Luxembourg, September 2025 – The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) has announced the appointment of Laurence R. as its new Head of Human Resources and Organisation. In this role, Laurence will oversee HR strategy, organisational development, and people transformation, supporting ESM’s mission as the crisis resolution mechanism for euro area countries.
Laurence joins ESM after an impactful tenure at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, where she served as Deputy Head of HR and Talent Management Director. Over more than four years, she spearheaded the 2025 People Strategy, driving cultural transformation and implementing innovative programs on talent, inclusion, and leadership development. She also co-led a team of 22 HR professionals, launched well-being programs, and embedded advanced engagement analytics into the HR function.
Prior to BIS, Laurence was with the OECD in Paris, first as Senior HR Business Partner, where she introduced strategic workforce planning across 35 departments, and earlier for eight years where she led HR operations for more than 700 staff and rolled out new talent and performance management frameworks. These roles established her reputation as a strategic HR partner for global institutions.
Earlier in her career, Laurence was Senior HR Manager at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila, where she introduced a career management framework, piloted new approaches to mobility, and led an Oracle HCM implementation. Her work advanced HR reforms and supported leadership mobility across 20+ countries.
Laurence began her HR journey with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), holding several senior HR leadership roles across Africa, including Regional HR Manager for East Africa. She managed HR for multiple healthcare facilities, built HR departments from the ground up, and introduced compensation and training frameworks in challenging, post-conflict contexts.
Before her transition to HR, Laurence spent several years in market research and consulting, including leadership roles at Frost & Sullivan in the US and UK, where she directed healthcare and medical device research practices. She also worked as a Research Associate at Stanford University, where she contributed to French language teaching and collaborated on the book La grammaire à l’œuvre.
Laurence holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Stanford University and has recently completed the CHRO Program at Wharton Executive Education, with electives in HR Analytics, Leadership, and the Future of Work.
About European Stability Mechanism
The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is the crisis resolution mechanism for euro area countries, established through an intergovernmental treaty signed in 2012. Based in Luxembourg, the ESM issues debt instruments to finance loans and provide financial assistance to euro area Member States. Since its inauguration, the ESM has played a crucial role in maintaining financial stability in the euro area.
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