The Culture Award
Celebrating women who have fostered a positive organisational culture, prioritising inclusivity, psychological safety, and employee well-being. These women have created environments where people feel empowered to thrive and do their best work. Because as we know, EX greatly impacts CX.
Winner!
Susanna Baqué
Senior Director Global Customer Experience, SCIEX
With a PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry and over 25 years of experience in the Life Sciences sector, Susanna Baqué has consistently brought people-first leadership to her global CX roles. Since joining SCIEX in 2014, she has championed inclusive culture, psychological safety, and team empowerment, embedding these values deeply across cross-functional teams and the wider organisation.
Susanna’s approach to culture change is intentional, human-centred, and sustained. She leads with empathy and authenticity, sharing her personal experiences, including health challenges, to open up workplace conversations often considered taboo. Her vulnerability has built trust and normalised openness across her teams, fostering a psychologically safe environment where individuals feel heard, valued, and empowered to grow.
Through her leadership in SCIEX’s Women and Friends Associate Resource Group, Susanna has actively advanced equity, representation, and allyship. She mentors individuals across levels and functions, supports well-being as a core priority, and connects personal growth to shared purpose. From driving meaningful team engagement to shaping inclusive leadership practices, her work has contributed to a cultural shift where people feel seen, supported, and inspired to lead.
Judge’s comment:
“Susanna’s answer demonstrates that she truly knows what is needed to ensure inclusivity and psychological safety and that she embeds it in what she does. [...] Her passion for people [...] shines out of her award entry.”
Judge’s comment:
“Susanna demonstrates proactive support and describes multiple, intentional actions and a variety of formats used to drive cultural change. Psychological safety is described not just as an abstract value but as something operationalised, with personal vulnerability as one of the elements that has helped reduce stigma and encouraged openness.”
Susanna’s impact is clear: increased engagement, allyship, and collaboration, as well as a more human workplace where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered to lead. She is a shining example of what it means to create culture with intention, and why empathy and courage are the hallmarks of truly inspiring CX leadership.
Highly Commended!
Dr. Hui Wu-Curtis
Director, Customer Service, SmartRent
With over 20 years of experience across industries, Dr. Hui Wu-Curtis has brought a people-first approach to cultural transformation at SmartRent. Her leadership introduced a clear shift in management mindset, focused on psychological safety, communication, inclusion, and shared accountability. Through structured initiatives and open conversations, Hui has worked to dismantle silos, embed transparency, and strengthen collaboration across her teams.
She created opportunities for direct engagement, like “Wednesdays with Hui,” skip-level meetings that opened space for staff to share ideas and concerns directly. Empowering team members like Kenny, Princess, Maribel, and Alejandra, her work demonstrates individualised coaching and growth in action. Each story reflected trust, support, and transformation.
Judge’s comment:
“Dr. Hui's entry was very strong with demonstrable impacts on performance and employee, business and customer outcomes. I particularly liked the examples she provided of the different people that she has helped along the way.”
Judge’s comment:
“Four compelling, diverse stories demonstrate real empowerment, development, and growth. The nominee shows a systemic, individualised approach to empowerment.”
Dr. Hui’s leadership continues to shape a culture of innovation, inclusion, and support, laying the foundation for long-term organisational success and human-centred transformation.
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