São Paulo, Brazil, April 2025 – Maria Emilia Azevedo has been appointed as Head of Human Resources – Brazil at Hays, the global leader in specialist recruitment and workforce solutions. With this move, Maria returns to a pivotal national leadership role, bringing over two decades of extensive experience in human resources, talent management, and corporate law across some of the world’s most renowned organizations.
In her new role, Maria will be responsible for driving Hays Brazil’s HR strategy, people development agenda, and organizational growth, aligning talent priorities with business transformation goals. Her remit will also include fostering a culture of learning and leadership while continuing to champion diversity, inclusion, and sustainable growth across the organization.
Prior to this, Maria Emilia Azevedo served as Regional L&D People Manager for Latin America at Hays, where she led regional learning, development, and internal talent strategies. Her role involved crafting high-impact learning solutions and enhancing internal communication frameworks, positioning Hays as a people-first employer across the region.
Before rejoining Hays, she held the role of Regional HR Business Partner Manager – Latin America at Google, where she was a strategic partner to business leaders in shaping employee experiences, managing organizational design, and delivering regional people programs. Her tenure at Google reflected her adeptness at managing complexity and aligning people operations with global business models.
Earlier in her career, Maria spent nearly a decade at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she led Talent Acquisition across Latin America and managed HR for Global Technology Services (GTS) in Brazil. She was also a core member of the Latin America Diversity & Inclusion Council, where she actively influenced inclusive hiring strategies and leadership programs.
Her HR leadership journey began with Hays from 2005 to 2009, during which she played a foundational role in launching Hays’ Brazil operations, managing HR, Tax, and Legal verticals. She also held early career roles as a legal professional with Demarest Advogados and ING Investment Banking, specializing in M&A, compliance, and corporate legal matters.
About Hays
Hays is a global leader in specialist recruitment and workforce solutions, operating across 33 countries with approximately 12,800 employees. It partners with clients to provide end-to-end talent acquisition, skill development, and workforce transformation services, combining global reach with deep local insights. In Latin America, Hays continues to support organizations with advisory services, employer branding, and strategic HR partnerships that address workforce gaps and drive innovation.
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