pages.

Skale Up GmbH

Head of HR → Interim CEO

January 2021 - April 2022

  • Stabilized business operations during a leadership transition by stepping in as Interim CEO, owning liquidity management, bookkeeping, payroll, and external service provider relationships.
  • Professionalized recruiting and reduced leadership workload by designing and implementing SkaleUp’s first end-to-end hiring process, relieving the CEO of 10–15 hours per week and improving hiring quality across the organization.
  • Defined and embedded company values to shift team behavior and performance by leading a company-wide values process and integrating values into hiring, onboarding, and the code of conduct.

Celbretti UG

Founder & Managing Director

August 2020 - January 2024

  • Leveraged Design Thinking to start and scale a business from €3.5K to €195K in revenue over four years.

Zalando SE

HR Communications & Project Manager

December 2015 - November 2019

  • Enabled 70% of employees to understand the connection between company strategy and values by delivering a company-wide internal communications campaign that contributed directly to the achievement of a strategic OKR.
  • Achieved 90%+ adoption of performance cycle measures by leading internal communications for the 2017 and 2018 performance cycles, using A/B-tested messaging and channel strategies, creating leader enablement materials, and aligning closely with the Works Council.
  • Strengthened new joiners’ understanding of company strategy and culture by redesigning the Zalando Welcome Day, developing a cohesive storyline, aligning VP-level speakers, and introducing interactive formats.
  • Enabled consistent, scalable People & Organization communications by establishing a communications governance framework (tone of voice and standards) and delivering enablement workshops with 100+ participants.

Media Consulta

PR Consultant & Account Manager

November 2012 - November 2025

  • Led pan-European communications campaigns as the primary client contact for the European Commission (DG NEAR), owning account management, strategic coordination, and end-to-end delivery.
  • Delivered reputation-sensitive, EU-wide communications by adapting messaging across markets, languages, and cultural contexts and coordinating localisation with international partner agencies.
  • Enabled positive media coverage on complex political topics by developing key messages and press materials, designing and delivering international press trips, recruiting journalists, and supporting on-site media engagement.
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