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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) today named Marcela Perez de Alonso, executive vice president of Human Resources at HP, as the 2009 Human Capital Business Leader of the Year (http://www.shrm.org/leadershipawards/Pages/default.aspx) for her leadership and vision in the field of human resources. Perez de Alonso accepted the award before a gathering of 800 HR leaders from across the country attending SHRM's 2009 Leadership Conference held Nov. 19-21 in Crystal City, Va.

In its fourth year, SHRM's top HR award recognizes individuals who demonstrate the business value that HR contributes to the commercial and reputational success of an organization. Perez de Alonso was selected from a global pool of nominees representing the best in HR. She leads worldwide human resource initiatives at HP for 321,000 employees in more than 170 countries.

"It is both an honor and a privilege to congratulate Marcela Perez de Alonso on receiving one of SHRM's highest awards for HR leaders," said SHRM President and CEO Laurence G. O'Neil. "From managing a global work force to designing innovative HR programs, Marcela is a strong advocate for sharing industry best practices that both inspire HR professionals and elevate our profession's image and influence."

"More than ever, today's dynamic business environment requires HR professionals to constantly innovate," said Perez de Alonso. "This award is a celebration of achievement in effectively using unique programs to strengthen the business value of HR, and I am honored to be recognized among the industry's most talented leaders by SHRM."

Perez de Alonso's accomplishments are significant and numerous. Throughout her tenure, she orchestrated pivotal global workforce transformation initiatives to increase both operational efficiency and development of human capital. Perez de Alonso realigned HR as an integral and strategic partner to all lines of business in HP, aiding in the significant growth of the company over the past five years. She successfully drove the integration of more than 30 acquisitions into HP, including Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 2008.

Under her leadership, HP has developed a robust, multi-dimensional, data-driven framework, known as HR Optimization Model, to further strengthen the critical link between organizational capabilities and business objectives. Perez de Alonso also introduced the HP HR Academy program to improve the business skills and organizational effectiveness of her team. She launched the HP HR Management Associate Program to attract high potential graduates from top-tier universities and develop them for future leadership roles in the company.

About the Society for Human Resource Management
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM at www.shrm.org.

SOURCE Society for Human Resource Management