Marisa H.

About Marisa H.

I have always believed that how an organization treats its people is a direct reflection of what it truly values. Over 20 years, I\'ve built my career around that belief — partnering with executive teams to create workplaces where people feel seen, supported, and empowered to do their best work. From scaling teams through explosive growth to navigating the human complexity of M&A integrations and IPO transitions, my north star has always been the same: the strategies we build in HR ultimately land on real people\'s lives. That responsibility is one I take seriously. My expertise sits at the intersection of people and organizational strategy. I\'ve led global HR functions across SaaS, biotechnology, aerospace, and nonprofit sectors — managing workforces across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM — and what I\'ve learned is that the fundamentals don\'t change. People want clarity, fairness, and to feel that their contributions matter. When those things are true, organizations perform. I\'m especially proud of the work that doesn\'t show up in metrics. The manager who found their footing after the right coaching conversation. The team that held together through a difficult restructuring because trust had been built long before things got hard. Those moments are why I do this work. That said, empathy without accountability is just sympathy. I\'ve led sensitive investigations, made difficult calls alongside Legal and Finance, designed compensation systems from scratch, and governed compliance across 14 countries. People-centered leadership means treating people with the seriousness they deserve, especially when the answer is hard. Today, as SVP of People & Culture at the Entrepreneurs\' Organization, I\'m doing what I love most: building the global people infrastructure, culture frameworks, and team capability to carry an organization into its next chapter. What I bring: Employee Relations & Investigations · Labor Relations · HR Technology (Workday, ADP, Oracle HCM) · Compensation & Benefits · People Analytics · Compliance & Risk (SOX, GDPR) · Workforce Planning · Learning & Development · Organizational Design · M&A Integration · Change Management · Executive Partnership · Total Rewards · Employee Engagement & Inclusion

Experience

1. SVP, People & Culture

   Entrepreneurs' Organization

   Feb 2026 — Present

   EO is a global network of business founders and owners across 220 chapters in 80 countries. As SVP, People & Culture, I serve as the senior People executive for EO\'s international staff organization, reporting to the CEO and advising the Board\'s Human Capital Advisory Council on executive talent, remuneration, and workforce strategy.Brought in to architect the people infrastructure, systems, and culture required to carry a complex, matrixed global organization into its next stage of growth — while ensuring every aspect of the employee experience reflects EO\'s mission and values.• Leading a comprehensive transformation of global HR infrastructure — standardizing policies, systems, and compliance frameworks across a multi-country workforce to establish consistent, scalable people operations built for long-term sustainability• Executing a strategic shift in international employment infrastructure, retiring unsustainable EOR and PEO arrangements in favor of establishing permanent legal entities across key markets — strengthening organizational control, reducing third-party dependency, and building a compliant global employment foundation at scale• Driving enterprise-wide culture transformation, embedding continuous learning, accountability, and inclusion into day-to-day operations across a globally distributed workforce• Overseeing global compensation and benefits strategy, ensuring market competitiveness, pay equity, and alignment with organizational mission and budget• Leading a six-person People leadership team spanning People Operations, Total Rewards, Internal & Executive Communications, Staff Learning, and People & CultureDirect Reports: 6

Education

• Capella University

  Master of Science, Industrial and Organizational Psychology

  2016 — 2018