Culture can’t be a siloed HR initiative. It needs to be integrated into the everyday cadence of an organisation, running from the Boardroom through to the people who work on the front line. When leaders get the values, behaviours and purpose right, it creates the foundation for high performance over the long term.
Catherine Chia, Group CHRO of Prudential, speaking at Criticaleye’s recent Asia Leadership Retreat, said: “Culture is a big word and if we approach it as a standalone initiative, I can guarantee you it will fail — because it’s not a standalone initiative that is outsourced to HR to drive.”
She continued: "One of the leaders whom I really deeply admire used to describe culture as the smell of the bakery. You wake up in the morning and you smell that fresh bread; you step into the organisation and [ask:] ‘Is it stale or is it fresh?’”
The point about HR not operating in isolation was also made by
Udayan Dutt, President of Group Human Resources at RPG Group. “The values of a company, in my view, are the manifestation of how the CEO wants to meet his or her strategy for that particular company,” he explained. “So, I’m not here to drive values, I’m here to infuse values.”
He stated that the tone and tempo come from the top. “I’m a firm believer that everyone will… take lessons from the way their leaders behave,” he commented. “So, the leaders have to live and breathe the values that we have… I think that is the biggest accelerator.”
Response taken at Criticaleye's Asia Leadership Retreat, November 2025
Race Pace
When an organisation scales up rapidly, it often requires a shift in both the mindset of the leadership team and the processes and structures within the organisation itself.
Monica Agarwal, Group Head of People & Talent at MoneyHero Group, said: “Speed has always been a strength for our business. When I joined, my focus was on complementing that momentum with a bit more rhythm and structured reflection, so we could stay fast while also being intentional about where we are headed and why.”
Strategy will go awry if intentions are unclear and plans jump around. Monica added: “It’s important that key priorities are understood consistently across the organisation. Leadership may see the big picture clearly, but the real impact happens when that clarity is translated in a way that everyone, regardless of level, feels connected to and understands how it shapes their work."
Matthew Blagg, CEO of Criticaleye, shared his thoughts on the complexity leaders are facing. “With so much volatility and uncertainty, the organisations that pull ahead won’t just be the ones with the boldest strategy; they’ll possess the culture and leadership capability to execute consistently when conditions keep changing.”
There is a harder-edged focus on culture, whereby the emphasis is on productivity and performance. It requires leadership teams to maintain that sense of discipline in ensuring that results are achieved in the right way. Catherine said: “Under tremendous stress, culture is extremely important because what we tolerate then becomes the lowest common denominator in the culture.”
While executives may be running fast and operating under intense pressure, it falls upon them to hold the line, particularly when things get difficult. “Authenticity is not a passport to just saying what we want to say and doing what we want,” said Catherine. “Authenticity comes with a lot of accountability and thoughtfulness towards what we’re trying to bring to the table.
“Authenticity also comes with a very thoughtful sense of being comfortable with being vulnerable. Being honest with what has gone wrong, where we might have failed the group as a leader, and how we have learnt and grown from that.”
When the right leadership team is in place, it can create a culture that helps an organisation move ahead of the competition. As
Matthew said: “It’s an exciting environment — leaders have to move at pace, balancing delivery for today with performance for tomorrow. And in difficult conditions, there’s often more opportunity to drive change than in calmer times.”
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