Netflix hires PepsiCo veteran Sergio Ezama as Chief Talent Officer

Netflix is looking for a more global outlook on hiring and HR: The streamer has hired Sergio Ezama, a 20-year veteran of PepsiCo, as its new chief talent officer.

Ezama will start at Netflix in September, leading the company’s human resources, recruiting, culture and coaching teams, reporting to COO and chief product officer Greg Peters.

Most recently, Ezama was global chief talent officer at PepsiCo in addition to serving as chief human resources officer for functions and groups worldwide. In his role at the food giant, he led the company’s efforts across all talent-related areas in more than 200 countries.

Ezama takes over for former Netflix chief talent officer Jessica Neal, who left the company earlier this year.

Ezama “has a truly global perspective that will be critical as we continue to build teams around the world — enabling us to better serve the needs of members everywhere,” Peters said in announcing his hire.

A native of Spain, Ezama first joined PepsiCo in 2001, serving in a variety of talent leadership roles at PepsiCo headquarters in the U.S. and across Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, including in Barcelona, Geneva, Moscow and most recently New York. Before PepsiCo he worked at telecom equipment vendor Ericsson.

Ezama, in a statement provided by Netflix, said, “It’s a privilege to join Netflix and I am looking forward to building upon its culture of transparency, freedom and excellence so that all employees — whatever their background — can do the best work of their lives.”

Ezama holds a bachelor of science degree in law and master’s degrees in juridical practice and HR management from Spain’s University of Deusto. He also holds a master’s degree in health and safety management from Instituto Europeo de Salud y Bienestar Social in Madrid and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s general management program. Variety