Pyxus Appoints New Chief HR Officer

Pyxus International has appointed Fernanda Goncalves as its new senior vice president and chief human resources officer.

Goncalves joins Pyxus with more than 20 years of global human resources and business experience, most recently serving as global HR head at Red Hat, an IBM subsidiary headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. She has also held positions with multinational companies including BASF, Hamburg Sued and Ernst & Young.

Goncalves has a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; a master’s degree in supply chain management from Universidade Mackenzie in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Salvador in Salvador, Brazil. In addition to her professional experience, Goncalves serves as a board member of the National Hispanic Corporate Council, working to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategies, talent acquisition goals and employer branding and talent strategies.

“On behalf of Pyxus and the board of directors, I am pleased to welcome Fernanda to the company,” said Pyxus president and CEO Pieter Sikkel in a statement. “During the extensive search to fill this position, we were impressed by Fernanda’s perspective on talent management and experience with HR strategy, DEI programs and organizational transformation. She has a clear passion for making the greatest impact through shaping the employee experience, coaching and developing leaders, and driving overall business success, which aligns with Pyxus’ purpose and business strategy.”

Reporting to Sikkel, Goncalves will serve as a key member of Pyxus’ executive management team. She will provide leadership to the company across several core functions and support its strategic priorities, including upholding its commitment to environmental, social and governance targets. Goncalves succeeds Laura Jones, whose last day with the company was Dec. 31, 2022.

“The board and I would like to thank Laura for nearly 24 years of leadership and dedication to the company,” said Sikkel. “She was integral in shaping the company’s culture and driving organizational growth and performance. It was a privilege to work with her, and we wish her success in her future endeavors.”