Ghita Haloui

You studied business administration and finance and marketing as an undergraduate. What type of career roles did you pursue after that and how did you land where you are today?

After I graduated in 2014, I was hired at a growing commercial real estate consultancy in Casablanca as the head of marketing-related activities. Due to the company’s empowering leadership and the fluidity of my responsibilities, I learned to be versatile and gained experience in roles such as a recruiter, real estate consultant, change agent and content marketer. I was excited by change and growth and came to realize that I was interested in training people and helping to develop organizations, leading me to the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources. 

What inspired you to make the move from Morocco to Spain to study at IE University? 

I was not only inspired by the program but also the entire IE Business School ecosystem, which I found incredibly dynamic and future-forward. Plus, since I learned Spanish at a young age, I was excited to live in Spain to continue practicing the language and to learn more about the culture.

Just like any life-disrupting decision, a certain nervousness came with it. However, the adventure seemed too thrilling to not go through with it. Looking back today, I would definitely do it all over again!

What drew you to the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources? 

The Master in Talent Development & Human Resources stood out to me as a well-rounded learning opportunity. In fact, I was really inspired by the multidisciplinary approach of each class. Plus, the faculty is composed of professionals and academics alike, which meant that the course materials, discussions and assignments were going to be grounded in real life. That said, I went into the program with an open mind and with the simple expectation to grow and be inspired. And I have to say that expectation was fulfilled from day one. 

What the program does is much more meaningful than just teaching. It nurtures well-rounded professionals who, regardless of their line of work or role, can make people-conscious business decisions, build highly effective and engaged teams, and more importantly, instill a climate of safety and inclusion in the workplace. 

How have you used the skills you gained from the program in your career?  

Throughout the program, we are invited to complete one particular challenge in each term. My favorite one was titled, “Identifying your personal purpose.” This challenge was based on what we call lifelining—which is basically reflecting on yourself, your upbringing, your life milestones and anything else about yourself to become more self-aware in order to identify your personal calling or purpose. I learned the skill of self-reflection, which I find essential to both personal and professional growth and try to keep on developing continuously.

I think one of the most powerful topics of the program is the HR-tech landscape. As a novice to HR at the time, understanding how technology could enable talent initiatives and make a great employee experience was very inspiring to me. I later went on to my subsequent jobs with many ideas to implement technology solutions in the talent space.

Ever since I entered the job market, I’ve enjoyed working in different business environments and cultures—and I still do. As such, more important than the knowledge I was able to build, these experiences helped me develop a diverse set of transferable skills.

Can you describe your IE Experience? 

IE Business School is its own ecosystem—it does not only fulfill the need for education in a traditional sense, it offers a far richer experience to its students and alumni. The amount of activities and groups you can join is just unlimited. In fact, as a pretty active member of the IE Africa Club, I worked alongside friends from the continent to organize the first-ever IE Africa Career Fair. Similarly, if you have a business idea and would like to test and launch in a safe environment, the IE Venture Lab is a great place to be inspired, challenged and coached through your first entrepreneurial steps. 

From a human experience standpoint, IE University’s greatest asset is its diversity. The richness of perspectives that are shared during a class discussion or an informal encounter is, in my opinion, most of the learning. Lastly, I would like to point to the inclusiveness of the admissions process—applicants are not seen as profiles with boxes to check, but as people with unique stories and experiences. In fact, a lot of the people I met chose IE University to turn their lives and careers around.

Could you tell us about your current role at Korn Ferry?

Korn Ferry is a global consultancy firm, and most of our consultants choose two areas to focus on and grow in. The work that I do at Korn Ferry is mostly focused on developing professionals and leaders, as part of our assessment and leadership development practice. For instance, that could consist of designing and delivering professional and leadership development programs, helping organizations define their talent pathways or using psychometrics to help leaders identify their potential. 

Another hat that I occasionally wear is that of an organizational consultant, and that consists of supporting organizations through challenges around organizational design, operating model restructuring, diversity, equity and inclusion. There isn’t a typical day because of the diversity of assignments and organizations we support. Every project comes with its own set up, which is what is exciting about the job.