Her Story
About Cristina
Cristina Ripolles is a human resources leader with experience across manufacturing, engineering, hospitality, and corporate environments. Originally from Barcelona, Spain, she studied psychology and earned a master's degree in psychobiology and cognitive neuroscience before transitioning to the United States. After working briefly as a therapist, she shifted her focus to HR, beginning as a recruiter and advancing through roles in hospitality at Hilton from 2020 to 2022, finance during COVID, and manufacturing at Tesla before joining Chemelex in 2022. In her current position as Human Resources Manager, she oversees the full HR function for the Redwood City site in California, managing employee relations, performance management, talent development, workforce planning, compliance, and organizational changes while connecting the people side with operational needs. Her credentials include SHRM-SCP, SPHR, a certificate in Human Resource Management from UC San Diego, and leadership development training through Harvard Corporate Learning. Ripolles attributes her success to listening to people, connecting across backgrounds, being resilient, learning quickly, and asking questions of experts rather than assuming all knowledge.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cristina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say listening to people. Being able to connect with people from all backgrounds and all ages, being resilient and adapting to whatever comes. I learn quickly, and then try to ask questions. I feel that sometimes being in the corporate field and in a management role, we assume that we need to know everything, and sometimes you just need to find the person that is the expert on it, and ask them to teach you. Do the work, listen to the people that know better and just connect with the individuals. I think HR is very difficult to do human resources if you're not able to connect with people on a personal level.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say do not wait until you feel you're completely ready. You might never be. Like, you just take the opportunity. Ask questions to whoever knows, connect with people, learn to connect with people on a personal level. Social skills are very, very important. Fly for the role, learn as you go, just don't wait until to be completely ready. Don't underestimate the power of building strong relationships and finding people who will teach you and who will advocate for you. Confidence in a line, in a subject, in a field, anything comes from experience. And you will not get experience if you don't put yourself in the room. Especially with women, I feel that sometimes we are being told to not occupy space while other people in the same room might raise their hand and take the opportunity, you're just there being shy because you think that you might not be ready. The other men in the room, they're not gonna wait until they're ready. They're gonna go and they're gonna take the opportunity, so do like them.
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