Insights Living and Working with Integrity

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.

I am of French-Egyptian origin, a fervent practitioner of Katori Shinto Ryu—the oldest Japanese martial art— and have been with AtkinsRéalis for nearly 10 years now. I worked briefly in treasury upon first joining the company, but really found my path when I joined Human Resources. I first worked as coordinator for special projects and events and then as an HR program specialist and COI lead of Canada. I coordinate and manage the career transition services, the corporate academic assistance program for employees, the language classes program, and assist my HR colleagues regarding questions of data confidentiality, integrity, recognition, and conflicts of interest. I don’t assist one specific BU but mainly all employees and HR partners in Canada that may come to me with specific questions related to the above. I identify as a hybrid HR.

How what led you to become an advocate for integrity in your professional life?

I have always believed integrity is a main driver for success and is ultimately a result of a specific set of positive human behaviors. Two main reasons made me propose my candidacy as an integrity ambassador. The first reason is that AtkinsRéalis is a big boat, and it’s easy to get lost in the sea of procedures, politics and the state of permanent change. Hence, if I could help in any way my colleagues to stay on top of the latest pertinent integrity politics or point them in the right direction whenever an issue arises, I was going to gladly participate and assist them. The second reason is since I am not attached to one specific BU or sector, I can easily navigate the bridge between our integrity department and the different HRs across the sectors, therefore mainstreaming the correct information and making us, HR, more efficient and more performant in matters of integrity.

How would you define integrity in your own words?

Integrity is humanity at its best adherence to moral and ethical values and the ability to tell right from wrong.

Can you give us an example of when our integrity program made a real-life difference in a project?

I see our integrity program making a real-life difference daily in every sector at all levels. I see our employees and my HR colleagues having more and more of the right reflexes when faced with integrity situations related to gift cards, real or perceived conflicts of interest, the transfer of confidential data in a safe manner, how to stand up to harassment and how to seek the correct information when they are not sure what to do when faced with an integrity question.

AtkinsRéalis has had a fascinating integrity journey. What part would you say you are the proudest of?

The recognition of our world-class integrity program that led the World Bank to lift earlier than planned all its sanctions imposed on the Group.