Open to opportunities

Thalita Fernandes

@thalitafernandes

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People-focused HR leader helping companies grow talent, build strong teams, and navigate change across LAC.

Brazil

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What I'm looking for

Looking for a senior HRBP, People Advisor or related roles in a remote-friendly environment where I can partner with executives to shape leadership, culture, and talent strategy. I want to be part of a workplace where people can thrive — and where I can keep learning, growing, and having fun along the way.

I am an HR leader with experience across global companies and fast-growth environments, partnering with senior executives to shape strategy, build leadership capability, and strengthen organizational culture. Currently at Visa, I advise nearly 50 VPs and Senior Directors across Latin America and the Caribbean, driving talent planning, succession, and performance while acting as a trusted advisor to executives in complex, matrixed contexts.

Before Visa, I worked at McKinsey & Company, where I led talent management for non-consulting professionals across South America, Mexico, and Costa Rica, and spearheaded global initiatives in mental health, diversity, and organizational agility. Earlier in my career at Arco Educação, one of Brazil’s first unicorns, I built people processes from the ground up during a post-merger integration, driving measurable improvements in culture, leadership effectiveness, and employee engagement.

Across all these experiences, what defines me is the ability to translate strategy into people impact: making complexity simple, supporting leaders through change, and creating environments where both talent and business thrive. Passionate about inclusion, leadership development, and cultural transformation, I bring curiosity, pragmatism, and energy to every challenge I take on.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

People Advisor Manager for LAC

Current

Visa

Oct 2024 - Present (10 months)

Strategic HR partner to ~50 senior leaders across LAC. Lead talent planning, succession, and performance, advising on org design and culture to drive engagement and leadership effectiveness in a complex, global matrix.

Senior HR Generalist

McKinsey & Company

Oct 2023 - Oct 2024 (1 year)

Headed Talent Management for ~1,100 non-consulting employees and led Mental Health & Wellbeing strategies for ~3,700 employees, managing programs and cross-functional teams to shift the firm toward skill-based capability building. Directed global program implementation and partnered with senior leadership to embed wellbeing and development practices.

Talent Management Mental Health Programs Program Management Employee Relations Diversity & Inclusion Stakeholder Management HR Operations Investigation

HR Generalist

McKinsey & Company

Oct 2022 - Oct 2023 (1 year)

Managed HR projects across LATAM impacting ~1,700 employees, delivering mental health, performance management and professional development initiatives. Collaborated on an Operation Model Redesign to increase organizational agility and delivered PRISM workshops for 400 participants with NPS 98.

HR Project Management Performance Management Change Management Learning & Development Diversity Programs Program Delivery Stakeholder Management

HR Business Partner Specialist

Arco Education

Aug 2021 - Oct 2022 (1 year 2 months)

Joined Post-Merger Integration to structure the People area and led cultural change efforts, improving cultural perception by 46% and e-NPS by 56%. Coached 19 leaders across Technology, Product, Operations and Client Success, driving a 32% increase in leadership performance and 40% team performance improvement.

Post Merger Integration Cultural Change Management Leadership Coaching Talent Management Employee Engagement Performance Improvement Stakeholder Management

Human Resources Business Partner

Arco Educação

Aug 2021 - Oct 2022 (1 year 2 months)

Joined Post-Merger Integration team to structure the People Area and led cultural change initiatives that improved cultural perception by 46% and e-NPS by 56%. Coached 19 leaders across Technology, Product, Operations and Client Success, achieving 32% improvement in leadership performance and 36% increase in team e-NPS.

Post Merger Integration Change Management Leadership Development Coaching Culture Transformation Performance Management People Strategy

Employee Experience Specialist

Arco Education

Aug 2020 - Aug 2021 (1 year)

Built the Employee Experience area with 2 direct reports, owning Performance and Culture Management for ~200 employees; launched a performance evaluation model with NPS 75 and an annual culture plan with NPS 87. Partnered with HRBPs to deliver tailored people solutions across the Business Unit.

Employee Experience Performance Management Culture Strategy Team Leadership Program Design Stakeholder Collaboration NPS Measurement

People Management Trainee

Arco Educação

Aug 2019 - Aug 2020 (1 year)

Selected from ~25,000 applicants for the Trainee Program and led commercial team development initiatives that increased contract closures by 56% for 3–6 month consultants and grew signed contracts by 34% for 6–9 month tenure. Delivered onboarding and upskilling programs to improve sales performance.

Talent Development Onboarding Sales Enablement Training Delivery Data Analysis Performance Improvement Stakeholder Collaboration

People Management Trainee

Arco Education

Aug 2019 - Aug 2020 (1 year)

Selected from ~25,000 applicants for the trainee program and led a commercial team development initiative that increased contract closure by 56% and contract volume by 34% within key tenure cohorts. Focused on onboarding and upskilling to accelerate early-sales performance.

Talent Development Onboarding Sales Enablement Training Design Performance Improvement Program Management