Accomplished HR Leader with expertise in business strategy and leadership development. Currently the Strategic HR Partner to commercial leaders for Medtronic and the Co-Chair of Medtronic’s Global Volunteer & Giving Council.

Prior to joining Medtronic in 2010, Lisa worked for various major global corporations including, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, Dow Chemical and Ryder.

Lisa holds a BBA, Finance and an MBA from Florida International University. She is fluent in Spanish, conversant in Portuguese.

Favorite Quote: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fun Fact: I have visited 37 countries.

How do you unwind after a long day of work? Go for a bike ride.

What challenges have you faced in your career, and how did you overcome them? Earlier in my career I had a major challenge with managing a career that I love along with ensuring that my time spent with my amazing children and extremely supportive husband was quality time. I decided to take a step back at the time and intentionally chose to slow down my career growth and focus on my family and personal and emotional well-being. My husband, Carlos, has been critical to my success at home and at work.

What has been the most monumental moment of your career thus far? The time I did not get the job that I wanted was a monumental moment for me. It actually helped me take stock in who I was at the time and it helped me take the time to assess what I really wanted at that point in my life. It was for me a true blessing in disguise. What started out as a feeling of disappointment, turned out to be the time where I believe I was able to grow the most.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten? Do not be so tough on yourself.

What qualities make for an outstanding HR professional? I believe that being a trusted thinking partner is one quality. Additionally, understanding the business and creating value with what you deliver are also key needs. Furthermore, the ability to execute on a strategy is also a must.

How have you adapted your HR skills to COVID? Connecting to people is critical during this time. Being a trusted advisor and coach is one of my main functions. Therefore, having flexibility on when and how to connect is key. Using video versus phone meetings is also an important component to remaining connected and sought after for advice and counsel.

What are some misconceptions about HR and how do you combat them? I think that one of the misconceptions is that the HR function over engineers things. I like to simplify processes, minimize the noise around new programs and make it easier to solve the problems and issues we are facing.

What do you like most about working in HR? Almost everything! My profession offers me a variety of exposure to the business, to employees, and to the various components from which the function is comprised. I can be working on a complete organizational design overhaul one day and move into harmonizing compensation plans and interviewing and assessing top talent the next day.