Anita Mercado

Summary

As a resourceful and entrepreneurial HR leader, Anita is known for quickly building positive rapport. She is passionate about enabling growing businesses to meet their audacious goals by maximizing their talent. She loves creating the conditions for people to perform their best work.

Since the best solutions are usually produced by the “collective genius” of a team, Anita loves leading projects with teams to draw out and simplify complex initiatives and inspire collaborative action.

Areas of Expertise

Aligning Talent Strategies to Your Business Strategy

In my experience, a planned and purposeful approach to organizational design, recruiting and talent management gets the right people with the right skills into the right seats at the right time. I look at where the business is headed then ensure the right people strategies are in place to support those goals. Maximize your talent and your business will thrive.

Leadership Development, Coaching, & Facilitation

Today more than ever, managers and leaders need support for their development to build and refine skills for retaining valuable employees. I’ve implemented a variety of top-rated (and cost-efficient) leadership and manager development methods, including online courses, facilitated workshops, cohort learning, mentorship programs, and coaching engagements.

HR as the Strategic Business Partner

Employees and leaders expect a lot from their HR teams – prompt attention, process excellence, personalized approaches, cultural stewardship, and thoughtful partnership. I help HR teams and practices deliver on those expectations, placing a strategic lens on benefits, compensation, employee relations, performance management, and HR systems.

Culture Development & Employer Branding

Defining and reinforcing your workplace culture is key to attracting and retaining talented people. Your culture energizes your team’s experience and ensures the right candidates are attracted to your company. I’ve helped companies build, measure, and sustain their company values, internal communications and employer branding capability to help increase employee engagement and attract the best talent.

---

Experience

Partner, HR Transformation

VIKRITI Management Consulting

Vice President, Human Resources

Bridgewater Bank

Sr. Director, Human Resources

Bluestem Brands

Sr. Manager, Enterprise Learning

SUPERVALU, Inc.

Education

M Ed HR Development

University of Minnesota - College of Education & Human Development

BA, Political Science & Spanish

St. Olaf College

Certifications

Bridges Leadership Coaching Method Certificate (Sept. 2022)

Strategy-Culture Alignment Certification - WorkEffects (Oct. 2017)

Master Trainer - AchieveForum, A KornFerry Company (Feb. 2015)

Myers Briggs Type Instrument Certified Practitioner (Dec. 2012)

Contact

Phone

Email

LinkedIn

Download PDF