Leading with Empathy: Susanna Baqué on Building Thriving CX Culture
Episode #902 Show Notes:
Clare
Welcome to this special edition of the Inspiring Women in CX podcast! A series dedicated to real-talk conversations between women in customer experience and technology.
This season, we’re spotlighting the winners of the Inspiring Women in CX Awards 2025 – trailblazing women transforming customer and employee experience around the globe. Spanning industries, regions, and roles, their stories are powerful proof that when women lead, transformational change happens. You’ll hear firsthand as they share their journeys, insights, and vision for the future of CX.
I’m your host, Clare Muscutt, and today we’re celebrating our Culture Award winner and her work creating vibrant workplaces where empathy, inclusion, and psychological safety drive real impact. With over 25 years in life sciences and a PhD in Chemistry and Biochemistry, she leads global CX at SCIEX, blending research expertise with leadership experience to build inclusive cultures where teams flourish.
Allow me to introduce you to today’s inspiring guest, Susanna Baqué!
Clare
Hi Susanna!
Susanna
Hi Clare.
Clare
I'm so happy to be recording this podcast with you today. What a moment. So let's start with you. Big congratulations, Susanna. How did it feel to win the 2025 Women in CX Culture Award?
Susanna
Honestly, it was such a surreal and humbling moment. Winning this award was not just a personal milestone; it felt like recognition of the small but meaningful ways that we try to shape the culture and the customer experience through empathy and leadership…every day, right? So, I felt incredibly proud not just for myself, but also for my amazing team and everyone who has inspired me along the way. It was deeply emotional, too, right? Because it's an award that's not about KPIs or metrics, it's about people. And it's creating those environments where everyone feels included and belongs. For me, that was very powerful.
Clare
I know. And I remember…you've been a member of the Inner Circle for quite a few years now. I remember you saying that it was one of your goals to one day be on the Inspiring Women in CX podcast.
Susanna
Exactly, and here I am. So I'm super happy about that, too.
Clare
Yeah, and then Susanna and I share the same coach. So I'm sure Natalia will be watching this with such pride as well in you, Susanna. Really well done.
Susanna
Thank you.
Clare
You mentioned all the people who have inspired you along the way. Would you like to share a little bit more about who's inspired you personally and why?
Susanna
Yeah, I'm incredibly fortunate that I've been inspired by many amazing people throughout my life. So, I would even start with my father. He was an extrovert in nature. He had this ability to connect with anyone – even a taxi driver on a short ride.
Clare
I love that.
Susanna
I'm the opposite. I'm quite an introvert. So I always admire him for his way to have this natural charm and create these genuine connections. But also, he had that desire of always helping others, and for me, that was great. And of course, my Mum, my aunt and I have two sisters. They have always been a source of inspiration. We have a lot of camaraderie and are always supporting each other.
And this reminds me of the power of standing together, right? I think it all starts in the personal environment, but then also professionally, Early in my career, when I was a scientist, my PhD mentor was also very inspirational. She didn't only push me to succeed, but she also always challenged me. She taught me that excellence isn't just about individual achievement, but it's about collaboration and lifting others while you rise. And she showed me the power of building very strong teams. So, surrounding yourself with the best people, not being afraid that they will compete with you, but the other way around. If you have the best team, the best people around you, that's a success for everyone.
Clare
Yes!
Susanna
And later in my career, I have had a lot of people who inspire me. Like yourself, or as you said, Natalia as my coach, right? And my partner in life. He's my biggest supporter and cheerleader. He's always there and believes in me and everything I do. That gave me the confidence to continue thriving.
And actually, when he found out that I was a finalist for this award, he was the first saying, "Oh yes, you're going to win it!" And I said, "Oh, well, there are very strong candidates there. So I feel already proud of being a finalist." Like he said, "No, you know, tell me which day, but I know you're going to win it."
Clare
Oh, that's so lovely. I can hear so much about why you deserve to have been the winner of this award, and in so many other things that you've mentioned there, you talked about sisterhood, you talked about collaboration over competition, you talked about lifting others as they rise. He was absolutely right, you deserve to win that award. It was a really standout entry. So, thinking about your LinkedIn announcement post, and in that you said that the award reflects your mission to live and breathe every day to champion a culture of customer centricity that's grounded in empathy, inclusion and purpose. Can you tell us a little more about why you think empathy and inclusion are fundamental to customer experience success?
Susanna
Absolutely. For me, empathy and inclusion aren't just values, right? For me, they are non-negotiables when it comes to creating a culture and meaningful customer experiences. Empathy really allows us to see and understand the people that we serve, if we talk about customers and not just looking at them as data points or personas, but as individuals with their unique needs, their emotions and context. So I think leading with empathy helps you to design experiences that really resonate at a human level. For me, that's what really makes the real connection and builds loyalty at the end.
But then, inclusion, I think this takes this even further, right? It's about making everyone feel seen, heard and valued. Not just the majority, not just the kind of 80-20 rule, not just the easy-to-support kind of customers. I think an inclusive CX approach ensures that you design for this diversity – for accessibility, of course – but also for equity. It challenges us to actually listen deeply and remove those barriers. Not only from a technical perspective or digital, but actually cultural barriers and even the systemic barriers that we have in our environment. So I truly believe that when empathy and inclusion are embedded into the CX culture, they create a ripple effect across the teams, but also across the products and the brand perception overall.
Clare
Yeah.
Susanna
That's where this purpose-driven innovation can really happen, and that's the kind of impact that I want to be part of every day.
Clare
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I think a lot of what we see now in terms of CX content is quite a departure from empathy and inclusion, isn't it? As you said, you know, thinking about customers as data points that can be analysed. For me, we need both, don't we? How do we leverage technology and data? But – like you said – having a real clear purpose and intention around the human aspects of customer experience is critical. And I wholeheartedly agree. Inclusion really is at the heart of all of that. So thinking about how this award recognises your role in shaping culture where people can truly thrive, leading with vulnerability is a particularly important and powerful part of that, but it's really not that easy. Could you share a little bit more, or perhaps an example, about how showing your vulnerability as a leader has helped to build trust, connection and positive change within your organisational culture and the impact that that has made?
Susanna
Sure. One of the most meaningful ways that actually helped share that culture was coming from a very personal place. A few years ago, I underwent a radical hysterectomy after a long-term disease. And as a result, I go into sudden menopause. For me, it was a life-changing experience, not only physically and emotionally, but also mentally. And that's [not] something that I was expecting to talk about publicly and even less at work, right? But then I realised that if I was feeling isolated, confused, or even overwhelmed, surely others might be too. So I made the decision to speak openly about my journey. Not just the medical side that everyone knew because I was, of course, on medical leave for some time, but actually the emotional piece and the mental health piece.
And let me tell you, it wasn't easy. There is still that stigma around women's health, especially in the workplace.
Clare
Yes, absolutely.
Susanna
But that vulnerability really turned out to be very powerful. What happened blew me away because I started with my team, but then also in other areas within the company. I even made it public on LinkedIn. And…my team, of course, were very supportive and started opening it up. But also other colleagues, men and women – not only women – started reaching out and sharing their own stories and kind of saying thank you for sharing. Stories related to emotional experiences or mental health and other invisible illnesses, like burnout. And many more that people don't usually talk about. So I think that moment of openness sparked a cultural shift, and I wasn't the only one…
Clare
Talking about it, yeah.
Susanna
But I know that it kind of made others talk, and other leaders actually followed through. We made changes at a company level, not as policies, but with a much more focus on wellbeing and mental health and creating those safe spaces. Because yes, if you lead with this empathy and honesty and openness, this builds trust in a real way. And trust is the foundation for a thriving culture. So yes, vulnerability is tough, but I think it's one of the most courageous and transformative tools that we have as leaders.
Clare
I absolutely agree. I'm thinking of Brené Brown and her books now. And the opposite side of vulnerability is shame, isn't it? Particularly around mental health, women's health, anything related to hormones and how they affect women. There is so much stigma and shame attached to all of that. But it does take, I think, visible leadership, talking about these things, making it okay to be vulnerable.
Susanna
Yeah.
Clare
Making it okay to, I guess, challenge the status quo and to encourage a collective desire to change. That is such an amazing and powerful thing. You're awesome, Susanna. Wow! You held space for so many others.
Susanna
Thank you.
Clare
And now, as the leader of an all women community, the number of women I know that were impacted with a very similar sudden hysterectomy, instant menopause outcome – I know more than one or two – I know multiple figures of women that have experienced that. But turning that into something that changed culture within your organisation is just completely admirable. Yes, well done. Thank you on behalf of all women everywhere.
Susanna
Thank you.
Clare
So I think what we've really touched on there is psychological safety, isn't it? And that's something that the judges were particularly impressed by in your entry and the way that you described it, not just as an abstract kind of value, but something that you actually operationalised. Can you tell us more about how you did that and the difference that it's made?
Susanna
I'm really glad that the judges picked up on that because for me, psychological safety is something that I'm incredibly passionate about. And I believe it has to go beyond posters on the wall, values that we have in a slide deck, because everyone talks about psychological safety, right? So for me, what it means is creating a culture where people feel safe to speak up and ask questions, but also challenge ideas. But at the same time, admit mistakes because there is always a fear of judgment or consequences. So you need to take this off the plate, and you need to be intentional in doing so.
For me, it really starts with how we lead. I mean, I made my point about this vulnerability and actually showed that, but it's also to consistently invite feedback. Not just saying so for the sake of saying so, but really being intentional in asking for feedback and also admitting when we don't have all the answers. And then genuinely listen, because that sounds simple, but when people see a leader doing that regularly, really listening, really saying, "OK, I don't have the answer. What do you think about it?" Or asking for feedback. It really sets the tone for everyone else.
I think we also built…it started with my team – my kind of sub-organisation – the psychological safety into the ways of working. For example, in team meetings, we always start with a check-in, right? So that I advise like, honestly, saying exactly, “How are you?” And then they'll say, "Oh, well, fine." So no, if someone says, "I don't know", or "I need help", or whatever, fine. But we start the meeting with that to kind of set it up, and everyone feels safe to say so. And then we go to the subject, and maybe we park on more conversations around that. And I think we need to have these reflection points at the beginning, but also when we complete a big project. We also have these kinds of reflection points not only on the outcomes of the project, but also on how people felt during the process. How do you feel not only about the achievement…
Clare
Yep, how it went.
Susanna
…how it went all these months of going through that process, and how can we do things differently in the future if the feelings were not as expected, right? And at the end, it has to be this accountability. So we introduced questions in our engagement and poll surveys to the employees, and as leaders, we follow through with actions. If we understand that people are not safe to speak up or they don't feel this kind of psychological safety, we actually have it. We had initially yearly surveys. Now we have them quarterly, just as pulses.
I think the impact has been profound. I've seen teams take more initiative. Not kind of staying silent, or not challenging the status quo or not bringing their ideas to the table. So for me, that's foundational, and it has to be embedded into the fabric of how leaders actually lead and how we communicate and how we make decisions. Then this can transform the culture. I think it's small things altogether, but with a very high... I would say we need to aim for high, not just stay okay. As I said, these check-ins sound like “How are you today?” “Well, I'm fine.” No, I hate it when someone says I'm fine. I say, “Okay, so you're feeling good. Are you ready? Did you have a good sleep?” If it's early in the morning. So we don't kind of stay at the surface.
Clare
Yeah, I was just thinking, quite often that question is so performative, isn't it? In conversation, “How are you?” “Yeah, I'm fine.” Okay, now let's go to business. But actually genuinely caring about how you are or even how you say that, it can come across in such a different way, can't it? The commercial business benefits are so clear, aren't they? A happy, productive team delivers better outcomes. A team that feels safe to challenge the status quo leads to greater innovation.
Susanna
Exactly.
Clare
But the actual creation of a psychologically safe space does require actually genuinely caring about the people and their experience too. So let's bring this towards a close now. Thinking about how you've been recognised for creating a culture where people feel seen, heard and valued. What does culture mean to you personally? And what do you think most organisations get wrong about it?
Susanna
Yeah, for me, culture is not the slogan or whatever HR can put on a wall, right? For me, it's about how people feel when they show up every day at work. It's that lived experience. And the way I would define the culture is the collective energy that we create together. So it's that energy that can either lift people up or hold them back. That's why it's so important that it's made purposely based on human empathy, inclusion, belonging and connection.
When we think about building a culture, I think about creating that space where, as you said, people feel seen for who they are, in their diversity and diverse perspectives. They also feel heard for what they believe and what they can bring to the table. But also they feel valued for what they contribute, not only for what they deliver on a spreadsheet in a project. So when you have these elements, you build that culture, as I said, as a shared experience.
I think that many organisations get it wrong because they start by either thinking that culture belongs to HR and it's a top-down initiative, or that it's kind of a directive. “This is how our culture is, and this is where we are.” So I agree, we need to have some shared values, but the culture is not defined only by those shared values, right? Also, in other companies, I've seen that it's like a one-time initiative, ‘let's have a big workshop and discuss our culture’. I mean, this is so wrong. It can be a starting point if you don't know who you are as a company or as a culture, but I think this is not what culture is built on. And then, yes, on other occasions, some companies just focus on programs, right? Programs to drive the culture or the values or whatever, but without taking into consideration the deeper emotional experience of work.
For me, the culture is how you experience it every day, all these emotional parts. Because people want to be trusted also, not only trust, but be trusted, and they want to belong. And this only happens when you kind of build that culture based on leaders and managers that, with intention, lead with empathy and with the real commitment to inclusion and making people feel that they belong. I truly believe that in the end, culture isn’t built in this micro moment. It's how we celebrate things, how we respond to failure, how we handle difficult conversations. And then I think if you kind of get it right and create that space that it's safe, that people feel heard, listened, valued…that's what culture means to me.
Clare
I love that and listening to you, I think the word that springs to my mind is authenticity is what makes the difference. You know, something that's performative, it's a program, it's got touch points and measurement, isn't necessarily authentic if it's not backed up by the way people behave and make decisions on a daily basis, right?
Susanna
Exactly.
Clare
And absolutely, I think when you talk about inclusion, enabling people to show up as their true selves in an authentic way and to feel welcome and valued for who they are. To me, that is also what culture is about. Oh, you're a shining light out there, Susanna. I've really, really loved this conversation today. And I'm just so proud to see you crowned this year's winner. So, to leave the audience on one final note, if you could give one piece of advice to someone building a customer-centred, more human-centred culture at work, what would that be?
Susanna
I would say start with your people and lead with empathy. So you can create this customer-centred culture where employees feel seen and valued first. You need to make sure that your people feel safe, supported, and also empowered to be human at work, to be their authentic selves, as you said, right? And then that energy naturally flows also to the customers, for example. So for me, the first thing to build a culture is that leaders should be asking themselves, what do my people need to feel like they truly belong here? Because when people belong – and they believe – is when the extraordinary things happen, for the business and also for the customer. So start with your people and how to make them feel proud of working every day, but also valued and belonging to the organisation and the culture.
Clare
I love that. I was thinking of one example, if I can also leave one piece of advice, to build on that, is about really truly listening at the start. And one example springs to mind of a client that I worked with a while ago, which was to even define as a leadership team, what do we think our culture actually is? And then asking the employees at the management and frontline level, what they think it is. And then seeing the variation between what the leadership think the culture is and what the management at the frontline thinks it is. And being able to interrogate that as a starting point, it can be quite often very telling.
So thank you so much for your time today, Susanna. Huge congratulations again. A very worthy winner. Your husband was absolutely right. And I think anyone who doesn't already follow Susanna on LinkedIn, you absolutely must because she does publish content all the time, talking about culture, inclusion and sharing more insight about how she makes this happen. That's it, we're done, Susanna.
Susanna
Thank you.
Clare
Thank you so much, and I will see you all on the next episode. Bye for now.
Susanna
Bye.
Clare
Thanks for listening to the Inspiring Women in CX Award Winners podcast with me, Clare Muscutt.
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