|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Dan Domenech is flush with optimism. Don’t get him wrong: the lifelong New York Mets and Jets fan knows the difference between healthy optimism and delusion. He’s had enough sports fandom heartbreak for a few lifetimes. But the former Interim chief people officer and chief talent officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) chooses hope, people, and opportunity before doubt and unwarranted skepticism can get their boots on.
That optimism would be tested to the fullest extent when Domenech was chosen as interim chief people officer at HPE in January of 2025. It wasn’t that he wasn’t thrilled at the opportunity—he was. But the timing of the occasion would challenge even the sunniest of dispositions.
All Eyes on HPE
“I think the first week I was in the interim role, the Department of Justice filed a complaint against the company’s acquisition of Juniper,” Domenech recalls of the $14 billion M&A. “It’s been settled and the acquisition has gone through, subsequently, but at the time, it was a massive blow to a workforce that had been working so hard and so long on this deal.”
The deal was seen as critical in HPE’s growth in AI-optimized networking. Concurrently, new DEI executive orders were issued from the new presidential administration that needed to be confronted, AI business challenges, and challenging pricing and inventory headwinds were creating a perfect storm for the tenure of the interim chief people officer, along with the rest of the organization.
“It was four months that felt like four years, or maybe fourteen,” Domenech says, laughing. “Sure, that means there were some rough days. But consider the growth opportunity there. You’re a brand new CPO and all of these challenges are coming across your desk, and I just had to be transparent, authentic, and help this organization and our people weather the storm.”
The interim CPO prioritized workforce engagement, transparent communication, and trust-building as the company publicly committed to Catalyst, a massive restructuring and cost-cutting effort that included layoffs, operational efficiency, portfolio optimization, and AI deployment.
“As part of Catalyst, we want to make it easier to do business with us, simplifying our offerings, streamlining our sales processes and aligning our team internally to be more responsive to customer needs. In addition, we will be leveraging AI to improve efficiency across our business,” Antonio Neri, HPE’s CEO, said on an earnings call. “Our ambition is clear: A leaner, faster, and more competitive organization. Nothing is off limits. We are focused on rethinking the business, not just reducing our costs, but transforming the way we operate. We will keep you regularly updated on our progress.”
HPE eventually sourced a permanent CPO in Stacy Dillow in April of 2025, and Domenech was able to refocus his efforts on the chief talent officer role he had only been in for a year before being named interim CPO. And while the role was brief, Domenech says the challenging moment was actually reassuring. He’s capable of being a CPO, even in the most challenging of times.
“When you’re asked to take on a leadership role at that moment, there’s obviously a part of you that doesn’t know if you’re capable of being effective,” Domenech says. “I would say I wasn’t 100% confident that I could do that role. Now I am.”
Faith, Family, and Foundation
When Domenech talks about authenticity, the grandson of Cuban refugees is, in part, talking about the family that raised him. Domenech’s father ultimately retired as the director of the American Association of School Administrators, an incredible leap forward for the son of an elevator operator and a seamstress.
“My dad was my hero in so many ways,” the CTO explains. “He was an incredibly successful educator and demonstrated this resilience that felt like a theme for the rest of my family.”
Domenech says his parents faced discrimination to the point that his mother felt the need to downplay the family’s Cuban heritage. Domenech’s Spanish isn’t as fluent as he’d like, in part to being discouraged from speaking at home. Domenech understands the reasoning, a decision faced by so many Latinos of a certain age and time, but he’s stuck strong to his roots in some incredible ways.
“My dad was an incredibly successful educator and demonstrated this resilience that felt like a theme for the rest of my family.”
Daniel Domenech
Domenech’s eldest son was adopted from Peru. After having two biological children, he and his wife adopted two more children from Guatemala. It certainly helped improve Domenech’s Spanish, but the family “acquisitions” of a different sort were grounded in the foundation of Domenech’s life: his faith.
“When I’m asked about myself, I tell them I’m a Cuban American Christian,” Domenech explains. “I understand that talking about my faith can bring some measure of judgment from others, but I don’t believe in pushing my beliefs on others. I try to live them and, if I can, show my faith. I think there are a lot of Latinos who feel like they need to play down this part of their life. I try not to.”
Editor’s note: Daniel Domenech is no longer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
