S2 Episode 12: Changing the Rules

How do you diversify the workplace? Former Opentable CEO Christa Quarles found that it’s about more than meeting quotas: Workplace leaders instead have to focus on fixing the process. In this episode, Kim and Wesley speak with Christa about her strategies for increasing gender diversity at Opentable. She also shares tips for overcoming imposter syndrome. Christa Quarles serves as Alludo's CEO and sits on the company's Board of Directors. Joining the company in 2020, Christa is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience leading companies and spearheading financial and operational initiatives. As CEO of OpenTable, she led a period of transformational change, successfully navigating the company’s transition to cloud-based, small business solutions, and drove meaningful bottom- and top-line growth across its global operations. Christa also recently served as an Operating Partner at Advent International. Prior to joining OpenTable, she served as Chief Business Officer of Nextdoor, a marketplace connecting local communities to small businesses. Earlier in her career, she served as Senior Vice President, Interactive Games at The Walt Disney Company, where she led Disney Interactive to profitability. Christa also served as Chief Financial Officer of Playdom, which was later acquired by Disney. Prior to that, she held the role of Partner in Equity Research covering the internet sector at Thomas Weisel Partners LLC (now Stifel Financial). Christa also currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Affirm and Kimberly-Clark. She received a BS in Economics and German from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.