Humanis – Building An Inclusive Future

“We help people and companies grow.”

Humanis, the holistic developmental solutions hub is making waves in the consulting industry. The Enterprise World is proud to introduce it to the Most Trusted Diversity and Inclusion Services Companies in 2022. 

The story of Humanis begins around 22 years ago, with a belief that companies can accelerate performance only when people speak the same language of growth. 

A business that is founded on the idea of care and togetherness is more likely to be successful because it fosters a sense of community and belonging among its employees and customers. When people feel connected to a business and its mission, they are more likely to be invested in its success and go above and beyond to contribute to its growth. 

This can lead to increased productivity, loyalty, and customer satisfaction, all of which are crucial to the success of any business. Additionally, a business that promotes togetherness is likely to attract top talent and retain its employees, as people are naturally drawn to organizations that value inclusivity and collaboration. 

By creating a culture of growth, Humanis has not only achieved its goals but also, has made a positive impact on the world around it. Through its caring consulting and training methodologies, innovative thinking, and business subject experts, the company has expanded its business horizons, providing clients with holistic developmental solutions, and adding value to organizations of all sizes. 

With over 20 years of expertise in personal and organizational transformation, today Humanis stands strong as a consulting company offering “sur-mesure solutions” to its clients. It encompasses Greece, Europe, and the USA through its partners Innovations International. 

Having the vision to inspire a culture of increased commitment to personal and business transformation, Humanis is constantly taking efforts to discover new HR trends. It creates added value for its clients by providing the best-in-class solutions. 

By the virtue of this, Humanis has won various accolades over the years. The company has been awarded as a top 10 D&I solutions provider in Europe for 2022. With its partners Innovations International, it is the expert in helping companies design their Roadmap to Diversity & Inclusion and High Performance, in 3 major steps, in a period of 12 to 18 months. 

The Woman Behind The Curtain  Mary Bitouni  Managing Director & Business Vision Leader

Mary Bitouni is a fearless leader having a staunch entrepreneurial personality. Her story is grounded in service to others, a vision for a greater future with a tenacity to get the job done. The strengths lie in breaking down walls, reframing the issue for fresh thinking, and bringing people together to create long-lasting solutions. 

Mary had an opportunity to start her career at Procter and Gamble, where people were trained systematically and intensively in various topics. As a result of this, communication, collaboration, and success were easy to achieve. This was in addition to the great experience and engagement that people felt. 

“This was my dream: to create a “vehicle” where learning would be an experience for participants and an investment with maximum return for companies.” Mary says

As an entrepreneur, it is essential for Mary to have a clear and compelling vision for her business. This vision is not only ambitious and forward-thinking but also grounded in a deep understanding of the target market and the needs of the client of Humanis. 

To bring this vision to life, Mary engaged and motivated a team of people who share her passion and commitment. This means not only hiring the right people but also serving as a mentor and a leader, who can inspire and guide the team towards success. 

At the same time, in her opinion, it is important to be flexible and adaptable in the operational model. She understood quite early in her career that no business exists in a vacuum and she must be able to respond to changing market conditions, customer demands, and other external factors. 

By staying true to her vision, engaging and empowering her people, and maintaining a flexible operational model, Mary set her business on the path to success. 

The key achievements of her entrepreneurial journey lie in choosing the right people and partners who are necessary and most suitable and capable at any given time. Another is building a strong and effective team. 

Mary adds, “This involves selecting individuals who have the skills, experience, and personality to fit well with the company’s culture and goals. It also involves choosing strategic partners who can provide valuable resources, expertise, or access to new markets.” 

Getting to know Mary Bitouni 

Mary being a bibliophile, has many preferred books on her bookshelf. Dalai Lama – The world of Happiness, however, stands out for her. Happiness is strongly connected to a healthy and sustainable environment and Greta Thunberg is another personality that Mary admires. Mary sees Greta as an inspiration to many people, particularly young people, because of her courage, determination, and commitment to making a positive difference in the world. This is what anyone would expect from the younger generation and raises hope for what is to come. 

The quote – The act of creation is simultaneously the act of destruction, by Pablo Picasso – speaks to Mary about the idea that in order to move forward and grow, we must be willing to let go of the old and embrace the new. This is especially true in the world of business, where constant change and innovation are key to success. 

Mary says, “Competition can be fierce, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. you have to cope with empathy and acceptance. Surround yourself with positive people, and remind yourself of your successes and the value you bring to your employees and your customers.” 

As an entrepreneur, it is essential for Mary to adopt a mindset of constant vigilance and be willing to take calculated risks in order to drive growth and expansion. This means staying attuned to market trends, customer needs, and new technologies, and being willing to pivot or make tough decisions when necessary. 

Roadblocks Along The Way 

“Despite the challenges, it’s important to keep a positive outlook.”

Within the business world, each sector has its own requirements and challenges. Some of the issues drastically affect businesses and organizations across a range of industries and sectors. 

Every business strives to maintain the quality of its customer relationships, the vibrancy of its brands, and the satisfaction of its workforce. A company that is successful overcomes obstacles to set itself apart from its competitors. 

Similar challenges were faced by Humanis, especially being a start-up. At the time, Greek companies did not have HR departments, and the self-made owners or managers strongly challenged the value of training and development for their employees. They believed that the only recipe to success was individual hard work. 

On the other hand, multinational companies with branches in Greece were already familiar with training, development, and growth, and they requested tools and methods to adapt already established development projects to the unique circumstances of the Greek market. 

As a small Greek company starting out, Humanis had to compete with multinational institutions from the outset. 

Drivers Of Growth 

At the beginning of Humanis, the company was able to take advantage of its ability to provide customized solutions for both its Greek and multinational customers. This helped the clients recognize Humanis for its customization expertise. 

The second milestone that contributed to the growth was when the company decided to partner with Dr. William Guillory and Innovations International of Salt Lake, expanding the portfolio of solutions by leveraging the expertise of experts.

The pandemic presented Humanis with a unique opportunity for growth. With everything at a standstill, it can be a challenging time for businesses. However, it is also an opportunity to reflect on the current state of affairs and assess what needs to be done to move forward. 

With contemplation and acute evaluation, Humanis had a change in mindset. This led the company to shift its focus to learning solutions that addressed cognitive change. Mary says, “Leaders needed to change their mindset and think about what will keep their teams resilient, motivated, engaged, and performing at their best. The old school of training involved giving people a “pill to cure the disease”, but now we treat the “cause of the disease” by working with leaders to develop their cognitive skills and undergo personal transformation themselves.” 

In parallel with the mindset shift, Humanis changed its operating model. It introduced a different and flexible operating model to better serve the clients and stay competitive in the market. 

This model involves a diverse team of internal and external highly skilled and experienced professionals all over the world, who can adapt to the changing needs of the company and its clients and can focus on continuous learning and development. They are encouraged to stay up to date on the latest trends and best practices in the field and are provided with ongoing training and support to help them grow and improve in their roles.

Success Speaks 

“It is a time of celebration for us when our clients are awarded in areas where we added value to their people.”

The reason behind the company’s long-standing success is simple – becoming a part of the organizations of its clients. 

Doing so, Humanis can provide more comprehensive and personalized services and help them achieve their goals more effectively. This approach requires a strong relationship of trust and collaboration and Humanis is a clear representation of it. 

Another reason for the company to be a great success is it focuses on research for the latest trends in HR; involves staying up-to-date on the latest developments and best practices in the field of human resources. The company provides its clients with valuable insights and recommendations for improving HR practices and achieving their business objectives. 

Team For The Win 

A varied team of dependable, resourceful, and knowledgeable individuals work at Humanis. As a result, the team has become more cohesive and trusting, and everyone is better able to adjust to change and carry on with their work even under challenging or stressful circumstances. Additionally important to fostering involvement inside the organization, transparency has emerged as a defining characteristic. 

Mary adds, “It is a diverse team of experts in age, gender, background, and beliefs all over the world with 20 different specialties. Having such a team of experts can bring a range of perspectives, experiences, and skills to the table, which can be beneficial for problem-solving, decision-making, and creativity, therefore, bringing value to our customers.” 

Setting It Apart 

With Diversity and inclusion as central to a leadership mindset, Humanis is setting itself apart in the industry. Leading-edge topics that focus on solutions that cause a shift in mindset are at the apex of the efforts. 

Resilience, creativity, influence, and autonomy are the catalyst. As a result, the company has developed customized learning paths for leaders and leadership academies for organizations. Moving ahead, Humanis wants to stay tuned and updated on new trends, tools, methodologies, and partners. 

Mary further adds, “By staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in HR, we can better understand what customers are looking for and how to meet their needs. Also, new technologies can help streamline HR processes, improve efficiency, and provide better data for decision-making. We engage with stakeholders regularly and actively seek feedback that can help us identify opportunities for improvement and stay attuned to changing needs and preferences. Finally, collaborating with other partners can help us access new markets, share resources, and bring new expertise and perspectives to our work.”

* This article was originally published here