Who’s Speaking at HR Retail Africa 2027

Karen Hammond

Karen Hammond is an award-winning People Executive, transformational HR leader, and one of South Africa's most passionate advocates for people-centred leadership. With more than 25 years of Human Resources experience and over two decades in executive leadership roles, she has built a distinguished career helping organisations unlock performance through their people

As Group Head of People at Meridian Group, Karen partners with executive leadership to shape business strategy, drive organisational transformation, and create high-performing cultures where people and performance thrive together. Throughout her career, she has led people strategies across complex organisations employing up to 5,500 employees, earning a reputation for aligning employee experience with sustainable business success

Karen's expertise spans organisational culture, leadership development, employee engagement, talent management, digital HR transformation, change leadership, remuneration, industrial relations, and workforce innovation. She has successfully led large-scale transformation initiatives, achieved record employee engagement participation rates, reduced attrition, enhanced employee wellbeing, and championed technology-enabled people solutions that have transformed the way organisations connect with and support their employees.

Recognised as a KwaZulu-Natal Top Businesswoman 2025 and a respected thought leader on people-centred leadership, culture transformation, employee experience, and the future of work, Karen is passionate about helping organisations create workplaces where people feel valued, empowered, and inspired to perform at their best.

Beyond the boardroom, Karen is married to her best friend and greatest supporter, Trevor David, and is the proud mother of two amazing children. Family is at the heart of everything she does. Together, they are passionate about giving back to their community through initiatives focused on children, youth development, and supporting the elderly, believing that even the smallest act of kindness can create a lasting impact.

Her personal philosophy is captured in a quote she often lives by:

“A simple act of kindness can change someone's life forever. We may never fully understand the impact we have on others, but every act of care creates a ripple of hope.”

Karen's leadership, both within business and the community, is guided by a simple yet powerful motto:

Caring. Sharing. Preparing.

She believes that when leaders genuinely care for people, share knowledge and opportunities, and prepare others for future success, extraordinary things happen. This philosophy has shaped her career, her community involvement, and her commitment to building organisations where people flourish and businesses thrive. 

"Great businesses are built by great people. When organisations invest in their people, they unlock extraordinary outcomes, strengthen culture, and create sustainable success."