Sara Lavery

In a nutshell, tell us about yourself.

As a Turkish citizen with Armenian and Greek heritage, I’ve always enjoyed immersing myself in diverse cultural practices. My mother often recounts how, as a child, I would tell my parents that my dream was to work in an environment with a variety of nationalities and cultures. My first internship was in HR department and never thought of doing something else. In my last 10 years of HR experience, I directly worked with over 15 different country offices and was able to learn and exercise different HR practices and employment laws. I am passionate about staying updated on the latest HR and recruitment trends and continue to be fascinated by how some of the approaches may vary across different regions and even accross companies.

How do you like to spend your weekends?

Going somewhere in nature and enjoy the sea, sun, rain or wind depending on the weather.

What is the hardest thing you’ve done in the last year?

Dealing with power installation, road building on the land that my husband and I recently bought.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Meeting with new people with interesting stories, background and experiences every day from all over the world. It has been over 10 years and I am still enjoying it!

Who’s the most inspiring person you’ve ever met?

The most inspiring person I’ve ever met so far is Zainab Salbi, the founder of the nonprofit organization I previously worked with. Her book, Between Two Worlds, is a testament to her remarkable journey from Iraq to the United States and her groundbreaking work with women and children in conflict zones. Her resilience, vision, and dedication to empowering others have had a profound impact on me.

Which book has changed your life?

Many books have changed the way I see the world, but two that stand out are Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.