About Elysca Fernandes

Elysca Fernandes is a Director with McLean & Company’s HR Research & Advisory Services team. She designs and advises on inclusive talent systems – guided by research, shaped by context, and driven by curiosity. Her work explores how organizations create the conditions for people to join, grow, and lead in ways that are equitable, evidence-informed, and human-centric.

Elysca leads the development of publications, frameworks, and advisory tools used by thousands of global organizations to shape culture, talent, and leadership strategies. Her areas of focus include inclusive leadership, DEI strategy, trauma-informed workplaces, and equitable practices across the employee lifecycle – from hiring through advancement. She frequently delivers executive briefings, webinars, and conference sessions across North America, and her thought leadership has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Raconteur, and ATD.

Earlier in her career, Elysca worked in talent acquisition for the retail and tech sectors, facilitated HR seminars at a leading Canadian university, and consulted on DEI and talent management strategy. She also contributed to social psychology and organizational behavior research through her work in university-based social psychology labs.

Elysca holds a Master of Industrial Relations and Human Resources (MIRHR) from the University of Toronto and a BA in Honours Psychology with a minor in Human Resource Management from the University of Waterloo. She has pursued international study in HR and labor policy at the ILO (Geneva), OECD (Paris), and the University of Sussex (UK). She is currently completing her Canadian Human Resources Leader designation and holds a CPD certificate in conflict resolution.

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