
Paul is a Global EAP & Corporate Wellbeing expert with over 30yrs in the healthcare industry, including medical insurance, occupational health management and EAP. He is the Founder of ICAS MENA now Lyra Wellbeing – MENA.
Paul is a highly business focused and resilient individual with experience across clinical and operational management, commercial, business development and P&L responsibility. Instrumental in set-up of ICAS MENA, reinventing EAP for the Middle East region and he is a leading advocate on mental health in the workplace here in Middle East. Driven continued growth and profit to ensure Lyra Wellbeing – MENA is now recognized as the market leader for EAP in the MENA region.
We are delighted to announce that Paul will be speaking in both Riyadh and Cairo this February as part of our Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East. We caught up with him to find out how he’s feeling in the run up to the summit.
Hi Paul, we are thrilled you will be speaking at our Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East in February. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I am very well thank you. Wellbeing starts with our own self-care so it is important that we practice what we preach. 2024 was an exceptional year for growth and only 3 weeks in to 2025 and the growth continues with many more employers now focussing on implementing well-structured and professional wellbeing initiatives.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
The challenge still remains that while most organisations have wellbeing on their agenda if not already implemented and yet we see low levels of employee engagement with many of the wellbeing initiatives implemented. We also see many of the same issues such as burnout, stress, heavy workloads, long hours and demanding work environments still prevalent and this is due to a lack of psychological safety within the workplace because workplace culture is the catalyst to effective wellbeing initiatives.
Mental health still is highly stigmatised and until we remove the stigma and normalise mental health and see it no different to our physical health then we will continue to see the negative impacts poor mental health and wellbeing has on our employees and importantly our bottom-line business profitability.
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?
Employers are now placing greater emphasis on wellbeing within the organisation and giving wellbeing higher priority within their strategic business objectives. That said we still have a long way to go. Employers have gone through a phase of multiple wellbeing themes and initiatives that worked in silo and clearly did not add any real value. It is now evident that an holistic approach has to be taken.
The last 12-18mths has a swarm of mental health apps promoting results that are questionable and certainly not with any scientific or evidenced based data to support. Many of these new mental health & wellbeing apps remove themselves from all liability for content and services delivered which unfortunately then passes full potential liability with the employer. Most employers are totally unaware of this risk.
Delighted to see Governments in the region now implementing legislation to address workplace mental health but we still have some way to go. We need to see more such as ensuring workplace mental health & wellbeing is embedded within HSE and Occupational Health legislation with penalties for poor or non management of mental health & wellbeing. Psychological Risk Management is key!
Organisations still appear to be finding remote and hybrid work models a challenge with mounting pressure to revert back to the office based model.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
I have been within the health & wellbeing industry for over 35yrs… more than 3 decades, so it is in my blood. I am for sure not perfect in my own wellbeing but do all I can to promote the principles we preach to our clients within my team. I am well aware that a happy, healthy and engaged employee is more productive and so I do all I can to ensure I provide and promote the right culture for wellbeing and psychological safety to grow within my organisation.
I came to the Middle East/UAE over 15yrs ago as founder of Lyra MENA bringing with me the idea of employee mental health and wellbeing……….. an idea that was initially laughed at and seen as something that did not exist here and never would. As a pioneer and mental health and wellbeing ambassador, to see the growth in mental health & wellbeing across the region brings me great joy and satisfaction to know I played my part. We still have a long way to go and lots more to do.
What impact is AI having in your organization and how are you managing that?
I do see AI as having an overall positive impact by reshaping how we approach things with a more data-driven focus. Both exciting and limitless but also brings some challenges and requires changing mindsets. I see the benefits of AI working in tandem rather than outright replacement.
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
I do have concern about the sheer volume of unregulated or inadequately evidenced based mental health apps rushing into the market.
The pace of technology and impact social media is having on our mental and overall wellbeing is a concern.
We have to continue to educate employers to ensure we all better understand the importance of wellbeing and work-life integration. We have to ensure as employers we understand the impact workplace culture has and the importance of psychological safety.
We must continue to break down and remove the stigma associated with mental health. We ALL have mental health, and we need to see it as we do our physical health.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
Be very clear what your expectations are for all your wellbeing initiatives already in place.
Reassess your existing mental health & wellbeing initiatives to ensure they meet your objectives and change/amend where they do not align.
Have very clear wellbeing protocols. Ensure mental health & wellbeing is a fundamental part of your overall business strategy…….board level input and influence!!
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?
Unfortunately, I do see both. There is good evidence of a growing number of employers investing more into employee wellbeing which is clear through the growth in clients we support every year…. now over 500+ across the region.
However, at the same time we see more pressure coming on the wellbeing investment as it comes under more scrutiny as an established business expense.
We have also seen some of the wellbeing roles established over the last 2-3 years such as Wellbeing Director/Health & Wellbeing Ambassador and other higher level roles disappear which is a potential concern it this continues.
However, overall employee wellbeing is both here to stay and will grow significantly
How has your organization been leading the way?
The best place to start is at home through ensuring everything we do as Lyra Wellbeing within our own business and operation supports our whole ethos of positive employee mental health, health and wellbeing.
We practice what we preach!
It disappoints me to see so called “wellbeing” companies who do exactly the opposite to everything employee wellbeing should be and what they promote and shout about to others. Toxic workplace & culture, bullying & harassment, blame culture and long excessive work hours. I have unfortunately seen the direct and terrible impact this has had on individuals who have worked in these organisations. Individuals leaving mentally broken.
Paul will be speaking in both Riyadh and Cairo at the Wellbeing at Work Summit Middle East which takes place in Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo and virtually. Further details on the Summit can be found here.