Thiago Assad

For over 26 years, my mission has been to unlock potential, focusing on growth for people and organizations

I spent 16 years at IBM and 8 at Novartis, holding different leadership positions in HR organizations. Currently at Biogen, my role as HR Director has been to align our human resources initiatives with the strategic objectives of the organization. With a solid background in leadership and a commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values excellence, we have cultivated a culture where diversity and engagement are not just goals, but the standard.

In collaboration with Biogen's leadership team, we've advanced crucial business metrics and facilitated transformative organizational changes. My focus on talent development and strategic HR has been instrumental in creating a dynamic where our employees are not only succeeding but are also integral in maintaining Biogen's status as a leader in the biotech industry

For over 26 years, Thiago’s mission has been to unlock potential, emphasizing growth for both individuals and organizations. His focus on talent development and strategic HR has played a crucial role in fostering an environment where employees succeed and also contribute significantly to maintaining Biogen's leadership position in the biotech industry.

Insights about Professional Journey and Key Experiences

I have worked in HR for the past 26 years, with extensive experience across various regions and industries. I spent 16 years at IBM, where I held roles in Brazil, Latin America, and Chile. Starting in compensation and benefits, I later transitioned to mergers & acquisitions and divestments. My career then progressed to HR business partner roles for several years and eventually advanced to leadership positions.

At IBM Brazil, I was the HR head for a site with 7,000 employees, followed by a stint as the HR head for IBM Chile. After returning to Brazil, I decided to leave IBM and took on the challenge of being the HR head for a manufacturing site at Novartis, a pharmaceutical company. After a year and a half at that site, I was invited to the U.S. to take on a regional HR business partner role for Novartis, overseeing eight manufacturing sites across the U.S., Latin America and Germany.

I moved to a pioneering organization focused on cell and gene therapy, Kymriah, the first approved therapy for cancer in the U.S. I was the HR lead for quality and supply chain for both the U.S. and global operations within a manufacturing environment. In 2020, I returned to Brazil to gain commercial experience in the pharmaceutical sector, serving as HR for various business units at Novartis, Brazil. This role provided valuable insights into the market dynamics and roles within the industry. In 2022, I received an invitation to join Biogen as the HR head for the Brazilian affiliate, marking the latest chapter in my extensive HR career.

Major Challenges HR Leaders Face and Their Solutions 

The main challenges we face, and that all HR heads should focus on, revolve around two primary missions. Firstly, we must understand the business thoroughly and possess a portfolio of solutions to facilitate business success. Our second mission is to act as guardians of culture, strategy, and other essential aspects of the organization. To achieve this, we must build credibility with our business partners, including GMs and other stakeholders, so that we can engage in constructive disagreements when necessary. This credibility allows us to implement necessary changes and address risks or issues that others might not see. We should also focus on leadership and culture as prioritizing these aspects will enable us to manage other challenges more effectively.

Mastering Challenges: Integrating Trends and Technologies 

One common mistake is being too insular in trying to solve everything alone. As an HR head, I prioritize continuous learning to broaden my view. Over the past 10 months, I've read 14 books on culture, leadership, and potential. For me, it's crucial to unlock the hidden potential of people as fostering individual growth helps to drive organizational growth. 

I volunteered as a mentor on LinkedIn, choosing mentees different from myself to better understand diversity, equity and inclusion. Over six months, I mentored 10 individuals and learned about their distinct environments.  I engaged with people from different origins, genders, orientations, disabilities, and ethnicities. These conversations helped me understand their market experiences and provided valuable insights that I applied within my company to improve our work environment. 

My focus is on understanding and fostering company culture, which I see as integral to strategy. For me culture is not just a support for strategy; it is the strategy. Exploring our values, behaviors, and the foundations of our culture—including leadership behavior, belonging, and psychological safety—is central to strengthening our organization. 

Influential Experiences Shaping the Leadership Style 

I've always believed in not staying stuck in one position for too long. Experiencing different perspectives, markets, and cultures, whether through work with large organizations or in diverse roles, has been crucial for my growth. Leading a 7,000-employee organization taught me about large-scale communication and program management. Being on the ground in a manufacturing site, talking to people, and understanding their thoughts emphasized the importance of direct interaction.

Using quality data is another key aspect of my approach, but I also believe in talking with people to understand their perspectives. In terms of skills, I always strive to embrace discomfort and learn new things. My career journey from compensation benefits to mergers and acquisitions, from HR roles to leadership positions, and moving across countries, has been about embracing the unfamiliar. For instance, working with a pioneering cell and gene organization expanded my understanding of new environments. Growth requires venturing into the unknown and learning from it, which is challenging but essential for progress.

Envisioning the Future of HR Operations 

As an HR professional, I believe we need to stop viewing ourselves as merely support for the business. We are an integral part of the business and recognize that people are central to the business, not separate from it. 

There’s a lot of discussion about artificial intelligence and its implications. Leveraging technology, we can streamline many tasks that currently consume a lot of our time, making our lives easier.  It's crucial, however, that we don't lose our authenticity in the process. As technology advances, it’s important that we differentiate ourselves through our uniqueness and individuality.

Nowadays, I see people obtaining information from the same sources and echoing the same ideas due to external influences. HR professionals need to understand trends, manage data and technology effectively and maintain a critical perspective. We must apply these insights to our organizational culture rather than blindly following external directives. Using technology to our advantage and positioning ourselves at the same level as the business is the key. We are partners in the business, working through people and not just a support function. This mindset shift is essential for the future of HR. 

Advice for Professionals: Key Considerations and Pitfalls

First and foremost, it's crucial to seek discomfort for growth and learning. Second, it is essential to listen to people. We don’t need to have all the answers ourselves. Listening to people can help us build solutions that truly address the needs of those we serve.

Building the credibility of the organization is also vital, especially for HR as it allows us to implement necessary changes and communicate effectively, even when delivering difficult messages. Our mission is to enable the business through our HR portfolio of solutions. However, we must also protect the company’s culture, values and beliefs.  Achieving this balance requires the credibility to stand firm and make decisions that benefit both the people and the organization.