Episode 50- From Vision to Culture: Building Human-Centric Organizations with Maher Sabbagh
In this powerful episode of the Extraordinary Leadership Podcast, host Dagmara Asbreuk sits down with seasoned HR executive Maher Sabbagh, whose 20+ years of global experience—from Jordan to Sudan, Lithuania to Bangladesh—have shaped a profound understanding of human-centric leadership in times of transformation.
Together, they explore:
✨ What it really means to put people first in today’s corporate landscape
✨ Why empathy is not weakness, but a leadership superpower
✨ How to balance business results with genuine connection and care
✨ The role of HR as a strategic business partner, not just a support function
✨ The power of executive coaching to navigate change and embody leadership from within
You’ll hear Maher’s compelling personal stories—from leading through conflict zones to cultivating multi-cultural teams—and the lessons that shaped his signature leadership formula rooted in empathy, authenticity, and growth.
Whether you're a senior leader, HR professional, or visionary executive seeking to create a thriving culture that drives performance, this episode will inspire you to lead with more connection, courage, and clarity.
About Maher:
Maher Sabbagh, born April 24, 1974, is Jordanian and married with two children. His extensive human resources (HR) career spans several prominent international roles, showcasing his profound impact on organizational success.
Maher started at Crown Holdings in Jordan as a Personnel Officer (April 1997-December 2000), focusing on employee records, payroll, and policy development. He advanced to HR Manager at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Jordan (January 2001-April 2005), where he recruited a top team and implemented HR systems, aiding the company's market share surge from 3% to 20% by 2004.
From May 2005 to October 2010 at JTI Iran, Maher expanded the business under challenging conditions, increasing revenue from $45Bn to $300Bn by 2009. Subsequently, as Regional HR Manager in Dubai (November 2010-October 2011), he led investor certifications and oversaw a $450Bn Sudan acquisition, enhancing regional development programs.
Maher's success continued in Sudan (November 2011-July 2018), where he revitalized HR, optimized the workforce, and launched the Sudan Talent Nurturing Program, fostering talent for African markets.
In Bangladesh (August 2018-March 2021), he transformed a 15,000-employee company into a multinational firm, leading a $1.5Bn acquisition and initiating a Women in Leadership program.
In 2022, he served as Group HR Director at JAT International, spearheading a transformation project across five African countries.
At Zag Trader in 2023, he established HR functions tailored to business goals. From September 2023 to February 2025, Maher was Head of People and Performance at EDGNEX Data Centers/DAMAC Group.
He focused on HR strategy alignment across MENA, EU, and AP regions, and championed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, fostering a culture of learning and growth.
Connect with Maher:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maher-sabbagh
About the host:
Dagmara Asbreuk is a Leadership Transformation Catalyst, Trusted partner to visionary CEOs, Executives, Founders ready to unlock the next level of impact, success and purpose I Founder of Extraordinary Leadership Movement™ I Executive, Quantum Leadership Coach I Keynote Speaker I Podcast Host With over 15 years in corporate leadership roles across global Fortune 500 companies, she deeply understands the pressure, complexity, and emotional toll leaders face behind high achievement.
After years of driving change, leading teams, and juggling performance with personal demands, Dagmara realized that true leadership success requires inner alignment. Her own transformational journey—marked by deep self-discovery and inner work—led her to shift from corporate executive to purpose-driven entrepreneur.
Today, she empowers executives, CEO's and founders, to lead with bold authenticity, energy, and presence. Through her Embodied Extraordinary Leadership™ method—integrating identity work, neuroscience solutions, and energy mastery—Dagmara empower leaders to transform from within, and lead impactfully their teams, changes and business from an aligned and empowered place.
With Extraordinary Leadership, she’s paving the way for a new era of leadership: bold, authentic, visionary—rooted in inner alignment, energy, and deep connection.
In recent years, she’s had the privilege of working with leaders and teams across industries, cultures, and company sizes, including Maersk, Chanel, IKEA, Microsoft, and Denso.
👇 CONNECT WITH DAGMARA ASBREUK: 🌍 https://www.extraordinaryleadership.co
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagmaraasbreuk/
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