Building HR Influence Without Asking for Permission with Johanna Flórez Restrepo, CPO at CryoHoldco Biotech
Johanna Flórez Restrepo is LATAM Chief People Officer at CryoHoldco Biotech, one of the world's top five stem cell banks, with over 15 years leading HR and organizational transformation across 8 countries, 2 continents, and organizations of 120,000+ employees. Her single biggest argument for People leaders: stop asking for a seat at the table and build real influence, so business leaders say "I need you here with me." Johanna Flórez Restrepo teaches a three-part Influence-over-Imposition framework — listen to understand, anchor to the final objective, and match empathy to each person's level.
In this episode, Johanna Flórez Restrepo unpacks the friction that hits companies scaling through rapid growth, M&A, and digital transformation: policy and compliance stop working as the primary lever with CEOs and directors, cultural change starts feeling like invisible work, and a single crisis — like a full cyber attack — can put payroll for thousands of employees at risk overnight. For People teams at high-growth companies where the leadership team can no longer oversee everything directly, her operating principles turn HR from rule enforcer into trusted business partner.
In this episode, Johanna Flórez Restrepo unpacks the friction that hits companies scaling through rapid growth, M&A, and digital transformation: policy and compliance stop working as the primary lever with CEOs and directors, cultural change starts feeling like invisible work, and a single crisis — like a full cyber attack — can put payroll for thousands of employees at risk overnight. For People teams at high-growth companies where the leadership team can no longer oversee everything directly, her operating principles turn HR from rule enforcer into trusted business partner.
Challenges Addressed
- Policy-first HR loses credibility: Johanna Flórez Restrepo explains that leading with rules, compliance, and normative alignment signals "rule enforcer" to CEOs and directors, not strategic partner — and loses the influence battle immediately.
- Invisible work during transformation: During cultural change, progress feels like nothing is happening; Johanna Flórez Restrepo reframes this marathon-like effort as preventive work that precedes visible results.
- Speed mismatch in digital transformation: Moving from pharma's multi-year product cycles to a digital business measured in seconds (page load, CTR, conversion) forced Johanna Flórez Restrepo to recalibrate what "urgency" means in People operations.
Actionable Takeaways
- Listen to understand, not to respond: Stay calm, focused, and fully present in executive conversations. Senior leaders in lonely positions share their real fears only when they trust their HR partner is genuinely listening, and that trust earns proximity no title can.
- Prioritize door one before door ten: In a crisis with fires everywhere, discipline means opening the door that moves you closest to the result first. Enforce rest, nutrition, and boundaries for your team so people stay functional under pressure.
- Build a support network inside and outside the company: Inside contacts understand your context without a full briefing; outside contacts provide external perspective and prevent tunnel vision. Both protect your judgment when everything feels like a Titanic.
Questions This Episode Answers
- How do I get taken seriously as a strategic business partner instead of a rule enforcer? Johanna Flórez Restrepo argues you build influence, not authority: know the business deeply, listen to leaders' real concerns, and stop leading with policy. When you do this, executives ask for you by name rather than granting you a seat.
- How should HR lead a company through a cyber attack or major operational crisis? Johanna Flórez Restrepo used three principles when a cyber attack put payroll for 5,000 people across 2 million kilometers at risk: self-awareness of your own triggers, a support network inside and outside the company, and discipline to prioritize what moves you closest to the result.
- Why does my culture and change management work feel invisible? Johanna Flórez Restrepo reframes this as preventive work that comes before visible work. Cultural change is a marathon — you are still moving toward the result even when progress isn't yet visible, because culture is behavior lived day by day, not policy written on paper.
Links & Resources Mentioned:
- Connect with Johanna Flórez Restrepo on LinkedIn
Daria Rudnik (00:02.25)
Welcome to Built by People Leaders. I'm your host, Daria Rudnik, and this show is for HR and L&D leaders, those building real impact from within and shaping AI ready organizations. Each episode, I sit down with people leaders to talk about how they build strong cultures and organizations around them. It's about HR being seen as a true business partner by leaders and by HR themselves. So let's dive in. Today I have a very special guest, Johanna Florez Restrepo.
She's a chief people officer with over 15 years of experience leading HR and organizational transformation across multinational, matrix, and private equity-backed companies in Latin America and globally. She's currently a Latam CPO at Krioholdco Biotech, one of the world's top five stem cell banks. She helps people leaders move from operational HR to real strategic influence, specializing in scaling high-performance cultures through rapid growth
and A and digital transformation in high pressure value creation environment. Welcome, Johanna.
Johanna Flórez R (01:05.084)
Hey, thank you, Daria. How are you? So happy to be here with you.
Daria Rudnik (01:08.15)
I'm I'm so happy to talk to you. I I have so many questions. And but before we jump into the conversation, please tell us something about yourself, your journey.
Johanna Flórez R (01:19.804)
Well, thank you. Well I'm c Johanna. I'm from Colombia. I'm a psychologist. I have been my whole life an HR VP. Have the privilege to work in eight different countries and two continents, America and Europe. And well so happy to tell my people of HR, my learnings and how I can get to this position with influence and like credibility.
Daria Rudnik (01:53.913)
Well, thanks. well, I'm sure you have more, and I'll ask more questions about your experience because it's it's incredible. The stories you're ready to share, I mean, these are great. But the the the most interesting thing for me right now is like lots of people are talking about HR need to have a seat at the table. You need to invite people to strategic conversations. People need to make sure they are invited to those strategic conversations. But you see it differently. Tell us your point of view on that.
Johanna Flórez R (02:20.944)
Yes. Well I have learned in during my entire career that as an HR we don't need to ask permission to sit into the table or to
ask questions. Instead, we need to build a real influence. That real influ influence you see it in the day by day when the client or the business always said you need to be here write to my write me right with me. No. that's the thing that I
have learned that we need as a HR to see different because sometimes we like explore like the wrong purpose is I need to be in the table and I think that the purpose shouldn't be that we need to be in the table. The purpose is how we build the real influence in the business and into the leaders, the CEOs or the directors.
Daria Rudnik (03:22.188)
Mm-hmm. Well, you do have experience in in building this influence, like leading cultural transformations, like transforming company into more digital business. But before we go into that, my question to you would be a lot of HR people they're doing a lot of work. And and a lot of this work is important. I mean, you cannot live without compliance. You cannot like live without regular recruitment for regular positions.
And everybody just seeing assumes it's okay. And the cu you are creating some impact. You are creating this value, but you're not seen as business partner. How should how can you address that?
Johanna Flórez R (04:03.058)
That's a good question. And I think that's the question that many HRs ask to themselves. No.
And I think that we as an HR we need to learn that we don't need to impose because we have a lot of things that help us to do that. No, like we have the politics, the alignments, the all the procedure the process the politics and the like the all the normative stuff that responds. but
Daria Rudnik (04:30.252)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (04:38.67)
If we use that as our first like argument, we're gonna lose that battle because that's impossible.
That's why that's where the business is gonna say, okay, she's almost as she should always wanna. The rules say that, the politics say that, the alignment is that, but it's not a real influence, or that we are a real influencer to the decisions makers or the C level or the country managers or the director. So I think that the first thing is that we need to not impose. We need to know the business so good.
And also all the rules and the life cycle of the people inside the company and the culture of our companies and then build our arrows with influence, not in positive way that okay, you don't have to pass the right light during the road. otherwise you're gonna have a
Daria Rudnik (05:41.39)
Mm.
Johanna Flórez R (05:43.816)
as I'm saying whatever. But we need to change that the way that HR is concerned to I need to a seat or I need a seat in the table and not the way that the influence that gets you need
That the people at of the business at the end say, I need my HR. You need to be here with me in the table. so it's not that you need a table. I see in the table. I need you right with me here, close to me. It's a different way to understand and also to influence.
Daria Rudnik (06:19.082)
I see. It's a kind of a mind shift. You're not like asking for permission to be at the table. And then, well, once I'm there, I can deliver some value. You deliver this value upfront. And to do that, you really need to understand the business. You need really need to to know what's driving them. And it's like, I don't know, we we're doing two two jobs. Like the one job is kind of everything that's business as usual, keep it running. You know, it's important. No one gets is gonna thank us for that. And the other one that's like that that
Johanna Flórez R (06:46.114)
It's the life great.
Daria Rudnik (06:48.418)
That's the really creates the business impact. The really is moving the point. Yeah. Well, I love that.
I have a question to you about the I mean it's very interesting. You you led the cultural transformation, basically transformed business to more digital operations, which is become how to become faster, how to make decisions faster. And you influenced leaders with in this transformation with that need to be quick. What helped you be in this process and succeed in influencing business leaders in this transformation?
Johanna Flórez R (07:18.516)
Yes.
Johanna Flórez R (07:26.825)
Good question. well the first thing, I think that listening. Sometimes as HR, we listen just to response. But the other w side feel it and know it. Like, okay, I know you're gonna say like the in positive way, no? The alignment, the politics, the roles, but I don't I don't want that. So the client or the CEO or the director.
Daria Rudnik (07:32.184)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (07:53.704)
Sometimes because those positions are lonely positions that they cannot speak to everybody the whole picture. And if you are the good HR partner, like in the whole role, business partner, you need to listen them and so calm and quietly, no answer. Just sometimes just okay, listen. And then when you listen, you're gonna understand their fears, but also you can feel
that bridge between your perspective your perspective and the cultural
Mindset change management that I as a HR need to build. So you the first thing is you need to listen. It's low, calm, focus, like the whole sense in that conversation, and the client will value that. And that thing is I need you here with me. You don't need to ask for a chair in the or a seat in the on the table. I need you here with me because you whisper me.
The way that I don't see the things, or maybe the things that low down the people are saying, feeling. So the first one is to listen to your clients or the directors, a level CEO. The second one is to be so focused on the final objective. Because during a cultural change
Daria Rudnik (09:16.503)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (09:29.907)
You're gonna find detractors, you're gonna find people who is easy going, you're gonna find people that don't know why you're doing this. And so many people that also can feel frustrated because why I have to change. And it always works and bring me to this point that is a successful point.
So that means that you need to be focused with the objective, but so empathic that understand the level of each people or business unit in those processes. and with that tree, like listen the the client or the director know the
final objective and also being so impacted. You can build the bridge and you cannot and and you can you don't admit you don't use like the impositive way that we need to change the culture. The culture is the behavior, is the way you answer, is the count that you give to the people and it's not like the way that is writing or the politic that is wrote.
Daria Rudnik (10:32.216)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (10:43.431)
No, it's the way you live the day by day. That's all I think that the tree.
Daria Rudnik (10:49.752)
Well, these are great steps. I mean pretty universal, but I wish we did that more often, like listening to the other person, really t trying to understand what's bothering them, focusing on the goals and being empathetic to what's the fears and concerns and everything, yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (11:04.521)
Yes, and maybe this way, because it happens to me in the way at the beginning, maybe you think that you are making invisible work that you all also say at the beginning, no? That
it's like breathe. It's business as usual. Breathe. So you're doing nothing. No, you can feel as an HR that you're doing nothing because it's a long process, like a marathon. So you keep running, running, and you say, but what is happening? Everybody's frustr frustrated. We can we're still going to the result, but not going to the world to the gold yet. To the world yet. So what I'm doing. So maybe you can feel that it's invisible work.
but it's not invisible. wall. I can say that maybe it's a preventive work to the visible work. So you are getting into the final work but it's a whole process.
Daria Rudnik (12:01.718)
And I think like when you say like if you really listen to to your internal clients, to your business like people, they would appreciate that because they don't have that. They they they will who will listen to them, they will be able to share their concerns with you and that builds this connection and trust.
Johanna Flórez R (12:20.97)
Yes.
It is it's challenging because sometimes when you listen, or if you work with a a vice president by a president VP or the director or the CEO and they got so confident with you that they lose their boundaries and say it like genuinely their feelings or concerns. Also for you is like challenging because you say, my god, and I have to support this and and my my face is
Okay, it's perfect, thank you for sharing. But inside you can say, like, my god, and also you need to be like subconscious of that and take care of you for two things. take care of your mind and you as a business partner, as a person, but also to start speaking up promotable of all the actions that are invisible but make the
difference during the proces. So it's challenging and it's hard to tell how because if you need to leave it, do it, like it's your way of doing the things during the day by day. ¿no?
Daria Rudnik (13:39.117)
I mean it's it's so true. Like we in each other we need to be like really courageous people, like listening to a senior executives' concern and like keeping the face. Going into new industry and learning about new industry without not knowing. I mean, I know HR, but I have no idea about what biotech is. or I don't know, telic. And I know you've made a courageous move and I'm I'm really curious about that. Like you've been a the only woman in leadership in another country.
Johanna Flórez R (13:55.987)
Digital. Exatamente.
Daria Rudnik (14:08.984)
How was this? Like tell us about that.
Johanna Flórez R (14:12.085)
Challenging, challenging, because I
experience like the risk of losing myself in during that process, during the change management process of the culture, but also during the cyber attack. and like the perfect storm with cows. it was challenging because of course you can lose yourself and your mind yet the purpose your own energy. well it was challenging. It was really nice. Like I'm
really proud of myself and my team because we go through in the right way like at the end of the process like my company give me like mention like yes
Daria Rudnik (14:55.628)
Yeah, I there's something to be proud of, absolutely.
Johanna Flórez R (15:09.939)
that for the way that I go through that process like an hour but also the way that I got the influence to my clients no because it was like okay I when I started this company I was coming from mass consumption and pharma and that was like retail digital like right away the opposite.
Hey, what is this? And how you eat it, how you live with this. So learning about what is like KPIs, what is I don't know, what is the call to action, what is CTR, a lot of KPIs that you talk about in digital, or a simple example. We as a user, if a web is a
need more than three seconds to load, you say it it doesn't work. So the patient and the notion of the time is so different when you work in digital. But your your measure is in seconds. So it's so so different when you came from pharma and from pharma.
You take a lot of years no, to get a new product, a license, all the regulatory affairs. and that. And then I came to a digital world that is one, two, three. it doesn't work, change the page. No, I was like, no way. but grateful because I have gorgeous clients that they have the open mind to teach a foreign woman
without a clue of what digital is. But also to listen to her, even when I don't wasn't an expert in digital business. So it was really, really nice, challenging for sure. for sure.
Daria Rudnik (17:18.348)
And I know you have a an even more challenging story to tell us about the cyber attack that stopped b the business. Tell us a little bit about the what what happened and how you handle that and what's your role in this kind of crisis situation was?
Johanna Flórez R (17:35.062)
Well it's it was really well like out of standing because a cyber attack you didn't know how hard and potential can be just when you leave it. No because it's not that you cannot access to your software or
if I know to I if I need to know how many sales I have or something like that. No it's not only that and if you know the billing process okay it's not that because maybe we say you lose information. Well in digital world
time, AI, cloud, information is not the difference right now. No, so sometimes some years ago you say the one that have the information is the one that have the power. Right now, no, because we have AI. So you can have the information. The difference what you do with that information. No.
So in that it was really challenging because it go okay the people cannot access to their mails or the billing system to know the the sales. but also when you are in HR, okay, you know what? I don't know if I can pay the the the salary to the people because my system has an attack.
So it's so vulnerable. And I was like, okay, it's not about money. No, you know, that it was sometimes it's we don't have the money to pay the the salary to the people. That was not the case. It was like okay, we have the money, but we have five thousand people destroyed in two million kilometers. So how we can do that to pay everybody in in the way that they know is is it's not.
Johanna Flórez R (19:38.084)
So it was really challenging. Really challenging. But well, the first thing I think it was self-awareness to keep calm and to keep like the the like the objective in the mind. The second one I think that when you are in a chaos or something like that really hard like a cyber attack.
you need a support network inside the company and outside the company. And the second the third one, discipline. Because when you are in a chaos, it's so easy to lose your discipline or you wait to do the thing the the the things day by day because you are in a chaos. So you are fires everywhere. You have fires everywhere, so like many doors open. So it's so easy to okay, I open
The door watch on the door 10 instead of the door one. And the door one is the door one because it's gonna get us closer to the results with more easy or faster, or it has to be the first. No, so I think that there are that there are things what that self-awareness, not myself, what things triggering me, what my fears, what are my strong things.
Daria Rudnik (20:42.178)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (21:05.833)
The second one is a support network because maybe as a nature, as we already said, you say, I know I have to keep my smiley face always. keep calm. I'm not a person that feels and have also fears or triggers or limits. or unknown.
So when you have that super network inside the company, why inside the company? Because I think that you need someone that can understand your day and don't have to explain. you know who is Juan Chito Perez and Juanchito is the CEO. No, Juanchito Perez sí, I know, yes, I know who is. So inside, also without thinking that you have sensitive information, so you have to be so careful, but also outside because
Because when you're inside, maybe you get into the cows and you say, see, yes, we are gonna die as a Titanic, no Titanic, no my god, we cannot do it as
Daria Rudnik (22:03.45)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (22:09.321)
But when you tell this the same story as somewhere that is not inside the company, they have a different point of view. And maybe it's a they can tell you it's normal. You know, everybody lives the same. So keep going, it's a process. Or they can say, You are exaggerating. It's not that hard. you know, okay, you cannot do anything else. Keep going.
No? Or raise your hand. Yes. It's not so easy or it's not so
So that as you are seeing that that's why I think that it's important to have a a support network inside the company and also outside the company to have the whole perspective and the discipline. And the discipline because for example here in the cows, we have my team was like the developers, no, I don't want to sleep because I want to get the code and get up on our web again and our app, but
Daria Rudnik (22:55.16)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (23:11.785)
have to say to people wait, we also need to sleep. And we need to get the right food or the right meals or time with your family. Otherwise you're gonna get sick. And if you're gonna get sick, you're not cannot help us right now. and it's hard because in the cows of many people want to help. No, okay what I have to do and right now and don't stop, please pass.
Daria Rudnik (23:40.642)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (23:41.78)
slow down. so it's like small things that you have to do and it's simple for example in the snacks okay during the snacks we are not giving you some sweeties because you have also your cortisol up so you don't need to give more cortisol for this. no and it it was interesting it was really interesting
Daria Rudnik (24:02.988)
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Daria Rudnik (24:07.166)
Yeah, well that I I cannot imagine. Well, I can actually imagine. At some point I was like once working in a bank and our license was suspended. I mean we didn't have a license. We lost a license for three months. And it means like we as a bank we couldn't do any any operations and like we couldn't work. We couldn't produce business. And what actually helped us stay is people, like you say, like internal network, building those connections, making sure what we we will that's our goal. We need to
overcome this, we'll we'll fight, we'll we'll win, and connecting with people that's that's a strength. I mean that's that's a huge, huge strength for sure.
Johanna Flórez R (24:47.155)
Yes. And it's huge because well I have an MBA and also other studies but the theoretical learning never lend you that. no? That how to connect with people and how you need to create like a firewall in for your mind or for your essence like
as a person and then we can sustain the business. not the other way, no? Because sometimes it's no business, business, business, business. And you say yes, but b the business is made for people. So if you don't sustain the people, fire their mind, their physical activity, I don't know, recognition, slowdown, whatever.
It's not gonna be a good business. So don't put it the other way. Not that way.
Daria Rudnik (25:51.523)
Well, thanks, Johanna. That's I mean, that's an incredible conversation. There's so much what you experienced is so I mean amazing. So stor so many stories you you shared. I have one final question for you. And this one is if you if you had a magic wand and could solve one professional challenge people leaders have, what would you choose? What would you fix?
Johanna Flórez R (26:19.125)
challenge that I have been well. Well I think that probably that
Johanna Flórez R (26:29.609)
that one like the change management culture plus a cyber attack in the same moment. I think that's my more challenging process as a nature because we have like I don't know maybe some work with people with
employee has lost their babies or their family is hard because you have to be there and you say like the of the alignments and the roles it don't even dimension the emotional cost to the people. but if I have to choose between partner business and like the album.
emotional I think that maybe this one that is like digital transformation plus a cyber attack. I think that's my hardest. Yes like a whole one. Okay, perfect.
Daria Rudnik (27:28.446)
Mm-hmm. I mean, yeah, that that's a crazy combination.
Daria Rudnik (27:38.188)
All right. Well, thank you so much for sharing your stories. We we talked about why HR doesn't well, why HR must not ask for permission and just provide value to business by listening to those people, focusing on the goal, being empathetic and building this bridge, understanding what are the fears, what are the concerns, what is it that business needs, and actually providing this kind of value. But also we talked about self-awareness and being being able to stay true to yourself and
understand what's happening on your side and taking care of yourself because well otherwise how you can help other people because our business is made by people for people. Thank you so much, Johanna. Please tell us how people can find you, how people can learn more about you.
Johanna Flórez R (28:22.741)
Sure, Daria. Well, you can find me in LinkedIn as my name is Johanna Florez. well I think LinkedIn is the first like a lot the the good way to find me. I post a lot of learnings during my day-by-day. so if you wanna reach me, just write me. always answer my inbox message.
Daria Rudnik (28:44.088)
Perfect. We have the link to Johanna's LinkedIn profile in the notes of this episode. Thank you so much for listening till the end. If you like this episode, please give us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay tuned for the next episodes. Bye.
Welcome to Built by People Leaders. I'm your host, Daria Rudnik, and this show is for HR and L&D leaders, those building real impact from within and shaping AI ready organizations. Each episode, I sit down with people leaders to talk about how they build strong cultures and organizations around them. It's about HR being seen as a true business partner by leaders and by HR themselves. So let's dive in. Today I have a very special guest, Johanna Florez Restrepo.
She's a chief people officer with over 15 years of experience leading HR and organizational transformation across multinational, matrix, and private equity-backed companies in Latin America and globally. She's currently a Latam CPO at Krioholdco Biotech, one of the world's top five stem cell banks. She helps people leaders move from operational HR to real strategic influence, specializing in scaling high-performance cultures through rapid growth
and A and digital transformation in high pressure value creation environment. Welcome, Johanna.
Johanna Flórez R (01:05.084)
Hey, thank you, Daria. How are you? So happy to be here with you.
Daria Rudnik (01:08.15)
I'm I'm so happy to talk to you. I I have so many questions. And but before we jump into the conversation, please tell us something about yourself, your journey.
Johanna Flórez R (01:19.804)
Well, thank you. Well I'm c Johanna. I'm from Colombia. I'm a psychologist. I have been my whole life an HR VP. Have the privilege to work in eight different countries and two continents, America and Europe. And well so happy to tell my people of HR, my learnings and how I can get to this position with influence and like credibility.
Daria Rudnik (01:53.913)
Well, thanks. well, I'm sure you have more, and I'll ask more questions about your experience because it's it's incredible. The stories you're ready to share, I mean, these are great. But the the the most interesting thing for me right now is like lots of people are talking about HR need to have a seat at the table. You need to invite people to strategic conversations. People need to make sure they are invited to those strategic conversations. But you see it differently. Tell us your point of view on that.
Johanna Flórez R (02:20.944)
Yes. Well I have learned in during my entire career that as an HR we don't need to ask permission to sit into the table or to
ask questions. Instead, we need to build a real influence. That real influ influence you see it in the day by day when the client or the business always said you need to be here write to my write me right with me. No. that's the thing that I
have learned that we need as a HR to see different because sometimes we like explore like the wrong purpose is I need to be in the table and I think that the purpose shouldn't be that we need to be in the table. The purpose is how we build the real influence in the business and into the leaders, the CEOs or the directors.
Daria Rudnik (03:22.188)
Mm-hmm. Well, you do have experience in in building this influence, like leading cultural transformations, like transforming company into more digital business. But before we go into that, my question to you would be a lot of HR people they're doing a lot of work. And and a lot of this work is important. I mean, you cannot live without compliance. You cannot like live without regular recruitment for regular positions.
And everybody just seeing assumes it's okay. And the cu you are creating some impact. You are creating this value, but you're not seen as business partner. How should how can you address that?
Johanna Flórez R (04:03.058)
That's a good question. And I think that's the question that many HRs ask to themselves. No.
And I think that we as an HR we need to learn that we don't need to impose because we have a lot of things that help us to do that. No, like we have the politics, the alignments, the all the procedure the process the politics and the like the all the normative stuff that responds. but
Daria Rudnik (04:30.252)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (04:38.67)
If we use that as our first like argument, we're gonna lose that battle because that's impossible.
That's why that's where the business is gonna say, okay, she's almost as she should always wanna. The rules say that, the politics say that, the alignment is that, but it's not a real influence, or that we are a real influencer to the decisions makers or the C level or the country managers or the director. So I think that the first thing is that we need to not impose. We need to know the business so good.
And also all the rules and the life cycle of the people inside the company and the culture of our companies and then build our arrows with influence, not in positive way that okay, you don't have to pass the right light during the road. otherwise you're gonna have a
Daria Rudnik (05:41.39)
Mm.
Johanna Flórez R (05:43.816)
as I'm saying whatever. But we need to change that the way that HR is concerned to I need to a seat or I need a seat in the table and not the way that the influence that gets you need
That the people at of the business at the end say, I need my HR. You need to be here with me in the table. so it's not that you need a table. I see in the table. I need you right with me here, close to me. It's a different way to understand and also to influence.
Daria Rudnik (06:19.082)
I see. It's a kind of a mind shift. You're not like asking for permission to be at the table. And then, well, once I'm there, I can deliver some value. You deliver this value upfront. And to do that, you really need to understand the business. You need really need to to know what's driving them. And it's like, I don't know, we we're doing two two jobs. Like the one job is kind of everything that's business as usual, keep it running. You know, it's important. No one gets is gonna thank us for that. And the other one that's like that that
Johanna Flórez R (06:46.114)
It's the life great.
Daria Rudnik (06:48.418)
That's the really creates the business impact. The really is moving the point. Yeah. Well, I love that.
I have a question to you about the I mean it's very interesting. You you led the cultural transformation, basically transformed business to more digital operations, which is become how to become faster, how to make decisions faster. And you influenced leaders with in this transformation with that need to be quick. What helped you be in this process and succeed in influencing business leaders in this transformation?
Johanna Flórez R (07:18.516)
Yes.
Johanna Flórez R (07:26.825)
Good question. well the first thing, I think that listening. Sometimes as HR, we listen just to response. But the other w side feel it and know it. Like, okay, I know you're gonna say like the in positive way, no? The alignment, the politics, the roles, but I don't I don't want that. So the client or the CEO or the director.
Daria Rudnik (07:32.184)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (07:53.704)
Sometimes because those positions are lonely positions that they cannot speak to everybody the whole picture. And if you are the good HR partner, like in the whole role, business partner, you need to listen them and so calm and quietly, no answer. Just sometimes just okay, listen. And then when you listen, you're gonna understand their fears, but also you can feel
that bridge between your perspective your perspective and the cultural
Mindset change management that I as a HR need to build. So you the first thing is you need to listen. It's low, calm, focus, like the whole sense in that conversation, and the client will value that. And that thing is I need you here with me. You don't need to ask for a chair in the or a seat in the on the table. I need you here with me because you whisper me.
The way that I don't see the things, or maybe the things that low down the people are saying, feeling. So the first one is to listen to your clients or the directors, a level CEO. The second one is to be so focused on the final objective. Because during a cultural change
Daria Rudnik (09:16.503)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (09:29.907)
You're gonna find detractors, you're gonna find people who is easy going, you're gonna find people that don't know why you're doing this. And so many people that also can feel frustrated because why I have to change. And it always works and bring me to this point that is a successful point.
So that means that you need to be focused with the objective, but so empathic that understand the level of each people or business unit in those processes. and with that tree, like listen the the client or the director know the
final objective and also being so impacted. You can build the bridge and you cannot and and you can you don't admit you don't use like the impositive way that we need to change the culture. The culture is the behavior, is the way you answer, is the count that you give to the people and it's not like the way that is writing or the politic that is wrote.
Daria Rudnik (10:32.216)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (10:43.431)
No, it's the way you live the day by day. That's all I think that the tree.
Daria Rudnik (10:49.752)
Well, these are great steps. I mean pretty universal, but I wish we did that more often, like listening to the other person, really t trying to understand what's bothering them, focusing on the goals and being empathetic to what's the fears and concerns and everything, yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (11:04.521)
Yes, and maybe this way, because it happens to me in the way at the beginning, maybe you think that you are making invisible work that you all also say at the beginning, no? That
it's like breathe. It's business as usual. Breathe. So you're doing nothing. No, you can feel as an HR that you're doing nothing because it's a long process, like a marathon. So you keep running, running, and you say, but what is happening? Everybody's frustr frustrated. We can we're still going to the result, but not going to the world to the gold yet. To the world yet. So what I'm doing. So maybe you can feel that it's invisible work.
but it's not invisible. wall. I can say that maybe it's a preventive work to the visible work. So you are getting into the final work but it's a whole process.
Daria Rudnik (12:01.718)
And I think like when you say like if you really listen to to your internal clients, to your business like people, they would appreciate that because they don't have that. They they they will who will listen to them, they will be able to share their concerns with you and that builds this connection and trust.
Johanna Flórez R (12:20.97)
Yes.
It is it's challenging because sometimes when you listen, or if you work with a a vice president by a president VP or the director or the CEO and they got so confident with you that they lose their boundaries and say it like genuinely their feelings or concerns. Also for you is like challenging because you say, my god, and I have to support this and and my my face is
Okay, it's perfect, thank you for sharing. But inside you can say, like, my god, and also you need to be like subconscious of that and take care of you for two things. take care of your mind and you as a business partner, as a person, but also to start speaking up promotable of all the actions that are invisible but make the
difference during the proces. So it's challenging and it's hard to tell how because if you need to leave it, do it, like it's your way of doing the things during the day by day. ¿no?
Daria Rudnik (13:39.117)
I mean it's it's so true. Like we in each other we need to be like really courageous people, like listening to a senior executives' concern and like keeping the face. Going into new industry and learning about new industry without not knowing. I mean, I know HR, but I have no idea about what biotech is. or I don't know, telic. And I know you've made a courageous move and I'm I'm really curious about that. Like you've been a the only woman in leadership in another country.
Johanna Flórez R (13:55.987)
Digital. Exatamente.
Daria Rudnik (14:08.984)
How was this? Like tell us about that.
Johanna Flórez R (14:12.085)
Challenging, challenging, because I
experience like the risk of losing myself in during that process, during the change management process of the culture, but also during the cyber attack. and like the perfect storm with cows. it was challenging because of course you can lose yourself and your mind yet the purpose your own energy. well it was challenging. It was really nice. Like I'm
really proud of myself and my team because we go through in the right way like at the end of the process like my company give me like mention like yes
Daria Rudnik (14:55.628)
Yeah, I there's something to be proud of, absolutely.
Johanna Flórez R (15:09.939)
that for the way that I go through that process like an hour but also the way that I got the influence to my clients no because it was like okay I when I started this company I was coming from mass consumption and pharma and that was like retail digital like right away the opposite.
Hey, what is this? And how you eat it, how you live with this. So learning about what is like KPIs, what is I don't know, what is the call to action, what is CTR, a lot of KPIs that you talk about in digital, or a simple example. We as a user, if a web is a
need more than three seconds to load, you say it it doesn't work. So the patient and the notion of the time is so different when you work in digital. But your your measure is in seconds. So it's so so different when you came from pharma and from pharma.
You take a lot of years no, to get a new product, a license, all the regulatory affairs. and that. And then I came to a digital world that is one, two, three. it doesn't work, change the page. No, I was like, no way. but grateful because I have gorgeous clients that they have the open mind to teach a foreign woman
without a clue of what digital is. But also to listen to her, even when I don't wasn't an expert in digital business. So it was really, really nice, challenging for sure. for sure.
Daria Rudnik (17:18.348)
And I know you have a an even more challenging story to tell us about the cyber attack that stopped b the business. Tell us a little bit about the what what happened and how you handle that and what's your role in this kind of crisis situation was?
Johanna Flórez R (17:35.062)
Well it's it was really well like out of standing because a cyber attack you didn't know how hard and potential can be just when you leave it. No because it's not that you cannot access to your software or
if I know to I if I need to know how many sales I have or something like that. No it's not only that and if you know the billing process okay it's not that because maybe we say you lose information. Well in digital world
time, AI, cloud, information is not the difference right now. No, so sometimes some years ago you say the one that have the information is the one that have the power. Right now, no, because we have AI. So you can have the information. The difference what you do with that information. No.
So in that it was really challenging because it go okay the people cannot access to their mails or the billing system to know the the sales. but also when you are in HR, okay, you know what? I don't know if I can pay the the the salary to the people because my system has an attack.
So it's so vulnerable. And I was like, okay, it's not about money. No, you know, that it was sometimes it's we don't have the money to pay the the salary to the people. That was not the case. It was like okay, we have the money, but we have five thousand people destroyed in two million kilometers. So how we can do that to pay everybody in in the way that they know is is it's not.
Johanna Flórez R (19:38.084)
So it was really challenging. Really challenging. But well, the first thing I think it was self-awareness to keep calm and to keep like the the like the objective in the mind. The second one I think that when you are in a chaos or something like that really hard like a cyber attack.
you need a support network inside the company and outside the company. And the second the third one, discipline. Because when you are in a chaos, it's so easy to lose your discipline or you wait to do the thing the the the things day by day because you are in a chaos. So you are fires everywhere. You have fires everywhere, so like many doors open. So it's so easy to okay, I open
The door watch on the door 10 instead of the door one. And the door one is the door one because it's gonna get us closer to the results with more easy or faster, or it has to be the first. No, so I think that there are that there are things what that self-awareness, not myself, what things triggering me, what my fears, what are my strong things.
Daria Rudnik (20:42.178)
Mm-hmm.
Johanna Flórez R (21:05.833)
The second one is a support network because maybe as a nature, as we already said, you say, I know I have to keep my smiley face always. keep calm. I'm not a person that feels and have also fears or triggers or limits. or unknown.
So when you have that super network inside the company, why inside the company? Because I think that you need someone that can understand your day and don't have to explain. you know who is Juan Chito Perez and Juanchito is the CEO. No, Juanchito Perez sí, I know, yes, I know who is. So inside, also without thinking that you have sensitive information, so you have to be so careful, but also outside because
Because when you're inside, maybe you get into the cows and you say, see, yes, we are gonna die as a Titanic, no Titanic, no my god, we cannot do it as
Daria Rudnik (22:03.45)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (22:09.321)
But when you tell this the same story as somewhere that is not inside the company, they have a different point of view. And maybe it's a they can tell you it's normal. You know, everybody lives the same. So keep going, it's a process. Or they can say, You are exaggerating. It's not that hard. you know, okay, you cannot do anything else. Keep going.
No? Or raise your hand. Yes. It's not so easy or it's not so
So that as you are seeing that that's why I think that it's important to have a a support network inside the company and also outside the company to have the whole perspective and the discipline. And the discipline because for example here in the cows, we have my team was like the developers, no, I don't want to sleep because I want to get the code and get up on our web again and our app, but
Daria Rudnik (22:55.16)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (23:11.785)
have to say to people wait, we also need to sleep. And we need to get the right food or the right meals or time with your family. Otherwise you're gonna get sick. And if you're gonna get sick, you're not cannot help us right now. and it's hard because in the cows of many people want to help. No, okay what I have to do and right now and don't stop, please pass.
Daria Rudnik (23:40.642)
Yeah.
Johanna Flórez R (23:41.78)
slow down. so it's like small things that you have to do and it's simple for example in the snacks okay during the snacks we are not giving you some sweeties because you have also your cortisol up so you don't need to give more cortisol for this. no and it it was interesting it was really interesting
Daria Rudnik (24:02.988)
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Daria Rudnik (24:07.166)
Yeah, well that I I cannot imagine. Well, I can actually imagine. At some point I was like once working in a bank and our license was suspended. I mean we didn't have a license. We lost a license for three months. And it means like we as a bank we couldn't do any any operations and like we couldn't work. We couldn't produce business. And what actually helped us stay is people, like you say, like internal network, building those connections, making sure what we we will that's our goal. We need to
overcome this, we'll we'll fight, we'll we'll win, and connecting with people that's that's a strength. I mean that's that's a huge, huge strength for sure.
Johanna Flórez R (24:47.155)
Yes. And it's huge because well I have an MBA and also other studies but the theoretical learning never lend you that. no? That how to connect with people and how you need to create like a firewall in for your mind or for your essence like
as a person and then we can sustain the business. not the other way, no? Because sometimes it's no business, business, business, business. And you say yes, but b the business is made for people. So if you don't sustain the people, fire their mind, their physical activity, I don't know, recognition, slowdown, whatever.
It's not gonna be a good business. So don't put it the other way. Not that way.
Daria Rudnik (25:51.523)
Well, thanks, Johanna. That's I mean, that's an incredible conversation. There's so much what you experienced is so I mean amazing. So stor so many stories you you shared. I have one final question for you. And this one is if you if you had a magic wand and could solve one professional challenge people leaders have, what would you choose? What would you fix?
Johanna Flórez R (26:19.125)
challenge that I have been well. Well I think that probably that
Johanna Flórez R (26:29.609)
that one like the change management culture plus a cyber attack in the same moment. I think that's my more challenging process as a nature because we have like I don't know maybe some work with people with
employee has lost their babies or their family is hard because you have to be there and you say like the of the alignments and the roles it don't even dimension the emotional cost to the people. but if I have to choose between partner business and like the album.
emotional I think that maybe this one that is like digital transformation plus a cyber attack. I think that's my hardest. Yes like a whole one. Okay, perfect.
Daria Rudnik (27:28.446)
Mm-hmm. I mean, yeah, that that's a crazy combination.
Daria Rudnik (27:38.188)
All right. Well, thank you so much for sharing your stories. We we talked about why HR doesn't well, why HR must not ask for permission and just provide value to business by listening to those people, focusing on the goal, being empathetic and building this bridge, understanding what are the fears, what are the concerns, what is it that business needs, and actually providing this kind of value. But also we talked about self-awareness and being being able to stay true to yourself and
understand what's happening on your side and taking care of yourself because well otherwise how you can help other people because our business is made by people for people. Thank you so much, Johanna. Please tell us how people can find you, how people can learn more about you.
Johanna Flórez R (28:22.741)
Sure, Daria. Well, you can find me in LinkedIn as my name is Johanna Florez. well I think LinkedIn is the first like a lot the the good way to find me. I post a lot of learnings during my day-by-day. so if you wanna reach me, just write me. always answer my inbox message.
Daria Rudnik (28:44.088)
Perfect. We have the link to Johanna's LinkedIn profile in the notes of this episode. Thank you so much for listening till the end. If you like this episode, please give us five stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay tuned for the next episodes. Bye.