Page 14 - InTheLoop(April-June2020)

in the spotlight

Interview with Saira Khan, Sr. GM Strategic HR, Learning &
Development

Brief introduction of yourself.
I am an IBA graduate with a professional experience
spanned over 24 years in the industry. I have worked with
prestigious companies like Pfizer, Abbott, Becton Dickinson,
Dawlance, Kansai Paint, and Sharif Group in senior HR
and Business Strategy roles.

What are the fundamentals of your work style?
• Timeline & Result Oriented

• Ethics & Accountability
• Encourage Learning & Development in my team and
focus on developing high potential talent

• Encourage creativity, out of the box thinking & love to
take on challenges

How interesting has been your journey with
Interloop?

Interloop’s history and its phenomenal growth, its trend
setting in sustainability, operations and so many initiatives
were and continue to be, a fascinating learning experience.
Having worked in various industries in Karachi and Lahore,
and the textile industry, working in Faisalabad is a first for
me. A different culture, different industry, and different city
have all been a new journey. My work is interesting &
challenging, my team is warm and welcoming, and the What has been the most incredible moment of
organization has really facilitated me in settling down. your life?
Which personality has inspired you the most in There have been so many, personal as well as
your life? professional. It is difficult to pin it down to a single moment.
In my personal life, my father is my inspiration. In my Where do you see the department in the next
professional life, there have been quite a few. Leena Nair, five years?
CHRO Unilever and Prof Dave Ulrich have inspired me in
HR, while in business, Warren Buffet and Jack Ma have For IL Way People, I see a lot of focus on our talent
inspired me the most. management framework, the performance management
system, and a solid succession planning system in the
How do you manage your work-life balance? organization. For Learning & Development; E-Learning
and competency training, both virtual and classroom, an
During weekdays, my work takes up most of my time. After effective job rotation system, and coaching/mentoring at all
I unplug myself from work, I indulge in my hobby of gem levels. For business strategy; an in-depth strategic
faceting and like spending time with my family. I am also planning system designed to optimize value for all the
following a physical fitness regime in the evenings. stakeholders. In all these areas, data analytics and metrics
will play a key role.
Do you recall any interesting incident that
happened to you at Interloop? What advice would you like to give to your
Well, there are many but the first one that was amusing younger colleagues?
and also caught me off guard was when I was awarded the Work smart. Spend a lot of time in planning and keep in
"funniest performer" award in the BPW fun day event on mind that execution is the key. Invest in personal
my 4th day at Interloop with all the senior management development (upskilling) and know where you want to be in
present. I still do not know why I received it. the future.

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