Cheryl Magdaraog

Senior Manager, Human Resources

Primary Responsibilities:

Ms. Magdaraog is responsible for leading, defining, implementing, and overseeing human resources (HR) policies and initiatives. She supports the president and senior-level management in all HR-related areas, and oversees Corporate Communications. One of Ms. Magdaraog's primary goals is to ensure that employee and company human resources needs are met.

Experience:

Ms. Magdaraog started working for Syrrx, Inc. (a start up Biotech Company that was later acquired by Takeda) on September 4, 2000. She is the longest tenured employee at Takeda San Diego (TSD) having held a variety of roles within the organization that ultimately lead to her position in HR. Ms. Magdaraog was instrumental in propelling the rapid growth of the company by hiring 164 employees in less than two years from inception, building the company's initial workforce. She helped develop the HR infrastructure at TSD (Syrrx), and played an integral role in the successful Syrrx/Takeda merger. She leads a streamlined department with limited resources and taps into centers of expertise at Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America. Ms. Magdaraog's career has grown with the expansion of TSD, and she dedicates much of her time to helping other TSD employees excel professionally through the Career Development Program that she implemented in 2008.

Education:

• B.A. Communications from University of California, San Diego – La Jolla, CA
• Certificate in Human Resources Management from University of California, San Diego, Extension – La Jolla, CA

Boards/Committees/Organizations:

• Society of Human Resources Managers (SHRM) – Member
• National Human Resources Association (NHRA) - Member

Accomplishments/Awards:

Ms. Magdaraog successfully led her team towards the implementation of TSD's Career Development Program which resulted in an 11% increase (25% above industry standards) in employee satisfaction with career development from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Magdaraog's passion for helping people grow both professionally and personally has also led to her role as a mentor for a variety of individuals.

In my own words:

• Aspirations for the Group I Lead:

  • My biggest aspiration within my job is to take the functionality and harmony that exists within my own group and spread it across the entire organization. I would love for everybody to have the same feeling of coming to work and thinking "I like my team and enjoy working with them." I am always striving to find ways for people to work in a fun and relaxed environment, as I believe this fosters productivity and innovation. This is the environment in which I believe we will reach our goals to make Takeda San Diego the employer of choice.

• Why I Chose My Profession:

  • When I was a child, my mother always did a lot of volunteering through her work. My family would attend walks and charities and I always admired a particular woman who was in charge of rallying for and organizing the events. At a young age, I thought to myself, "I want to be that person." I suppose this was my first view of HR without really knowing what HR did. As I grew older and gained more experience in office environments, I started seeing the impact of HR and how it can make or break a person's experience with a company. I am drawn to helping people and HR lends itself nicely to ensure that employees are able to focus on work and given the resources and tools to grow.

• Favorite Quote:
  • I feel that luck is preparation meeting opportunity. — Oprah Winfrey