Ness Sbai

HR executive with 15 years of experience across international businesses, from start-ups and investor-backed scale-ups to global enterprises. Member of leadership teams reporting to CEOs, country presidents and investors, combining people strategy with a strong track record in scaling, M&A, transformation and integration. Builds HR functions, high-performing teams and succession pipelines aligned with business priorities.

Has led the HR workstream on 40+ acquisitions and integrations and end-to-end transformations across organisation design, operating models, HR technology and change. Speaker at HR Tech 2026 on AI in HR: sees AI as a capacity and organisation-design question, not a technology one. Foundations first (people, process, data and technology), then let AI take the repetitive work.

Now seeking a permanent, long-term CHRO or HR executive role to build and lead the People agenda.

Transformation & PMI Director (Interim) at Corilus (2025-11 – Present)

Healthcare IT (650 people in 3 countries), backed by PSG and Rivean | Interim mandate via NS People

• Lead the group's strategic transformation portfolio, reporting to executive leadership
• Delivered the outsourcing of Customer Support, from business case to implementation, while protecting service continuity
• Led the group entity merger from 12 to 5 legal entities across all functions
• Shaped an AI-enabled operating model to create capacity without adding headcount
• Drove the IT and Finance integrations (incl. NetSuite, Payhawk); currently leading the data mesh connecting core systems to enable the group AI strategy

Interim Chief HR Officer at Corilus (2025-08 – 2025-11)

Healthcare IT | Interim mandate via NS People

• Joined with an immediate restructuring mandate: designed and delivered a ~30-person reorganisation within three weeks, on time and with positive feedback from remaining employees
• Turned a fragmented HR team into one aligned team within weeks, built HR's credibility and secured a seat at the leadership table
• Rolled out HR foundations, including core people processes and a new HRIS

Founder, NS People | Fractional HR & M&A Advisory at NS People (2023-09 – Present)

Fractional Head of People and advisor to CEOs, founders and investors.

• Head of People (fractional) at Giftify and Paynovate: built the HR functions and teams, a leadership team and a succession pipeline; reduced Giftify attrition from 38% to 5% in one year
• Set up the full HR function for Safe and Sound and led the Belgian benefits integration for Lepaya
• Delivered an HRIS assessment and operating-model advice for My Jewellery
• Mentor and advise HR leaders and founders of start-ups and scale-ups

VP, People at Kpler (2022-08 – 2023-08)

Global Data Intelligence (580 employees, 14 countries) Member of the leadership team reporting to the CEO and investors (Five Arrows, Insight Partners). Led the People function through growth from 180 to 580 employees, combining ~200 hires with the people and organisational integration of 4 acquisitions in 12 months.

• Designed a scalable global operating model and implemented HR technology/process changes, achieving 98% SLA and freeing 2 FTE of capacity
• Delivered €200K compensation optimisation; voluntary attrition reduced from 20% to 8%; ran a people management bootcamp for 100 managers (4.8/5 feedback score)

People & Organisation Business Lead at Novartis (2020-06 – 2022-07)

• Member of the Oncology and Pharma management teams, reporting to the GM Oncology and the Country President Pharma
• Led two major restructuring programmes (~100 FTE), including the Belgian collective dismissal procedure, social consultation and implementation
• Reshaped the talent mix by bringing in early-career talent and high potentials, and achieved a gender-balanced management team (48% female)

Associate HR Director EMEA at IQVIA (formerly IMS Health | Quintiles) (2013-05 – 2020-05)

25 countries, 15,000+ EMEA employees Progression: HR Business Partner, BE & NL (2013) → HR Advisor, Northern Europe (2015) → Senior HR Advisor, NEMEA (2016) → HR Manager, NEMEA (2017) → Associate HR Director, EMEA (2019)

• Led the HR workstream on 40+ acquisitions, mergers and integrations, incl. the EMEA operational integration of the Quintiles / IMS merger (global project team) and the Cegedim entity integration across NEMEA
• Led recurring multi-country restructuring and workforce plans across EMEA, including complex employee relations and consultation
• Designed and implemented offshore and nearshore hub models, transitioning work and roles while maintaining business continuity
• Led Workday implementation across 25 countries and built an M&A Acquisition Toolkit for consistent, repeatable integrations
• Built high-performing teams and delivered talent programmes and leadership development initiatives

HR Generalist at Intys Consulting (2011-10 – 2013-05)

Consulting Start-up

• Built HR operations from 10 to 180 employees and supported the opening of the Luxembourg office

Business Degree in HR – Brugge Business School (2015 – 2017)

Bachelor in Hotel Mgmt – Erasmushogeschool Brussel (2008 – 2011)

Economics & Languages – Maria Assumpta Lyceum