Fractional CHROs in Orlando Making Things Happen in 2025

Orlando Interim Chief People Officers to Know

Orlando may be best known for hospitality and tourism, but under the surface is a growing ecosystem of tech, education, healthcare, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. As more companies in Central Florida evolve, scale, or pivot, the need for strategic people leadership has grown with them. And increasingly, those companies aren’t hiring full-time CHROs—they’re going fractional.

Fractional Chief People Officers (CPOs) offer flexible, executive-level HR leadership for companies that need strategy, systems, and structure now—not in six months. Whether it’s a founder-led startup, a nonprofit navigating team growth, or a family-run business modernizing its approach, fractional people leaders are helping Orlando companies build high-performing, people-first organizations.

At Digital Reference, we’ve identified key professionals already delivering this kind of leadership across the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford region.

How We Curate Fractional CHROs in Orlando

Our methodology is centered on credibility, presence, and track record. Each leader listed below:

✅ Works in a fractional, interim, or embedded CHRO/CPO capacity
✅ Is actively serving the Central Florida region
✅ Has public-facing proof of work (LinkedIn, firm website, etc.)
✅ Brings senior-level HR strategy and people leadership experience
✅ Aligns with Digital Reference’s core belief: reputation is currency

We focus on trusted, high-context operators—not just people with the right title.

Orlando Fractional CHRO to Know

🔹 Dawn Colangelo

People & Culture Leader | Fractional CHRO | Workplace Strategist
Dawn Colangelo is an experienced HR executive who helps mission-driven companies build people systems rooted in strategy, inclusivity, and high performance. Based in Central Florida, Dawn brings a coaching-oriented lens to her fractional leadership, often stepping in to guide teams through transformation, scale, or culture change. Whether partnering with founders, boards, or nonprofit leaders, she delivers strategic clarity and operational confidence.

🔍 Specialties: Employee engagement, performance development, values-based leadership, HR infrastructure
📍 Based in: Orlando, FL

More leaders will be added as Orlando’s fractional ecosystem continues to evolve. This list reflects public professionals currently working in fractional people leadership roles within the region.

Why Orlando Companies Are Hiring Fractional CPOs

Orlando’s business scene is increasingly dynamic—and diverse. As more companies navigate complexity, they need HR leadership that’s strategic but lean, embedded but flexible.

Common triggers for hiring fractional CHROs include:

• 🏗️ Startups hitting early growth milestones
  
  
• 🎓 EdTech and healthcare orgs navigating hybrid workforces
  
  
• 🧭 Family businesses undergoing leadership transition
  
  
• 🧰 Internal HR teams needing senior-level guidance
  
  
• 🤝 Nonprofits scaling beyond founder-era people practices
  
  

In all of these scenarios, fractional leadership provides the perfect middle ground: executive experience without long-term commitment.

Traits of a High-Impact Fractional CHRO

The right fractional CPO doesn’t just “cover” HR—they bring transformation with intention. At Digital Reference, we prioritize leaders who bring:

✅ Executive presence and clarity
✅ Tactical and strategic range
✅ Empathy and communication fluency
✅ A bias toward action
✅ Referenceable outcomes from past engagements

That’s what makes professionals like Dawn Colangelo valuable: she doesn't just manage systems—she helps companies rethink how they lead, support, and grow their people.

Related Reading from Digital Reference

📘 How to Hire a Fractional Executive
A practical guide for founders and operators navigating interim leadership.

📍 The Importance of Professional References
Explore why third-party credibility is more critical than ever in today’s trust-driven hiring market.

📘 Collecting Professional References: The Dos and Don’ts
References are often the make-or-break element of your next opportunity. Yet many professionals still treat the reference process as an afterthought or, worse, scramble to collect them last minute.

📗 The Talent Ecosystem: Why Fractional Operators Are Reshaping the C-Suite
Explore the structural shifts behind the rise of fractional leadership and what it means for your next hire.

Final Word: HR Leadership That Moves With You

In Orlando, companies are building quickly—but not all of them are ready for a full-time CHRO. That’s where fractional people leaders come in. They offer vision, structure, and clarity—at exactly the right scale and pace.

Dawn Colangelo is already helping organizations across Central Florida navigate hiring, culture, compliance, and growth—without slowing down or over-committing resources.

If you're building in Orlando and want your people strategy to grow with you, not lag behind—this is the place to start.

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