Sonja Knezevic

Operations Associate

United Kingdom12 yrs 8 mos experience

Highly Stable

Key Highlights

Built HR functions from scratch in fintech.
Achieved 245% of recruitment goals at Meta.
Improved employee engagement from 62% to 78%.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a seasoned HR leader specializing in technology and fintech sectors.

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Skills

Core Skills

Hr StrategyData AnalyticsTalent AcquisitionExecutive SearchPerformance Management

Other Skills

Analytical SkillsCareer Framework DesignClinical PsychologyCompensation & BenefitsCounseling PsychologyCustomer InsightData AnalysisEmployee EngagementEmployee RelationsEmployee TrainingEmployer BrandingEvent ManagementExecutive CoachingHR ManagementInterviews

About

The work I love most happens in the messy middle, when a company is growing faster than its structures can support, when leaders are stretching into new roles, when what got you here won't get you there. I've spent 12+ years as an HR leader in technology companies, specializing in the unique challenges of technical organizations - designing structures that balance engineering and product needs, competing for scarce technical talent, and coaching engineers-turned-leaders. What connects all of this work: I believe effective people strategy requires both rigor and humanity. The rigor shows up in organizational design, workforce planning, and data-driven decisions. The humanity shows up in coaching leaders through complexity, navigating difficult changes, and building cultures where people want to stay and grow. I've worked with companies at different stages, from Meta's scale to startups building HR from scratch. What I've learned: context matters more than best practices. Every organization has its own rhythm, its own version of "good." My job is to help leaders see that clearly and build intentionally toward it. Currently at Expedia Group, previously Meta. Background in Psychology, Co-Active Certified Professional Coach. Open to connecting with leaders scaling technical organizations.

Experience

Expedia group

Senior Manager, People Business Partner

Feb 2024 – Present · 2 yrs 1 mo · London Area, United Kingdom

Supporting B2B organization leaders (Product & Technology, Strategy, and Analytics) across NORAM, EMEA and APAC
Partnering with business leaders to align people strategies with key business objectives
Leading organizational design initiatives, creating efficient structures that support business growth
Leveraging HR analytics to identify trends and develop targeted solutions for workforce planning
Providing executive coaching to leaders transitioning into Sr. Director roles
Implementing data-driven HR initiatives that enhance organizational performance and employee engagement

HR StrategyData AnalyticsExecutive Coaching

Fasanara capital

Head of HR

Jun 2023 – Jan 2024 · 7 mos · London, England, United Kingdom

Built HR function from ground up for FCA-authorized fintech investment firm managing $5.5B AUM.
Established HR function including team of 2 HR professionals
Developed comprehensive HR strategy based on employee engagement survey and stakeholder interviews
Improved employee engagement from 62% to 78% within 6 months through targeted manager coaching and culture initiatives
Designed and implemented career framework and structured hiring processes, enabling company growth of 25%
Coached 15+ managers on leadership effectiveness, feedback delivery, and employee relations case resolution

Five

Senior People Partner

Mar 2017 – Nov 2019 · 2 yrs 8 mos · Zagreb

Partnered with CEO and Founder on people strategy during rapid growth from 90 to 250 employees. End-to-end ownership of talent acquisition and performance management.
Enhanced organizational culture through strategic improvements to onboarding, OKR goal setting, and performance management systems;
Designed and delivered technical events (Demo Days, Improvement Days, Product Reviews) that strengthened cross-functional collaboration and fostered product-focused mindset within engineering and design teams
Coached managers to improve organizational effectiveness and successfully resolve complex employee challenges
Owned end-to-end recruitment for 120+ hires across engineering and design in 2017-2018; built recruiting analytics and funnel tracking to optimize hiring processes and inform data-driven decisions
Led employer branding strategy that increased talent pipeline quality and tech graduate applications by 150%; received two "Zlatni index" awards for outstanding university partnerships

Selectio

HR Consultant

Aug 2013 – Mar 2017 · 3 yrs 7 mos · Zagreb

HR consulting and executive search for SEE region.
Consulted for multinational clients (P&G, Henkel, Coca-Cola) on HR strategy and organizational development
Led mass recruitment project managing team of 12 recruiters; hired 750 candidates in 2 months for major regional client