Leadership, cultural integration in M&A and practical transformation with Fabio Voelz, CHRO of Grupo Bora Brasil
Fabio Voelz, CHRO of Grupo Bora Brasil, the group formed by the integration of the brands Skala Cosméticos and Lola From Rio, took part in the latest episode of Talk Soul, Soul HR Consulting's podcast, hosted by partners Renata Filippi Lindquist and Regiane Herchcovitch.
A Law graduate, with a specialization in Labor Law and an MBA in Business Management, Fabio has built an unconventional career: he practiced law for seven years and later developed his career in HR and in different business areas.
With a solid track record at major companies such as Madero, Dudalina, Restoque and Almeida Junior Shopping Centers, and direct experience in operations, sales and finance, Fabio has developed a broad view of business and a very practical perspective on how to connect HR's work to the company's real challenges.
HR without a ready-made recipe
Applying traditional tools without considering the context can produce the opposite of the intended effect. A 360° assessment, for example, can be extremely valuable, but it requires maturity from the leadership and from the organization to produce the desired results.
When the People Management area limits itself to applying processes and tools without connecting them to the needs of the business, it risks being perceived by leadership more as a requirement than as a strategic partner.
For Fabio, there is no single recipe. Just as the same treatment needs to take each patient's particularities into account, people management processes need to be calibrated to the reality of each business, including recognizing when certain stages need to be adapted, deepened or carried out at another time.
When this reading is done well, HR no longer needs to “sell” its initiatives. Processes gain buy-in because people understand their purpose and their connection to the organization's challenges.
M&A and cultural integration: how to join forces without erasing identities
In the integration that gave rise to Grupo Bora Brasil, from the union of Skala Cosméticos and Lola From Rio, Fabio has taken part in building a common culture. The challenge involves recognizing the strengths and characteristics of each organization and, from them, building a new identity, without erasing what made each brand relevant and unique.
Shared management rituals, such as setting common goals for the whole organization, have helped reduce the “us and them” perception that is common in integration processes.
The process requires choices, adjustments and, at times, breaks with the past. More than simply integrating structures, the challenge lies in building a new sense of belonging and a shared vision of the future.
Leadership as the voice of culture, HR as a strategic instrument
For Fabio, the leader, and not only HR, is the main representative of culture in the company's day-to-day. It is the leader who, through decisions and behaviors, signals to teams what the organization truly values and expects.
In this context, it falls to HR to equip leaders, offering tools, direction and support that give them greater confidence in decision-making.
Fabio also highlights the importance of attention to detail, a lesson he brings from his experience in retail. Small failures can compromise the perception of quality, while support areas that are attentive to execution and to the experience are able to add more value to the business.
AI, speed and the archetype of the eternal learner
On Artificial Intelligence, Fabio draws attention to the still early stage of a transformation whose dimensions are hard to predict. For him, organizations that do not start exploring the subject now may lose speed and competitiveness.
At Bora Brasil, corporate AI is already part of the strategic agenda, with oversight from the Board of Directors. The challenge lies in deepening the use of technology to accelerate results while preserving what remains essential: the quality of human relationships.
Fabio's advice for young HR professionals sums up his view of career: cultivate curiosity, but also the humility to keep learning.
“If you only have curiosity, your limit for learning is finite. If you combine curiosity with humility, the limit is infinite.” – Fabio Voelz
The full conversation is available on Talk Soul, the Soul HR Consulting podcast. For more content on leadership, HR and corporate governance, follow Agenda Executiva, Soul's newsletter.
