Melissa Werneck is the Global Chief People Officer for The Kraft Heinz Company. She is responsible for overseeing the global human resources function. Melissa joined Heinz in 2013 to implement the new performance methodology and the integrated management system.
Prior to joining Heinz, Melissa served as Performance Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at America Latina Logistica (ALL). Melissa received a degree in chemical engineering from Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and an MBA from Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.
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Sneak Peek Into What You’ll Learn…
2:37 – Melissa discusses her role as the Global Chief People Officer at Kraft Heinz. We learn more about her career path and how she made a major pivot from her early days as an engineer.
4:34 – Melissa talks about the moment when she realized how critically important the people function is in any company and how that realization influenced her work.
7:37 – What powerful advice would Melissa give to her younger self? She draws upon her deep experience to provide great, concrete advice about how to build your career.
10:43 – Mentors, sponsors, and her teams have played a vital role in the growth of Melissa’s career. She shares how her leadership philosophy have been deeply impacted by each of these.
14:15 – Melissa shares robust advice for making career choices and offers encouragement to anyone who may be considering an international move as part of their career growth.
18:20 – Melissa gives us a behind the scenes view into her family life and describes how they navigated their move from Brazil to the United States when she joined Kraft Heinz.
24:03 – Brass Tacks: The lightning round of concrete advice and tips.
Quotable quotes:
“It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to do… if you don’t understand the way people work, if you don’t understand the dynamics of your organization, it doesn’t matter.”
“I’m not the owner of the truth.”
“I learn a lot every single day from my team and I tell them that the happiest days for me are the days that they prove me wrong.”
“Live one day after the other and always seek for the butterflies in the stomach.”
“If your dreams don’t scare you, dream bigger.”
