What does a Chief Talent Officer do?
As HPEโs Chief Talent Officer, my role is to be a key catalyst in enabling our employees to achieve personal progress in their own definition, which in turn will drive business success.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a Brazilian national with Italian roots. The middle child of a typical Italian family, born in Sao Paulo.
Staying physically and mentally active is a priority. During my free time, I can often be found running, cycling and studying for my PhD. My PhD is focused on the leadership qualities that make companies successful in driving strategic change.
My Bachelorโs degree is in Information Technology, but I fell in love with Human Resources (HR) early in my career. I used to develop software for HR and over time became impressed with the number of people our HR team connected with and the real difference they were making in our employees lives.
Why did you pursue a doctorate degree? How do you find the time to work as an executive and pursue a doctorate degree?
Excelling at education is a strong value in my family. It is what improved the living standards of my immigrant grandparents in the 40โs. I believe that given the rate of uncertainty and change we live in, learning on the job but also in formal education programs is really important to stay current and intellectually curious. I am learning that discipline in managing time is more important than actually having a lot of time. I study every evening, even if it is for 15 to 20 minutes or so. Long flights as part of business trips also help with reading.
How many languages do you speak?
I speak Portuguese so it was not difficult to learn Spanish. And English.
Career advice?
Invest time developing yourself for future opportunities and challenges while you deliver results today. Otherwise, you will lose relevance over time. If I focus on what I learned from the most successful people I have worked with, they usually donโt let the urgent win over the important topics and they are very focused on the outcome (not only the effort) of their work.
Share one thing you learned as a people leader.
People genuinely want to do a great job. Nobody turns on their computer every day thinking to themselves, โToday I will not achieve results. I will not take risks and I will not innovate.โ Leadershipsโ role is to remove obstacles that prevent people from thriving.
What did you do prior to joining HPE?
My experience includes working in the financial services, life sciences and packaged goods industries. I lived in the Netherlands as well as quite a few locations in the US. Held a mix of HR roles as a Business Partner, integrating sizeable acquisitions and leading Talent Management globally. I also got my first Masters and my Executive MBA.
Why did you join HPE?
Initially, what made me start conversations was a very fond memory of a College project. One of my colleagues worked for Hewlett Packard in Sao Paulo and loved it. The CEO of HP in Brazil at the time hosted us for quite a few hours and it was an amazing experience. As I met HPE Executive Committee and Board members, I got a strong sense that they really care about our People and are driving the business to win, which assured me that this would be a great place to work.
What was your biggest surprise as an HPE leader?
The selection process was so open and transparent that it did not leave much risk of unexpected surprises. I think that I am impressed with the partnership our culture displays. HPE employees are always super ready to collaborate and support each other. I think it is a very strong and authentic culture asset we leverage.
Why would you recommend HPE as an employer?
I strongly believe that the work environment is amazing. I also enjoy the fast pace and technological complexities we operate in. And I think we should all walk tall in terms of how ethical our Company has always been.
How can we stay in touch?
Follow Alessandra Ginante on LinkedIn and Twitter @AlessaGin
She is a true advocate for Inclusion and Diversity and currently holds the Presidency of a non-profit organization (Avon Foundation) supporting women empowerment programs in Brazil.
Susan Graye
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
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Talent Acquisition and Attraction
