Confronted with an ageing workforce and the risk of losing decades of specialised industrial expertise, Sonia Romero Fernandez chose to turn a potential threat into a strategic opportunity. As HR Generalist at Cartografica Veneta S.p.A., she conceived the Talent Attraction & Development Academy to safeguard critical know-how while strengthening the company’s appeal to new generations of technical talent.
By combining competency mapping, empowerment of senior technicians as “Knowledge Custodians”, and a modular learning architecture supported by digital tools, she transformed tacit knowledge into a structured and scalable asset. Her initiative demonstrates how forward-thinking HR leadership can align business continuity, skills development and employer branding — ensuring that industrial excellence evolves rather than fades.
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