the leader in media intelligence and reputation insights, has announced the appointment of Paula Jacobson as its new Group Director of People and Culture. The strategic hire comes as the organisation continues its global expansion, now operating with over 700 professionals across 23 offices worldwide.
In her new role, Paula will oversee the global people strategy, focusing on talent acquisition, employee engagement, impact and strengthening a unified company culture as CARMA continues to scale. She will be responsible for ensuring that CARMA’s workforce remains supported, connected, and motivated as the company further integrates advanced technology with human expertise to serve its global client base.
Paula brings extensive experience in building cultures that are high-performing and inclusive, where people feel motivated, supported and proud to belong. Before joining CARMA, she led her own People, Culture & Impact Consultancy, working with clients across media, communications and sustainability. As well as her experiences in hospitality, fintech, travel and investments, her career includes pivotal roles, including establishing the People function at the world-renowned Huda Beauty & KAYALI, which is cited as playing an integral role in scaling the business with founders Huda & Mona Kattan. Paula is widely recognised for her commitment to sustainability, social impact, championing inclusion, and her ability to build exceptional teams by curating and driving talent programmes that acquire and grow the best talent.
Mazen Nahawi, Founder and CEO of CARMA, commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Paula to the CARMA team. Our success is rooted in the talent and expertise of our people and as we grow, it is essential that we continue to nurture a culture that supports and inspires our teams. Paula’s extensive background in scaling organisations and her focus on the human side of business make her the perfect person to lead our global people strategy. She understands that while technology is a vital tool, it is the insight and commitment of our people that ultimately deliver value to our clients.”
Paula Jacobson, Group Director of People and Culture at CARMA, added: “I am delighted to be joining a successful company already making an important impact on society and one that has its hub in a region experiencing rapid commercial growth and rising global influence. CARMA’s insights-led approach strongly resonates with how I operate – translating research and data into strategic insight that enables smarter decisions and delivers measurable impact. I’m confident we can achieve great strides together.
Understanding CARMA’s people – its beating heart – is central to driving growth and delivering on the company’s vision. My expertise lies not only in finding the world’s best talent, but converting that magic into a culture, a thriving ecosystem, and ultimately, a successful business.”
The role entails leading the full spectrum of human resources operations, from talent development and performance management to embedding sustainability and inclusion principles across the organisation. Paula will work closely with regional leaders to ensure that CARMA continues to be an employer of choice in the media intelligence industry.
