Faces of HARMAN: Patrishia Sepani, Human Resources Manager, Northridge

Given HARMAN’s long and storied history, it’s no surprise that numerous employees have chalked up decades of noteworthy accomplishments. There are, however, recent hires that are also having significant impact. Take Patrishia Sepani, who is celebrating her one year anniversary as a Human Resources Manager for HARMAN’s Professional Solutions division this month. An avid kick boxer with a penchant for organic fruits and veggies, Patrishia is intent on fostering an engaging, fun, diverse and inclusive environment at our Northridge campus, and is often the first person new Northridge employees meet face-to-face.

A couple months ago, on my first day at HARMAN, Patrishia greeted me with a warm smile and handshake beneath an overhead monitor welcoming me as a new hire. After signing my official paperwork, Patrishia led me on a tour, during which I perused decades of classic JBL, Crown and AKG innovations. Handing me a welcome tote of branded swag and office goodies, she quickly made me feel like a member of the team.

“It’s the drive of helping people and making a difference that excites me about being at HARMAN,” says Patrishia. “My first love has always been studying the intricacies of human behavior, and I know how imperative it is to build rapport and establish a connection right from the start.”

Even as child, Patrishia was intrigued by the workings of the mind and initially set her sights on becoming a psychologist. She attended the University of California, Irvine, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Psychology. Discovering that she had a tendency to be overly sensitive to patients’ psychological conditions, she retrained her profession pursuits toward the business world.

Patrishia enrolled in Alliant International University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology (which she describes as “the business world and psychology disciplines married together”). Under the HR umbrella, she specializes in Organizational Development, which focuses on change management, leadership, coaching, professional development, succession planning, team dynamics and personality assessments. “My psychology training gave me a valuable understanding of human behavior, motivation and personality preferences, proving extremely useful in my current role,” says Patrishia.

She launched her career in 2007 at Walt Disney Studios as a Learning Development Analyst and, after four years, moved to Toyota Financial Services, where she started as an Organizational
Development Consultant before transitioning to the position of Human Resources Business Partner. Patrishia joined HARMAN Professional Solutions in June 2015.

“What inspired me about HARMAN was the abundance of opportunities,” says Patrishia. “I was drawn to the company’s desire to innovate, not just in terms of the technology that is central to its business, but also in regard to its operational processes. In the last year, the HARMAN Professional Solutions division has undergone a restructure that greatly increased its flexibility and capacity for growth.

“I learned so much at Disney and Toyota and was confident that I could take some of the cool, exciting things we Pic 10did to drive employee morale, engagement and retention, and bring them here. It has been satisfying to get a positive response and know that I’m making a difference,” she added.

When not at work, Patrishia enjoys spending time with her closely knit circle of friends and family. Although she is of Armenian heritage, Patrishia was born in Iran. Her family moved to Germany when she was just five years old then, three years later, settled in Los Angeles. Besides English, she is fluent in Armenian and conversant in Farsi.

Although she traveled a great deal as a child and, as an adult, visited Turkey, Patrishia looks forward to planning many trips in the years to come, starting with Italy—a great place to savor fine wine and relax, big time.

Many thanks to Patrishia for sharing her story and enriching HARMAN’s Northridge community!