Ankit Aneja on commercial HR, multicultural leadership and building high-performing organisations
Ankit Aneja
Group Director HR – GCC, India & Africa, Sporty Group
The central challenge is balancing global consistency with local relevance.
In this Leadership Gazette conversation, Ankit Aneja explores what distinguishes a truly high-performing People function, how HR earns credibility as a strategic business partner, and why leading across diverse markets requires shared principles, local ownership and sound judgment.
1 . What do you believe are the key characteristics of a truly high-performing People function in today’s rapidly evolving business environment?
For me, a high-performing People function combines commercial understanding, reliable execution and credible data. It anticipates workforce needs, translates business priorities into clear people actions and measures whether those actions improve capability, engagement and performance. It must also remain close to employees and managers. Policies and technology create consistency, but judgment, trust and accountability determine whether the function adds real value.
2. Having worked across multiple regions, what are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in managing people across diverse cultures and markets?
The central challenge is balancing global consistency with local relevance. Employment practices, labour markets, cultural expectations and communication styles differ significantly across the GCC, Africa and India. A model that works in one market cannot simply be replicated elsewhere. The opportunity is equally significant: diverse teams bring broader perspectives, stronger local insight and better decision-making. I focus on establishing common principles and standards while allowing local teams sufficient ownership to adapt execution responsibly.
3. How can HR leaders move beyond being a support function and become a true strategic partner to the business?
HR becomes a strategic partner when it understands how the business creates value and connects people decisions directly to that model. This requires moving beyond activity reporting to evidence-based advice on workforce capability, productivity, organisational risk, succession and leadership effectiveness.
In my experience, credibility comes from combining sound judgment with data, presenting clear options and trade-offs, and taking shared accountability for business outcomes rather than limiting HR’s role to policy or process.
4. What distinguishes organisations that successfully build a strong culture while continuing to deliver ambitious business results?
The strongest organisations do not treat culture and performance as competing priorities. They translate values into observable leadership behaviours, clear expectations and consistent decisions on hiring, development, recognition and accountability.
In a distributed, multicultural organisation, communication and leadership visibility become especially important. A strong culture is not defined by statements alone; it is reflected in how decisions are made, how performance is managed and whether employees experience fairness, clarity and trust while the business continues to move at pace.
5. What advice would you give to emerging HR leaders who aspire to lead People functions across multiple countries or regions?
Build business depth before seeking geographic breadth. Understand the operating model, financial drivers and workforce risks, then learn the legal and cultural context of each market without assuming that one solution fits all.
Listen carefully to local teams, but retain clear regional principles and governance. I would also encourage emerging leaders to strengthen their analytical capability, communicate with precision and remain comfortable challenging assumptions. Multi-country leadership requires curiosity, adaptability and the judgment to know what should be standardised and what must remain local.
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