Felicia Shakiba

Short Bio:
Felicia Shakiba, CEO and Podcast Host at CPO PLAYBOOK, is an executive coach with nearly
20 years in people strategy, impacting over 200,000 employees globally. Formerly WPP’s
Global Head of Performance and Harman’s Head of Talent Management, she is a Harvard
Business Review Council Member and advises Y-Combinator’s Extern. Her podcast ranks in
the top 10% worldwide.

Full Bio
Felicia Shakiba is the Founder, CEO, and Podcast Host at CPO PLAYBOOK Consultancy,
where she leads organizations in developing people strategies that drive engagement, growth,
and retention. She serves as an advisory board member for Y-Combinator company Extern,
Include Consulting, and is an Advisory Council Member at Harvard Business Review.
Felicia's career includes roles such as the Global Head of Performance Management at WPP, a
$12B multinational advertising and PR technology giant. During her tenure at WPP, she led the
design and implementation of performance management strategies across the company's
headquarters and its 13 subsidiaries, impacting over 100,000 employees. She also served as
the Global Head of Talent Management for Harman International, a subsidiary of Samsung,
where she established and scaled the talent management function, influencing 30,000
employees in 110 countries.
With nearly two decades of experience, Felicia is a recognized expert in people strategy,
specializing in areas including executive coaching, total rewards, performance management,
succession planning, learning and development, and people analytics. Her expertise has been
pivotal in building and expanding HR departments, particularly in growth-stage and late-stage
startups, laying the foundation for their growth and success.
Felicia graduated from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, LEAD and holds a
Master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. She has worked with leading
executive coaching firm, Center for Creative Leadership, and holds several executive coaching
and leadership certifications from Korn-Ferry International.
Based in the Bay Area, Felicia enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors with her family. Her
podcast, CPO PLAYBOOK, has achieved recognition in the top 10% of podcasts globally,
demonstrating her influence and leadership in the realm of people strategy.