The People Advisory Group
When people feel valued, supported, and connected, they do their best work.
Our Story:
People Advisory Group was founded on a simple yet powerful belief: people are an organization’s greatest advantage.
We’ve spent decades working alongside leaders across industries, from fashion retail to healthcare, professional services to venture-backed startups. And in every setting, one truth stands out: when individuals feel valued, supported, and connected, they do their best work. And when people thrive, businesses thrive.
We created People Advisory Group to help organizations unlock that potential. Through candid advice, deep listening, and tailored strategies, we bridge the gap between people and business outcomes, turning human potential into lasting performance.
Our Purpose:
After having worked for great brands and with talented senior leaders, we learned a lot about business and HR and how connected the two are. You need great teams to have a successful business.
We were accountable for all aspects of HR. With our consulting practice, we can now focus our experience on working with corporate clients and individuals who understand the value of investing in people.
Together, we have experienced just about everything you can imagine over 30+ years. Seriously!
So, it was an easy decision to work together as consultants.
Our Values:
Our values are more than just words. They’re how we show up in every conversation, engagement, and partnership:
Collaboration
We work with you, not just for you. Partnership is our default setting.Innovation & Creativity
We bring fresh thinking and custom solutions to every challenge.Authenticity
We show up as ourselves and encourage others to do the same.Courage
We have the tough conversations, challenge assumptions, and lead with honesty.Integrity
We do what we say—and say what we mean—with transparency and trust.And A Sense of Humor
Work is serious. We don’t have to be. Humor keeps us grounded and connected.
Areas of Expertise
Employee Engagement & Experience | Exit Management | Change Management | Global HR Leadership | Learning & Development | Mergers & Acquisitions | Divestitures | Off Site Planning & Execution | On-Boarding | Organizational Design & Optimization | People Operations |Performance Management | Resume Editing | Strategic Planning & Execution | Talent Acquisition & Retention | Talent Development & Succession Planning | Talent Management | Team Building & Leadership | Associate & Labor Relations | Mentorship | Executive Coaching | Total Rewards | Data Analytics
The Principals
Melissa Wallace
As a businessperson who has always been fascinated by human behavior, Melissa has invested 30+ years leading HR teams. She’s been fortunate to have worked with and learned from inspirational CEOs in family-owned companies, start-up growth brands, and global public corporations. She’s worked in companies that acquired other businesses, were sold, and went public.
As an HR generalist leader with some amazing HR teams, she has developed strategic plans and budgets, created new departments, opened distribution centers and EComm teams, and managed HR operations. She’s been focused on talent acquisition, learning & development and succession planning. She’s led Total Rewards (benefits, compensation and recognition), employee engagement, associate relations, HRIS launches and initiated DEI.
Melissa believes in setting people up for success so they can build successful brands and deliver results. She enjoys adding value to companies by recruiting and developing teams with cross-functional leaders, resulting in positive cultures.
The Wallace Group, LLC
Her consulting practice applies all of the HR and leadership experience she has developed over her career. They can help you with HR projects, talent acquisition, succession planning, executive coaching, and interim or fractional HR needs.
Click here to contact The Wallace Group, LLC.
Get to know Melissa:
Melissa has a BA in Psychology, a PHR from the Society of Human Resources and is a Certified Executive Coach. She is the family photographer and an avid traveler. She loves concerts, Broadway shows, physical fitness, cooking, beach walking, interior design, and is a NY Mets and NY Giants fan.
Zuzel Prieto
As an accomplished human resources executive, Zuzel offers a wealth of global experience in shaping HR strategy and driving transformative organizational effectiveness while leading corporate change across operations worldwide. Throughout her career, Zuzel has managed complex projects, influenced executive decision-making, and improved global cross-functional collaboration. Recognized as an innovative business partner and executive advisor, she mentors, motivates, coaches, and develops executive and world-class teams while advocating a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Zuzel’s experience is vast. She has delivered strategic HR business partnerships to global shared services and creative functions, leading teams across regions to deliver on-time and cost-effective measures.
Zuzel lived abroad in Hong Kong, working closely with the Managing Director and his executive team to deliver organizational best practices across all the Asia Sourcing organizations. Zuzel has also led teams supporting groups across Europe, Asia, and Latin America, dealing with highly complex and confidential projects across countries like Italy and Argentina, where employment laws are more formidable. She has both M&A and Divestiture experience, having been part of over 5 major acquisitions and as the HR lead for the sale of a brand to a private equity firm.
Zuzel led HR teams to support retail/field organizations of up to 10,000 at peak season across North America and Europe for full-price and outlet stores. She drove key initiatives to build talent and business efficiencies. Earlier in her career, Zuzel handled labor relations and had accountability for over 7 distribution centers while managing relationships with three different unions.
Get to know Zuzel:
Zuzel has a BA in both Psychology and Sociology and is a Certified Executive Coach. She is a facilitator of many programs like Myers=Briggs, Strengths Deployment Inventory (SDI), and Situational Leadership. Zuzel is bilingual (fluent in Spanish) and lives in New Jersey. She is a zealous traveler and has used her bilingual skills in many of the countries Zuzel has visited (both personally and professionally). As cliché as it sounds, Zuzel has a passion for and thrive when she travels to different parts of the world, learning about the culture and history of a place. Zuzel has been on 5 continents, traveled to over 50 countries, and have been to 36 states. She loves photography, music, dancing, cooking, and watching sports, especially if any of her NY/NJ teams are playing.
Expertise in Action:
At People Advisory Group, we believe that people are the heart of every organization, and meaningful change starts there.
We collaborate with clients to co-create thoughtful, sustainable HR strategies that enhance culture, drive performance, and support lasting growth. From talent planning to employee experience, our work is focused on helping teams flourish and businesses succeed.
And we support individual leaders reach their highest potential through all stages of their career.