Our Story

Trailblazing HR technology

Together, Diane Smith and Jayne Kettles have pioneered HR technology solutions that have shaped and changed the way talent acquisition leaders look to technology for performance, agility and results.

GR8 People was founded in 2010 as a result of a simple observation: talent professionals have altered the way they find, engage and hire the best talent. But as recruiting organizations have moved forward in their approach, unfortunately many recruiting technology platforms have not. This mismatch led Jayne Kettles and Diane Smith to create the vision for the One-Experience Talent Platform. GR8 People is a single experience for talent acquisition professionals that brings CRM, recruitment marketing, hiring and onboarding together, significantly improving performance and fundamentally impacting the overall agility and intelligence of the business.

As trailblazers, Diane and Jayne possess a drive and vision that's entirely unique in HR technology today. As a company, the entire organization consists of people — GR8 People — who have a shared vision: To provide global organizations with the most efficient, single-source talent acquisition platform to begin and end their day with GR8ness.

Our mission

To architect a transformational talent platform that helps organizations revolutionize the way they find, engage and hire the world's best talent.

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

Diane Smith

Entrepreneur. Coach. Leader.

Diane is the co-founder and chief executive officer at GR8 People. She is also a member of the company's board of directors and has significant experience in starting and leading SaaS Software companies. Diane is head coach and curator for the company’s overall strategic direction and the driving force behind GR8 People’s commitment to teamwork, platform excellence and superior customer service.

Prior to her role at GR8 People, Diane was the co-founder and chief executive officer at VirtualEdge Corporation (VE), a worldwide leader in Talent Lifecycle Software supporting customers worldwide, until its very successful acquisition by Automated Data Processing Inc.

Before Diane's HR tech story began, her early career centered on Higher Education and Athletics. Diane held positions at Princeton and Towson Universities where she also coached the Division I Women's Basketball programs. No stranger to athletics herself, she was a 4-year All-American Field Hockey player, a two-time Broderick Cup nominee and a member of the Women's Olympic Field Hockey Teams.

Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder

Jayne Kettles

Jayne is the co-founder and chief product officer at GR8 People. She is also a member of the company's board of directors and has been a technologist, product visionary, and innovator in the enterprise software industry for more than 15 years. A senior executive with strong leadership skills and technical expertise, Jayne has a history of delivering value to customers through innovative software and technology.

Prior to her role at GR8 People, Jayne was the co-founder and chief technology officer at VirtualEdge Corporation (VE), a worldwide leader in Talent Lifecycle Software supporting customers worldwide, until its very successful acquisition by Automated Data Processing Inc.