Learn about the 2025 CHRO of the Year Awards Leaders of Distinction before the winners are announced during the HRO Today Forum EMEA in Lisbon, Portugal this November.
By The Editors
Mai Refaey
Chief People and Transformation Officer
CIT VERICASH
Mai Refaey, chief people and transformation officer at CIT VERICASH, has embedded a values-driven culture into the organisation that has reshaped its identity, improved business outcomes, and enhanced employee well-being. She has introduced a comprehensive employer branding strategy, amplifying the company’s presence to enhance talent attraction; launched engagement programmes such as structured feedback mechanisms and regular pulse checks to improve employee satisfaction; and has championed the redesign of CIT VERICASH’s compensation frameworks with a focus on transparency and internal equity. As a result, overall employee satisfaction has reached 85%, the highest in the company’s history.
Miroslav Halužan
Senior Executive Director of Human Resources and Organisation Group
Privredna banka Zagreb d.d.
Senior Director of Human Resources and Organisation Group Miroslav Halužan has initiated and shaped Privredna banka Zagreb’s (PBZ) employee-centric HR strategy, which emphasises support for work-life balance and promotes inclusivity, community care, and sustainability through personalised and socially responsible HR initiatives. These include remote work allowances, one-time payments for new parents, co-financing graduate and postgraduate studies for employees, and the continuation of specialised employee development programmes. These initiatives have had a significant impact on both employees and operational outcomes.
Maria João Maia
HR & Legal Director
AstraZeneca Portugal
Maria João Maia, HR and legal director at AstraZeneca Portugal, has played a key role in strengthening the organisation’s culture and employee experience. She has implemented several significant HR initiatives, including the adoption of a feedback system that enables employees to share their thoughts openly and transparently. In addition, she has implemented a holistic well-being programme called “BalanAZ” with a focus on supporting the mental health of employees across the business. As a result, AstraZeneca Portugal has seen measurable improvements in job satisfaction, motivation, wellness, and retention.
Omowunmi Mabel Adewusi
Human Resources Director
AXA Mansard
Omowunmi Mabel Adewusi has shifted AXA Mansard’s HR strategy to focus on implementing HR programmes that address business problems and contribute to long-term business objectives. In particular, she has addressed challenges and opportunities presented by generational shifts in the workforce, advocated for the adoption of digital tools, remote work capabilities, and collaboration platforms essential for attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Her leadership initiatives have led to measurable increases in work-life integration, employee engagement, and retention.
Joy Oginni
Director of People and Culture
Moo Hub Technologies
As Director of People and Culture at MooHub Technologies, Joy Oginni has played an instrumental role in reshaping the company’s people strategy, even in a part-time capacity. Oginni developed and executed a framework designed to align talent management with business objectives while focussing the organisation’s culture on inclusion, psychological safety, and continuous development. Under Oginni’s leadership, engagement scores have improved from 46% to 86%, turnover in critical roles has dropped to below 17%, and internal promotions have increased by 30%.
Katie Obi
Chief People Officer
OneAdvanced
Since joining OneAdvanced in 2023 to turn around the company’s underperforming HR function, Chief People Officer Katie Obi has designed and implemented a two-year transformation programme to establish the company’s HR function as a strategic partner driving outcomes. This focussed on enhancing performance objectives, establishing a learning management system, aligning the organisation to new priorities, advancing a new EVP, establishing a new total rewards philosophy, and reimagining the company’s onboarding process. As a result, OneAdvanced has boosted its employee engagement, payroll accuracy, and closed its gender pay gap.
Conni Kunz
CHRO
Fusion GBS
Conni Kunz has made a profound impact on Fusion GBS. As CHRO, Kunz has led the evolution of the company’s people strategy, introducing initiatives focussed on flexible work, employee well-being, and inclusive leadership development. One of her key focus areas involves enhancing the company’s employee benefits to support financial, physical, emotional, and creative well-being. Her strategic leadership has driven cost savings and long-term talent development, lowering agency fees by over 85%.
Emma Cooper
Chief People Officer
System1
As chief people officer at System1, Emma Cooper drove the implementation of departmental and behavioural frameworks across the business in 2024. This approach has impacted all employees, providing increased clarity and transparency on roles and expectations. By providing managers and the senior leadership team with clear guides for their teams to bring into L&D sessions, hiring processes, and team reviews, Cooper’s initiative has improved engagement, strengthened employee development, and helped System1 scale its business by more than 25% while reducing recruitment costs.
Johana TM Hatutale
Executive: Human Capital (CHRO)
Namibian Ports Authority
As CHRO, Johana TM Hatutale has advanced a human capital transformation agenda focussed on renovating Namibian Ports Authority’s culture to drive business efficiency and building a sustainable talent strategy. She led key initiatives including co-creating a “Culture Charter” grounded in the employee voice, establishing the company’s first dedicated employee experience function, and leading an in-house mass recruitment campaign to support business needs. Under her leadership, Namport enhanced retention, hired 83 new employees within 12 months, and increased its engagement index to 69%.
Elsie Coke
Chief People Officer
HomeLink Healthcare
Since joining HomeLink Healthcare as its chief people officer in 2023, Elsie Coke has spearheaded significant transformations, including identifying and rectifying noncompliant HR procedures, enhancing the organisation’s HR policies, and introducing a comprehensive rewards system to boost employee morale and engagement. As a result of her leadership, HomeLink Healthcare has increased staff utilisation from 76% to 90% and increased workforce efficiency to 90%.
Tuğba Akyel Gündüz
CHRO
TOM Bank
Since joining TOM Bank, CHRO Tuğba Gök Nam has transformed the role from a traditional support function to a strategic partner that drives culture, performance, and resilience. She has introduced an integrated performance evaluation system which assesses job performance, skills, values alignment, and contributions to company culture. She has also established a personalised career development programme and worked to digitise the HR function to improve efficiency and engagement. Under her leadership, TOM Bank has increased headcount, managed costs, and helped maintain an inclusive workforce.
Anastasia Dobrovolskaia
Formerly Chief People Officer at Finom
Current Chief People Officer at 3Commas.io
As chief people officer at Finom, Anastasiia Dobrovolskaia led a series of high-impact people and culture initiatives that reshaped the company’s workforce and organisational effectiveness during a rapid scale-up from 150 to nearly 600 employees across Europe. These included a revamp of talent acquisition, organisational design, rewards, DEIB, performance management, and employee relations. Dobrovolskaia led the company’s shift from chaotic operations across over 25 countries to a focussed, compliant presence in four key markets, housing 70% of the company’s workforce. These efforts helped manage costs, improve compliance, boost retention and engagement, and maintain profitability. She is now chief people officer at 3Commas.io.
Evelyne Munyoki
Director, Human Resources
Britam Holdings, PLC
Director of Human Resources Evelyne Munyoki has implemented a values-led culture across Britam Holdings, PLC, directly impacting over 1,000 employees across diverse markets. This transformation involved aligning teams with the company’s purpose, mission, and vision, and embedding cultural leadership at all levels of the business. Munyoki introduced and led an employee development programme aiming to improve confidence, decision-making capabilities, and AI fluency. As a result of her workforce planning and talent initiatives, Britam has seen improved engagement, leadership capability, and wellness programme participation.
Doğan Başar
Chief People Officer
Türkiye Sigorta
Chief People Officer Doğan Başar has worked to spearhead AI adoption at Türkiye Sigorta, creating an “AI Ambassadors Programme” to ensure the company maintains a competitive edge within an ever-evolving business landscape. Under his leadership, Türkiye Sigorta has embarked on a digitalisation project aimed at making processes more efficient, transparent, and employee-centric, implemented an employee feedback model that encourages continuous learning and development, and led a unified culture initiative designed to strengthen employee belonging at every level of the business. Başar’s leadership has improved the company’s profitability and engagement.
Mounir Ichoudane
Corporate Director of Human Resources
Aldau Development
Corporate Director of Human Resources Mounir Ichoudane has been instrumental in transforming workforce and community engagement strategies at Aldau Development, managing the implementation of AI-driven recruitment tools to match candidates with roles that best fit their skills, championing DEI initiatives, and utilising advanced analytics to measure employee engagement. By focussing on resilience building, change management, and company culture, Ichoudane has increased hiring efficiency by 30%, improved employee satisfaction scores by 15%, and maintained a 91% retention rate.
Lauriane Mounard
Regional HRD, Europe
Nord Anglia Education
As Regional HRD, Europe at Nord Anglia Education, Lauriane Mounard has implemented a comprehensive talent review process to establish a structured talent pool and create clear succession pathways across local markets. Under her leadership, the organisation has seen increased digitalisation of HR systems, streamlining operations and enhancing access to data-driven insights. Her efforts have led to measurable improvements in employee engagement and retention, particularly in key talent segments, as well as transparency and employee well-being.
Tahmina Qodiri
Chief People and Business Support Officer
Beeline Kazahstan (part of VEON Group)
Tahmina Qodiri, chief people and business support officer at Beeline Kazakhstan, has led the reimagining of the organisation’s learning ecosystem by equipping leaders with adaptive management skills and upskilling employees in technologies like AI, robotic process automation, and low-code development. Qodiri’s team has created an ownership culture at Beeline Kazakhstan, empowering employees to think creatively and act proactively. This cultural and digital transformation has impacted business outcomes, reducing turnover, improving engagement, and boosting the company’s EVP.
Gloria Byamugisha
Group Chief Human Resources Officer
Dangote Cement Plc
As Group CHRO for Dangote Cement Plc, Gloria Byamugisha has led several initiatives to improve business performance, employee experience, and operational efficiency across the organisation’s global workforce. These include the implementation of an employee medical fund to support treatments not covered by HMO plans, which has improved morale, enhanced Dangote Cement’s EVP, and reinforced the company’s commitment to employee wellness. Her leadership has generated cost savings of up to $5 million, enhanced employee experience by 22%, and increased job satisfaction by 73%.
Mohammed Alwaibari
CHRO
Al Othaim – Life
Mohammed Alwaibari has taken a comprehensive approach to HR throughout his tenure at Al Othaim – Life. As chief human resources officer, Alwaibari has successfully developed the “Dreamers” HR plan aligned with the organisation’s expansion strategy, supporting its scaling from 84 stories to over 1,000 planned by 2028. He helped increase headcount from 350 to 2,700 within a year and implemented onboarding programmes tailored for quick integration. This strategy has had a direct positive impact on business outcomes by improving key metrics, including payroll cost reduction and revenue growth.
Clotilde Tesón Ruiz
Europe and Asia Talent and Culture, CSR, and Sustainability Director
Draxton
Clotilde Tesón Ruiz has led a transformation of Draxton’s HR function through several strategic initiatives, including the creation of a sustainability department, which anticipates regulatory changes in the automotive industry and addresses environmental responsibility. She has also restructured the company’s talent acquisition strategy with a focus on employer branding and developed an in-house L&D team focussed on building a future-ready workforce. Draxton’s Europe and Asia Talent and Culture, CSR, and Sustainability Director has increased engagement by 28% and quality applications by 30%.
Andrew Stephenson
Chief People Officer
Equiniti
As chief people officer for Equiniti, Andrew Stephenson has transformed the organisation into a product-led enterprise within the financial services industry. His dynamic people strategy—aligned with business objectives—focusses on digitisation to drive efficiency, develop strong leadership capabilities, and attract and retain an engaged workforce. As a result of this organisational redesign, Equiniti posted its first profit since its 2021 acquisition in 2024, boosted its employee engagement, reduced turnover by 4%, and improved feedback mechanisms.
Check back here daily to learn more about this year’s Leaders of Distinction!
