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Teresa Velez

@ateresavelez

Purpose‑driven professional with 30 years of progressive leadership across human resources, operations, project delivery, administration, non‑profit.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I'm seeking opportunities to lead workforce planning, talent mobility, employee experience, and organizational change programs that strengthen retention, career growth, and operational readiness.

At Universal Destinations & Experiences, I lead internal talent services supporting 38,000 employees, strengthening mobility, retention, career pathways, and staffing readiness.

I develop workforce planning frameworks across eight-plus business areas and build supply-and-demand strategies that support 10,000+ high-volume operational, professional, and technical roles. I also lead talent marketing, internal mobility, and change initiatives that improve workforce agility.

Previously, at Merlin Entertainments and Universal Parks & Resorts, I led HR operations, shared services, employee experience, succession planning, recruiting, and global cultural transformation for teams across Orlando, Hollywood, Beijing, Osaka, and Singapore.

My career also includes securing $10M+ in sponsorship revenue at March of Dimes through corporate partnerships and national campaigns. I bring 30 years of leadership across HR, operations, project delivery, administration, and nonprofit organizations.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Manager, Talent Planning & Career Network

Current

Universal Destinations & Experiences

Jan 2023 - Present (3 years 8 months)

Leads internal talent service catalogue supporting 38k employees, develops workforce planning frameworks, and drives continuous improvement initiatives across HR functions.

Talent Planning Workforce Planning Career Development HR Operations Change Management Talent Marketing Labor Planning Reporting Peoplesoft SAP HCM Smartsheet SharePoint

Head of HR Operations, Shared Services

Merlin Entertainments

Jan 2021 - Dec 2023 (2 years 11 months)

Led HR operations and shared services across North America, supporting 6k employees through full-cycle recruiting, onboarding, and HR advisory.

HR Operations shared services Employee Relations Talent Management Succession Planning Compensation HRIS Peoplesoft SAP HCM Ceridian UKG Pro PageUp Cornerstone Brassring

Team Member Experience, Global

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2007 - Dec 2020 (13 years 11 months)

Led global cultural transformation and change management for 2k employees across multiple international locations, and managed talent acquisition and early career programming.

Employee Engagement Change Management Talent Management Workforce Planning HR Business Partnering Talent Acquisition Internship Programs Vendor Management Peoplesoft SAP HCM Smartsheet SharePoint

Assistant Manager, HR Projects

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2017 - Dec 2018 (1 year 11 months)

Assisted in managing HR projects within Universal Parks & Resorts.

HR projects Project Management

Sr Representative, HR Business Partner

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2014 - Dec 2017 (3 years 11 months)

Served as a senior HR business partner representative.

HR Business Partnering Employee Relations Talent Management

Representative, HR Business Partner

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2011 - Dec 2014 (3 years 11 months)

Provided HR business partner support.

HR Business Partnering Employee Relations

Executive Assistant, Finance & Administration, Legal Affairs

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2009 - Dec 2011 (2 years 11 months)

Provided executive support in finance, administration, and legal affairs.

Executive Support Administration Finance Legal

Executive Assistant, Attraction Projects

Universal Parks & Resorts

Jan 2007 - Dec 2009 (2 years 11 months)

Provided executive support for attraction projects including Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Disaster!, and The Simpson's Ride.

Executive Support Project Coordination Administration

National Account Manager, Corporate Relations

March of Dimes

Jan 1998 - Dec 2007 (9 years 11 months)

Executed national promotional campaigns and secured $10M+ in sponsorship revenue through corporate partnership development and cause-marketing campaigns.

Corporate Relations Sponsorship Cause Marketing Contract Negotiation Event Management Media Relations Digital Content