People-Centric Leadership: an Interview with Aleksandra Popovic, Head of Human Resources
In this third episode of our Leading People leadership series, we shift our focus to HR: Aleksandra Popovic, our Head of Human Resources, who sat down with us on a rainy day in Geneva.
Aleks comes from a background in international diplomacy and humanitarian work, and stepped into her first real leadership position in HR just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic. This experience shaped her as a leader: she had to learn how to bring people together and keep them engaged in difficult times.
In this interview, Aleks shares her insight into what it means for leadership to be both people-centric and vision-driven. She speaks about the challenges of loneliness in leadership roles, the importance of considering the human impact when making decisions, and—drawing from her experience as a basketball player and coach—the need to balance structure with freedom.
Aleks also outlines what she sees as the major issues in HR leadership in the next few years: the transformative power of using data strategically, the push for transparency (which is no longer optional), and the need for digital processes that make employees feel well-equipped and confident.
“Leadership doesn’t start with a title, it starts when you decide to take responsibility for something that matters to you.”
Interview with Aleksandra Popovic
This is the full length interview with Aleksandra Popovic.
Guiding principle.Having a positive impact on people and society.
Main focus.People-centric HR strategies, inspired by the quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou
Biggest challenge.The loneliness of leadership roles and the need to hold to your own vision.
About the series
This interview is part of the video series Leading People, where we sit down with the minds shaping the future of HR. beqom executives and other industry leaders share their personal journeys, discuss key challenges and successes, and offer unique insights on the evolving role of HR in today’s world. Watch our past episodes, where we interviewed beqom's co-founder and beqom's new CEO.
About Aleksandra Popovic
Aleksandra Popovic is the Head of Human Resources at beqom. She was selected for this role in November 2024 after eight years with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where she most recently held the position of HR COO/Head of Operating Efficiency and Innovation. She holds a BA and MA in politics, both from the University of Geneva. Since 2022, she has served on the board of the Fondation pour l’égalité de genre (the Swiss Foundation for Gender Equality).
