Pilar Jerico

I hold a PhD in company organization and a first degree in economics and business, both from the Autonomous University of Madrid. I also studied strategy at Harvard University and organizational behaviour at UCLA (in the United States), and spent a year as an undergraduate at the University of Florence (Italy). My doctoral thesis was on talent management in the banking sector, and was the first of its kind to be written in Spanish. I am considered to be a pioneer in talent management and the impact of fear in company dynamics in Spain and Latin America.

I have published several books in Spanish: “La nueva Gestión del Talento: construyendo compromiso”, Prentice Hall, 2008 (“News paths in Talent Management: building commitment”); “NoMiedo en la empresa y en la vida”, Alienta, 2006 (“NoFear in business and in life”); and “Gestión del Talento: Del profesional con talento al talento organizativo”, Prentice Hall, 2001 (“Talent Management: From individuals with talent to organizations with talent”). I have also co-authored several books in Spanish on people management, leadership and personal and professional development in companies.

2009 sees the publication of my first book in English: “NoFear in business and in life”, published by Palgrave Macmillan.

I work in three main areas:

• I advise companies on people management, working for the consultants Innopersonas. I also direct programs aimed at the development of talent and better organizational behaviour for multinational corporations in Europe and in Latin America. In addition, I work on research projects for companies to ascertain their staff’s level of commitment, satisfaction and motivation.

• I am a frequent speaker at conferences, and a member of the well-known Spanish speaker network, Thinking Heads. Over the last few years I have given over 150 talks in Europe and the Americas (Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Monaco, Portugal, Spain, the United States and Venezuela).

• I teach at the Instituto de Empresa, ESADE and CEU business schools.

I also contribute to newspapers and journals, and have appeared on the radio and TV.

In the past, I was Director of Talent Management at HayGroup Spain, Director of Knowledge Management at the Euroforum Escorial Business School, and before that I worked in quality and operations management for Peugëot and RENFE (the Spanish national railway company).

I have received widespread recognition for my work, including:

• Member of Top Ten Management Spain.
• The White Cross for Military Merit, for a leadership course for personnel promoted to the rank of general and rear-admiral, and for a course for general staff at the Centre for Studies for National Defence (December 2007).
• “NoMiedo” (“NoFear”), a management bestseller in Spain which occupied the number one spot for 12 weeks, with 150,000 copies sold to date.
• My blog was rated as one of the top ten management blogs by the magazine “Emprendedores” (“Entrepreneurs”).
• I was named as one of the best conference speakers in Spain by the newspaper “Expansión” (July 2007).

When I’m not working, I like to read, write, go scuba-diving, travelling, and enjoy a good chat with friends.