Head of Human Resources, U.S. Business Unit and U.S. People Advisory Group (PAG), Takeda

Emerson is a Human Resources executive with extensive experience in strategic talent acquisition, employee relations, diversity, equity & inclusion, organization design, labor relations and performance management.

Emerson is the Senior Vice President, Head of Human Resources, US Business Unit & U.S. People Advisory Group for Takeda Pharmaceuticals. In this role, Emerson leads the people strategy inclusive of recruitment and retention, talent development, employee experience, employee relations, performance management, organizational effectiveness, DE&I, and employee policies across the US.

Prior to Takeda, Emerson served as the Senior Vice President, Head of Human Resources – US Consumer Bank, TD Bank. He was responsible for leading the people strategy and HR team for 25,000 employees in the retail bank.  

Emerson also spent 8 years at Sodexo, the global food service and facilities management leader as the Vice President Human Resources, North America. Emerson and his team supported over 1,200 locations and over 20,000 employees across the US and Canada and the Global Strategic business.  

Emerson has worked extensively within the non-profit community. He is a founding Board member of Bottom Line (www.bottomline.org), a non-profit college counseling service aimed at increasing the percentage of urban students attaining college degrees. He Chaired the Board of Directors of Bottom Line for the first 7 years of its existence and was a sitting Board member for 20 years. He remains active with the organization. Emerson is also the founder of Men and Women of Action, The Boston Men’s Dinner Group and the initial Alumni of Color forum at the University of Rhode Island. Emerson currently sits on the boards of the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education and New England Culinary Arts Training and he is board advisor for BAM – Becoming A Man.