PLANNING STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR GLOBAL OPERATIONS For more than two decades, Michele Alcazar has been involved in the development of a financial services company that today is a Fortune 500 company with operations Company: in the United States, Asia, Europe Prudential Financial, Inc. and Latin America and more than $1 Industry: trillion of assets under management. Financial services CEO: Alcazar is vice president, John R. Strangfeld Operations & Strategy in the Global Employees: Business & Technology Solutions 49,000 organization at Prudential Financial, Headquarters: Inc. She is responsible for leading Newark, New Jersey Prudential’s Office of the CIO, which provides human resources, communications, technology VICE PRESIDENT planning, and learning and OPERATIONS & SYSTEMS development oversight for the chief GLOBAL BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS information officer and her leadership PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL, INC. team. She’s also the Human Resources leader for Prudential’s Customer systems training and development. strategic direction for technology for Office and its Center for Next Prudential’s global operations,” She plays an integral role in Generation Growth. Prudential’s sponsorship of Workforce she said. Alcazar joined Prudential back Opportunity Services, a program She realized her present career path in 1993 as part of its Corporate that provides education, on–the-job was exactly what she wanted after she Employee Benefits Department. Since training and career opportunities to received a handwritten card from a then, she has held various human high-potential high school graduates colleague thanking her for helping her resources positions supporting in the Newark, N.J. area. This through a difficult time in her career domestic and international program has recently been expanded and personal life. “Her expression of employees, including Prudential to include enlisted veterans as part of appreciation made me proud of the Investment Management, the Policy Prudential’s veteran’s initiatives. kind of company Prudential is. Her Owner Relations Department, card made me know that my job does Alcazar lives by the words “feel Corporate Centers Human Resources, the fear and do it anyway.” Those matter. It gave me sense of validation and most recently Corporate to know that my career makes an words are the title of a book by Technology Management. impact not just on the bottom line but Susan Jeffers she read about 15 also on how individual people are able Over the years, she has been years ago that has a tremendous to live, grow and enjoy their lives,” instrumental in growing the impact on her. She says her biggest she said. company’s infrastructure. About career leap was transitioning from
MICHELE ALCAZAR
seven years ago, Alcazar spearheaded the development of a human resources infrastructure for a new technology entity in Japan, Prudential Systems Japan, Limited, which included staffing, compensation and benefits plan design, work rules, policies, HR recordkeeping, and
the Human Resources Department to the technology organization at Prudential. She had initially been intimidated by technology. “I got over that fear, and today I have a huge passion and respect for IT. My job now is to help our Global Chief Information Officer plan the
Alcazar is a member of the international think-tank Research Board. She holds a BA in management from Richard Stockton State College, and Professional in Human Resources certification from the Society of Human Resources Management. PDJ
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