Christopher J. Fernandez
Christopher J. Fernandez is the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's HR Services and Digital Employee Experiences worldwide team. Fernandez joined Microsoft in 2005 and has held a variety of human resource leadership roles.
He leads the HR global teams responsible for the end-to-end digital strategy and tactics across all HR systems inclusive of AI enabled HR. Also, Fernandez leads the HR global teams focused on HR service delivery around the world including compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, learning, onboarding, and multiple other service delivery areas. In this role, he partners closely with product engineering teams to create world-class employee experience offerings benefiting internal employees and external market aspirations.
Previously, Fernandez was responsible for all human resource matters for a wide portfolio of global businesses in Microsoft’s core research and engineering teams. His charter ranged from hardware (Surface products, etc.) to Windows, Office (core and cloud), Gaming (Xbox, Studios), the Artificial Intelligence and Research Group, and several other global product groups. He was also the human resource executive for Microsoft’s Silicon Valley and San Francisco campuses, the Microsoft Vancouver campus as well as India’s and China’s engineering and research teams. Fernandez developed and implemented a wide variety of interdisciplinary human resource solutions inclusive of organization design, organization development, talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations and compensation. He has led multiple human resource initiatives including leading the organization design of the Microsoft Artificial Intelligence Group, the creation of a unified enterprise level global IT organization structure, the overall talent management plan creation and implementation enabling the launch of Windows 10 and 11, the organizational planning, talent planning and cultural transformation approach for the transition of Microsoft’s core productivity products to a cloud-based set of offerings. He has also led HR teams in the sales organization.
Prior to joining Microsoft, Fernandez was a human resource leader at the General Motors Corporation’s European organization where he lived and worked in Zurich, Switzerland. He was responsible for both regional executive compensation and line human resource management across various business groups in Europe. Fernandez held a variety of human resource leadership roles prior to his European assignment which included the creation and implementation of a people systems framework for new manufacturing plant start-ups worldwide, labor relations and collective bargaining for auto manufacturing assembly facilities, the talent acquisition leader for several global businesses and line human resource management leader for various global truck engineering organizations.
Fernandez is a graduate of the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program. He also attended Michigan State University (MSU) and earned a Master of Human Resources and Labor Relations. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Public Affairs with an emphasis in econometrics from James Madison College at MSU. Fernandez has also earned the National Association of Corporate Directors - Directorship Certification and the HR Certification Institute's Senior Professional in HR Certification.
Fernandez is active in several civic organizations including his previous role as a Board member with Friends of Youth. He is also an active member of the Michigan State University Graduate School of Human Resources and Labor Relations Advisory Board and a Past President. Fernandez is a member of the Conference Board’s Chief Human Resources Officers Council II, the Society for Human Resource Management, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and the Association for Talent Development.