Juliana Mastroianni: The HR Guru Shaping CrossCountry Consulting’s Meteoric Rise

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As employee number fifteen, Juliana Mastroianni has an intimate understanding of what makes the culture at CrossCountry Consulting so special. While the headcount of the young organization has skyrocketed to over nine hundred, the chief human resources officer (CHRO) has worked tirelessly to ensure that the core values that made CrossCountry unique in its infancy continue to thrive. The goal? To stand apart from competitors across the consulting space.

It helps that Mastroianni fell in love with the consulting world before she even left college.

“I had some incredible internships in the industry during my studies and realized what an amazing space it really is,” she explains. “You get exposure to so many different companies, to see how they’re wired and their goals and missions. That variety of clients and projects just seemed like the best of all worlds.”

An Accidental HR Career

Mastroianni’s passion for consulting might also stem from her familial connection to the industry, as her father managed a successful career with one of the big four firms. Had she stayed on the consulting track, there’s no doubt she would have enjoyed similar success. But a few years into her career, she was asked to take on recruiting duties after a role was vacated.

“I was up for anything at the time,” Mastroianni recalls. “I didn’t think it would last very long. But that was my first dip into the HR world. To me, it was just an opportunity to share my passion for the industry and hopefully help others fall in love with it, too.”

Preserving Culture Amid Hypergrowth

Growing up in the consulting world offered Mastroianni firsthand knowledge of its rewards and challenges. As one of Inc. 500’s fastest-growing companies for over eight consecutive years, Mastroianni’s putting that knowledge to use for the betterment of all CrossCountry employees.

Mastroianni says the goal is to continue that growth trajectory, while enhancing the employee experience every step of the way. Several new leaders were recently onboarded, and she says helping them integrate is one of her favorite parts of the CHRO role.

“It makes my work feel exciting, to know that we’re continuing to expand our services and really supporting our leadership growth opportunities,” Mastroianni shares. “At the same time, me and my team are continuously studying and working to understand what kind of training and processes we can provide to make that growth possible.”

A Differentiated Approach

While CrossCountry has veterans from the largest consulting players, the firm has purposefully positioned itself as something different. Mastroianni says the organization also operates differently toward both its clients and its people. There is a far bigger focus on what doing the right thing means for both client and employee. It’s a question that the CHRO says is built into almost every conversation at the company.

“We try to identify talent that we believe might share our core values,” Mastroianni shares. “We want to make sure they want to collaborate as a team and help each other succeed. Even if it’s not a way they’re used to working, we can show them what that looks like and how we support each other. But they need to understand that this place is a little bit different from what they might be used to.”

Championing Diversity and Inclusion

It should come as no surprise that CrossCountry is also at the forefront of being an employer celebrated for its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Mastroianni, raised biculturally in Brazil by a Brazilian mother and Dutch father, intrinsically understands the value varied perspectives bring.

“It makes my work feel exciting, to know that we’re continuing to expand our services and really supporting our leadership growth opportunities.”

Juliana Mastroianni

“I’m a big believer that the more we ideate, the more different perspectives we get, the better the outcome will be,” Mastroianni says. “That’s the approach I use with my team. I hope I’ve been able to provide them the kind of opportunities here that I’ve been given by leaders and mentors throughout my own career.”

Modeling Thoughtful Leadership

Leaders like CrossCountry CEO Erik Linn exemplify the reasons why Mastroianni so strongly believes in her employer. From the top down, the company’s leaders model what thoughtful and approachable leadership looks like.

As Mastroianni works to integrate a rapidly growing headcount, she’s well aware that things aren’t as easy as they were when she was employee number fifteen. The HR team may not be able to personally connect with every new hire for an hour or two every few weeks. But the spirit of what makes CrossCountry special remains, because leaders like her have stayed to nurture sustainable growth with care.

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