Gabrielle Mellon
Gabrielle Mellon is a seasoned HR and talent acquisition leader, currently managing the Global Talent Acquisition and HR Operations teams at Axon Enterprise, where she is also a shareholder. Based in Seattle, Gabrielle travels infrequently, typically a few times per quarter, and focuses on building scalable strategies, high-performing teams, and modern HR infrastructure to support the company’s rapid global growth. With a career in recruiting spanning over two decades, she brings deep expertise in connecting people to meaningful roles and driving organizational success.
Gabrielle’s professional philosophy is frank and results-oriented. She sets high expectations, makes difficult decisions when necessary, and stays in the trenches alongside her teams. She believes that leaders earn followership through respect and integrity rather than likability, and she takes pride in developing talent and fostering cultures where both people and business thrive. Her work emphasizes operational excellence, data-driven insights, and innovative use of technology, including AI and automation, to enhance employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
Before joining Axon, Gabrielle built her career in recruiting after initially studying political communications and participating in presidential campaign work while in college. Since 2004, she has held leadership roles across major technology organizations, including Microsoft and Amazon, guiding global talent acquisition, HR operations, and program management initiatives. Gabrielle also serves on the Board of Directors at The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, supporting arts education and community engagement.
• PRINCE2® 2017 Practitioner
• University of Washington - BS Political Communication; Business
• Bellevue Arts Museum
• Issaquah Schools Foundation
• Seattle Angel Investor
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Board of Directors, Fifth Avenue Theatre (Seattle)
• The 5th Avenue Theatre
• Premiere Dance Center
• Little League International
• Bellevue Arts Museum
• Cougar Ridge Elementary
What do you attribute your success to?
She attributes success to placing people in roles where they thrive and maintaining long-term relationships with those hires, together with leading and pushing a strong team toward high standards.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to view every opportunity as a chance to achieve something great. I strive to keep moving forward with hunger for growth, humility in my approach, and intelligence in my decisions, embracing each experience as a step toward continuous learning and meaningful impact.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Care less about being liked, be prepared to make difficult decisions, be confident in those decisions, and lead from the trenches so your team will respect and follow you.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges and greatest opportunities in my field right now is building scalable strategies, modern infrastructure, and high-performing teams that consistently deliver results across a rapidly growing global organization. Balancing operational efficiency with a meaningful employee experience while adapting to evolving technologies and global workforce needs is central to driving sustainable growth and long-term success.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Helping others through meaningful work, candid leadership, accountability, mentorship, and support for arts and community access.