In this episode, I speak with Yamna Naveed Khan, the Transformation Lead Manager at SITA, a world-leading specialist in air transport communications and IT. Yamna leads SITA’s Innovation, Strategy and Partnerships across Middle East and Africa. For the past 10+ years, she has worked in digital transformation and with tech startups. Yamna led the first FinTech Accelerator in Saudi Arabia and has consulted and led teams with UAE and East African government entities on their digital strategies and innovation roadmaps. She founded employee benefits startup PerksPlus, and consulted and mentored many startups and SMEs in the UAE as well as ran workshops and programs (especially for women-led businesses). As a young woman in tech, Yamna has been a speaker at many stages. She’s been featured in leading magazines as a female founder and was also nominated as ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ by ArabianBusiness. Let’s get to know Yamna and how she makes things happen.

In this episode, you’re going to hear from Sally Maier-Yip, the Founder & Managing Director of 11K Consulting, a China-specialist communications consultancy which she founded in 2015. Based in London and Shanghai, Sally and her team garner awareness for brands looking to target Chinese investors and high-net-worth-individuals, and her agency does so through delivering tailored communications strategies based on unique cultural and market insights.

Sally lives in London with her husband and her two boys. She is an award-winning woman entrepreneur and also the Co-founder of The Chinese Mums in Business Club. Her life’s mission is to be a positive influence on people around her.

Sally has an interesting story - from switching from journalism to PR and how she won the first client when she started her own agency to being a genuine cultural ambassador of China through her work and ingeniously using LinkedIn to her personal and professional advantage, you'll want to hear Sally's responses to my many questions in this episode. Let’s learn how Sally makes things happen.

In challenging job markets, many professionals increasingly connect with recruiters as a pathway to land the job of their dreams. Yet if you speak to job seekers, most will have very mixed reviews of their experiences connecting with recruiters; some common quips are as follows:

But as a marketer having worked within a global FTSE listed recruitment company for six years, I know very well that there's more to the story. There are recruiters, and then there are talented recruiters who are smart, professional and genuinely driven to help companies meet and hire the best candidates in the market. And I personally know many such recruiters. Possibly topping the list is Devanjali Rishi, Director - Executive Recruitment at Michael Page. Currently based in New York, Devanjali, became the company's first intern to progress to Director level in the MEA region.

Sit back but listen closely, because how often do you get to hear straight from a recruiter on all things jobs, careers, interviews and more... this episode has me interviewing Devanjali on:

Follow Devanjali's career on LinkedIn

My podcast is also available on YouTube and Apple Podcasts. If you liked this episode, drop me a 5-star rating and share it with your friends.

See you next time, and meanwhile, keep making things happen!

It’s been a while since my last episode… four months to be precise. Well, I’ve been busy ‘making things happen’ as I settle into a new job and home after a relocation. That brings me to presenting the next episode of my podcast.

Follow her journey on LinkedIn:

My podcast is also available on ⁠YouTube⁠ and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠. If you liked this episode, drop me a 5-star rating and share it with your friends.

See you next time, and meanwhile, keep making things happen!

I'm excited to introduce to you my next guest, Asim Burney, a multi-hyphenate. He's the Founder and Managing Director of Digital Age Research, a London-based market research company with a client portfolio including brands like BBC, Microsoft and Nestle. As a South Asian with roots in Pakistan and Europe, Asim's lived experiences and passion for inclusivity have him to launch his second venture - Qulture Qanvas, a new agency specializing in the research of ethnic minorities.

Would you like to meet a no-nonsense HR leader? Let me introduce you to Agni Skafidas.

Agni is an HR director with 20 years of experience and a 'roll-up your sleeves' and 'get things done' mindset. It's what I love about her, and why I wanted to interview her on my podcast.

Currently the People Director for two German companies by Tinsa, a Spanish real estate firm, Agni has formerly worked in HR roles with brands such as Delivery Hero, Olam Group, Emirates and Rockwell Collins.

With experience leading high performing teams across Europe, U.S., UK and the Middle East, she brings a holistic and sustainable approach to her function.

Apart from having been a part time lecturer in Germany and the UAE, Agni is also an executive coach and is currently mastering her woodworking craft.

Let's listen to how she makes (so many) things happen!

A university lecturer, podcast host, digital magazine curator, saxophone player and entrepreneur, you want to hear Steve’s advice on how he goes about making things happen.

Steve (Stephen King) is the professor I never had but wish I did. He's a Senior Lecturer at the Middlesex University

After almost a decade working in the PR industry, he landed a teaching job at the University, and thank God for that, for Steve is a wonderful professor making the learning experience for his students engaging and impactful. He has coached many of his students to victory

Steve is a constant learner, so of course A.I. piqued his curiosity, so much so, that he did an interesting experiment which culminated into a research report. And somewhere between working, learning, doing and playing, Steve and his partner have launched their new business venture based on inclusion. Here's hoping you enjoy watching and learning from this interesting and fun episode.

If you have a growth mindset, want to develop your conviction, or simply want to hear people's journeys as they make things happen, this podcast is for you.

I'm Hanisha Lalwani, creator and host of this podcast. There's obviously a reason it's called 'Making Things Happen' - I resonate strongly with this phrase. I am all about making things happen - it could be bringing ideas to life, doing the small things towards achieving the big things, or even turning tough situations into opportunities.  

My podcast is for everyone, but particularly for students, graduates, and mid-career professionals from different industries who'd be interested to hear my conversations with inspiring people I know, people who've...made things happen...in life and at work.

In my very first episode, I speak to Alex Malouf, a prolific PR and communications leader in the Middle East and Africa region. His most recent role was Executive Director shaping the communications strategy for Ceer, Saudi Arabia's first electric vehicle brand.

With two decades of experience, a growing list of certifications, and board memberships, Alex is known for sparking discussions, pushing boundaries and moving the comms industry towards excellence.

In my interview, you'll hear him talk about how his eclectic mix of degrees (Arabic, Middle Eastern Politics, Computation and Marketing), family background and education have informed his career choices. You'll learn about his move from journalism to PR, his impressive multilingual skills, his approach to handling challenges and his trick to getting networking right. Plus, he makes a very strong case for why the industry's professionals must pursue PR certifications.