Nermeen is a seasoned HR Executive and Transformation Leader with over 20 years of progressive experience building and leading high-impact HR functions across global and regional markets including Egypt, UK, GCC, and MENA. Her career spans diverse sectors as Technology (SaaS), Telecom (VAS), Real Estate Development, Construction, Facility Management, Hospitality, Restaurants, Sports, Oil & Gas. Nermeen has a strong record of aligning people, performance, and culture to enable strategic growth, scalability, and IPO readiness, and a proven track record of designing HR functions from the ground up and embedding strategic, high-impact people practices.
We are delighted that Nermeen will be speaking in Cairo as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East in January. We caught up with her to see how she’s feeling in the runup to the event.
Hi Nermeen, we are thrilled that you will be joining us at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East in January. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
Thank you, I’m genuinely excited to join this conversation. Today, I’m doing well… balanced, hopeful, and grateful. Like many leaders, I try to practice the same wellbeing habits we advocate for: boundaries, rest, meaningful human connection, and purpose. Some days we succeed more than others… and that’s okay. What matters is awareness and consistency.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
I see three main challenges across the region:
- Stigma around mental health: Despite progress, many employees still hesitate to seek help because they fear being judged or negatively evaluated. Creating psychological safety is still a work in progress.
- Workload pressure & burnout: In fast-growing or transformation-heavy organisations, people are simply tired. The “always on” culture is very real, especially in service industries, hospitality, tech, and retail.
- Capability gaps among managers: Most managers were never trained on empathy, emotional intelligence, or recognising early signs of burnout. Wellbeing collapses when the line manager lacks the skills to support people.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
Several practical and impactful shifts:
- A move from programs to culture: Companies now understand that wellbeing isn’t an HR initiative — it’s a leadership responsibility built into how we work, not an activity we run once a quarter.
- Data-driven wellbeing: More organisations are using engagement surveys, pulse checks, absenteeism patterns, and exit interview analytics to identify burnout hotspots and track improvement.
- Real flexibility: Not “work from home whenever you like,” but structured flexibility that balances business need with personal need. When I talk about real flexibility, I don’t mean “work from home whenever you like.” That kind of unstructured freedom often creates chaos, unfairness, and unmet business needs. Real flexibility is structured flexibility — choice with clarity. It means creating arrangements that support both the organisation and the human being behind the role.
For office roles, it could be:
- Clear collaboration days and flexible days
- Core hours everyone is available
- Remote work with agreed expectations
For frontline roles — who are usually forgotten in this conversation — flexibility looks different:
- Predictable schedules
- Shift swapping
- Compressed workweeks
- Extra rest after high-peak seasons
Flexibility is not about where you work — it’s about having some control over how you work, within a structure that keeps the business strong. That’s what prevents burnout and creates fairness and belonging.
- Manager capability building: Workshops for managers on empathy, coaching conversations, and early intervention are becoming mainstream.
- Employee support services: Anonymous counselling, mental health hotlines, and access to therapists are becoming more common especially in progressive companies.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
For me, wellbeing is personal long before it became professional. I’ve seen talented people burn out quietly. I’ve seen how personal struggles outside the workplace impact performance inside it. I’ve seen how culture—good or bad—affects a person’s identity, confidence, and sense of belonging. As a leader, and as a mother, and as someone who has supported communities through difficult circumstances, I’ve learned that people can only thrive when they feel safe, valued, supported, and seen. Wellbeing is not a perk, it’s dignity.
What impact is AI having in your organization and how are you managing that?
AI has two simultaneous impacts:
1. Positive impact:
- It reduces repetitive workload
- Enhances productivity
- Supports decision-making
- Improves employee experience in HR (onboarding, learning, self-service)
2. Emotional impact: Employees fear job displacement, skill redundancy, and being “replaced by technology.” This is how we are managing it:
- Clear communication about AI’s purpose: it augments people, not replaces them
- Upskilling programs, especially digital and analytical skills
- Transparent discussions about how roles will evolve
- Involving employees early in AI pilots to reduce fear and build confidence
AI adoption is a change-management journey, not a tech installation.
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
Yes, two stand out:
The rise of emotional exhaustion: This is different from traditional burnout. Employees are not just tired; they are emotionally depleted due to global uncertainty, economic pressures, and personal stress. We address it through wellbeing programs, workload planning, coaching circles, and reinforcing boundaries.
The multigenerational friction: Gen Z’s expectations around communication, development, and flexibility are very different from older generations.
Examples:
- Gen Z prefers quick, direct communication via WhatsApp or voice notes; older generations prefer formal emails.
- Gen Z expects fast feedback; older generations expect structured reviews.
- Gen Z values flexibility; older workers value physical presence and routine.
- Gen Z moves fast; older workers prefer process and hierarchy.
- Gen Z seeks purpose; older generations prioritize stability.
We are focusing on intergenerational leadership training and inclusive communication:
1. Training managers on how to lead mixed-age teams.
2. Adopting communication methods that work for all generations:
- Using clear, respectful language
- Ensuring information is accessible to everyone
- Encouraging two-way dialogue
- Reducing misunderstandings created by different styles
- Being mindful of tone, speed, and platform
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
- Manager capability in empathy and coaching.
- Job redesign and workload management.
- Psychological safety.
- Equitable wellbeing.
- Purpose and belonging.
Do you feel that investment in employee wellbeing in the region is increasing or decreasing and is that a direct reflection on HR leaders’ increasing ability to demonstrate effective returns of their strategies to leadership?
Investment is increasing, but more strategically. CFOs now ask about impact, not activities. HR leaders who demonstrate measurable outcomes—lower turnover, reduced sick leave, higher engagement—are gaining more investment. The shift is from “nice to have” to “business necessity.”
How has your organization been leading the way?
At Pyramisa Hotels & Resorts, we are focusing on building a people-centric culture in a sector known for long hours and high pressure. Our approach includes:
- Wellbeing embedded into leadership behaviours
- Structured flexibility for corporate employees
- Support for frontline hospitality staff
- Employee listening
- Development and growth pathways
Our philosophy is simple: wellbeing is not an HR agenda — it is a leadership commitment and a cultural design choice.
Nermeen will be speaking in Cairo during our Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East 2026 which takes place in Cairo, Riyad, Muscat and Dubai in January. Click the links below to find out more and book your tickets:
20 January 2026 – Cairo – Click here to find out more and book
22 January 2026 – Riyadh – Click here to find out more and book
27 January 2026 – Muscat – Click here to find out more and book
29 January 2026 – Dubai – Click here to find out more and book
