A:In 30+ years leading HR across investment, automotive, airlines, F&B, insurance, and real estate, I've found an organization's cultural DNA lives in leaders' behaviour and employees lived values, not in slogans on the wall. It surfaces under pressure, how decisions are made, success celebrated, and failures owned.

Winning multiple Great Place to Work awards across KSA, the Middle East, and Asia confirmed that three pillars sustain culture: leadership integrity and consistency; psychological safety and trust; purpose-driven people practices. Cultural DNA is what endures when systems shut down, the instinctive default when no one is watching. It isn't a program but a mindset, requiring deliberate, continual care, because culture is built gradually yet can be lost in a single misguided decision.

A:In my years of HR leadership, one truth stands out: C-level hires don't just fill roles, they shape the organization's future identity. A misaligned hire can quietly undo cultural progress, while the right one can inspire transformation. That's why my recruitment approach prioritizes cultural alignment over credentials. Beyond experience, I seek leaders who embody, reinforce, and evolve our values. I use four key practices: behavioural interviews, culture-scenario assessments, cross-stakeholder involvement, and post-hire cultural onboarding.

Recruitment, at this level, is one of HR's most powerful cultural levers. My goal is not just to hire competent executives, but culture carriers, leaders who build trust, drive change, and lead with purpose from day one.

A:My approach to people and culture is rooted in one belief: we invest in the “Organizations don't transform, people do. When human spirit, sustainable change follows.” Whether leading HR transformations or building award-winning workplaces, my philosophy remains anchored in three pillars: People First, Culture as a Living System, and Empowerment Through Clarity. Employees often don't struggle from lack of will, but from unclear expectations, inconsistent leadership, or weak people's systems. I focus on creating clarity, fostering trust, and aligning business goals with human aspirations. A truly empowered workforce is not only more productive but more fulfilled. Culture, in the end, is what people feel, believe, and carry with them, long after the workday ends.

A:Throughout my HR journey, I've learned that while culture may seem intangible, its impact on business performance is highly measurable when approached with the right framework. When assessing whether culture is truly driving performance, I rely on a balanced mix of quantitative metrics and qualitative indicators that provide both operational insight and emotional depth.

Here's how I approach it:
ENGAGEMENT & TRUST INDICATORS (QUANTITATIVE & QUALITATIVE): Employee Engagement Score LEADERSHIP BEHAVIOR & ALIGNMENT: Leadership 360 Feedback CUSTOMER & MARKET REFLECTION: Customer Satisfaction (CSAT/NPS) STORYTELLING & NARRATIVE PATTERNS: Employee Stories

A:For me, Success measured by the human lives we've helped transform, the trust we've earned, and the dignity we've protected. I've had the privilege of leading people strategies, and what remains most meaningful to me are not the charts or awards, it's the moments people remember me with, and the impact I made long after I left.

Success, to me, is reflected in the human stories that endure beyond strategy documents or business plans. Success lies in the confidence, empowerment, and human growth we leave in people. I take pride in the solid legacy and cultural footprint I've built, rooted in trust, transformation, and people-centred leadership. If those I've led walk away more confidently, more human, and inspired to lead others with the same care, then I know I've truly succeeded. THIS IS HOW I SEE SUCCESS IN ITS TRUE MEANING.

A:Build a culture where people feel safe to be human, and bold enough to be great. When people feel trusted, valued, and psychologically safe, they bring not only their skills, but their full energy, creativity, and ownership to the table. My advice is this: Don't start with KPIs. Start with people. Understand what matters to them. Design systems that reward not just results, but behaviours aligned with your values. Empower leaders to lead with empathy. Make clarity the norm, not the exception. And above all, listen, deeply and consistently. A high-performance culture isn't about pushing harder, it's about creating the conditions where people want to give their best, because they feel respected, included, and inspired. When Culture Lifts People, Performance Follows.

A:As someone who has spent quite very good time navigating the evolving dynamics of people, culture, and leadership, I believe the next decade will challenge HR leaders like never before, not just as administrators of policies, but as architects of adaptive, inclusive, and purpose-driven cultures.

As work becomes digital and global, HR must preserve empathy and belonging across virtual spaces while bridging generational value gaps to unite and empower all employees. Culture now forms a mosaic of local norms, so leaders must act consistently worldwide yet honour regional differences, embedding ethics, fairness, and genuine inclusion into daily behaviours to earn trust amid rising transparency. Authentic, partnership-based leadership should replace hierarchies, transforming power into trust, even as HR tackles burnout by addressing root causes, clarity, toxic microcultures, and emotional disconnect, to create resilient, humanly sustainable cultures.

As I always say, the future of culture isn't what we design, it's what we tolerate, reinforce, and empower every single day.