Janaina Tavares is a distinguished People and Culture Executive Leader with over 20 years of global experience. She currently works as the Global Head of People and Culture at ActionAid International, leading strategic initiatives across more than 45 countries. With an MBA in Organizational and People Leadership, she aligns people and culture strategies with the organization’s mission of advancing social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication.
Often describing herself as a global citizen, Janaina has had the privilege of working across numerous countries, engaging with diverse cultures and stakeholders at every level. This extensive international experience has strengthened her ability to navigate complexity, foster strategic relationships across borders, and lead the creation of inclusive, high-performing environments in diverse and challenging contexts.
Throughout her career, Janaina has excelled at building and leading interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multifunctional teams that not only drive organizational success but also enhance employee engagement, productivity, and workplace culture. Her experience spans diverse sectors, including the fashion industry and the international nonprofit sector, where she has empowered teams to operate in innovative, adaptable, and high-performing environments.
A recognized strategic innovator and change leader, Janaina played a pivotal role in shaping ActionAid’s Global HROD Standards, embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being into the organization’s global approach to people management. These standards set a unifying benchmark for the federation’s people and culture practices, ensuring that cultural transformation and staff development remain at the center of its mission.
Janaina is passionate about fostering collaboration across cultures and unlocking the potential of individuals and teams. She believes that by placing people at the center of organizational strategies, leaders can create resilient, purpose-driven environments that thrive even amid complexity and change. Her leadership style combines strategic business insight with cultural intelligence, enabling her to deliver transformative outcomes that balance organizational goals with human-centered values.
Well-being is a cornerstone of Janaina’s work. She has championed initiatives that promote mental health, flexibility, and employee autonomy, including the development of innovative digital platforms that connect and support dispersed global teams. Her approach ensures that well-being is not a “perk” but an integral part of organizational performance and sustainability.
With a proven record of driving cultural transformation on a global scale, Janaina inspires leaders to think boldly, act inclusively, and place people at the heart of every decision. Her vision is clear: when organizations nurture belonging and well-being, they unlock the true potential of their people, and deliver outcomes that extend well beyond organizational boundaries.
