About
Barbara Petrauskas, HR Connect founder
About
Barbara Petrauskas, HR Connect founder
My Vision
My vision with HR Connect is to leverage meaningful human connections for a thriving work-life, whether you lead a team or are building your individual career.
Before I founded HR Connect, I honed my listening, communication and business skills as a global HR professional at great organizations in the biotech, software, digital marketing, advertising, and hospitality industries.
After more than 20 years working in strategic and operational HR roles, I started to see some troubling trends happening in the workplace: people were struggling to stay on top of their workload, there was an uptick in absences due to stress, exhaustion and even burnout, and employees were often distressed and pessimistic about their career opportunities.
As an internal HR resource, I did not have the time or bandwidth to fully support employees in the way they truly needed, and I wanted to do more. That is why I founded HR Connect.
Human development now stands at the heart of my professional mission. As an HR Consultant, Trainer, Facilitator, and Holistic Career Coach, I create transformative experiences that nurture individual potential while contributing to organizational growth.
My Background
I like to say my real gift is having a global vision with local understanding.
I grew up in the US (Syracuse, New York, to be precise). My natural curiosity, adventurous spirit and keen interest in other cultures sent me overseas on a journey that ultimately led me to live and work in 6 countries and visit another 30, often as a solo traveller.
I am fascinated with meeting people from other cultures and seeing how they live and work.
Since 2002 I have been living in Switzerland where I have enjoyed working in diverse organizations, getting involved in my local community, and connecting with people from around the globe.
My belief is that it is easy to connect with anyone simply by making the effort to understand their story.
Through my core values of authenticity, curiosity, humour, empathy and optimism, my mission is to support and guide others to navigate the world of work in a way that is enriching and life-affirming.
My Qualifications
Certified Adult Trainer – FSEA
Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist – Global Healthcare Resources
ensa Mental Health First Aid: Focus Adults
Certified HR Analytics Specialist – AIHR Academy
Executive Education HR Management – UCLA
Certified Global HR Professional – HR Certification Institute
Career Coach – NY University
Massage Therapist – Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences
Bachelor’s Degree in Communication – Cornell University
https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-petrauskas/
