Hanan Ibrahim
Chief People and Culture Officer, Al Ahly For Real Estate Development
In conversation with Hanan Ibrahim, Chief People and Culture Officer, Al Ahly For Real Estate Development
For Hanan Ibrahim, people strategy begins with understanding where the business is going—and building the leadership capability required to take it there. As Chief People and Culture Officer at Al Ahly For Real Estate Development, she views HR not as a support function operating on the sidelines, but as an active business partner shaping leadership, strengthening engagement and helping people navigate change with clarity. In this conversation with The Leadership Gazette, Hanan discusses the impact of leadership academies, the importance of honest communication during transformation and why meaningful employee engagement must ultimately be owned by leaders—not HR alone.
1 . Can you share an HR initiative you have led that had a measurable impact on business performance?
One of the initiatives I am particularly proud of was the launch of two Leadership Academies. The objective was not simply to deliver leadership training, but to build the capabilities and leadership pipeline the business needed for its next stage of growth. I have always believed that leadership development should be treated as a business investment, not an HR programme. We wanted to develop leaders who could think beyond their own functions, understand the commercial side of the business, lead change, make better decisions and take genuine ownership of business results. The academies were therefore designed around business needs. They combined leadership development with real organisational challenges and gave participants exposure to senior leaders, strategic thinking, financial and commercial acumen, stakeholder management, innovation and change leadership. Most importantly, participants were expected to apply what they learned. The clearest measure of success was what happened afterwards. Participants began taking on broader responsibilities, moving into larger roles, contributing to strategic priorities and emerging as stronger successors for future leadership positions. The initiative also changed the conversation between HR and the business. HR was no longer simply providing training; we were helping the organisation build the leadership capability required to deliver its strategy. It reinforced something I strongly believe: HR creates the greatest value when it understands where the business is going and builds the people capability to get it there.
2 . How do you build trust and transparency within an organisation, especially during periods of change?
For me, trust comes from consistency between what you say and what you do. That becomes even more important during periods of change, when people naturally experience questions, uncertainty and concern. I believe in communicating early and honestly, even when we do not yet have every answer. I would rather tell employees, “This is what we know today, this is what we are still working through, and this is when we will come back to you,” than create a false sense of certainty. Listening is equally important. Transparency should not be limited to communication flowing from the top. It must also involve creating space for people to ask difficult questions, challenge decisions and speak openly about what they are experiencing. During transformation, people need clarity and structure. They need to understand what is changing, why it is changing, what it means for them and what will happen next. Even when you cannot give someone the answer they want, providing clarity and treating them with respect can make a significant difference. I see my role as representing both the voice of the business and the voice of the employee. Sometimes that means challenging leaders, initiating difficult conversations and helping the organisation understand change from the employee’s perspective. People do not expect organisations to stand still. What they expect is for leaders to be honest, present and consistent when circumstances are changing. That is how I try to lead—with transparency, empathy and accountability.
3 . Which HR initiatives have had the greatest impact on employee engagement?
The initiatives that create the strongest engagement are those that make people feel valued, heard and genuinely invested in. The Leadership Academies are a good example. Beyond the learning itself, they gave employees visibility, access to senior leaders and opportunities to work on real business challenges. More importantly, they demonstrated that the organisation believed in their potential and saw them as part of its future. Creating genuine opportunities for employees to have a voice has also had a strong impact. Listening is important, but acting on what you hear is what builds credibility. Whether feedback comes through engagement surveys, focus groups, leadership conversations or everyday interactions, employees need to see that their views matter. Recognition is another essential part of engagement. People want to know that their contribution is noticed. Recognition can be financial, but it can also mean giving someone greater visibility, broader responsibility, a meaningful development opportunity or simply acknowledging the impact they have made. Most importantly, I do not see engagement as an HR programme. It is a leadership responsibility. HR can create the environment and provide the tools, but employees ultimately engage with their leaders, their teams and the organisation’s purpose. Real engagement is achieved when people do more than simply come to work. They care about what they are building, believe they can make a difference and want to be part of the organisation’s future.
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