thePeopleStack

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Head of People & Culture of Bardel Entertainment Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Bardel is a leading 2D, 3D, and hybrid animation studio based in North America and made up of world-class creators and storytellers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thePeopleStack to accomplish?

• We engaged thePeopleStack to support our Rippling implementation across HR and IT — covering payroll configuration (including our Quebec entity), HRIS setup, onboarding/offboarding workflows, LMS, and Outlook Calendar integration.

SOLUTION

How did you find thePeopleStack?

Referral

Why did you select thePeopleStack over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from thePeopleStack were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

thePeopleStack served as an extension of our People & Culture team throughout a complex, multi-month Rippling implementation. Our primary consultant, McKenzee, was embedded with our team from the early stages of the rollout all the way through to go-live and beyond. She handled everything from payroll configuration and compliance questions to workflow automations and staff training — often navigating challenges that required her to advocate directly with Rippling on our behalf.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our team went from brand new to Rippling to being fully operational on payroll, onboarding/offboarding, LMS, ATS, and automated workflows. When we wrapped up, our team felt confident enough to manage the platform independently — which was always the goal. When McKenzee flagged that she would be departing, we chose not to transition to another consultant because our team had been so well-trained.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Communication was consistently proactive. McKenzee kept us in the loop at every step and was always a step ahead of potential issues. When unexpected challenges came up — including some tricky compliance questions and platform hiccups during go-live — she handled them calmly and professionally, looping in the right people at Rippling when needed.

What was your primary form of communication with thePeopleStack?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The depth of knowledge McKenzee brought to the engagement was exceptional. She wasn't just technically strong — she understood the HR side of the work too, which made her an ideal partner for a People & Culture team. The partnership felt genuinely collaborative, not transactional.

Are there any areas for improvement or something thePeopleStack could have done differently?

Nothing significant comes to mind. The engagement met and exceeded our expectations.