Merve Macit is the Country Head of HR for Switzerland & Sweden at GSK, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company uniting science, technology, and talent to combat diseases.

Speaking to Drew Larcombe, Merve shares her passion for Human Resources, her journey with GSK, and her opinions on why HR needs to evolve from a reactive and transactional role into a proactive, consultative partner.

Why did you choose a career in Human Resources?

Coming from business school, I could have chosen any function within a company to work in. Ultimately, I chose HR because I have always been passionate about helping others realize their potential - the coaching element - which HR allows me to do on a larger scale.

HR is unique, as you can influence both company culture and business success by aligning People strategies to the broader organizational goals.

It’s also interesting, as there’s complexity in measuring certain KPIs and behaviours; it's not always straightforward to see the impact of your actions in a short timeframe. I found that quite exciting because it makes HR a field with many opportunities for creative solutions to make a significant impact, requiring you to think outside the box.

You started your career at GSK in the Future Leaders Programme. How did the rotations within the scheme shape your career path and inform your views on HR strategies?

I had four rotations within three years during the programme, and moved around every nine or ten months, making it quite compact.

It was really transformative, as I was exposed to the full spectrum of HR functions including business partnering, Center of Excellence, and HR operations, all at local, regional, and global levels.

Additionally, I had the opportunity to gain direct business experience through a rotation outside of HR. It’s not every day that you can decide that you’re interested in Marketing and Consumer Healthcare and go and spend nine months there. So, it was great to have that playground time, especially when I was first dabbling my toes into the corporate world.

Each rotation was like a new lens, helping me shape my unique identity as a strategic HR leader. I got to work across different areas, making me a more holistic HR professional. It also enabled me to connect the dots between employee engagement, talent, strategy, and business outcomes, as I got to tap into all those different areas, being in the shoes of the business.

Looking back, I'm glad that I started my career as part of the programme. It was a great luxury to explore your career development and interests in a stretching and supportive environment.

How did you adapt your HR strategies to navigate cultural and regulatory differences across diverse regions?

I can comfortably answer this question. After having worked in six different countries, I learned that adapting HR strategies across diverse regions requires a blend of flexibility and respect for local regulations and cultural nuances - it's finding that balance.

Earlier on in my career, I learned how to do this and the importance of listening and observing, especially when entering a new cultural context, as a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work in HR. There are local nuances in communication, work, and expectations.

Additionally, cultural nuances don't only change across different geographies, as one would expect, but also within the same country. There are different nuances and subcultures specific to different teams.

Even when I was assigned to a new business in the same country, I would need to start from scratch and just observe. By actively taking time to diagnose the cultural context, building trust and connections with my stakeholders, and involving the leaders and employee feedback in the diagnosis process and strategy design, I have been able to create relevant HR solutions that resonate across regions. So, you have that balance between global consistency and local adaptability.

We've previously discussed how to unlock the true potential of HR business partnering. You have partnered globally with businesses in R&D, pharma, commercial, and consumer healthcare. Can you share your views on how to unlock true potential?

What I'm going to say is not rocket science. I think most of my HR colleagues would agree that, to truly maximize our impact, HR needs to evolve from a reactive and transactional role into a proactive, consultative partner.

For me, that means embedding myself with the business, working directly alongside my leadership team to anticipate their needs and coach them through change, rather than responding to the needs when they occur. It's also about being data-driven and business-focused, understanding the different unique drivers and gaps within each function, and knowing the people well.

I always look back and ask myself: Is this how I feel the situation is right now? If it's not, I need to do something.

A very simple visualization that resonates with me is being at the table with the business from start to finish and we're all speaking the same language. For me, that checks a lot of the boxes in how I need to be feeling; if I'm not there with the business to plan for the future from the start, I'm not fully leveraging the potential of my role.

By deeply integrating and engaging in even the most basic version of strategic workforce planning, it can still drive meaningful outcomes for the business.

To relate this to your journey, would you say the key to your career thus far has been to constantly assess how you can directly add value to the business?

Absolutely. As I said, I see HR not only as a support function, but as an enabler of business success. What I've always been trying to think about is how HR can address the different challenges, whether it's improving a talent retention plan across multiple countries, supporting our organizational change, or just driving engagement.

This approach of constantly assessing what we can do better and how we can make things work together has helped me prioritize initiatives with the most direct impact, ensuring that our HR work aligns with business objectives and delivers measurable results.

However, there are challenges. We can't always assume that the business immediately recognizes the value that a strategic HR partner can bring. So, the key thing I've actively worked on the most was how to get that buy-in from the business. Sometimes this requires demonstrating this value over time through the impact of strategic HR interventions and planning.

Here’s a very simple example: a talent review and a succession planning discussion may initially seem like a routine activity to a leader, until one day we have an urgent need to fill a key position. We're able to leverage the succession plans we put in place to strategically fill these gaps to ensure business continuity, because we're building these people when we had that buy, borrow, build strategy. This proves to the business the importance and impact of proactive HR strategies. That for me has always been the moment I come in - how can I get the buy-in from the business so they can help me do my job and their jobs better?

Lastly, it's crucial that the business owns and drives the pre-work and outcomes of such people and culture discussions; if leaders don't hold themselves accountable for knowing their people and understanding their future capability and resourcing needs, HR processes will only be a tick-in-the-box activity, and it won't go any further. So, I believe effective HR requires partnership and accountability for the business to truly add value – the first challenge basically begins there: How do you get the buy-in?

Broadening out from business partnering specifically, in your opinion, how should HR be viewed by an organization as a broader function?

Of course, as a broader function, when you look at the different types of roles within the HR model, it may vary slightly. Holistically, you may focus more on HR partners or business partners ultimately, because they're the ones that create the bridge between the business and the other functions. HR partners should be viewed as strategic partners, working alongside the business to align People strategies with business objectives to drive performance and culture.

Once the leadership team or an organization view HR as an integral part of its success journey and include HR in these strategic discussions, they can be more proactive, as opposed to reactive in the way they manage change and ensure agility to be future proof.

What is your advice for somebody wanting to explore a career in HR?

It’s very important to take those opportunities that allow you to get close to business, whether it's job shadowing, gaining exposure, or just listening.

You can add more value in HR if you thoroughly understand who you're serving. It goes back to the same story if you're working in Marketing or Sales - you need to know your customers and those you're serving. In HR, our customers are the employees and the function. So, it's really knowing your customer base, and understanding and learning about that business so it can add more relevance, and you can speak the same language at the table.

Thank you Merve for speaking to Drew Larcombe in our Human Resources recruitment team in Switzerland. 

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment. 

Christoph Hajjar is the Human Resources Director at HEINEKEN Switzerland. He is a skilled HR leader with experience in the pharmaceutical, fashion, IT, and FMCG industries.  

Christoph provides a deep dive into his leadership style, sharing a blend of key ingredients to cultivate success and high-performing teams. He emphasizes the importance of balancing data-driven insights with the human element in decision making, and explains how leaders can maximize the impact of innovative and diverse teams.  

I know you’ve held senior roles across different sectors. How do you adapt your leadership style when transitioning between industries, and what core principles remain constant for you? 

I think the transition between industries always requires some flexibility. The key is to understand the unique challenges and opportunities of each sector, which means you need to meet the people where they are versus the expectation that they will always come to you and adapt to what you're used to.  

I also believe that each journey should start with being curious. The easiest way, from my perspective, to do so is through active listening, which is probably also the hardest thing to do.  

Additionally, it’s about observing, listening, and asking questions. In the end, you need to understand the values, behaviors, processes, and expectations you will encounter as you enter new territory. 

Establishing strong relationships with key stakeholders and building trust with the team comes next. I am a big fan of leadership by intent, but I also realized before applying it, you need to ensure the team is empowered and in a psychologically safe area to make decisions. This is where I believe you need to be flexible in your management style, which may start as situational leadership and adapting to the new culture, before transitioning to your preferred style at the end. 

I think once you've created those relationships and listened to the fundamentals of what the organization and people want to achieve, you can ultimately achieve great things.  

What's the most unexpected lesson you've learned in your career? 

One of the most unexpected lessons was the importance of adaptability/agility. No matter how well prepared you are, unexpected challenges will always arise. For example, when I moved from Switzerland to Austria in my last position, the company and industry were the same and I felt that Switzerland and Austria shared so many cultural similarities - how difficult can that move be? 

However, I learned that there are nuances and differences in how people interact and their approach to work (starting from a hierarchical management style versus a more consent-driven style), or their communication style.  

Communication wise, I'm thinking of straightforward communication, which is valuing the clarity and the precision we sometimes have in Switzerland, versus the more indirect and diplomatic approach in Austria; Austrians need some time to build relationships and trust before getting to the point of the conversation itself. Surprisingly, this was something I underestimated.  

I managed to overcome it with the support of some dear colleagues who took me aside and provided honest feedback, such as, “You may be used to that, but please consider that the clocks tick a bit differently here.” They also gave me advice on cues and the natural rhythm of a conversation when you want to get to a decision. In the end, all this leads back to the point I mentioned before, which was the importance of listening.  

What strategies do you use for developing innovative and diverse teams? 

Based on my learning and experience, if you want to increase the impact, you need to work on the whole environment versus an individual situation or initiative. This approach helps you touch on all issues within the environment, instead of one. Sometimes, you can even influence issues that haven’t yet fully manifested.  

Concretely, this means culture. By creating an inclusive environment where different perspectives and views are valued and encouraged to be brought forward, team members are motivated to share individual ideas and experiences.  

From my perspective, this has led to increased creative solution finding, and stronger teams and team dynamics. Simply put, generating a workplace where people feel empowered to bring their best self to work is the secret trick. 

What role does data-driven decision making play in your advisory approach and how do you ensure that decisions are grounded in both data and intuition? 

It’s sometimes difficult to show your impact in HR, because the impact is usually not immediate. And, if you don't have data evidence in your hand, it becomes even more difficult to show credibility. 

However, I think it is essential to balance the data approach with a human approach. This means you need to consider the context and potential impact of the decision on both people and processes to ensure that you have a holistic overview when speaking with peers or superiors.  

I'm a huge fan of tools like Power BI and the up-and-coming AI tools, because they help us make informed decisions and show that our decision making is based on some objective pieces of evidence, rather than our intuition alone.  

It’s a mix of both; you can’t have one without the other. You need to have that personal touch, as well as the right dataset, including the knowledge of where to get the data and which pieces to pick out to support an informed decision-making process. 

I agree. Data provides a lot of information, but you need to filter it to see the bigger picture and look at the personal side of what these figures are telling you on a day-to-day basis.  

That's also where it becomes more and more important for us to stay up to date. At times, people tend to say, “Oh, I'm old school.” It's not about being old school or not; it's a tool. If you don't use it, you're missing out on something. 

I understand that HEINEKEN focuses on beers and ales, but if your leadership style were a cocktail, what would it be called and what would be the key ingredients? 

If my leadership style were a cocktail, I would call it the Intention Sour. So, the key ingredients would be: a shot of vision for setting up clear intentions, a splash of empathy to understand and support each other, a little dash of resilience for navigating challenges, and a twist of creativity for fostering innovation. 

I love that. Sounds like everybody should be drinking your cocktail, Christoph. 

It helps having worked for seven years as a barkeeper! 

Thank you to Christoph for speaking to Keely Straw, who manages our Human Resources recruitment team in Switzerland. 

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment. 

Caroline Tervoort-Visser is the CHRO at KPMG Netherlands, bringing extensive experience across sectors such as professional services, FMCG, entertainment, and regulated industries.

Caroline discusses the evolving role of HR in response to technological and social shifts, and shares a detailed insight into KPMG’s award-winning onboarding programme. She also reflects on the career risks she has taken and the significance of believing in yourself and your abilities.

I’d be interested to hear about your approach to integrating HR technology - specifically AI - in recruitment. How is KPMG utilizing it to address unconscious bias in the selection process?

Three to four years ago, we introduced AI-inspired technology for initial candidate selection, aiming for a completely unbiased process. By removing names and visuals from applications, we’ve achieved near gender parity at the entry level - a very positive and stable result.

We’re now looking at adopting new technology, set to go live in October, to take a closer look into new talent pools. This will help enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our selection process, which has been quite traditional.

AI brings lots of opportunities, but it also raises ethical questions. We are a people business, so we need to take a closer look before pressing play. The earlier stages of AI assessments led to big biases, due to the language model receiving biased inputs - that's what you want to avoid.

We need to ensure we understand how AI can really work for us and open up talent pools, instead of narrowing them down. That's currently in the piloting phase, as we are exploring options, the quality of assessment, and how they compare to our classic recruitment process. When implemented, it will deliver great things.

At a recent Talent Acquisition event, we welcomed an industry expert who highlighted that, while AI will effectively handle many tasks, there will still be key touchpoints where human interaction is crucial. He stressed that, though AI can enhance efficiency, creating a meaningful, unforgettable candidate experience requires high-touch human connections at specific points in the journey.

When it comes to interpretation or interaction, that’s the remit of a human. AI doesn't have values or conscience, but it is your best assistant and can work in tremendous ways.

However, there are certain things that I - and we, as a company - believe you can never automate. Recently, we carried out our annual CEO outlook survey. It showed that 76% of global CEOs believe there will be no impact on the number of jobs. Instead, AI will change roles significantly, make them more productive, and create new jobs. I thought that was quite a remarkable finding.

That mirrors the conversations I've had with senior leaders. Many share similar insights, suggesting that roles will change, people will need to adapt and be willing to learn new skills, but the overall number of jobs may not necessarily change. Instead, technology will boost productivity and free people from transactional tasks, allowing them to focus on more engaging work.

I fully agree. Of course, there will be jobs that will vanish due to becoming fully automated. But that’s not so different from 25-30 years ago following the introduction of the internet. It's continuously evolving and quite a disruption.

All in all, I believe the number of roles will grow in the AI area. We will need more people with the ability to work with AI, its outcomes, data engineering, managing data lists, etc. I’m excited to see what will happen in the coming years.

You’ve previously mentioned an onboarding programme that won an award a few years ago. I'd love to hear more about that.

In 2022, we won an award for our fully hybrid onboarding programme, designed as a 100-day journey, which combines an app and classroom events. Throughout the programme, we have touchpoints where everybody comes together forging that engaging, cohort feeling.

We also have a two-to-three-day event centred on values and purpose.

A big part of our onboarding programme is instilling understanding and showing what it means to be part of our KPMG family.

The programme continuously evolves, with experiences and changes in recent years. It's a nice way to see that cohort bonding and people entering into a network where it's easy to reach out to one another. It takes time to get to know people outside your own team and the programme really accelerates that process. Beyond that, it’s fun, with many team-building activities. I love the programme!

What’s nice is that it brings everyone together - young and old, those experienced and those starting their career. At that moment, everybody is in the same place, learning from each other. They all go through the same experience, which is great. Everyone I've talked to over the past two years has explicitly said the onboarding programme is out of this world, and I've never seen it at other companies.

I'm really proud of it. It's not for recruitment purposes - as you’ve already decided to become a member of the KPMG family - but sparking that pride from the start helps people settle in well and feel that pride from day one. They take that pride into their teams, so it really helps.

Our engagement and retention rates continue to be very solid. It's a starting point of a long-term, unique employee experience, and it’s such an important kick start.

It sounds like there are lots of initiatives happening within the organization that people may not be aware of. Can you tell me more about that and how it ties into sustainability and trends in that space?

People know KPMG as one of the Big 4 accounting and advisory firms. Of course, we do a lot of traditional accountancy work - reporting on companies’ financials and financial health. But things are changing significantly with the non-financial KPIs that we support our clients with, such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).

In Europe, we are assisted by legislation like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which organizations must commit to. At KPMG, we find ourselves at the heart of what's happening in society, supporting clients in meeting corporate social responsibility compliance.

We also have a large advisory practice that's undergoing big changes, especially with our technology department, which has a remit of over 500 people. You can see that the practice is shifting towards becoming a tech house, rather than a classic consulting firm, driving larger long-term transformations globally. It’s evolving very fast.

Interestingly, we are still a very young company – something not everyone realizes. The average age is around 33-34. People are driven and eager to perform, learn, and explore different opportunities.

Also, in the Netherlands alone, we have over 83 nationalities. That diversity brings so much richness that isn’t what people typically associate with an accounting and advisory firm, and it’s one of the reasons why I love this business. You’re surrounded and inspired by the next generation, new ways of thinking, and knowledge that simply wasn’t available when we went to school 30 years ago.

Tell me about your career. Can you share a few moments where you’ve taken risks? And how did you know it was the right thing to do?

Sometimes, you don't really know if it’s the right decision - you just take the plunge. For me, my career has included two different lives at KPMG. In between, I explored completely different sectors, including the music entertainment industry, which is completely different to professional services, and then a role in the medicalized FMCG sector – not as fast moving as traditional consumer goods, but still very different from what I’ve done before.

After my first life at KPMG, I got a chance to build out an international People strategy in a completely different sector.

I thought I could either stay at KPMG - as there was a clear career path set out for me - or take the plunge, and explore what other companies with great cultures are out there. With some personal factors influencing my decision as well, I decided to take the opportunity.

That experience taught me a lot. You initially self-reflect: Why is it so scary? What does it say about me? And you have to move beyond that; feel the excitement, just go for it, and reinvent yourself.

I knew I could thrive in a different environment and forge new connections, as I did when I went to study in the Americas. I had enough self-confidence to say, “I can do this.” In a way, I felt like Pippi Langkous , who famously says, “I’ve never done it, so I think I can do it.” That became my motto.

When the next opportunity came along, it felt easier, because I had already experienced those feelings, and you carry that with you. HR skills are transferable, even though each sector is different - every organization needs HR. I have been lucky meeting leaders who recognized my vision, skills and personality, and trusted me to be successful in a different environment and asked me to join them.

My conviction is that, if an opportunity feels right, take it. You’re more likely to regret the things you didn’t do than those you did, even if it doesn’t turn out as you expected. There’s always something to learn from each experience.

Why is the Netherlands a great place to live?

I've travelled a lot and worked in many countries, so I’ve experienced many cultures up close. The Netherlands has a very high quality of living. The healthcare system and education facilities are of great quality, which is one of the reasons we see so many international people migrating here.

When we talk about international mobility, we have around 4,500 people working for us in the Netherlands, with a couple of hundred being international hires. It’s a talent pool we tap into as part of our workforce shaping strategy. Additionally, the Netherlands has a democratic culture with a low power distance; you can voice your opinion and there's lots of beauty in that.

However, having worked in different cultures, I've also learned to balance this openness with decisiveness. While it’s great to encourage voices and ideas - leading to innovative solutions - there are times when decisions need to be made more promptly. Sometimes, the Dutch can be overly democratic, which can delay action. Other cultures tend to reach that decision point more quickly. In gaining these international experiences, you gain a lot of leadership lessons.

What aspects of your HR role and your life outside of work bring you joy?

As I said, we truly need international mobility, especially with high-knowledge workers. The labor shortage will not go away in the coming years. Of course, AI and its hopeful productivity gains will help us close the gap, but not completely.

That's a big theme I will need to respond to in my profession, because it's so volatile and is everywhere at the moment. I’m following it very closely to see what things I have to manage and what challenges will come our way.

Then there's the skills gap. I talked about the education facilities, which are great, but when you look at what companies need at this moment and what is being delivered from universities or high schools, there’s a mismatch. We need to address it. We have to educate our own people and make them fit for the future. It is an important duty of care, not only for our own organization, but for society as well.

At KPMG, we have four (almost five) generations working for us, ranging from young employees around 18 years old to those in their 60s. We have to manage that, too. Not everyone - let's say the digital-savvy generation versus the more experienced generation - has the same pace. The more experienced generation does not lack the ability to become digitally savvy, but they come from different backgrounds and may prefer the more traditional – or transactional – parts of their work over technology, such as AI, taking over.

There’s also this duty of care as an employer to closely examine how we keep everyone employable and how we upskill them. This is a more ethical consideration to keep in mind.

When it comes to fun, I enjoy tackling these challenges. I have a great team, which makes for a rewarding environment in different types of settings. I engage with the Board of Management, our supervisory board, the works council, the HR community at large, my own HR team, and the business units we work with extensively. We enjoy challenging each other in achieving our People ambition, and get positive energy throughout the day in doing so.

From a content perspective, it’s fulfilling to see that we’re doing things that contribute to societal challenges. We impact 4,500 people with our work, and I always try to emphasize this to my HR team. They might feel like they’re just hiring new people or putting together a reward structure, but it’s not only about the techniques; it’s about the impact we create to our people and the communities they live in.  

This became clear when COVID hit us. We directly saw the impact we had by keeping everyone safe and tending to their wellbeing. It accelerated our thinking about the purpose of the team and how they contribute to the greater good. You have 4,500 people, but you also have their families. In a way, we contribute to a much broader community than just our own people, and I think that’s the beauty of the profession.

I’ve been involved in HR recruitment for about 18 years and witnessed the function evolve significantly. People often ask if I’d like to recruit for something different, but HR roles today are vastly different from what they were 18 years ago; they’ve constantly changed.

With all the aspects you’ve just mentioned, HR is such an impactful function that touches so many areas. I think your response reflects that - now is truly the best time to be part of the HR discipline.

Absolutely. That’s a true conviction, because of the trends we discussed earlier. Technology is impacting not only our own function, but all the functions and roles in the organization. This ties into the labor market and how we search for new skills, as well as how we retain our people and ensure they remain employable. All of this is driven by technology trends and the acceleration through AI.

We also have societal trends and the impact of significant movements like Me Too and Black Lives Matter. These big topics place a strong emphasis on culture, particularly the need to create psychologically and socially safe environments.

HR is now much more directly linked to the organization’s strategy, instead of just being a transactional function that ensures people get paid and that health and safety measures are in place. It’s much more than that, given all the significant shifts occurring simultaneously.

As I mentioned, regarding the different generations, this presents one of the reasons for a greater responsibility for our leaders. This evolving landscape means managers can no longer adopt a transactional approach, simply saying, "I’ll pay you monthly, so go do what I want." That way of managing is long gone. There’s a completely different human deal at play now, and many leaders - particularly those who are a bit more experienced - need to wrap their minds around this change. Maintaining a connection with the younger workforce and understanding their needs is challenging and requires continuous effort.

We invest heavily in ensuring our leaders adopt a more empathetic leadership style, instead of a transactional one. We place a strong focus on psychological safety and ethical behavior, making sure everyone feels comfortable in their teams and in their roles. This emphasis on culture, ethics, and values may have always been present, but it wasn’t always at the forefront of the HR discipline.

Now, it’s becoming increasingly important and may evolve into the major priority for HR, especially as transactional aspects could easily be handled by Operations or other functions. The real added value lies in our focus on culture and people.

Thank you to Caroline for speaking to Katie Insley, Director in our Human Resources recruitment team in the Netherlands. 

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment. 

Björn Sjögerås is the Legal Finance Director Nordic at Capgemini. A company with 340,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Prior to this, he was the Executive Finance Manager of the IT division at Tieto with 18,000 employees in 18 countries and sales spanning all five continents. He has over 25 years of experience in Finance & Accounting with a focus on growth strategies, sustainability, consultant management, business operations and transformation.

What is the most unexpected thing you have experienced in your career to date?

Not sure that it falls under the category of most unexpected but moving from a small town and a very Nordic company to a purely global organisation was different. I was surprised to see how different cultures communicate and act. We are still formed by our legacy and culture and therefore it is important to understand how this affects behaviour.

I was surprised by the straightforwardness of some cultures, expressing their career goals with “I want to be the new CFO” compared to the number of people who aren’t direct in communicating what they think or what they want. In some cultures, it’s more common to talk about your expectations and desires quite directly. Swedes and Finns express that subtly and sometimes settle for being content.

Not expressing your ambitions can hinder your career if managers believe you are not interested in opportunities. That’s a pity. It’s important to be open and I would like the global community to have a deeper understanding of how different cultures approach dialogue.

Was there a specific time that you realised this lesson?

During one-to-ones with global groups, I became aware of the differences in communication and teamwork. For example, when working with someone from Northern Finland, after you’ve asked a question, it’s important to just stop, listen and refrain from asking more questions while they’re answering, otherwise it could create problems in the discussion and the speaker will most likely stop talking.

In the UK, people are happy for you to throw in more questions as you go, and I found in India it differs again in the way colleagues communicate. Overall, learning about cultures and getting to know your team individually is important.

What contribution has that ability to express yourself made to your success?

It has made a difference as having an open dialogue builds trust. An important part of my role is to grow employees, so it has definitely contributed there. As a leader today, you can't fully separate personal life from business, unlike in earlier times.

Now, it is more likely that you share information, not only general personal information on family status but also mental health issues, sexual orientation etc. To a large extent, I think this is a very positive development. I have had experiences where a team member had a partner experiencing mental illness. I noticed that something was not quite right , so I took her aside to talk. She was very relieved that she didn’t have to keep it to herself, allowing me to better reassess the situation and find solutions. As a large company, we can offer very good support to our employees if there is an open dialogue.

How do you foster a positive work environment during challenging times?

I am currently working on the ‘boxed-in’ processes, legal activities, consolidations, and reporting as well as one-time items such as M&A integrations, entity valuation, tax audits etc. So, to me, the first thing is to be clear on what’s important, the deliverables and deadlines for routine tasks. When that’s clear to everyone the organisation can be much more focused and happier.

The ambition is to reduce stress within the team and management by taking ownership and securing delivery on time. We plan all the deliveries for the coming year and communicate this to the team for each finance manager to incorporate this into his/her work schedule and team. Certain extra important or complicated processes are followed weekly, and progress is displayed in all-hands finance meetings to ensure that we do not have any loose ends. We harmonize tools, processes, and templates down to details and expect that you follow the instructions. Now, how does this make me happy, you might ask. Well, I think it releases so much potential for developing yourself or your team/processes, creating a positive upward spiral.

When a team member isn’t delivering, I try to be open and direct about that in a 1:1 setting. In one such case, in a Nordics market, the person responsible for statutory reporting wasn’t performing well. Initially, they were, of course, disappointed to receive negative feedback but, eventually, agreed the role was a poor fit and moved to a different one where they’re much happier. Communication needs to be open and transparent in both positive and negative situations.

This also helps your team with long-term planning. They should have visibility of what they will be doing and the ability to plan time with their families or vacations - sometimes they are happy to work on the weekends if necessary and take Monday off instead.

Do you have a strategy for finding balance and reducing stress while maintaining productivity?

The main thing is the long-term planning. When something doesn’t work, you need an organisation to take care of the problem and make sure it doesn’t reappear. Then a plan to clearly communicate that structure and solve problems. Automate as much as possible.

My approach to reducing stress in the workplace involves reducing manual work as much as possible, as that’s where you find errors and risks of fraudulent behaviour.

Thinking back to the best manager you’ve worked for, what would you say you appreciated or enjoyed about their management style?

That for me was the former CEO of Capgemini Nordic. He was social, fun, and generally a nice person. It’s important to have someone who allows you to deliver and put the right amount of pressure on you simultaneously. When you feel needed and feel valued, you tend to give more. We had fun and complemented each other.

Do you have any advice on how people could build a better relationship with their manager?

Much of it has to be driven by your own approach. Be open about what you want and help them understand what you’re looking for. In cases where things don’t work out or you feel left out, it’s essential to address that in a 1:1 with the manager. Secondly, it is important to understand your manager’s priorities and his/her expectations of you.

The current group CEO of our company was previously our group CFO. He had high weight and brought huge experience to the table, so everyone was a little bit nervous to engage him. Our Paris office has a big round table. When he sat in the middle, the chairs on either side of him remained empty in the beginning – almost like school kids with a new headmaster!

But he was very clear on what needed to be delivered and was very ‘yes or no’. He didn’t judge any questions to be silly and soon enough the chairs next to him were occupied first. Building a relationship based on dialogue helps you reach that same harmony. Try to understand each other's needs.

Is there a memorable moment in your career that stands out?

There are so many different moments, not just one, but for me it’s the feeling of belonging, driving change and meeting people that is what stands out. I feel really blessed, travelling around the world, meeting smart and interesting people.

In a previous conversation, you spoke about a fun ski trip with the CEO and his deputy. Can you tell us more?

At the start of my career, I actively took on difficult situations to get into the heat and solve issues. The leader of a company we’d acquired requested a conference in Finnish Lapland and I was asked to go skiing with one of the CEO’s trusted deputies. We had a great afternoon and got on well, then the next day he was promoted to CEO! This meant he and I would build the new strategy together for a significant business unit that had been making an annual loss of €10 million - within the year it was making black figures and became one of the company’s most profitable units. I was glad we had the opportunity to bond beforehand. Hitting it off personally undoubtedly contributed to that success.

What would you say is the secret to building a strong network?

Be curious. My network is wide as I enjoy forming relationships with diverse people, learning more about their lives, careers, and backgrounds. Having a good relationship with your manager will help. Networking is strategically important for your career, but it can also be fun and rewarding.

What’s your advice for a job seeker looking to stand out in the market?

To have a sense of humour. I’m currently recruiting for a role that is quite narrow, a lot of people have the same CV, background, experiences etc. A little humour helps you cut through and differentiate. Of course, you shouldn’t enter the interview with a clown mask but be yourself. Meeting the real person is fun and makes for an enjoyable workplace.

Also, be ambitious but keep things realistic. I’ve received a high school graduate application for a Tax Manager position once. Don’t waste time if there’s a very slim chance of success…

How did you establish your career development plan and how can people follow your footsteps?

I soon realised I wanted to be a business controller, so I moved consistently in that direction and kept an open dialogue with my manager about my ambitions. When a position became open, he suggested I apply. I experienced ‘imposter syndrome’ for awhile, exposed to different challenges including managing a team for the first time. Overall, it was rewarding, fun and a good development opportunity.

Mentoring is also something that can bring value. Not only being mentored but as a mentor – often you learn through these dialogues, and you realise how different persons perceive things.

Management training is also something which I recommend strongly.

Do you have any tips for achieving a better work-life balance?

At the beginning of your career, work-life balance is more difficult to achieve. But, as with everything else, it is a decision you must make yourself and in collaboration with persons around you. If you decide to take a highly exposed 18 hours a day job, you will experience challenges with work-life balance, but it could be right for you at a certain stage in your life.

Secondly, be transparent with your partner, manager, and team. I have team members who are open about that “At this stage of my life, I’ll work 8 hours and that’s it – I secure my deliveries, but I do not go to after-work activities or events , I want to be with my kids.” As a manager, I know that this is a person I cannot put on a time-critical DD project, but a stable person to deliver routine tasks and feel content with this. Naturally, I also need to look at long-term career paths for these individuals but as for now, it might be the best for all.

Also, some people want to create an image of themselves as always busy and stressed, suggesting that the company depends on them. As a manager, it's important to be aware of this behaviour. Often, these individuals are insecure and require support.

My experience is that it is not the work that makes people burn out, it is often a combination of several personal challenges or life-changing experiences. As a manager, you are responsible for offering support and finding the right person for the role. However, it is always your responsibility to take ownership of your work-life balance. You should have a discussion with your manager but if it doesn’t work you have to make changes.

What’s your advice for those wanting to pivot into a different industry or discipline?

My career has been IT-focussed, but across many different industries including retail and energy. All businesses have their challenges and opportunities; it’s understanding the drivers of the business that provides insight into where you might contribute. I moved into the retail business after a lot of deep analysis; when I first entered a meeting and explained the opportunities as I saw them, it led to a dialogue.

What are some of the key drivers for success at Capgemini?

Firstly, understand the global culture of communication, the does and don’ts. I would say Capgemini is a very fact-based organisation. When reporting to the group I have realised that they are more detail-orientated than you might be used to. So ensure that you have covered the bases, get the full understanding and based your analyses on facts. Even if you think that you're covering all the angles with thorough analysis, you will always receive at least a couple of questions back. Their thoroughness is a strength and prevents potential errors.

The second thing is to understand the culture; get to know the right people, be visible and ensure that you deliver. That will always pay dividends.

Is there a book or podcast you’d recommend?

I read a lot as it’s good for the brain; everything more or less but I prefer popular science books. I would recommend Sapiens or Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari. And if you have not read Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, it’s a must. You should also read stories, novels and fiction to widen your scope. This summer I read among others the Swedish debutant autobiography “Djävla Karlar” – so well written and funny.

What is your favourite quote and why?

“The best way to win a war is to not fight the war.”

When my daughter was in her teens we had a number of verbal disagreements, I read a book called Nonviolent Communication, which is about removing confrontation from dialogue, written by an American psychologist, Marshall Rosenberg. Winning an argument without fighting is rewarding and that’s something I have learned and developed. Asking for and considering the opposing point of view to continue the dialogue is rewarding.

EMEA Recruitment partners with a charity called Operation Smile. What was the last thing that made you smile?

I was in a recruitment situation where one of the recruiters made me laugh in a meeting. The guy got the job!

Thank you to Björn Sjögerås for speaking to Hannah Gibson, Senior Consultant at EMEA Recruitment.

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment. 

Nurten Ozbas is an International Tax Director for EMEA at Uber, based in Amsterdam. Before joining Uber nine-and-half years ago, she was employed by Big 4 accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Nurten shares an insight into Uber’s innovative company culture, mission, and growth journey, along with her most memorable career moments and achievements.

What excites you about working for Uber?

I have worked at Uber for over nine years, and what still excites me is the impact we are making. Our mission is to reimagine the way the world moves by making travel more efficient, more accessible, and more magical. We get the chance to make the world a better place every day - it’s a company that has forever changed the world.

From a Tax perspective, we get to build and look ahead. Since the inception of its operations, Uber has navigated through a labyrinth of challenges posed by the rapid introduction of various tax changes and legislations impacting digital companies like Uber. The dynamic tax (and regulatory) landscape has required us to be agile and resilient.

While our footprint has certainly expanded over the years, I'm just as excited about our mission as I was when I joined. I knew Uber was going to be a very cool company, even though we were very small back then (in 2015).

Uber has become such an important part of people's lives, including mine. You can really see the impact Uber is making, especially in markets like the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, where people rely on dependable transportation. When I travel, I can't imagine not using Uber and I even tell my friends and family to download the app and try it.

During one of my first trips to South Africa, I really got to see how much of an impact we're making. There was a South African driver whose gratitude for the app really touched me. Uber allowed him to drive on a part-time basis between jobs to provide for his family. He said, “When you return to the Netherlands, can you please thank the team on my behalf?” I thought, wow, I'm just part of the Finance team, not the engineering team who built the app.

What are the key drivers to success in Uber that you watch out for the most?

Assuming that people have the required technical skills to join the Tax team, I would say it's important to be curious. Ask a lot of questions and find out what drives those people coming to you with their Tax questions. The more you ask, the more knowledge you gain, helping you connect and advise better – and, of course, have fun while doing it all.

At Uber, we always say you need to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. When I was hired, that was something my hiring manager told me, as growth happens when you step out of your comfort zone, embrace challenges, and face uncertainty.

Uber will definitely challenge you, and - when I look back - I realised I needed to step out of my comfort zone and take on projects outside my area of expertise, pushing me to grow. We're looking for those willing to deal with a very steep learning curve and embrace that.

Can you describe the culture at Uber?

Ambitious, fast-paced, and incredibly diverse.

Not only do we all come from different cultural backgrounds, but each of us brings different working styles and unique contributions. The Tax team alone already represents 14 nationalities, but this also applies to many other teams at Uber. I truly believe diversity is a powerful thing.

What was the most unexpected lesson you learned in your career so far?

I have many. However, the biggest lesson would be to not let fear hold me back - use it to push you forward. When I look at my life, the moments that taught me the most and shaped me as a person and a professional were those when I faced uncertainty and felt slightly nervous.

You’ll learn a lot if you push yourself into the unknown and try new things, new projects, and companies where you don’t feel entirely comfortable.

Is there a specific time that you look back on or a certain occasion that stood out as a turning point for you?

Yes, there are three moments.

First, when I was working at PwC, I did something that most people wouldn’t have considered at the time. After a few years, I told one of the partners that I really wanted to travel before I'm 30. Everyone was like, “Okay, one day…” Little did they know, that day would come much sooner than they ever imagined. So, I took unpaid leave, which was uncommon back then. People (at work and outside work) questioned my decision and wondered if there would still be a job when I returned. But I felt a strong urge to travel and decided to do it.

I went to the Antarctic, because I just woke up and thought, why not? I travelled for four months, which was a really cool experience and shaped me as a person. I got to explore all these new places and meet very exciting people.

When I got back, it was business as usual, so you should never feel insecure or worry about what your future will look like in four months. If you are confident that everything will work out, it will.

The second turning point in my life was my secondment to Turkey. I was asked if I was willing to set up a Dutch desk in Istanbul. I was the first person to go from the Netherlands. I felt uncomfortable, and although I do have a Turkish background, my Turkish is not great. However, I thought, I’m just going to do it, as I had nothing to lose; if it doesn't work out, I will return to PwC Amsterdam.

I really loved it, and it taught me a lot. You also get to build your network and understand the culture even better, including the working culture, while navigating cultural differences. When I came back from Turkey, I was a completely different person.

The third thing that changed me was joining Uber. People made me doubt it, telling me about the great future I could have at PwC, and asking if I wanted to continue focusing on the Turkish market after just returning from the secondment. But then Uber came along, and although I felt it was an uncertain time to join a small company, I knew I was just going to do it.

I know we touched on this, but is there a memorable moment or achievement that stands out for you during your career?

I would definitely say Uber’s IPO in May 2019. It was one of the largest in history.    

It was memorable for me, because we celebrated it with everyone in the office and around the globe. We felt so proud, because every team - whether you're part of the Finance team or any other team at Uber - felt like the hard work paid off and the world had noticed. I can hardly believe that Uber’s IPO was over five years ago. Time really flies, especially at Uber’s speed!    

What advice would you give to someone starting their career in Tax?

There was one particular piece of advice I received at PwC. One of the partners told me, “Don't be afraid to make mistakes, be afraid of not making any.”

I believe mistakes are a great way to learn and unlearn certain things. You gain a lot from even the silliest mistakes. I always tell people at Uber, “It's totally fine to make mistakes – just learn from them and move on. Don't let mistakes hold you back.”

What advice would you give to aspiring leaders and managers?

You're only as good as your team. Teamwork is a crucial part of any business, especially at Uber.

Are there any challenges you’ve faced or lessons you've learned when it comes to managing and leading a team?

It’s important to connect well and listen well. I’m mindful that everyone has different backgrounds, experiences, and their own working style.

You work with different types of people, and for everyone to work well together, they should be mindful that everyone works differently. That doesn’t mean that one style is better than the other one; we should be comfortable highlighting these differences and giving each other constructive feedback.

What's the secret to building a strong network?

My advice would be to make time for it. Also, don't try to impress, just be yourself.

What's your favourite quote or motto and why?

Everyone at Uber will know exactly which of our eight values I am going to pick, as it’s my favourite: Go get it. I have even included it in my email signature as a reminder to myself.

It means bringing the mindset of a champion, seeking out challenging opportunities, whether big or small, cutting through complexity, and just getting the work done. Show up with a can-do attitude, even if you feel as if the finish line is beyond reach. It’s my favourite value and I use it a lot in team meetings and emails.

For my personal life, I like the quote: “Love the life you live, live the life you love” by Bob Marley. It means love everything about your life - the ups, downs, and everything in between. Be grateful for what you have and where you are right now. This quote really relates to me.

What are the current recruitment challenges that you face?

We want to attract, hire, and retain the best and most diverse group of people in the world. In the past, I would only focus on very impressive resumes - does this person have the right experience and the skillset to join the team? But now, I focus more on finding people with the right attitudes and mindsets to take on company challenges.

If you look at our current employees, we’re here because we deeply believe in Uber's mission. That sense of purpose is what unites us, regardless of the team we are in. We also want to hire those who share this passion.

The challenge I sometimes face is navigating through the impressive resumes we receive to select the right people.

How do you separate the resumes from the people? Is there anything that you do specifically, or is it just how they come across in interviews?

We invite team members from different levels and backgrounds to a panel to conduct several rounds of interviews. I mainly focus on whether the candidate is the right fit. I look at how eager they are and how comfortable they are with not knowing what they're going to do.

For example, you could be hired for a specific region, but, in a year’s time, you could be doing something totally different. If that makes you nervous, then you probably aren’t quite the right fit. But, if that excites you, then Uber's going to be an exciting company to work for.

We sometimes invite people to come over for lunch and see the office in person, because we want people to know what they're signing up for. It's not only us assessing that person and whether they're the right fit, but that person also needs to have the same feeling: Do I want to be part of this team? Do I want to work for this hiring manager?

What does life look like for you outside the office?

I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I have two boys, so they keep me busy; most of the time I'm playing soccer and tennis or going to a playground with them.

I haven’t lost my urge to travel; in fact, my wanderlust is as strong as ever. So, whenever there’s a school break, we always try to go somewhere with the kids, allowing us to explore new places.

Thank you to Nurten for speaking to Kieran Hayes, Recruitment Consultant in our Finance & Accountancy recruitment team in the Netherlands.

Views and opinions contained within our Executive Interviews are those of the interviewee and not views shared by EMEA Recruitment.