🎧 Listen now:
In this episode of the HR Impact Show, Luigi Bellopede shares insights from his 20-year global HR journey, covering his experience with cultural nuances, managing a diverse APAC workforce, and leading performance systems post-merger.
Discover how Prysmian navigates manufacturing disruptions, the importance of leadership buy-in, and how focusing on people can drive business outcomes. Luigi emphasizes the significance of adaptability, financial acumen, and maintaining trust and flexibility in future workplaces.
💡 Episode Key Insights
• From GE to APAC HR Leadership: A 20-Year Global Journey [00:02:00]
Luigi reflects on his international HR career, from GE and pharmaceuticals to leading Prysmian’s people strategy across 9 countries in Asia Pacific.
• “You Can’t Manage Culture—You Adapt to It” [00:04:00]
Luigi challenges a common HR belief, sharing why cultural adaptability—not control—is critical for global HR leadership and post-merger integration success.
• Driving Post-Merger Change with Leadership Buy-In [00:09:00]
Luigi recounts building a unified performance system after Prysmian’s major merger, and why CEO and top leadership engagement was a game-changer.
• HR’s Role as Business Owner: Balancing People and Profit [00:21:00]
He shares why HR leaders must take ownership of costs and business outcomes—not just advocate for employees—to stay strategic and credible.
• Flexibility and Trust: Building the Future Workplace [00:24:00]
Luigi explains how trust and flexibility are redefining workplace culture, even in manufacturing, and why HR must lead this evolution without “going back.”
Leadership in HR: The Importance of Adaptability and Buy-In
“The top management buy-in becomes one of the first drivers of change.”
A pivotal theme illustrated in the conversation is the role of leadership in HR. Luigi Bellopede emphasizes that effective HR management is not merely an administrative task but a strategic position requiring significant buy-in from top management. According to Luigi, “The top management buy-in become one of the first drivers of change.”
This insight underscores that leadership engagement isn't simply a formality; it's the backbone of integrating HR processes across a decentralized global structure. Luigi highlights that encouraging adaptability is crucial when operating in diverse cultural environments. He expressed this idea succinctly: “You should be global, at the same time local. You need colleagues, at least, for HR, for example, in each site.”
This perspective sheds light on the broader implications of leadership roles in HR—dictating not just the pace of change, but also its nature, while ensuring alignment with both global objectives and local realities. The success of a global company's HR strategy often lies in the seamless integration of these scales.
Redefining Performance Systems Across Cultures
Another central theme is Luigi's nuanced approach to integrating performance systems in a culturally diverse environment. Faced with merging two large entities, Prysmian with Draka, this involved creating a unified performance model across varying regions. Luigi candidly shares, “We had a mission, we need a common performance system for these two companies...and then we start the journey.”
“We had a mission, we need a common performance system for these two companies...and then we start the journey.”
Developing a performance evaluation system that resonates across cultures requires understanding and respecting those nuances, not managing them. Luigi states, “I don't believe that we can manage culture. This is my first thing, I don't believe we can manage change. I believe that we can adapt to culture.”
This adaptive approach is invaluable as it acknowledges that each unique culture within the organization possesses inherent value which, when harnessed correctly, can drive a company's success. This approach not only ensures smooth transitions during mergers but also fosters an inclusive atmosphere where every employee's voice can contribute to the core objectives.
The Future Workplace: Flexibility and Trust as Anchors
As businesses prepare for future challenges, the themes of flexibility and trust emerge as vital components of the workplace of the future. Addressing these, Luigi notes, "Trust and flexibility are two concepts that will drive the future of work." This reflects a growing recognition that environments which balance accountability with personal autonomy can enhance productivity and satisfaction.
Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, showcased the agility of businesses that emphasized employee retention and welfare over short-term financial concerns. Post-COVID, Prysmian's decision to invest in its workforce allowed them to "restart" swiftly, showcasing a real-world implication of prioritizing human capital. As Luigi describes it, “We didn't suffer to COVID. We make probably the best years during the end of \[COVID].”
In terms of practical applications, maintaining a balance in work-life separation reinforces this principle, offering a workspace where employees are both empowered and valued. Maintaining this balance helps preserve the entrepreneurial spirit within the team while fostering a culture of trust.
Embracing a people-centric approach driven by leadership buy-in, adaptability to culture, and fostering environments of trust and flexibility can serve as a blueprint for sustainable success. Each takeaway from the discussion between Dorothy Yiu and Luigi Bellopede provides actionable insights into how businesses can outperform their competition in today's dynamic landscape by investing wisely in their human resources.
"I don't believe that we can manage culture. This is my first thing, I don't believe we can manage change. I believe that we can adapt to culture and we can adapt to change. Continuously adapt ourself."
— Luigi Bellopede
Related Resources
• Connect with Luigi Bellopede
• Connect with Dorothy Yiu
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MEET OUR GUEST
Luigi Bellopede
Luigi Bellopede is currently the VP of HR Asia Pacific at Prysmian, where he leads the people strategy across nine countries for approximately 3,100 employees.
He is an experienced international Human Resources professional with a strong track record in both retail and manufacturing, and deep expertise in M&A. Luigi began his career 20 years ago at GE (General Electric), before moving into the pharmaceutical sector with Angelini, one of Europe’s leading companies. He later joined Prysmian, a global leader in the energy and telecom industry, where he served as SVP of Talent and People Development from 2012 to 2016, overseeing one of the most significant mergers in the cable industry across 50 countries. Before relocating to Asia, he also held the role of Human Resources Director for a telecom business with exposure to the North American market.
Co-Host, The HR Impact Show
Dorothy Yiu is the CEO & Co-Founder of EngageRocket, one of Asia’s top EX & people analytics platforms. She brings over a decade of experience in human resources, technology, and business strategy. Before co-founding EngageRocket, Dorothy was the Regional Head of Operations for Gallup, where she oversaw more than 100 large-scale consulting projects globally.
Recognised for her leadership in HR and technology, Dorothy was awarded Leader of the Year at the HR Vendors of the Year Awards 2024 by Human Resources Online. She was also named one of the Top 50 Asian Women Tech Leaders 2025. Dorothy holds two degrees from Singapore Management University under the Lee Kong Chian Scholarship and was named an SG Digital Leader by IMDA in 2024. She was also NTT’s Women of the Future nominee in 2022.