Khadija Ben Hammada, Merck’s Chief People Officer, did not have a grand master plan for a high flying career in human resources. But having found the function, through curiosity, hard work, and a fascination with people, she believes she is working in one of the most important parts of any organisation.
Born and raised in France from a Moroccan family, she always felt she was able to access the ‘best of both worlds’, a view which has informed her work throughout her life. “Being part of two cultures taught me to see different perspectives,” she says.
She set out to study psychology with an initial aspiration to teach, however this was swiftly side tracked when she enrolled on a business studies course. Within that course there was a small HR module which would change the direction of her life.
“It was the perfect fit for me,” she admits. Add this interest to her natural customer-oriented and competitive streak – born from working a series of jobs throughout her studies – and she soon developed a combination of commercial drive and people focus that would become a defining feature of her career.
The best candidate isn’t necessarily the best person overall. It’s the best person for a certain culture, in a certain place, at a certain time.”
Having finished her studies she joined the world of executive search in Paris, recruiting for some of the world’s largest companies, including L’Oréal and Yves Saint Laurent. The experience taught her a lesson that still shapes her leadership philosophy today.
“Recruitment isn’t about finding the best people,” she says. “It’s about understanding your customer, the context and what they need at that moment. The best candidate isn’t necessarily the best person overall. It’s the best person for a certain culture, in a certain place, at a certain time.”
A Career Built Across Continents
Khadija’s move to Merck came through her recruitment practice. Around 16 years ago she found herself working as a headhunter for an executive search firm’s Danish operation. She pitched to fill a particular role that had been vacant for six months but was told that the company already had a recruitment partner.
“My response was that they couldn’t be very good if the role had been open for six months,” she laughs.
The result was not just winning the assignment, but being offered a place in the company.
Again Khadija’s hard working and enthusiastic streak worked well for her and she quickly rose through the ranks, transforming recruitment operations across Europe and the United States. The work exposed her to increasingly complex business projects – supporting major acquisitions and building a stronger talent strategy.
With talent management becoming increasingly important to the organisation, 2015 saw Khadija move to the business’ headquarters, in Darmstadt, Germany, focusing on high-potential talent and leadership development. Less than three years later, she relocated again – this time to Singapore – to become an HR Business Partner supporting operations across Asia.
This experience culminated in a role as Chief of Staff to the CEO, a position she describes as one of the most formative of her career. The role offered her an insight into leadership positions and this learning experience led to her appointment three and a half years later, as Chief Human Resources Officer. In this role she held a clear ambition: to show the company what great HR could look like.
