Brooke Carter
OpenGov
“You rarely feel fully prepared for the next step. Growth comes from betting on your ability to figure things out as you go.”
Brooke Carter has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing the 100 most exceptional leaders and practitioners in talent acquisition. Honorees are selected by the Talent 100 committee from thousands of nominations and candidates across the industry, chosen for the impact of their work, the depth of their craft, and their influence on the future of recruiting. This is Brooke's story.
Brooke Carter’s path into recruiting did not begin in an office. It began in the high-pressure pace of restaurant and hospitality management, where she spent her early career running multi-site operations. Long nights, holiday shifts, fire drills, and nonstop problem solving gave her an unusual foundation for the world she would eventually enter, teaching her how to read people, how to think on her feet, and how to make fast, practical decisions with whatever team she had around her.
The turning point came when her location was closed following an acquisition. Rather than relocate, she accepted a severance package and decided to take a chance on herself, stepping into something entirely new. The door opened through an unlikely source: a Craigslist posting for a recruiting agency. The owner saw how her background could translate, and on day one she was thrown into recruiting .NET developers in a world that barely had LinkedIn. She taught herself acronyms, watched tech videos late into the night, and learned by listening to more experienced recruiters. That early stretch shaped the grit and curiosity that would define her career.
Getting Closer to the Business
Agency work sharpened her instincts, but Brooke eventually realized she wanted to be closer to the companies she represented. She wanted to understand the culture, the hiring plans, and the strategy behind the roles she filled. That led her to AirWatch, a fast-moving mobile device management company that had just been acquired by VMware, where she experienced the best of both worlds. AirWatch offered the speed and ownership of a startup, while VMware showed her what an exceptional recruiting organization looks like at scale. The combination helped refine her approach to leadership and process.
Her next move became the arc that shaped much of her professional identity. OneTrust, led by executives she had worked with at AirWatch, recruited her early in its journey, and she joined as a tech recruiter when the company had roughly one hundred and fifty employees. Over the years she built programs, managed global teams, integrated seven acquisitions in one year, and guided the talent function through rapid growth to more than three thousand employees. Along the way she led recruiting, internal mobility, operations, and enablement, and even stepped into broader talent strategy. It was a period of intense learning and expansion.
Brooke then joined Rev as head of talent acquisition, a role that broadened her range again as she added new skills across compensation, immigration, HRBP work, and employee lifecycle management. When the head of HR departed, she stepped in to oversee HR, gaining visibility into the entire people organization and a deeper understanding of how talent aligns with broader business health.
Rebuilding Global Talent Acquisition at OpenGov
Eventually a former product leader from OneTrust, now at OpenGov, approached her about a new challenge. Government technology was not a space she imagined for herself at first, but the mission, the leadership team, and the fast-paced SaaS approach won her over. She joined OpenGov as the leader of global talent acquisition and moved back to Atlanta, inheriting a function that needed structure, clarity, and a rebuild. She introduced process documentation, implemented Ashby, hired and reorganized the team, and created a unified TA function spanning the United States, India, and Argentina.
Today she leads an eighteen person global team with a focus on rigor, speed, and meaningful partnership with the business. Her work reflects a strong foundation built from every phase of her journey, from the hospitality floor to high growth technology to global people leadership.
Brooke’s Advice for 2026
Looking ahead, Brooke points to three themes that she believes will define the most successful recruiters and talent leaders in the years to come. The first is to take chances on yourself. You rarely feel fully prepared for the next step, and growth comes from betting on your ability to figure things out as you go.
The second is to stay current with technology. AI is reshaping the talent landscape, and leaders who adopt tools that automate administrative work will give their teams more time for the human side of recruiting. Productivity, not volume, will separate strong teams from average ones.
The third is to invest in relationships and personal brand. A network functions as both an insurance policy and a growth engine. The TA market remains unpredictable, and those who stay connected, visible, and engaged with the community will have more opportunities and more resilience.
Brooke’s career is a clear example of what happens when someone takes intelligent risks, stays curious, and continually adapts to the changing nature of the recruiting world. Her journey is a reminder that great talent leaders are shaped by both opportunity and initiative, and that the most meaningful careers are often the ones that evolve far beyond where they start.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Brooke. We are honored to welcome Brooke Carter to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Brooke. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.
