Mariela Mercado
Mariela J. Mercado is a global Human Resources leader specializing in employee relations, investigations, and strategic
people management across public, private, and non-profit sectors. With more than a decade of experience guiding
organizations through high-stakes challenges, she is known for balancing compliance with culture, protecting
reputations while strengthening trust at every level of the enterprise.
Currently serving as Senior Manager of Global Employee Relations at Population Services International (PSI), Mariela
built and led the organization’s first global employee relations program, supporting more than 30 countries across
Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the United States. She streamlined fragmented case management processes, reducing
case closure times by over 70% and cutting involuntary terminations due to underperformance by nearly 20%. In
high-profile investigations, she has been trusted to lead sensitive inquiries involving executives and country directors,
navigating cultural nuance, compliance requirements, and organizational risk. Her recommendations have guided
leadership toward decisions that averted litigation, mitigated reputational damage, and positioned the organization
for long-term stability.
Previously, as Director and HR Business Advisor with Save the Children, Mariela quickly earned an Extraordinary
Performance Award within her first four months by successfully setting up and stabilizing operations in Puerto Rico. Her
ability to build trust with senior leaders led to her oversight of nationwide emergency response deployments, where she
guided HR strategy and employee mobility under pressing timelines and complex legal frameworks. Earlier at Marriott
International headquarters, she supported the Sales and Marketing teams during a period of global change, ensuring
smooth employee mobility during the Marriott–Starwood merger and helping orchestrate workforce transitions in Brazil
ahead of the 2016 Olympics.
Mariela’s mid-career includes serving as an HR Business Partner at PSI, where she delivered international trainings on
anti-harassment and discrimination and influenced leaders to adopt proactive performance management practices. Her
early HR foundation was built in Puerto Rico, with a focus on recruitment and employee relations, later expanding
through experience at the American Institutes for Research. A brief period in clinical work with the Alexandria
Community Services Board provided additional perspective before resuming her HR trajectory.
A lifelong learner, Mariela holds a Master’s degree in International Human Resources Management from Georgetown
University and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in Puerto Rico. She is fluent in
English, Spanish and Italian, with basic French, and is a current member of the Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM). Her work has been recognized through numerous awards, including Save the Children’s Extraordinary
Performance Award, Diversity and Inclusion recognition in AIR, and Employee Performance for Cultural Competency in
Alexandria Community Services Board. In 2025, she was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who for her distinguished
contributions to the field and was also recently nominated for the Influential Women publication.
Mariela is recognized by colleagues and executives alike as a strategist, investigator, and trusted advisor who humanizes
HR by combining transparency, compliance, and care. She has built a career on the belief that employee relations is not
only about resolving conflict, but about creating a culture where people thrive, organizations grow stronger, and risk
transforms into resilience.
• Maquis Who's Who
• Georgetown University
• Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
• Who's who marquee
• SHRM
What do you attribute your success to?
Global Experience: 20+ years of diverse HR experience, spanning multiple countries in network and sectors (nonprofit, government, corporate), played a key role in my success.
I attribute my success to a strong foundation in employee relations, workplace investigations, and strategic HR design, which have enabled me to lead with both structure and empathy. Overseeing and supporting HR, primarily on employee relations in United States and across 30+ countries—particularly in remote and hybrid environments with significantly different employment law contexts—has deepened my leadership experience and reinforced the importance of building trust and credibility at all levels, while mitigating risks for employees and the organization and contributing to a more positive employee experience and engagement. My background in clinical psychology has also been instrumental in understanding diverse perspectives and creating people-centered strategies that truly support employees and business goals alike. I feel my entire career has prepared me for this moment.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to be patient with myself and trust myself in the process, learn from mistakes and embrace constructive feedback for growth and learning, and optimal quality of work. Applying this advice throughout my career has been instrumental for my growth, expanded my perspective, and contributed to continuous advancement and improvement, now resulting in developing trusted partnerships with leaders and executives in the organization, as well as building trust with employees and managers needing HR and employee relations support. I also believe in staying curious—keeping up with industry trends and committing to continuous learning has been essential to staying adaptable and effective in the ever-evolving world of HR.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
One of the best pieces of advice I’d give to young women entering this industry is to be patient and kind—with yourself and with others, and be open to learning, even if at times it may be hard because those learnings may come from difficult situations, experiences or mistakes. Kindness is not a sign or weakness, but a sign of strength, and it can be balanced with respectful assertiveness when as women, we have to advocate for ourselves in fairness, and still build trust with others. Early in my career, mentors reminded me that growth takes time, and moving too quickly can sometimes compromise the quality of your work. Stay present, focus on doing each task well, and trust your instincts. Your intuition is often one of your strongest tools in navigating complex situations and building authentic relationships in the workplace.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in HR, particularly in the public and nonprofit space right now is navigating significant funding cuts while still maintaining effective support for global teams, and managing a very challenging labor market. It seems that networking has become more relevant than ever before, which adds layers of complexity, especially when networking is not so common or as practiced outside of the U.S. context, so learning to streamline processes and maintain strong communication is essential. Despite these hurdles, there’s also a real opportunity to innovate—reimagining how we support employees and drive productivity in ways that are more flexible, inclusive, and sustainable.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Relationship Building: The importance of building and maintaining professional relationships.
Industry Awareness: Staying informed about industry trends is crucial for career growth.
Patience & Active Listening: In leadership and employee relations, being patient and actively listening is essential for building trust.
Trusting Instincts and Metrics: Following your gut and intuition can guide decisions, particularly in leadership and complex HR matters. Be mindful having empathy humanizing HR there is no HR without the human aspect in it. However, intuition alone will not suffice without validating and ensuring that data driven approaches and metrics are considered when making decisions, designing programs and/or strategies to build credibility and be able to provide sound and reliable advice.