Federico Agúndez

VP People Strategy & Operations @Despegar (Prosus) | Workforce Transformation, AI & People Intelligence

Greater Buenos Aires

About

People executive with experience leading organizational transformation, talent, operations and rewards across LATAM and global environments. Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked across industrial and technology companies, leading regional and global teams in periods of scale, change and operational complexity. My work has focused on improving organizational effectiveness through better leadership, clearer structures, stronger talent decisions and more scalable people systems. Currently at Despegar (Prosus), leading the evolution of the People function across areas including People Strategy, Operations, Talent and People Intelligence, with a strong focus on AI, organizational design and execution. Interested in how technology is reshaping organizations, leadership and the employee experience.

Experience

  • Vice-President People Strategy & Operations at Despegar
    Aug 2024 - Present · 1 yr 11 mos

    • Leading regional People Operations, Total Rewards and Workplace Experience across LATAM, with focus on scalability, simplification and operational effectiveness. • Leading HR Technology, process optimization, automation and AI initiatives across the region to improve efficiency, scalability and employee experience. • Building a People Intelligence capability combining data, AI and organizational design to improve organizational decision-making and execution capacity.

  • Tenaris (5 yrs 1 mo)
    • Director Talent Management & HR Business Partnering – South Cone
      Sep 2022 - Jul 2024 · 1 yr 11 mos

      • Led Talent Management and HR Business Partnering across the South Cone for approximately 6,500 employees. • Partnered with business and industrial leadership teams on organizational effectiveness, leadership, succession and workforce planning. • Strengthened hiring quality, leadership pipelines and talent processes for critical roles across operations and corporate functions. • Implemented more disciplined performance and leadership routines to improve execution consistency across the organization.

    • Global HR Business Partner – Staff Functions
      Oct 2021 - Aug 2022 · 11 mos

      • Strategic HR partner to global functional leaders across more than 25 countries. • Led workforce planning, succession and organizational initiatives across complex, highly matrixed global teams. • Supported senior leadership decision-making on talent, organizational structure and leadership priorities at global scale.

    • Director Total Rewards & Operations - South Cone
      Jul 2019 - Sep 2021 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      • Led Total Rewards, HR Operations and core people processes for approximately 6,500 employees across the South Cone. • Oversaw payroll, benefits and personnel administration across multiple countries, ensuring operational stability, compliance and process standardization. • Led regional HR digitalization initiatives, including self-service, payroll modernization and digital employee processes. • Simplified operations and improved employee experience through automation, process redesign and new digital platforms.

  • Ternium (13 yrs 7 mos)
    • Sr. Manager HR Business Partner & Operations- Brazil
      Feb 2018 - Jun 2019 · 1 yr 5 mos

      • Led HR Business Partnering, Labor Relations and HR Operations for industrial operations in Brazil, covering approximately 4,000 employees. • Partnered with operational leadership teams in a highly complex industrial and unionized environment. • Led post-acquisition HR integration efforts, stabilizing operations and implementing core people processes. • Implemented workforce and operational initiatives that significantly reduced absenteeism and overtime levels.

    • Sr. Manager Labor Relations - Argentina
      Oct 2014 - Jan 2018 · 3 yrs 4 mos

      • Led labor relations across four industrial plants with approximately 1,500 employees. • Negotiated collective agreements focused on operational continuity, productivity and cost management. • Designed compensation and productivity schemes linked to safety, attendance and operational performance. • Strengthened labor relationships and frontline leadership effectiveness across operations.

    • Director Total Rewards, Organization Design & International Mobility - Global
      Jan 2013 - Sep 2014 · 1 yr 9 mos

      • Led global Total Rewards, Organization Design and International Mobility processes for approximately 15,000 employees across 15 countries. • Defined governance and organizational frameworks to improve scalability, consistency and decision-making across regions. • Partnered with senior leaders on organizational structure, mobility and complex people decisions at global scale.