Culture in Action - The Strategic Power of People, with Alissar Halabi
In this inspiring episode of FinTalk, our Founder and CEO, Ivan Jesus, sits down with Alissar Halabi, HR Transformation Advisor and Leadership Coach, to explore how real organisational change happens when people, purpose, and process align.
From fintech startups to large-scale government projects, Alissar shares how HR leaders can transform their role from a support function into a true driver of business performance, one that strengthens leadership, builds trust, and unlocks potential at every level.
Whether you’re a CEO, CFO, or HR leader, this episode challenges the way you think about leadership, culture, and communication in fast-growing organisations.
Key Highlights
HR as a Driver of Execution, Not a Cost Centre
Alissar explains why HR must move beyond administration and compliance to become a strategic partner that drives results. She shares how embedding people strategy into execution can improve performance, close alignment gaps, and create stronger accountability across teams.
Leadership and Culture Go Hand in Hand
Poor leadership isn’t just a morale issue, it’s a business risk. Alissar unpacks how leadership style, communication patterns, and culture directly influence organisational performance, and why trust and transparency are non-negotiable for any team in transformation.
Bridging Finance and People Strategy
There’s often a disconnect between Finance and HR, yet alignment between them is what drives real performance. Alissar talks about how aligning these departments can help businesses make smarter decisions, retain talent, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
AI and the Future of the People Function
From predictive analytics to automation, AI is redefining HR. Alissar shares how technology can free teams from administrative overload, allowing HR leaders to focus on engagement, development, and driving long-term culture transformation.
Finalytics Perspective
At Finalytics, we also see this happen often, Finance and HR both working to drive results, but not always aligned on how to get there. Performance drops when people strategies aren’t connected to commercial outcomes, and culture initiatives stall without data-driven insights to measure impact.
Our Finance-as-a-Service (FaaS) model bridges this gap. We help organisations align people and performance through better systems, smarter structures, and clearer communication, turning finance and HR into partners for growth.
Whether it’s improving reporting visibility, redesigning team structures, or embedding trust through better leadership practices, transformation starts with people.
Key Lessons for Business Leaders
• See HR as an execution driver, not an expense.
• Build alignment between finance, people, and strategy.
• Communication is the foundation of every transformation.
• Use AI and data to enable smarter, faster decisions.
• Invest in leadership development, trust and clarity pay dividends.
• Culture is not an initiative, it’s an operating system.
Practical Takeaways
• Conduct a People Strategy Audit: Assess how HR supports organisational goals.
• Align Finance and HR Cadence: Synchronise reporting and goal-setting cycles.
• Leverage AI for Insight: Automate admin to free capacity for strategy.
• Build Leadership Playbooks: Define expectations and communication frameworks.
• Measure Culture: Use engagement, retention, and performance metrics as KPIs.
🎧 Tune In Now
This episode with Alissar Halabi is essential listening for leaders shaping the future of their organisations.
Learn how to connect culture with strategy, elevate HR’s role, and create a workplace where people and performance thrive.
Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, or your favourite podcast platform, and subscribe for future episodes of FinTalk.
