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Francois Coetzee

@francoiscoetzee

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I lead employee relations, culture and workforce transitions across global organisations.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I’m seeking Cape Town, hybrid or international opportunities where I can lead employee relations, organisational change, culture and workforce transitions while partnering closely with leaders on practical, commercially grounded people solutions.

I manage complex employee relations and workforce transition matters across EMEA and APAC, balancing legal compliance, commercial priorities and employee experience. I’ve handled more than 1,600 global cases involving restructures, redundancies, transfers and negotiated separations.

At Publicis Groupe, I partnered with executive and C-suite leaders across 13 business units, supporting people priorities for approximately 500 employees nationally. I advised on organisational design, workforce planning, performance, succession, employee relations and change.

I’ve built culture and capability through leadership roadshows, wellbeing programmes, employee experience initiatives, leadership development and an employee value proposition. I also launched a PRIDE / Equality Committee and created internship programmes that expanded early-career opportunities.

Across HR leadership roles at Grey Advertising, The MediaShop and earlier organisations, I’ve delivered practical people solutions across the employee lifecycle. I improve operations through HR systems, process optimisation, knowledge management and AI-enabled workflow automation.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Employee Relations & Transitions Specialist

Current

Remote

May 2024 - Present (2 years 5 months)

Manage end-to-end employee relations and workforce transition matters across multiple international jurisdictions, balancing legal compliance, commercial priorities and employee experience. Managed 1,600+ global employee cases across EMEA and APAC.

Employee Relations Workforce Transition Legal Compliance Risk Assessment Process Optimization AI Tools Automation Knowledge Management

Senior HR Partner

Publicis Groupe

Feb 2020 - May 2024 (4 years 3 months)

Partnered with executive and C-suite leaders across a portfolio of 13 business units, aligning people priorities with commercial and organisational objectives. Led nationwide culture, engagement and employee experience initiatives.

HR Business Partnering Organizational Design Workforce Planning Talent Strategy Succession Planning Performance Management Employee Relations Cultures Engagement Leadership Development Coaching Learning Programs Employee Value Proposition (EVP)Inclusión Onboarding Intranet Implementation HR Process Improvement Talent Marketplaces

HR Manager

Grey Advertising

Jan 2019 - Jan 2020 (1 year)

Led full-spectrum HR management for the Distell account, delivering strategic and operational support across the complete employee lifecycle. Advised leadership on people strategy, organisational effectiveness, performance, reward, retention and complex employee relations matters.

HR Management Employee Lifecycle People Strategy Organizational Effectiveness Performance Management Rewards Retention Employee Relations Employment Equity Skills Development South African Labour Laws

HR Coordinator

The MediaShop

Oct 2013 - Dec 2018 (5 years 2 months)

Coordinated end-to-end people operations spanning recruitment, onboarding, employment contracts, benefits, HR systems, employee relations and exits. Supported grievances, disciplinary hearings and CCMA proceedings.

Recruitment Onboarding Employment Contracts Benefits HR systems Employee Relations Exit Grievances Conducting Disciplinary Hearings CCMA HR Policy Engagement Wellness Leadership Development Employment Equity Skills Development BBBEE Workplace Skills Planning

Assistant HR Manager

Remote Off-Site Monitoring

Jan 2013 - Sep 2013 (8 months)

Supported full HR operations, payroll and statutory submissions; represented the organisation in CCMA conciliation and arbitration; and implemented performance, policy, training and workforce-planning initiatives.

HR Operations Payroll Statutory Submissions CCMA conciliation Arbitration Performance Management Policy Implementation Training Workforce Planning

Assistant HR Manager

CPI Security

Jul 2010 - Dec 2012 (2 years 5 months)

Managed core HR administration and people operations for approximately 150 employees, covering recruitment, onboarding, payroll, employee relations, HRIS, benefits, statutory compliance and workforce training.