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Turning a terrible experience into a positive philosophy

feat. Abbas Jeraj, Senior People Engagement Partner at Careem

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In this episode...

Content warning: This podcast contains a conversation about suicide.

Abbas’ story begins with an emotional listen about witnessing a horrific event at a train station on an everyday morning commute. Already working in HR, he explains how the experience moved him to go a step further in his career and life, shaping the people policies he strategised as he moved through his career. 

As a result of these experiences, Abbas is a big believer in training around self awareness and development—especially in terms of mental health. He reveals how this has had a massive impact at Moteefe, as well as the areas of business he’s found those principles most challenging to embed.

Finally, after the company had been involved in a long sprint, Abbas describes how he could see the beginnings of burnout among teammates at Moteefe. But instead of throwing a big party with a free bar, he decided to do something very different to help the whole team recuperate.

About the guest

Abbas is a career-long advocate of People policy centered around mental health. He’s been a Director of People/HR at established companies and startups, including Dixons Carphone, Castle Trust Bank, Moteefe, and now Careem. Abbas believes in a strong community and support at work to help employees face life’s challenges.

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