Clarissa has expertise in all areas of Human Resources (HR), with special interests in leadership and team development, executive coaching, board development, cultural transformation, succession management, and mindfulness. For more than 25 years, she has helped organizations bridge the gap between authentic and aspirational cultures, cultivate multidimensional, high-performing teams, and spearhead merger and acquisition integrations.
Throughout her career, Clarissa has served in several leadership roles, including Senior Vice President & Chief HR Officer of Sophos, a global cybersecurity company; Senior Vice President – People at the Obama Foundation; Chief Human Resources & Ethics Officer of Abt Associates a global research and consulting firm; Chief People Officer for DLA Piper, one of the world’s largest law firms. Clarissa was charged with creating and implementing global initiatives and strategies that developed authentic, innovative organizations by bringing together people with multidimensional perspectives, lived experiences, and backgrounds to drive stronger business outcomes, higher employee engagement, and enhanced talent retention.
Clarissa has a passion for helping executive leaders maximize their strengths and gain insight into areas needing improvement. She frequently speaks on Leadership, Emotional Intelligence (EQ), and strategic HR topics. She has presented at the Institute for International Education Conference, the National Center for Healthcare Leadership, and the National Association for Health Services Executives.
She also co-authored the books Maximizing Your HR Efforts (Thomson Reuters /Aspatore, 2009), the e-book The Rise of HR: The Wisdom of 72 Thought Leaders (2015), and Alchemizing HR: Your Formula for the New Era (2024). As past chair of the Human Resources Certification Institute (HRCI) board, Clarissa hosts a weekly global webinar for HRCI—Alchemizing HR: Navigating What’s Next.
Clarissa graduated from the University of Maryland University College and holds multiple certifications: Hogan Personality Assessment Suite, TalentTelligent, Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Leading Professional in Ethics and Compliance (LPEC), DiSC, Myers-Briggs (MBTI), Mergers & Acquisitions Integration, Leadership & Interview Architect, and 360 Feedback Facilitation and Interpretation.
