Kristy Sundjaja on How Asian Identity Shaped Her Leadership at Taboola
Taboola chief people officer Kristy Sundjaja explains how her Asian identity influenced her leadership style and career trajectory, from public service to global tech people strategy.
Kristy Sundjaja, Taboola’s chief people officer, says her personal background has been central to shaping the priorities she brings to people management at the global advertising and technology firm. She draws on experience across public service, consulting and enterprise software to guide talent, inclusion and organizational design. Her emphasis on pragmatic programs and measurable outcomes reflects a career that has moved between sectors and geographies.
Taboola role and people agenda
Sundjaja joined Taboola to oversee a broad people agenda covering recruitment, development and culture across markets. Her remit includes aligning talent practices with a fast-changing adtech landscape and scaling teams while maintaining cohesion in hybrid and remote work settings.
She has focused on building clearer career pathways and competency frameworks that can operate across diverse regions. The approach emphasizes data-driven talent decisions, internal mobility and targeted leadership development to reduce turnover and elevate technical and managerial capabilities.
Career pathway from Bloomberg to technology
Before Taboola, Sundjaja served as chief of staff and global head of people at LivePerson, where she led sizable talent initiatives for a software company operating internationally. Earlier in her career she worked inside New York City’s Bloomberg administration, leading industry transformation efforts that brought public and private partners together to spur tech-driven economic growth.
Her consulting experience as an associate partner at Oliver Wyman gave her exposure to media and technology clients, shaping her strategic thinking on organizational change. Those roles combined to form a playbook she now applies to talent challenges in the private sector, blending public-sector rigor with commercial urgency.
Asian identity and leadership approach
Sundjaja has spoken about how being Asian informed her expectations of leadership, mentorship and interpersonal conduct in professional settings. She frames that identity as both a source of cultural perspective and a prompt to confront barriers that underrepresented professionals often face in corporate hierarchies.
That perspective has translated into a leadership style that values listening, preparation and long-term relationship-building. Sundjaja credits family and community expectations for instilling a sense of duty and resilience that she channels into workplace advocacy and talent development.
Putting diversity commitments into practice at Taboola
Under Sundjaja’s oversight, Taboola has prioritized concrete interventions over symbolic statements, implementing programs aimed at increasing representation in technical and senior roles. These include structured hiring panels, targeted upskilling for underrepresented employees and clearer sponsorship pathways for high-potential talent.
She has encouraged metrics that track both recruitment and retention, arguing that hiring without sustained development will not move the needle. The company’s global footprint has required tailoring initiatives to local labor markets while preserving consistent principles around equity and opportunity.
Bringing public-private experience to corporate people strategy
Sundjaja’s time leading industry transformation for New York City informed her view of cross-sector collaboration as a lever for workforce development. She applies lessons from public-private partnerships to corporate training programs, seeking partnerships with universities, bootcamps and community groups to build talent pipelines.
That orientation favors scalable programs that connect entry-level talent to industry pathways and provide ongoing mentorship. The result is a people strategy that looks beyond immediate hiring needs to cultivate a longer-term supply of qualified candidates.
Advice for Asian professionals navigating tech careers
Sundjaja recommends proactive sponsorship and visible placement on high-impact projects as pathways to advancement for Asian professionals and others from underrepresented groups. She emphasizes the importance of building networks that cross functions and seniority levels rather than relying solely on formal mentorship.
Practical steps she advocates include seeking assignments that expose individuals to business outcomes, asking for stretch roles, and documenting contributions in ways that make impact visible to decision-makers. Sundjaja also urges organizations to institutionalize sponsorship so that access to career-advancing opportunities isn’t left to chance.
As Taboola continues to expand its global operations, Kristy Sundjaja’s blend of public-sector experience, consulting discipline and commitment to inclusive people practices offers a template for other technology companies seeking to scale responsibly. She frames diversity work not as a separate agenda but as integral to building resilient, innovative teams that can sustain growth in competitive markets.
