EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS
Monica Mauri
Former CHRO and Board Member at ERIKS
#11: Monica shares the hard-won lessons from her 20+ year journey through ERIKS, Staples, and Randstad, discussing burnout amongst executives, biases and diversity challenges.
This time in Executive Insights, Anna Gromadzka welcomes Monica Mauri, a seasoned CHRO and Board Member with a track record of orchestrating growth for €2B+ organisations. Monica shares the hard-won lessons from her 20+ year journey through ERIKS, Staples, and Randstad. Â
Anna: What have been the key milestones that shaped you as a leader?
Monica: I would point out three things. First, starting in consultancy allowed me to see many industries and work with highly skilled professionals early on. Second, holding both specialist and generalist roles in HR helped me move from analytical details to the “helicopter view”. Also, moving from HR to business and back ensures you are doing the right thing for both the business and the people. Finally, working internationally helped me gain different viewpoints and be more effective even in my own culture.
Anna: What lessons would you offer someone starting their career?
Monica: For me, career has been a consequence. I was interested in the opportunity to shape things and solve the puzzle I was looking at. To have more influence, I needed to go up in the hierarchy; it wasn’t that I started thinking, “one day I would like to be a CHRO”. I started biting a piece – leading customer relations, then wanting more. The opportunity to make an impact is what really matters, much more than job titles.
Anna: Why HR?
Monica: I realised early on that clinical psychology wasn’t for me. I discovered social psychology and organisational design, and I fell in love with this field. Understanding people without understanding the business would not work. My vision is thriving companies where people can thrive.
Anna: How do you earn authority fast in a new industry at the Board level?
Monica: How do you earn authority fast in a new industry at the Board level?
Anna: How do you earn authority fast in a new industry at the Board level?
Monica: It boils down to common sense: be clear on what you want to achieve, make sure people understand the “what” and the “how,” and then communicate, communicate, communicate. Even when you cannot share everything, be transparent about what you can say. We had to let people go, but engagement remained high because we treated people with fairness and respect. We segmented our audience -employees, middle management, the Board – and drafted specific messages. If managers aren’t comfortable with the message, they won’t pass it down properly, so it is important to give them space to raise questions and concerns.
Anna: You also increased female representation in management at ERIKS from 8% to 25% in two years. Why and how?
Monica: ERIKS is 75% men with deep industry knowledge, but there wasn’t much difference among the workforce. We started with gender, tracking promotion rates for men and women to ensure the process lacked bias. But inclusion made the difference – having conversations around Diwali, Ramadan, or Pride Month. One leader initially told me, “I do not understand why you need marketing pictures with a female of colour in protective gear”. When he left the company, he thanked me for helping him understand why diversity matters. Diversity brings a richness of ideas and viewpoints, and that richness brings better decision-making.
Anna: You’ve experienced biases yourself. How did you handle them?
Monica: Early on, I was naive; I thought if you were competent, gender didn’t matter. Once, a recruiter advised me against a global role because I had three young kids. He argued it would be too much travel. I told him my husband was 100% at home, but he didn’t listen. He wasn’t a bad person; he was trying to help, but he was biased – which is something we all are. It is demonstrated differently, but we all have biases. The point is not to feel attacked when someone points them out but to ask: “Can you help me understand?” and be open to an honest discussion and considering other points of view.
Anna: You’ve mentioned that women can “have it all,” but not be perfect at everything.
Monica: The concept of “having it all” can be misleading. No one is Wonder Woman or Superman, and no one is alone. It’s about being clear on what matters at a specific stage and leveraging your network. I’ve missed family birthdays because of travel, but I’ve also had colleagues pick up for me during family emergencies. You have to rely on your support networks – at home and at work. And, if you have the opportunity, choose a company with a culture that matches your priorities. Short term you can pretend, but long term you cannot.
Anna: What is your take on the statistics about the executive burnout rates being so high?
Monica: I haven’t experienced it, but I’ve seen it in my teams. Leaders are high achievers and tend to ignore the signals of their bodies until it’s too late. They tend to be always “on”. To prevent burnout, we must address root causes: chronic overload with no recovery, low control over shifting priorities, and poor leadership quality. We are “corporate athletes”, if I can use this analogy. Athletes train hard but have downtime.
By way of advice, I would tell managers to look for changes in behaviour in their team members – irritability, avoidance, or being 24/7 in the loop – and address these. Even if they initially don’t listen, you have planted the seed.
Anna: What would you remove from calendars tomorrow?
Monica: I would remove ineffective meetings and activities that don’t impact the bottom line, customer happiness, or another organisational priority. Give leaders more agency; the outcome is non-negotiable, but let them find their own way to get there.
Anna: What is your advice to young women entering the workforce?
Monica: Be explicit about your ambitions. Do not assume good work will speak for itself; silence is often interpreted as lack of interest.
Anna: Finally, what are the most important capabilities in the boardroom today?
Monica: For executive levels, the key capabilities going forward are resilience, good judgment, and the ability to mobilise an organisation around a vision. Uncertainty is growing; you must be able to pick the business up, rebuild it, and reinvent yourself.