Cristina Gardner, APTD started her career at a Fortune 500 Market Research company in Brazil. In 2001, she moved to the USA and shortly became a member of the local ATD-South Florida Chapter to develop her network and immerse herself into the American culture. Through the chapter and her new connections, she was able to deepen her expertise as a Talent Development professional in her new home country.

As a life-long learner, in 2014, Cristina earned her OD Process Professional Certification – ODPC - through the Institute of Organization Development. Later, she decided to pursue her APTD certification in its inaugural year of 2017. Since then, every year she has volunteered as a reviewer for ATD’s Excellence in Practice Awards in several categories, something she enjoys doing as it keeps her current about different Learning and Development projects in the worldwide arena.

 In 2017, she joined the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and in 2021, she was promoted to the Organizational Development Manager of a district of 650 employees. In her position, Cristina performs as an internal consultant, interacting with a highly diverse group of customers from all levels. In part, Cristina credits her promotion to her APTD and ODPC Certifications, which bring credibility to her practice and experience. A graduate of University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Physical Education, Cristina has also earned a master’s degree in marketing from Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM), Brazil.

Cristina is a multi-lingual and multi-cultural professional who believes in exploring and learning as much as possible about others.