Vice Media Group, amid the turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, is getting a new head of human resources: Daisy Auger-Domínguez has been hired as the youth-media company’s chief people officer.
Auger-Domínguez will officially start at the Brooklyn-based company next Tuesday (May 12), reporting to Vice Media Group CEO Nancy Dubuc. She takes over the role after the departure of former HR chief Susan Tohyama, who left in March 2020 to join software company Ceridian as chief human resources officer.
Most recently, Auger-Domínguez was an independent HR consultant advising Fortune 500 companies, startups and social-impact organisations. Over her over 20-plus year career, she worked in HR roles, including organizational effectiveness and talent acquisition and development, at companies including Viacom, Google, Disney-ABC Television, Time Warner and Moody’s.
Auger-Domínguez joins Vice Media Group amid a series of belt-tightening moves enacted at the end of March by the company to reduce costs during COVID-19, in effect through the end of June. Those include a sliding scale of pay cuts for employees earning $100,000 or more; a temporary suspension on promotions; and a halt on company-matched 401(k) contributions.
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She also comes on board after Vice Media last fall acquired Refinery29 in a mostly stock deal. At the time the deal was announced, Vice Media had about 2,500 employees and Refinery29 had under 400.
“Daisy is an exceptional leader with an impressive and proven track record developing strategies that foster a culture of inclusivity and innovation which will drive our organizational excellence,” Dubuc said in a statement provided to Variety. “Daisy’s passion for people-first cultures along with her global mindset will bring forward our greatest strength — the diverse individuals that make up VMG — to ensure the way we connect with young people around the world is authentic and impactful.”
Auger-Domínguez will oversee Vice Media Group’s workforce strategy, talent acquisition and development, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement spanning a workforce in 35 cities worldwide. In a statement, Auger-Domínguez said, “As we enter a new chapter of transformational growth, leadership and change, I look forward to working together to deliver important work and results that make us all proud, ensuring a broad cross-section of voices and skill-sets.”
