Meet our Talent Acquisition team!
At UC Berkeley, our Talent Acquisition team has a passion for identifying exceptional talent strategies and we are dedicated to helping you build a dynamic workforce that propels our organization forward. Our mission is to provide strategic guidance and foster innovation, diversity, and growth as it relates to your recruitment and staff hiring needs. Check out our team below!
Talent Acquisition
Alex Gomez
Title: Executive Director of Talent & Workforce Strategy
Email: agomez@berkeley.edu
Alex, Executive Director of Talent & Workforce Strategy, is a Cal alum. He has been at UC Berkeley for 17 years, moving from student to administration. Alex received his BA in Anthropology, and since graduating has been working in the recruitment and talent acquisition space. Alex was the inaugural recruitment supervisor when Shared Services at Berkeley was established and built the team, as well as processes, from scratch. He sponsored the creation of BES in partnership with HR leadership. He is passionate about bringing in talent to support the missions of Berkeley in teaching, research, and public service.
Tara Hertstein (She/Her/Hers)
Title: Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition
Email: tara.hertstein@berkeley.edu
Tara is the Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition at UC Berkeley, where she leads the university's Talent Acquisition team and provides strategic oversight for recruitment operations across campus. With more than 16 years of experience in talent acquisition and human resources, she partners with campus leaders to develop effective hiring strategies, enhance recruitment processes, and support equitable and compliant hiring practices. Tara is passionate about building high-performing teams and delivering an exceptional experience for both hiring managers and candidates.
Alex Reyes
Title: Talent Acquisition Advisor
Email: areyes@berkeley.edu
Alex is a Cal alum with 10 years of experience in higher education HR. He holds a Master’s in Human Resource Management and brings expertise in talent acquisition, HR systems optimization, and diversity-focused hiring initiatives. As a Talent Acquisition Advisor at UC Berkeley, Alex partners with academic, administrative, and operational units across campus to develop tailored recruitment strategies that align with their goals. A SHRM-certified practitioner and active leader in CUPA-HR, Alex is dedicated to fostering inclusive, efficient, and innovative HR practices.
Annum Qureshi
Title: Talent Acquisition Advisor
Email: aaq454@berkeley.edu
Annum Qureshi brings more than 10 years of human resources experience in higher education, with a strong background in talent acquisition, strategic HR support, and organizational partnership. She is passionate about building collaborative relationships, understanding the unique needs of the teams she serves, and providing practical, people-centered HR guidance. Annum enjoys partnering with leaders to develop solutions that support organizational goals while fostering an inclusive and engaging workplace.
Esha Bharati
Title: Talent Acquisition Advisor
Email: eshabharati@berkeley.edu
Esha Bharati has an MBA in Human Resources Management and enjoys working in the Talent Acquisition space. As an Executive Search Advisor, she supports hiring for complex hard-to-fill executive-level roles as well as maintains a client portfolio, and advises various campus units on hiring best practices and processes.
Marc Ovalle-Marihart
Title: Talent Acquisition Advisor
Email: marc.om@berkeley.edu
Marc supports staff recruitment across UC Berkeley, partnering with campus departments to make the hiring process more effective, responsive, and easier to navigate. His work has spanned a wide range of areas, including healthcare, research, recreation and wellbeing, public safety, technology, museums, libraries, and education.
He also facilitates recruitment workshops and trainings for the campus community, helping make University processes clearer and more approachable.
Before joining UC Berkeley, Marc recruited nurses and other healthcare professionals for one of California’s largest and busiest hospitals. He brings that experience, along with a practical, collaborative, and service-oriented approach, to his work with the Berkeley community.
Miah Compton (She/Her)
Title: Talent Acquisition Advisor
Email: miahcompton@berkeley.edu
Miah brings over fifteen years of experience in operations and service to her role in the Talent Acquisition space. With her degree in Sociology, Miah's passion lies in inspiring individuals to reach their full potential, and she excels in relationship-building, strategic operations, implementing innovative processes, and driving positive transformations that contribute to organizational greatness.
Robyn Pease
Title: Talent Acquisition Manager
Email: rpease@berkeley.edu
Specializing in Development & Alumni Relations Recruitment
Robyn Pease is a seasoned Talent Acquisition and HR professional with broad experience in Talent Acquisition, HR leadership, management, coaching, training, and employee development. At UC Berkeley, she specializes in Development and Alumni Relations recruitment, providing full-service recruitment for executive, management, senior professional, specialty, and difficult-to-fill positions. She partners with campus and advancement leaders to tailor recruitment strategies to the needs of each department and hiring manager, with particular expertise in fundraising and advancement.
As a strategic talent advisor, Robyn brings expertise in workforce planning, organizational and talent strategy, compensation, succession planning, staff development, and career coaching. She values collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the Talent Acquisition and People & Culture teams and stays current on AI, emerging technologies, and evolving talent practices. She is passionate about connecting exceptional people with opportunities where their talents can make a meaningful impact.
Arlene Banaga
Title: Talent Acquisition Associate
Email: arlenedbanaga@berkeley.edu
Arlene Bañaga brings over 15 years of administrative and human resources expertise to her role as Talent Acquisition Associate. Since joining UC Berkeley in 2017, she has held roles spanning across Student Affairs, Berkeley Regional Services, and People & Culture Talent Acquisition. In May 2023, she joined Berkeley Executive Search to support the team’s ongoing growth and expansion. In her current role, she optimizes operational processes while delivering comprehensive support to executive search advisors, talent acquisition advisors and job candidates.
Berkeley Executive Search
James Kao
Title: Assistant Director, Berkeley Executive Search
Email: j.kao@berkeley.edu
James manages Berkeley Executive Search and is a Cal alum and possesses a Masters in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins in London. Currently, James manages BES where the team advises UC executives and recruits talented individuals for senior-level roles as an internal executive search "firm."
Harrison Chan
Title: Senior Executive Search Advisor
Email: hwchan@berkeley.edu
Harrison is a Cal grad who returned to his alma mater after some time in the technology sector. In his role as an Executive Search Advisor, he works with campus executives and leaders in support of recruitment efforts for senior-level staff roles across the university.
Kento Ashton
Title: Executive Search Advisor
Email: kbashton@berkeley.edu
Kento Ashton, Executive Search Advisor, is a thrice-deployed military veteran of 8 years who specialized in the field of radio transmissions communications. He had the chance to serve as the Executive Assistant to the Assistant Chief of Staff of Communications at the Command Element of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Kento had his start at UC Berkeley serving the front desk of People and Culture in 2020 after shifting from Gas & Chemical specialist opportunities. He joined Berkeley Executive Search in 2021 as administrative and research support with growing responsibilities in advisory and training. Kento is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and bringing niche perspectives to the BES team.
Tracey P Frink
Title: Executive Search Advisor
Email: tpfrink@berkeley.edu
Tracey Frink, Executive Search Advisor, started working in the People & Culture department at UC Berkeley in 2019, shortly after she joined the Berkeley Executive Search team. She received her BA in Anthropology from UCLA. Tracey provides administrative and research support to the Executive Search Team. Prior to joining BES, Tracey worked for a labor employment law firm in the Bay Area providing administrative support to firm attorneys and the firm administrator.
