Grayce Higashi

- Strategic HR leadership: develop and implement the regional HR strategy in alignment with the global people strategy, providing guidance and support to School Leadership Teams and HR Managers across the region. - Policy development: collaborate with the global HR team to design and implement policies and practices that ensure high-quality standards are maintained across all schools. - Data-driven decision making: provide metrics and prepare analytical reports on key metrics such as turnover, engagement, training effectiveness, translating data insights into actionable strategies. - Change management support: guide and support school leadership through organizational changes and restructuring initiatives, ensuring effective communication strategies are in place to maintain integrity and morale. - Recruitment standards: ensure that recruitment processes across the region adhere to the highest standards and comply with the Safer Recruitment policy, promoting a safe and effective hiring environment. - Talent management: lead regional talent review and succession planning processes, aligning with global approaches to ensure a robust pipeline of future leaders. - Learning and development: partner with global and regional HR teams to implement core learning and development solutions tailored to the needs of various organizational levels, enhancing employee skills and capabilities. - Training needs analysis: conduct training needs assessments, manage the annual development plan and budget, and ensure all employees have tailored development plans to support their growth. - Legal compliance oversight: ensure all HR processes comply with regional and local legal requirements, staying updated on employment legislation and best practices to effectively implement necessary changes. - Cultural integration: foster a culture of engagement, inclusivity, and alignment with ISP’s values, ensuring that all employees feel valued and connected to the organization’s mission.

- Talent attraction optimization: developed and implemented a comprehensive talent attraction strategy by analyzing organizational needs, resulting in a 50% reduction in recruitment time and enhanced candidate experience. - Payroll & Benefits governance: transitioned the payroll and benefits management from the finance team to HR, improving governance over confidential information. Negotiated with benefit partners to achieve a 12% reduction in overall costs while enhancing coverage nationwide. - Performance Management implementation: launched a performance cycle that aligned employee expectations with corporate goals, incorporating feedback mechanisms to facilitate career development and succession planning. This initiative also established criteria for annual bonuses based on performance metrics. - People Analytics Development: spearheaded the implementation of the People Analytics function. Created a centralized database in Power BI and developed intuitive dashboards that enabled key stakeholders to make informed, data-driven decisions regarding talent management and organizational effectiveness. - HR Business Partnering model: established a business partnering model with tech and product teams to gain insights into departmental needs and implement targeted changes, effectively reducing turnover within these teams. - Cultural and Compensation alignment: played a key role in aligning company culture and compensation structures during the acquisition of two other companies, ensuring smooth transitions and integration of new teams. - Employee engagement initiatives: designed and executed initiatives aimed at improving employee engagement and retention, fostering a positive workplace culture that contributed to Celcoin being recognized as a Great Place to Work. - Stakeholder collaboration: worked closely with C level executives and investors as a member of the People ESG Committee, contributing to strategic decision-making around diversity and equity initiatives.

Led HR regional team, acting as liaison between 16 Latin American countries and headquarter in London. I reported to Global Commercial Director dotted line to Global HR Director. Adare provided global creative production and procurement for big brands and was recently acquired by HH Global. - Mapped and reviewed existing knowledge by organizing the structure of the supporting areas, their roles and responsibilities and acting as the person to cascade and adapt HR projects from London to each country. - Mapped key functions and identified potential successors for senior leadership roles. We started with senior leadership and with the result, we could plan what skill to be developed and what seniority each function would require optimizing results and relationships. - I managed routine processes such as need for recruitment, interviews, payroll data collection, conference and approval, co-support operations in the countries and prepare internal comms for information alignment. - I was co-responsible for following up the employee cost and budget monitoring.

- Compliance oversight: ensured adherence to local employment laws and regulations maintaining up-to-date compliance documentation and internal reporting systems tailored to each EEMEA country. - Process Standardization: developed and implemented standardized HR processes across multiple countries to enhance operational efficiency and ensure consistent employee experience. This included automating workflows to streamline HR operations. - Payroll management: oversaw payroll calculations, collaborating with various payroll providers to ensure timely and accurate processing. Monitored payroll data to identify discrepancies and implement correct actions. - Benefits program enhancement: evaluated and improved employee benefits programs based on feedback and market trends, ensuring offerings were competitive and aligned with employee needs, which contributed to higher employee satisfaction and retention. - Data Management: monitored and validated the accuracy of employee data in the HR portal, managing administrative permissions and access to technology, resources, and company tools to ensure data integrity and security. - Compensation strategy development: worked closely with country managers to refine compensation packages, aligning them with budgetary constraints and organizational goals while ensuring equity and fairness across all levels. - Policy design and evolution: collaborated with stakeholders to design and adapt HR policies based on employee feedback and scalability needs, ensuring a supportive and inclusive work environment. - Leadership communication: acted as the primary point of contact for country leaders, facilitating effective communication between departments to ensure alignment on HR initiatives, culture dissemination, and operations best practices. - Employee experience initiatives: championed initiatives to improve overall employee experience, leveraging feedback and insights to continuously adapt HR practices and enhance workplace satisfaction.

I was part of the launching team in Brazil and reported to the Country Manager and dotted line to Head of People in headquarter. Glovo is a Spanish company that offers the delivery of anything anywhere in many countries in the world. The company has recently joined Delivery Hero. - Business launch involvement: actively participated in the startup processes, including organizational mapping, recruitment pipelines, and establishing payroll and benefits providers. - Recruitment strategy development: developed a robust recruitment strategy, including training programs for managers to participate in hiring, enhancing the quality of new hires. - Onboarding program creation: designed and implemented a comprehensive onboarding program, integrating new employees into the company culture and improving time-to-productivity. - People Operations management: managed various aspects of people operations, ensuring compliance with local legislation and internal policies, and promoting health and safety standards. - Strategic partnership: served as a strategic partner to top management, advising on employee development, culture adherence, and operational challenges. - Business Shut-Down Project: played a key role in planning and executing the business shut-down project, ensuring proper communication and support for affected employees.

Oppa Design is a Brazilian e-commerce company that offers furniture and decoration for homes. I had the opportunity to develop the HR team reporting to the CEO. - HR function establishment: pioneered the HR function from the ground up, implementing recruitment processes that aligned with company culture and values. - Trainee program development: created a Trainee Program to attract top university students and MBA graduates, enhancing the talent pipeline and fostering future leaders. - Payroll and legal representation: managed payroll processing and represented the company in labor law hearings, ensuring compliance with legal standards and agreements with unions. - Office relocation management: led the project for office relocation, coordinating logistics and managing facility staff to ensure a smooth transition. - Internal events organization: organized team-building events to enhance employee integration and engagement as the company rapidly scaled. - Employer branding strategy: developed an employer branding strategy to improve talent attraction and retention, reinforcing the company’s position as an employer of choice. - Performance management system: implemented feedback sessions and performance-based discussions to support employee development and create Individual Development Plans for underperforming staff. - Coaching leadership: served as a coach to senior leadership, providing insights on internal climate, employee relations, and crisis management.

- Executive search management: led executive search initiatives for national and international positions, focusing on the financial sector, retail, and industrial clients. - Market mapping and analysis: conducted thorough market mapping to identify potential candidates that fit clients’ specific needs and profiles. - Business development: engaged in business development activities to expand client relationships and secure new recruitment projects. - Interview coordination: managed all aspects of the interview process, including alignment of expectations, reference checks, and follow-up communications with candidates and clients.

- Capacity management: oversaw regional operations capacity, ensuring optimal resource allocation and operational efficiency across multiple locations. - Cross-functional coordination: collaborated with various departments to streamline operations and enhance service delivery. - Market analysis: conducted market analysis to identify trends and opportunities for operational improvements and strategic initiatives. - Project management: led projects to enhance operational processes, contributing to overall business growth and profitability.

Responsible for monitoring and optimizing vessels capacity (Inbound and Outbound) from/to East Coast of South America, including Vessel Shared Agreements and Slot Charter Agreements, by making sure vessels sails with minimum 100% utilisation. I was also responsible for guiding sales department to bring best cargo mix to our vessels in order to better utilize them. Intercoastal, transshipment and cabotage models were also monitored in order to offer efficient and cost effective products. I was also accountable for preparing contingency plans and recommend port rotation or service review; equipment repositioning and evacuation from the area. I have also contributed by aligning allocation split and trade strategies with each sales regions in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. I had constant and direct contact with terminals, local operation, sales, customer service and Network & Product departments.