What does it take for someone to be a great leader? Think over it and you’ll zero down to attributes like open mindedness, fast decision making, hard work, teamwork, determination, dedication and so many other skills. Now pause and think if ‘gender’ crossed your mind. Chances are high that you didn’t even think about it because gender doesn’t matter. While it should not be a factor that determines leadership, our so-called traditional mindsets have been at the forefront in curtailing the freedom and opportunities for women who aspire to achieve. Overcoming all the biases with centuries of efforts, women have now started to establish themselves in the boardrooms and the turning point to this has begun with Globalization. It came as a boon for Indian women as it opened the floodgates for equal opportunities at an international level.

Breaking biases and boundaries, women are now the torchbearers of the new-age business world. Today, they are marching ahead and making in-roads to global careers that they have dreamt of! A few courageous women have already donned the cap of being leadership-level professionals and we take huge pride in appreciating the enormous efforts of these women leaders. Recognizing Hema Pande as such an inspiring professional, we present an exclusive interview with her. She is currently the woman at the forefront in business strategy, employee engagement, change management, leadership and culture at Petrochem Middle East, the largest independent chemical trader & distributor in the Middle East and Africa region and 11^th largest in the world.

Women Entrepreneur India admires her leadership and appreciates her contribution to the ever-evolving HR sector across geographies. We take pride to engage in an exclusive conversation with this inspiring leader. In the interview, she looks back on her illustrious career and shares inspiring thoughts. Below are the excerpts.

Take us through your educational and professional background before joining Petrochem.

I come from a commerce background with a master’s degree in Human Resources. I’m also a Hogan practitioner focusing on identifying performance risks and increasing productivity by hiring the right people and developing them. My professional journey began as a Management Trainee with Zee Group in 2002 in India. After a six-year stint at Citigroup, I joined as HR Head at NIVEA India, a Beiersdorf group company. I led the function for seven years, scaling up business significantly along with the leadership team. I got an opportunity to move to a role in Dubai with NIVEA as Organizational Development Director to lead talent management & leadership development across the region spanning Russia, Turkey, Africa, Middle East and India. I led this role for three years before joining Petrochem in September 2020. It has been a rewarding journey of maximizing organizational success so far.

“I believe that with open and transparent communication, we can cultivate loyalty and peak performance while aligning teams to achieve a common objective”

What motivated you to venture into a company which is one of the largest independent chemical distributors in the Middle East?

While I had put my thoughts on figuring out some exciting opportunities, Petrochem was looking for an HR head to work closely with the business and take the company to the next level of growth with people, processes and structures. Focusing on the people factor, working closely with a passionate leadership team and developing competencies for next level growth while being in a dynamic industry seemed interesting enough to push me to be part of the futuristic journey with Petrochem.

Having vast experience in human resources, how have your extensive learnings helped you in your current journey?

For over 10-12 years now, I have been leading HR for sizable organizations. My major interventions have been with leadership teams; making them more effective and equipping them to add more value because businesses grow through people. Essentially, this experience is holding me in good stead at Petrochem as well. In my previous stint, I was exposed to International HR processes, handled multicultural and multinational workforce, and helped teams collaborate. Having worked with diverse people practices and policies from different parts of the world is helping me understand the various levers of business and enabling me to promote people-driven growth.

What are the various roles & responsibilities that you currently shoulder at Petrochem Middle East? How do you drive growth as an HR leader?

Today’s HRs are not just confined to recruitment and employee welfare. They are experts in Strategic Partnering, Diversity & Inclusion, Multi Stakeholder Engagement, Digitalization, Coaching, Performance Management in a fiercely competitive landscape, Change Management and Culture Building in an organization.

Within the HR domain, my current focus is on working closely with the leaders & next level managers in building trust, accountability and fostering a collaborative, inclusive community at the company. My primary role lies in strategizing how people can contribute to the business growth while setting goals for me and my team. At any given point in time, an HR professional takes on multiple roles based on the organization’s need and I believe that adaptability is the key. I have had the good fortune of juggling many roles throughout my career without losing focus on the impact I want to make; the one which I have personally found immensely satisfying is promoting and achieving the organization's objectives and adding value to an employee’s career.

People are the assets for growth, and it requires the right HR processes and a strong image as an employer of choice with a conducive workplace for people to perform. While focusing on the digitization of processes, we create career trajectories for people to grow as well. We do have a great commitment to our people’s health and safety.

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring within your respective field of work?

I think, being in HR itself is an advantage to stay updated because the position propels me to collaborate with diverse stakeholders of the company & community outside. I believe in learning from people around us and often insightful coffee chats with people from different roles & geographies help me. I’m also an active part of HR networks in Dubai; staying in contact with ex-colleagues to understand what's going on in different industries. In my opinion, learning alone is not enough. It’s crucial to implement the things we have learned, make knowledge sharing among colleagues easy & exciting, experiment with new ways of working. With that said, I try to implement new and innovative practices in our system to make the company stay vibrant, agile and abreast with the market trends.

As a successful corporate leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls aspiring to become HR leaders in the future?

It may sound cliché, but it’s immensely important to believe in yourself. Women are also full of potential and they should have aspirations, whatever be the odds. Have big goals and follow through with the actions till you succeed. Be courageous to call out the biases and barriers, ask to be included in decision making to grow your career- this builds an inclusive culture for other women too. Specifically speaking of HR leaders, they should embrace a strong base of values as they are the only resources trusted by both employees and the management. We need to have a growth-centric mindset and at the same time be empathetic and proactive personalities who can really listen!

Hema Pande, Group Head – HR, Petrochem Middle East

Hema is a dynamic leader focusing on scaling Petrochem with value-driven culture, positivity, empowerment, equal opportunity, compliance orientation, flexibility, accountability, health, and safety. Throughout her career, Hema has progressed consistently, enjoying increasingly senior positions while adding tangible value to organisations. As an inspiring people leader, she designs and executes innovative strategies which make a visible and tangible impact on employees and the organization. Hema’s core Competencies are strategy, business partnering & coaching for growth - through which she enables companies and businesses to excel in their goals.