Customer Centricity is at the core of any innovation driven organization that thrives on the mission of making the world a better place !

Hanine HajNasr-Linsky, our next pathbreaker, Director of Customer Experience (CX) Training & Organizational Enablement at Thermo Fisher Scientific, is responsible for development of organization-wide strategy and enablement of Global Learning/Training programs which ensure that customer-facing colleagues deliver a high-quality Customer Experience.

Hanine talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about her diverse experiences across countries and a wide range of roles in different sectors that motivated her to take up a career in Organizational Enablement.

For students, training & development plays a key role in this era of globalization which brings with it several challenges related to diversity, inclusion and cultural adaptation.

Hanine, can you take us through your initial years? 

I grew up in Lebanon, a very small country on the Mediterranean Sea.  

I went to a private catholic French school, so the curriculum was in French. We also learned Arabic. English wasn’t introduced into my studies until my teens. I loved learning in general, whether it was a skill, a language, a subject, learning  about people’s backgrounds; the experience was exciting to me!  

My parents were lifelong learners; Dad was an architect, and a teacher and mom was very dedicated and involved in our home education, especially given the fact that the curriculum overseas is quite strict and demanding, requiring  multiple hours of daily homework following a school day.  

Both my parents encouraged and supported my two brothers and I, to be curious and pursue our interests. My mother shares that I had a book in my hand from a very young age, so some of my activities included reading, playing the  piano – my brother and I took lessons together, I was also a ballerina and a girl scout. My family and I enjoyed  traveling very much, whether locally in Lebanon or internationally to the USA, Brazil and other countries; this fed into my curiosity of learning about other cultures and languages.  

Looking back now, it makes sense to think of my career evolution and doing what I love the most, which not only revolves around continuous learning and improvement, but also supporting others globally on their path to success. 

What did you do for graduation/post-graduation? 

Going to school overseas is different from going to school in the USA. You are part of the same cohort from kindergarten until graduation, so you build strong friendships along the way. As you get into junior/senior year, you select a focus study area – mine was biology, and so I graduated from high school with honors in biology (I loved lab time!).  

A month after post-graduation, I moved to the US leaving behind an environment and people that I was very familiar with, challenging myself to move to the land of opportunity, and a culture I had little knowledge of. While most of my friends went into medical and science fields, I went for a business degree. I got an associate degree in 2 years, received my Bachelor of Science with honors in Business Administration in another 2 years, and went straight into an MBA program which I completed in another year or so.  

I worked several jobs while attending classes at night for my MBA. So, I was learning in 2 ways: one, the traditional way – by attending classes, and the second, the hands-on way where I apply skills acquired in the workplace. While the commitment was quite demanding and tiring, it was quite rewarding and formative of who I am today. 

What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career?

My career choices were a combination of some random and not so random events, great influencers, a strong support system and my passion for learning.  

I have had several mentors, people I trust and who share honest advice with me. They guided me as I faced work  challenges over the years such as my first experience with a lay off immediately after graduation. 

As I struggled to find a job and define my career, I thought about 2 things:  

1 – What is my true passion – it’s learning! and 

2- How can I connect that with my career? Training, Learning and  Development was the path to consider.  

I had spent years volunteering as a tutor: I worked with non-English speaking students as well as supported special ed students through their studies.  

The difficult times I faced were fuel to make me rethink all the blessings in my life and remind myself that going back overseas was not an option for me at that time; I was determined to make things work.  

Amidst all the challenges/learnings, I made a promise to myself that once I am able to build and advance my career, I  pledge to give back and help others do the same just like my family and mentors did for me.  

Tell us about your career path 

I got laid off right after my MBA graduation, so I took an unpaid internship with my professor / mentor.  

I vividly remember him telling me: “I won’t pay you for this internship, but I won’t charge you either. What I offer is an  opportunity to meet great contacts and build your network.” 

My internship was in international business and educating businesses on trade with the US and supporting them in  meeting the right contacts; it was a lot of fun to see the various industries.  

This internship led to me landing my first big job in trade & development with the Canadian government. My business  background combined with my French speaking abilities allowed me to be a preferred candidate for the role which  was brought to my attention by my network.  

I moved across the state for the role, purchased my first home, and what happened? I got laid off again! (Why does this  keep happening to me ��?) and once again, through my contacts in my government job, I was able to find my next role.  

Rich Products Corp. is a food manufacturer headquartered in Buffalo; I joined the organization in a Marketing / Business Planning role and then moved into a training role. My learning experience was with our commercial/sales, culinary and marketing colleagues. My learning audience is what motivated me to do great work and support their success. I loved facilitating and getting to know them as people, learning about their backgrounds, the challenges they were facing on the job and how their learning experience allows them to overcome those challenges.  

How did you get your first break? 

I think I had many breaks in my career journey.  

My values of trust and integrity combined with my positive, upbeat demeanor and eagerness to learn has allowed me to engage with people and make a positive memorable impression; whether mentors, family, friends or business  contacts, it is those people who advocate for me and my credibility and skill set whether in my presence or absence, and that opened up several doors for me which I am so grateful for.

My first break was when I moved to Buffalo into the trade sector.

Working for the Canadian Government was a “fancy” well-paying job for a recent graduate and that break came through my networking efforts and my internship. 

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them? 

Challenge 1: Language Barrier  

I had a language and cultural challenge moving to the US at the age of 18 after being raised in quite a different environment. That was my intro to learning. I wanted to learn about American culture, be part of it, and so I immersed myself with American friends, asked a lot of questions, observed the dynamics  and adapted my style accordingly. 

Solution for the challenge: 

Ask for feedback and be receptive. Feedback is a gift. My English wasn’t perfect, so I asked for a lot of feedback to learn the proper  spelling and sayings. I looked up spelling almost constantly, some on the Internet and some in a dictionary (I am dating myself ��). I am grateful for and find it so refreshing to be in a society and  community so welcoming, receptive and supportive of diversity. 

Challenge 2: Layoffs 

I felt that I was cursed at times only to know that every experience, no matter how negative, is a learning  opportunity. I learned a lot about myself as a person and a professional and my strengths. I came out  of every lay off stronger and more confident. 

Solution for the challenge: Compartmentalize. 

Ask yourself what’s in my control and what’s not? Some things simply need to be accepted and leveraged as a learning experience to grow. 

Challenge 3: Perception of high performers as a threat 

Being an upbeat high achiever is also a challenge. Even though at the surface it is a great trait, behind  the scenes, it may cause some tension with others; people may be envious or threatened by your strengths and your confidence. 

Solution for the challenge: Stay true to your values and who you are.  

Don’t allow those who are intimidated by your success to get to you regardless of their persistence in trying. Be more tenacious than them and remember, you are learning from the experience.  

Where do you work now? What problems do you solve? 

I work for Thermo Fisher Scientific now; my title is Director of Customer Experience (CX) Training & Organizational  Enablement. My role is working with amazing, dedicated colleagues from different disciplines to continuously improve  our customer interactions throughout the company.  

From a skillset standpoint, our work focuses on interpersonal or soft skills – how do we translate customer centricity into behaviors?  

For example, proper communication, active listening, are a couple of topics shared via self-paced &/or instructor-led  learnings.  

My role is not technical/hard-skills focused. It is rather the soft/people skills that supplement that. It is the combination of that knowledge and the human element of presenting it and empathizing with our patients and customers, that makes it a customer centric experience, which is my area of expertise. 

Our organization has a Net Promoter Score (NPS) which is the compilation of customer input via surveys – that allows us to identify areas of opportunity.

What skills are required for your role? How did you acquire the skills? 

In order to do my job, I require a combination of 2 areas of skills: one area comprises hard skills – learning strategies and adult  learning methodologies come to mind, and the other area is around soft skills – influencing people (without authority) across a large & diverse group of individuals, outreach with credibility and understanding, plus adaptability and speed of execution.  

What’s a typical day like?

A typical day for me doesn’t exist �� Every day is exciting and brings a new set of challenges and opportunities which is why I love what I do.  

What I love about my job is that it is a genuine passion I feel in my heart, which is to help others and see them succeed whether they are internal colleagues or external customers.  

How does your work benefit society?  

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s mission is “to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer”. With the  “Customer Experience” in my title – I get to be a key player in contributing to that mission which supports our society thrive, and when I say society – I think of the global society that we serve because our organization is all over the world, so the impact is massive, it is worldwide, and the rewarding feeling is indescribable. It feels so good to know I am  contributing to such a great effort.  

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you! 

I have been in my role for over a year and as I look back at how much my team and I have accomplished in a relatively short time, I have a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude because I know I/we all worked so hard and supported  each other. To think of where we started and where we are now is quite energizing.  

Your advice to students based on your experience? 

Never stop learning!  

Khalil Gibran says, “Education sows not seeds in you, but makes your seeds grow.” 

Learning is a continuous effort, and as life takes you through positive and not so positive experiences, remember that ALL those experiences are presenting you with an opportunity to learn and grow. 

My wish for you is to grow in learning and to achieve your goals and success as well as experience the joy it brings.  

Future Plans? 

I am very grateful for the success I have achieved through continuous learning, hard work, adaptability and resilience  and I trust that the future is bright for me with career advancement and growth opportunities.