Kristen Barnow

Senior Vice President, Talent Workforce

Kristen Barnow serves as Senior Vice President of Talent Workforce for Orion Talent, where she leads the execution, growth, and success of the Maritime Industrial Base Program. This initiative strengthens the nation's defense supply chain by helping manufacturers and suppliers attract, hire, and retain the skilled talent needed to meet critical production goals.

A seasoned executive with leadership experience across Fortune 500 and mid-market staffing, professional services, and outsourcing organizations, Kristen is known for building high-performing teams and driving transformational growth. Before joining Orion in 2025, she served as Chief Operating and People Officer at Tential Solutions, where she led the company through consecutive years of 20 percent or greater revenue growth, including the largest year-over-year increase in company history. At Cielo Inc., she served as Vice President and Head of Client Development, building a national account management team that achieved 97 percent client retention and expanded wallet share by 29 percent.

Earlier in her career, Kristen spent two decades with Kelly Services, where she advanced from recruiter to global practice lead. At KellyOCG, she managed a $300 million global client portfolio, launched Kelly Connect, a $40 million remote contact center business within 18 months, and developed workforce compliance technology adopted by major clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and FedEx.

Kristen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Michigan State University. She resides in Michigan with her husband and enjoys golfing, gardening, and traveling. She serves on the executive board of the Women's Leadership Institute at Michigan State and is an avid college football fan, proudly supporting her Michigan State Spartans.