JOANNA NAVALHO

European HR and Total Rewards leader with progressive experience building and scaling people infrastructure across international life sciences organizations. Currently leading regional HR Operations and Total Rewards across 14 EMEA countries managing and developing a direct report while combining strategic partnership with hands-on execution in a rapidly evolving environment. Recognized for translating complex global programs into practical, locally relevant solutions that support organizational growth, employee experience and regulatory compliance. Brings a distinctive combination of compensation and benefits expertise, operational leadership, cross-functional influence and strong knowledge of European employment environments. A pragmatic, builder-minded professional who thrives at the intersection of strategy, implementation and continuous improvement.

• Built and scaled HR and Total Rewards operations supporting 10 EMEA countries, establishing consistent regional processes while addressing country-specific requirements.
• Led EMEA Pay Transparency readiness, including job architecture, pay structures and reporting preparation.
• Led the EMEA Career Framework project, defining standardized role architecture and career progression across the region.
• Supported compensation benchmarking, annual salary and promotion cycles, compensation analytics, pay equity analysis and compensation budgeting across European markets.
• Implemented and maintained multi-country benefits programs and strengthened vendor governance.
• Led Workday implementation for EMEA, improving HRIS data integrity, reporting and regional HR processes.
• Coordinated equity and incentive compensation processes, including employee education and payout activities.
• Improved payroll accuracy, compliance and operational consistency through standardized HR and vendor processes.
• Established EMEA-wide HR policies, benefits frameworks and employee lifecycle standards.