People & Culture / HRBP / Strategic HR

Hi, I'm Giancarlo.

People & Culture leader partnering with organisations, founders, and leadership teams to build practical HR systems, stronger ways of working, and teams that can move with clarity.

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Brisbane basedAustralian HR context

People / Operations / Organisational Growth

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Foundation

"I believe HR sits where individual ambition and business direction meet, helping both move forward together."

Hello there!

Over the past ten years I've had the opportunity to work across creative industries, disability and aged care, higher education, and emerging technologies such as blockchain and Web3. While the industries couldn't have been more different, I kept running into the same challenge: helping people find purpose in what they do while helping organisations move towards what they're trying to achieve. That's where I realised why I enjoy working in HR.

Throughout my career I've worked across both strategic and operational HR, in both structured organisations and fast-moving startups, but over time my perspective has expanded beyond the function itself. Supporting people effectively requires understanding the wider business: how decisions are made, how teams interact, what constraints exist, where the organisation is trying to go, and how all of those pieces influence people's experience at work. That's where I believe I add the greatest value, connecting business direction with human potential and building the conditions that allow both to succeed.

Today I see HR as part of a much bigger picture. My role isn't simply to support people or the business independently, but to understand both well enough to create the conditions where they can succeed together. Whether I'm recruiting the right person, interpreting legislation, reviewing policies, or helping leaders navigate difficult conversations, I know I'm ultimately doing the same thing: aligning individual purpose with business direction so both can move forward together.

That's a little about how I think and the perspective I bring. If you're building something meaningful and looking for someone to help align people with business direction, I'd love to be part of the journey.

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How I Operate

Finding the balance between individual ambition and organisational goals is one of the most challenging parts of working in HR. There isn't a playbook that fits every situation, but over the years I've developed a set of principles that consistently guide my thinking, my decisions, and the way I support people and organisations.

Whether in a startup defining its identity or an established organisation with existing structures, meaningful impact comes from understanding where the business is, where it is going, and what it can realistically sustain. Decisions are shaped by that awareness, balancing ambition with capability.

Every part of a business affects another. Delivery, sales, culture, and structure are connected. Understanding those relationships is critical to reducing friction and maintaining alignment. My role is to help ensure that the system operates with cohesion.

I have often operated without formal authority, yet remained a trusted voice in both strategic and operational decisions. That trust is built through accountability, consistency, and follow-through. Over time, it enables alignment, influence, and stronger team dynamics.

People and culture are how the business moves forward. My role is to ensure that structure, behaviour, and expectations are aligned with the company's vision, so it can grow with clarity, consistency, and intent.

Impact

This is the impact of how I operate in practice.

Headcount Growth

Built HR foundations and supported growth across technical and creative environments.

14 → 40

Tech / Web3

15 → 80

Creative media

Revenue Growth Supported

Supported the people structure and operating rhythm behind business growth.

$4M → $6M

Business growth

Acquisition & Onboarding

Delivered onboarding under tight timelines with executive and external advisory oversight.

400 / 4 weeks

Acquisition onboarding

HR Built From Zero

Built HR systems, processes, rituals, employer branding, and culture foundations from scratch.

Tech / Web3 and TV / media

HRIS Implementation & Stakeholder Advisory

Supported Workday implementation and HR advisory work in a complex higher education environment.

50+

Stakeholders advised

Restructure Support

Advised on redundancy, compliance, downscaling, communication, and risk management through workforce change.

Restructures supported

Headcount Growth

Built HR foundations and supported growth across technical and creative environments.

14 → 40

Tech / Web3

15 → 80

Creative media

Professional Journey

This is the path that shaped how I work today: across people, structure, and business.

Bachelor in Psychology · UJMD · El Salvador · 2014

Master in Human Resource Management · QUT · Brisbane · 2018

Chapter 12012–2016·El Salvador

HR Intern to HR Manager

TVX · Creative Media & Television

Part of a creative experiment bringing together young talent to build a media platform with a new voice. I worked closely with the CEO to build the organisation from the ground up, shaping structure, culture, and how teams worked as the company grew quickly.

Impact: Scaled the organisation from 15 to 80 people while building structure and culture in a fast-moving environment.

Challenge: Led a full division layoff in a single day due to cost pressures while navigating the personal impact of leaving an organisation I helped build.

Operations

Hiring and talent sourcing
Onboarding and team integration
Culture rituals and events

Systems

Team structure and role design
Internal processes and workflows
Organisational documentation

Leadership

Executive coordination
Decision support and planning
Restructuring and workforce exits

Chapter 12012–2016·El Salvador

HR Intern to HR Manager

TVX · Creative Media & Television

Impact: Scaled the organisation from 15 to 80 people while building structure and culture in a fast-moving environment.

Challenge: Led a full division layoff in a single day due to cost pressures while navigating the personal impact of leaving an organisation I helped build.

Operations

Hiring and talent sourcing
Onboarding and team integration
Culture rituals and events

Systems

Team structure and role design
Internal processes and workflows
Organisational documentation

Leadership

Executive coordination
Decision support and planning
Restructuring and workforce exits

Chapter 22016–2018·Brisbane, Australia

Move to Australia / Master's in HR

Career Transition

Relocated to Australia and rebuilt my career from zero while completing a Master's in Human Resource Management. A reset phase focused on adapting to a new market and re-establishing professional identity.

Impact: Built credibility in the Australian market while completing postgraduate studies.

Challenge: Rebuilding network, credibility, and trust from scratch in a new country.

Operations

HR frameworks and theory
Research and academic projects

Systems

Cross-cultural adaptation
Career repositioning

Chapter 32017–2018·Brisbane, Australia

Human Resources Officer

UnitingCare Queensland

First exposure to the Australian HR system within a structured organisation. Developed understanding of compliance, processes, and how HR operates at scale.

Impact: Translated academic knowledge into practical HR operations within a structured environment.

Challenge: Adapting to a highly structured system while building local experience.

Operations

Employee records and documentation
Onboarding and offboarding
Policy compliance support

Systems

HR data entry and reporting
Process administration
System maintenance

Chapter 42018–2021·Brisbane, Australia

Recruitment Officer to Advisor

CPL – Choice, Passion, Life

Started supporting a large-scale acquisition and bulk onboarding, then moved into full-cycle recruitment across multiple locations. Transitioned into corporate recruitment through strong stakeholder engagement.

Impact: Delivered high-volume onboarding during acquisition and consistently placed quality candidates in a high-turnover environment.

Challenge: Delivered onboarding for 400 people in 4 weeks as part of an acquisition process, working closely with the CEO of CPL and external advisors.

Operations

Full-cycle recruitment
Bulk onboarding coordination
Assessment and interviews

Systems

Regional stakeholder management
Recruitment metrics and reporting
Process standardisation

Chapter 52021·Brisbane, Australia

HR Advisor

The University of Queensland

Worked directly with internal clients across the HASS faculty while supporting Workday HRIS implementation. Built strong advisory capability in sensitive HR scenarios.

Impact: Supported over 50 internal stakeholders while easing transition to a new HRIS.

Challenge: Managing resistance to change and rebuilding trust between HR and stakeholders.

Operations

HR advisory across units
Employee relations guidance
Change communication

Systems

HRIS implementation (Workday)
Training and enablement
Stakeholder coordination

Chapter 62021–Present·Brisbane, Australia

HR Manager to Strategic Partner

Labrys

Joined at 14 people to build the HR function from zero. The role evolved into broader business involvement across people, operations, and leadership. Became part of the core leadership team, contributing to strategic decisions and representing the company internationally across 5 countries.

Impact: Scaled the organisation from 14 to 40 people. Supported revenue growth from $4M to $6M. Built international presence and represented the company end-to-end across national and global engagements.

Challenge: Navigating growth and downscale phases while maintaining alignment, structure, and morale across a distributed team.

Operations

End-to-end recruitment
Employee lifecycle management
Compensation and payroll

Systems

HR infrastructure and processes
Organisational design
Workforce planning

Leadership

Executive partnership
Transformation and restructuring
External representation

Lessons

The principles I return to when organisations are growing, shifting, or under pressure.

Clarity emerges through building

In high-growth environments, structure rarely exists upfront. It becomes visible through the process of scaling and execution.

Sustainable decisions are grounded in business reality

In competitive markets, pressure to react is constant. The decisions that hold are those aligned with what the business can support long term.

Performance emerges from the system, not just the individual

In fast-moving teams, outcomes depend on how hiring, structure, and management work together, not on talent alone.

Alignment evolves as organisations grow

As priorities shift and teams expand, maintaining alignment requires continuous adjustment across structure, direction, and execution.

Practical HR, made tangible.

Over the past two years, I've been building practical tools to help leaders and stakeholders navigate HR decisions, employee entitlements, and people data with more clarity. These are small, crafted initiatives designed to turn HR knowledge into something more useful, analytical, and tangible.

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What's Next

I'm interested in environments where people, creativity, and business direction need to evolve together.

My experience has been shaped by growth, uncertainty, and change. I have built the structures, rhythms, and practical HR foundations that help teams perform sustainably while protecting culture and alignment.

I'm particularly drawn to leadership roles where I can work closely with founders, executives, and multidisciplinary teams to support long-term growth, strengthen employee experience, and help organisations navigate complexity with greater confidence and intent.

Whether supporting a scaling studio, a growing technology company, or an evolving organisation, I value environments where collaboration, autonomy, and high standards coexist.

If that aligns with where your organisation is heading, I'd welcome the conversation.

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Thanks for reading. Giancarlo Pietropaolo

Hi, I'm Giancarlo.

"I believe HR sits where individual ambition and business direction meet, helping both move forward together."

Decision-making is grounded in business context

The business operates as an interconnected system

Trust is built through accountability

People and culture enable the business to deliver on its vision

HR Intern to HR Manager

HR Intern to HR Manager

Move to Australia / Master's in HR

Human Resources Officer

Recruitment Officer to Advisor

HR Advisor

HR Manager to Strategic Partner

Clarity emerges through building

Sustainable decisions are grounded in business reality

Performance emerges from the system, not just the individual

Alignment evolves as organisations grow

Practical HR, made tangible.

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