Fatema El-Wakeel, PhD Researcher, MBA, CMA’s Post

“What’s your Purpose?”. It's a simple question but one that’s quite hard to answer. Yet, if you walk the corridors of Unilever, you’ll find most people answering this question with ease. Unilever invests time and money to encourage employees to explore their purpose. The thinking is that real magic happens when you are clear about your individual purpose and are then able to link this to the organization’s purpose. In 2012, I had the opportunity to unearth my purpose in a leadership programme run by the amazing Nick Craig. In a very structured manner, I was taken back through formative childhood experiences as well as many crucible moments (challenging moments that defined my life trajectory both professional and personal). Through a facilitated process of deep reflection on my passions as a child and also how I overcame these crucibles, I defined my purpose – “to inspire others to reach the Utopia they thought they couldn’t get to!!!”. Since then, I’ve administered the process multiple times to my teams and myself, building deep and meaningful connections with my colleagues. I am able to better understand the actions and motivations and get the best of my team members when I know their individual purpose. Being able to articulate your purpose is already an amazing feeling, but it's totally something else to take actions to live your purpose every day. I've been fortunate to do this at work, home, and in my community. Speaking recently with Nick, he once again stumped me with a new question - “how are you living your purpose for yourself?”. So don’t wait. Start now - “Whats your purpose and how are you living it everyday?” #uniquelyunilever

✅ Unilever Business Week Day 3 done! Learned so much about marketing and career during the talk with Unilever leaders :) Sharing some of them here: A. On Career - Start with a clear perspective of what you want to do - Collaborate with the company by communicating what you want with your line manager. - Embrace failure but also put in your best work - Do what you want to do but don't get trapped in the rat race - Think long-term B. On Marketing, specifically insighting - A real insight is a universal truth - Find a good way to do consumer connect (e.g. watching films of a specific country) - Provocation and debates are important - Leverage technology! - Levergage local expertise - Look for something scaleable Also got our varsity jackets for this year's Business Week yay! Thank you so much Unilever :) #UniquelyUnilever #UnileverPhilippines #UnileverBusinessWeek2024

When I look at the year 2023, I see one thing that goes across all months and initiatives, professionally as well as personally; TEAMING! #ItTakesAVillage "Teaming is collaboration and coordination to get important things done without the luxury of stable membership," Amy Edmondson My Top 8 Highlight's of 2024 💥 Riyadh, Oman & Dubai in Jan to understand the context for D&I and Women's Rights. 💥 The launch of #MyStory and #WeAreAllArlaTalks where we have talked about Women's Day, Religion, being an expat, Pride, Allyship, Mental Health and Critical Illness. Our stories and talks reached 3500 colleagues globally with our talkshows and 4300 with our stories. 💥 In March and April, I took some time off to travel the world - Singapore, Australia and Bali with my kids, Mom and stepdad. It was an amazing journey exploring different cultures and leaning back, trusting what comes next. 💥 I talked about the way, we see Diversity & Inclusion in Arla Foods at a conference in Industriens Hus. The event was hosted by DI - Dansk Industri & Goodtalks. Arla Foods won in the category HR/CSR/D&I Leader of the year. I am so proud of, what we all have achieved together. 💥 Arla Foods hosted an event at Handlingsskibet discussing different lenses to D&I in a panel with Dansk Industri Pernille Erichsen, Solsikken 💥Stine Ringvig Marsal💥 and Deloitte Michael Vad facilitated by Katja Iversen. We were trying to get a better understanding of the challenges and how we solve them! Also, Dansk Industri hosted an event at Ledelsesscenen; "How to attract and engage ALL (diverse) talents?" 💥 All year, we built on our "Milky Way" of doing Diversity & Inclusion with 1) Dashboards showing employee lifecycle data, 2) Dialogue tools & 3) Testing, failing & improving. 💥 We built two different workshop concepts aiming at changing the language. The first, "Inclusion starts with I" is building on the way, we see Leadership in Arla. You need to understand and lead yourself before you can understand and lead others. More that 900 Senior Leaders, Leaders and colleagues has now had this conversation with a satisfaction score of 5 out of 6. Next year, we are rolling out "Inclusive Culture IS US" with a focus on Psychological Safety, Allyship and (Non) Inclusive Language and behaviour. It takes a village. And without our Leaders leaning in and the support of our HR Community, this was not possible. 💥 Networks and support for Senior Leader Women in a concept called #EmpowHER! I know. All trained professionals across the practice area DEIB told me not to. There is "no evidence" for this. It might be true. But when you use data for that conclusion, you also need to look at context, conditions and sincerity. I have had so much positive feedback from our women across Senior Leadership on our initiative and the fact that they now serve as a sounding board for our EMT. Thank you ALL for a fantastic 2023! Thank you for all the great collaboration, partnerships & new friendships!

🌟Assertive yet Kind. Not only Thrive but also Adaptive 🌟 We had the privilege of joining a coffee chat with our ASEAN SVP Vijayanand Sinha who shared invaluable insights from his extensive experience as a country manager and his journey with Reckitt. His words were not only inspiring but also deeply insightful. During our conversation, he highlighted the importance of being assertive yet kind. He emphasized that we should confidently share our opinions, backed by facts and evidence, while maintaining respect and empathy for others. This balance is crucial for fostering a positive and productive work environment. He also shared his belief that to thrive globally, especially in the diverse ASEAN market, adaptability is key. He encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones and be willing to work across different regions. This global mindset is essential for personal and professional growth. Reflecting on his journey, he said he joined Reckitt because it is agile, fast, and entrepreneurial - exactly what he was looking for. His advice to himself, if he could go back to his first day at Reckitt, was to embrace these qualities fully and practice assertive kindness every day. A special thank you to our GM Alpana Titus and HR director Jarunate Pintusan for organizing this insightful session. What resonated with me the most was his emphasis on cross-regional collaboration and adaptability. It's a powerful reminder that our growth isn't confined to our home country but extends across borders. This session has reinforced my commitment to being more adaptable and open to new challenges. Thanks again for this enriching experience. Let's continue to strive for excellence and kindness in everything we do! #Leadership #CareerGrowth #Adaptability #Reckitt #Inspiration

Have you ever considered your profound impact as a leader when guiding the young generation at the inception of their career journeys? Today i had the privelege to live my purpose and take part in the development journey of our young unilever future leaders, sharing my career journey and hacks as follows: 1. Identify your life’s purpose and seek the deeper meaning behind your actions—what motivates you each day. If your job or environment doesn’t support your values or purpose, it likely isn’t the right fit for you. 2. Embrace early experimentation; take risks while you have the chance, especially while you’re young. 3. Take charge of your destiny and future by actively pursuing risks that foster learning and growth. 4. Build your baby’s curiosity to stay future fit. 5. Relish the journey of your professional life and make the most of every experience. Welcome onboard my dear colleagues, welcome to a place where your brilliance will shine and dreams will flourish. Welcome to Unilever🙏 #unileveregypt #unilever #unileverlebanon

Earlier this week, together with a few of Talent Acquisition team members Rachna R. and Mitchell Arts from The HEINEKEN Company we participated in the Global People #DiversityDinner. Under the inspiring motto of 'Food Brings People Together,' Global People organised the largest diversity dinner in the Netherlands, bringing together around 30 employers and 350 diverse young professionals through objective recruitment by The Selection Lab —no old-fashioned CVs, just intelligent, scientifically substantiated, talent-driven matching. You might wonder, how does this work? The Diversity Dinner is all about "sitting down at the table" with top multicultural talents. The concept is simple: each company hosts eight candidates who meet their organization’s requirements. In our case, we looked for individuals embodying our HEINEKEN Behaviours outlined below: 1️⃣ Play to win and celebrate success 2️⃣ Deliver the goods 3️⃣ Think consumers first 4️⃣ Make courageous moves 5️⃣ Champion a culture of belonging 6️⃣ Learn, share, and reapply 7️⃣ Have real conversations 8️⃣ Embrace learning and growth Throughout the evening, we engaged with these talented individuals, sharing our personal experiences at The HEINEKEN Company and discussing what we seek in future team members. We also offered tips on interview preparation and how to articulate the unique value they can bring to an organisation. I am incredibly proud to work for a company that is committed to becoming an inclusive, fair, and equitable organisation. At The HEINEKEN Company, we believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion sparks joy and fosters a sense of true togetherness. 🌍💚 Looking forward converting a few of these talents into The HEINEKEN Company and teams. #DiversityDinner #Inclusion #Diversity #TheHEINEKENCompany #Togetherness #TalentAcquisition

As you know, I am looking for a new job and considering different areas of HR — I am ready for new opportunities! This process allows me to reconsider my priorities, and my main focus is DE&I within a company. I am confident that in today's business landscape, prioritizing DE&I isn't just the right thing to do—it's a strategic imperative! Diverse-by-design teams, which blend various skills, identities, and experiences, are driving innovation and solving complex business problems more effectively. Why DE&I is important? ✅ Diverse teams outperform homogenous ones in decision-making 87% of the time and are 70% more likely to capture new markets (Korn Ferry). ✅ Barilla and MSCI showcase how inclusive teams foster groundbreaking ideas and higher engagement. Barilla’s Legumotti and MSCI’s hybrid work model were direct results of inclusive and diverse collaboration. ✅ As automation takes over routine tasks, diverse teams are crucial for tackling complex challenges. Inclusive leadership and removing barriers are essential for activating the full potential of these teams. What do you think about this? Is it important for you to work in a diverse environment? #openforjob #jobsearch #diversity #inclution #internationalteam

One of my favourite things about Unilever is its high level of commitment to empowering its people. But what exactly does empowerment entail? For me, there are multiple dimensions to this. It starts with the profound belief that the organization has in your abilities, sometimes even before you fully believe in yourself. Then, it's about the trust vested in you to exercise due diligence in every scenario and make decisions that best serve the interests of the company. And lastly, it's about the organization standing behind your choices and affording them the space to unfold. At Unilever, empowerment isn’t just a buzzword. It is the cornerstone of our culture and I see it playing out every day and everywhere. #UniquelyUnilever #Empowerment #Unilever

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭?   In yesterday's Value Talk, CPO Friederike Prasuhn and COO Jan Kleine-Lasthues discussed one - and in my opinion the most important - of our corporate values: 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆.   In a one-hour session with more than 150 participants from all over the world, they gave a very personal and emotional insight into their personal caring story during their time at Hellmann. 📖   A survey that was launched weeks earlier showed that our culture is very strongly characterized by being caring with each other. But we will not rest on our laurels. In an industry that is characterized by a fast pace and internationality, new challenges and issues are constantly arising. With a corporate culture that is caring towards our colleagues, customers, business partners and the world that surrounds us, we are well equipped for the future. 🙏🏼   #hellmannworldwidelogistics #hellmannculture

Big thanks to my daughter for sharing this picture! Felt apt for any Monday morning and particularly one where I am trying to keep jetlag at bay after returning from the UK. As a fervent coffee lover (and advocate for love at work), it's only natural that I would take this to heart - so I have had two coffees so far and this has inspired me to think about how we can better leverage these 'love languages' at work with simple expressions of recognition and gratitude. Here we go: Affirmation: "You did a great job on that presentation" - A few kind words can go a long way in boosting morale and showing how you value someone's hard work. I can attribute many of my courageous career moves to the words and wisdom of people I am lucky enough to call mentors and who affirmed their belief in me. Acts of service: "I handled the meeting notes for you" - Helping out with some of the less exciting but critically important tasks or responsibilities shows you're willing to go the extra mile to support your team. And it role models the right behavior - no one is too good to 'sweep the sheds' (thankyou AllBlacks for that one). Gifts: "I baked a cake/made tea/created awards for the team" - There will be many who will cringe at this - ie "surely if I do this, it will it diminish my authority". Personally, I think this is rubbish. Being crap at your job diminishes your authority! Thoughtful tokens, no matter how small, can make someone feel valued and appreciated. Quality time: "Let's catch up over lunch." - Spending time together to connect and discuss ideas can build stronger relationships and a better working environment. During the pandemic, I was energised by the many 'walks and talks" that continue today. Physical touch: "High-five for a job well done!" - While the office hug might need to be taken with caution, a friendly high-five or a pat on the back can be a real motivator. How do you show appreciation at work?  #coffeeappreciation #lovelanguages #loveisthenewcorporatecurency #uniquelyunilever Unilever YPO WWF Global Sisters