Meike Kristina Niessen

As a strategic Talent Acquisition leader within a complex, multinational RPO for Cummins, a global power technology leader, I steer recruitment delivery spanning North, Central, and South America—driving results across experienced, early-career, and entry-exempt hiring.
I thrive at the intersection of partnership, performance, and people—aligning global talent strategies with regional business needs, and guiding diverse, multilingual teams through complex regulatory and cultural landscapes.
• Trusted advisor to senior stakeholders, I shape and evolve TA models that are data-informed, scalable, and built for continuous improvement.
• Operational excellence is at the core—setting clear KPIs, SLAs, and optimising funnels using analytics, automation, and modern TA tech stacks (ATS, CRM, AI).
• Client-first mindset means I partner deeply, resolve challenges proactively, and keep commercial accountability front and center.
I'm passionate about inclusive hiring, talent intelligence, and building empowered, high-performing teams. I believe in cross-cultural awareness, local insight, and creating candidate experiences that reflect the employer brand authentically.

As the Head of a high-performing team of BI Advisors and Consultants, I lead the delivery of a cutting-edge analytics platform that powers data-driven decision-making across the talent acquisition lifecycle. Our mission is to serve as trusted advisors to our clients, providing dynamic reporting, actionable business intelligence, and advanced analytics that transform complex talent data into clear, strategic insights.

We partner closely with our global programme teams and clients to inform the key decisions that shape Pontoon’s RPO and MSP solutions, offering a holistic view of performance, process efficiency, and workforce trends. By leveraging large-scale data environments, we create intuitive dashboards and analytics tools that uncover opportunities, highlight risks, and enable fact-based decision-making.

Our work empowers talent acquisition leaders to track and improve performance from multiple perspectives, ensuring their hiring strategies are not only efficient but also aligned with broader workforce goals.

As Talent Acquisition director, I lead permanent recruitment delivery for Ericsson across Europe and Latin America, closely partnering with the U.S. to ensure global alignment, regional synergy, and consistent excellence in hiring.

I work with senior executives to shape talent strategies aligned to business goals, drawing on talent intelligence such as market insights, internal mobility trends, and competitor benchmarking. My focus: building agile, future-fit teams through data-driven sourcing and a strong candidate experience.

With a proven track record in high-volume, business-critical hiring, I combine strategic vision with operational discipline. My approach ensures delivery excellence, cultural awareness, and inclusivity across regions.

Key Contributions:
- Built and scaled sourcing strategies using Business Intelligence and market analytics to map talent pools, anticipate demand, and fill critical roles across technical and commercial areas.
- Harmonised sourcing practices across Europe, LATAM, and North America for brand consistency, operational efficiency, and a unified candidate experience.
- Leveraged insights on hiring trends, skills forecasting, and competitor data to shape workforce strategy, site planning, and resource allocation.
- Championed DEI by embedding inclusive practices and partnering with universities, community networks, and diversity-focused organisations to broaden access.
- Led regionally tailored strategies for EB, referral programmes, D&I positioning, and University Relations to enhance attraction.
- Oversaw the full candidate journey, ensuring high-touch engagement and alignment with cultural and business expectations.
- Drove operational excellence through continuous assessment of funnel performance, sourcing channels, and process efficiency.
- Held P&L responsibility while managing multilingual, cross-border teams across hybrid and remote models, maintaining delivery, engagement, and exceeded financial targets.

Serving as Head of Business for LATAM in the Telecommunications and Semiconductor sectors, I lead a team of sales and recruitment consultants specialising in staffing for vendor, billing (BSCS, CBIO, OSS/BSS), and VAS operations.

My role combines strategic sales leadership and business development across both contract and permanent recruitment. I drive client engagement, deliver executive search and headhunting solutions, and oversee recruitment delivery across the region. This includes setting sales and delivery targets, designing training on systems and sourcing strategies, and ensuring consistent performance.

Daily responsibilities involve proactive outreach, cold calling, and managing client relationships—negotiating terms and understanding talent needs. I oversee teams handling end-to-end recruitment, from onboarding and visa compliance to the ongoing management of an active contractor base. My focus also includes strengthening existing client partnerships and ensuring quality delivery via targeted sourcing, advertising, and database searches.

Fluent in multiple languages and with a strong analytical mindset, I’ve played a key role in launching new solutions and the expansions of service offerings across LATAM. This has contributed to expanding Networkers' regional presence and supporting clients with tailored staffing strategies that unlock business potential.

Relocated to Mexico to lead business development initiatives for recruitment and staffing services across the Latin American market. My focus lies in building strong relationships with vendor and operator-based clients, driving growth and expanding our footprint in the region.

With hands-on experience recruiting for a wide range of technical roles within the telecoms sector, I’ve developed a solid understanding of industry requirements and best practices. This expertise supports both my sales effectiveness and my ability to navigate candidate and client negotiations, compliance, visa processes, and technical specifications.

I currently manage and grow key accounts, successfully extending business into multiple countries throughout LATAM.

I specialise in providing top-tier technical consultants and best-in-market talent within the Financial Services and Digital Media sectors. My focus is client-side, where I cultivate new business relationships while strengthening and expanding those we already support. As part of my role, I oversee the end-to-end delivery of high-calibre candidates, ensuring a seamless and value-driven service.

In addition, I lead and develop a dedicated recruitment team aligned exclusively with my business verticals. Together, we design sourcing strategies tailored to market segmentation, with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

As Account Manager, I am responsible for the successful delivery of contract and permanent recruitment solutions across multiple locations in Germany. My role combines client relationship management with strategic talent delivery, ensuring both high-quality service and compliance with local regulations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and coordinating the end-to-end recruitment process for contract and permanent positions, with a focus on the Automotive and Government sectors.
• Managing and supporting international delivery teams based in the UK and The Netherlands, ensuring efficient sourcing, screening, and interviewing of diverse, bilingual talent.
• Acting as the key point of contact for clients, building strong partnerships and identifying workforce needs to support long-term hiring strategies.
• Ensuring full compliance with German tax, labor, and employment legislation for all placements.
• Driving continuous improvement in delivery performance, candidate experience, and service quality through close collaboration with clients and delivery teams.

International Recruiter | Automotive Industry | Germany Expansion
Responsible for end-to-end recruitment delivery, ensuring timely and high-quality fulfillment of client hiring needs within the Automotive and Defense Contracting sector, across technical and commercial roles.
Acted as the primary point of contact for candidates, managing relationships and aligning recruitment strategies with business objectives.
Built and maintained a robust candidate pipeline across Europe, with a focus on specialized and hard-to-fill roles in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain.
Drove business development initiatives to expand client base, leveraging market insights and industry knowledge to identify growth opportunities.
Spearheaded network-building activities and market research in Germany to lay the foundation for a physical office presence, including identifying talent hotspots, understanding regulatory requirements, and fostering local partnerships.
Collaborated cross-functionally with internal stakeholders (e.g., sales, operations, compliance) to support strategic expansion and international hiring excellence.