How to be a business partner, not a support function

Have you ever wondered how an HR director finds her way to the top? In this episode Rewrite The Rules, we speak with Gloria Ngooi, the HR director at Ikano Retail, better known as IKEA. Gloria shares her journey from starting as a recruitment consultant to becoming a key player in HR. She opens up about how she initially wanted to be in sales, how her father’s advice to think outside the box-shaped her approach, and the pivotal moments that led her to HR. Gloria’s insights on leveraging diverse experiences and the importance of speaking up in a male-dominated boardroom are truly inspiring. Tune in to learn about her unique perspective on success and her advice for young women leaders!

Discussion Topics: How to be a business partner

• How did Gloria Ngooi start her career in HR?
• Did she always want to be in HR?
• How does experience in operations benefit a career in HR?
• What challenges do women leaders face in the boardroom?
• How did personal loss shape Gloria’s professional outlook?
• How to handle negative feedback?
• What does success mean to Gloria?
• What advice would Gloria give to her younger self?
• Why is speaking up crucial for women in leadership roles?
• How can organizations support diverse talent?

Our Guest: Gloria Ngooi, Global HR Director, Ikano Retail

With over 20 years of experience in human resource management, Gloria has a track record of building Human Resources function and teams from the ground up. She is a strategic thinker and thought leader who influences and advises leaders as a business partner, fuelling positive organisational development and a high performing culture.

Your Host: Ritu Gupta Mehrish

Ritu Gupta Mehrish is a speaker, executive coach and author, with 20 years of corporate experience working in companies such as P&G, GE Capital and GE spin-off Genpact. In her last role, Ritu ran a multimillion-dollar business vertical with 1000 people across eight countries and five continents. Throughout her extensive career, Ritu has had the opportunity to work, coach and converse with leaders across the globe from diverse industries. Her business and leadership experience has enabled her to bring in a pragmatic approach to leadership development. Her client list of Google, PayPal, Swiss Re, JP Morgan, Applied Materials, Intel, Knight Frank, Johnson & Johnson, AIA, Medtronic, Wharton Executive Education highlights the level of expertise she brings to the leadership topic.

Rajita Saxena is a leader and people manager with over 20 years of business experience in sales, sales support, strategic operations, and learning & development. She builds strong, high-performing teams and believes in being a Level 5 leader to unleash the potential and performance of teams. She thrives in an environment that provides an opportunity to problem solve or create impact, whether it is a situation that is full of change and ambiguity or one that requires creating a strategy.