In today’s competitive industrial market, especially in the steel and manufacturing industry, the human resource’s function has evolved as a pillar of organizational strategy. The demand for diversified cultures, responsive workforce planning, and data-informed talent management has changed the way businesses attract, retain, and develop their human assets. At the center of this evolution is ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Al-Jubail, a top producer of steel tubular products, where innovation converges with people strategy.
Leading this human capital transformation is Amani Bahassan, ArcelorMittal TPJ’s Chief Human Capital Officer. With a vibrant career spanning a period when opportunities for women were limited in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, she has not only defied convention but has rewritten the function of HR in orchestrating operational excellence and cultural integrity across the organization.
Early Career: A Journey Based on Resilience and Adaptability
Amani Bahassan started her career with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from West Virginia University, returning to Saudi Arabia with zeal. However, she was confronted with social inhibitions that only provided women with limited professional options—mainly in teaching or medicine. She was keen on remaining active and with some experience, she first worked as a teacher of English, before taking a position in a well-known oil and gas company as a Network Administrator.
Her move into HR was a happy accident but a turning point. Charged with creating an internal information system for an industrial business unit, Amani Bahassan worked together with the HR department. Her technical experience and interest in automating systems awakened a passion for human capital. This experience led her to shift into HR—a discipline she has helped transform from the inside out.
Strategic Vision: Building High-Performance HR Teams
Amani Bahassan’s leadership philosophy centers around strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and empathetic leadership. She emphasizes modeling integrity and emotional intelligence, fostering open communication, and continuously realigning HR functions with business goals. She is a strong advocate for competency-based hiring, placing equal value on technical expertise and soft skills.
At ArcelorMittal TPJ, she constructed a diverse HR team that thrives on collaboration, accountability, and innovation. She promotes cross-functional partnerships, allowing HR to be a business enabler instead of a support function. Her style makes sure that HR is not just at the decision-making table but is oftentimes leading the discussion.
Cultural Stewardship: Shaping Identity from Within
Amani Bahassan is convinced that a great organizational culture is the “invisible architecture” of lasting success. She has worked hard to infuse cultural values into the processes of the organization—from recruiting and performance management to recognition and growth. Her approach starts with establishing a compelling purpose, clearly expressed through daily practices and leadership behavior.
With her at the helm, leaders are culture carriers, rituals are deliberate, and feedback loops guarantee cultural evolution is organic but directed by essential values. She positions individuals at the center of this environment, hiring for “culture add” instead of simple “culture fit,” empowering individuals to question norms while remaining loyal to common values.
Amani Bahassan’s approach to employee engagement distinguishes between satisfaction and true engagement. She has implemented pulse surveys, behavioral metrics, eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score), and one-on-one dialogues to capture authentic employee experiences. These insights are transformed into actionable strategies—strengthening leadership communication, improving work-life balance, and enhancing recognition frameworks.
She has initiated custom programs like peer appreciation platforms, career growth tracks, and flexible work schedules—each aimed at building a psychologically safe, inclusive, and empowering workplace.
Digital Transformation in HR: Unlocking the Power of Technology
With Amani Bahassan at the helm, ArcelorMittal TPJ’s Human Capital Management (HCM) has seen profound digital transformation. The company now leverages:
- Talentera for automated hiring and AI-powered video interview insight
- SAP SuccessFactors for centralized performance and data management
- Predictive analytics to predict talent requirements and retention risks
- Chatbots and digital assistants to enable easier internal communication and support
A 2025 phased plan involves increased embedding of employee experience platforms, digital onboarding platforms, and wellness applications—all part of a frictionless, technology-enabled HR infrastructure.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI): A Measurable, Actionable Commitment
To Amani Bahassan, DEI is not a business fad—it’s a business necessity. She’s led the way in integrating DEI across the full employee lifecycle. ArcelorMittal TPJ has 26 nationalities working among its workforce, with notable gains in representation of women across several levels, including senior management.
Her DEI plan features:
- Inclusive employer marketing and recruitment
- Blind resume screening and formal interviews
- Onboarding initiatives that expose ERGs early
- Neutral performance metrics and bias training
- DEI dashboards monitoring real-time progress
- Leadership held accountable for DEI KPIs
With persistent advocacy and system-level alignment, Amani Bahassan has made diversity a measurable, tangible asset for the company.
Setting the Stage for the Future: HR Trends that Matter
Always looking to the future, Amani Bahassan is guiding ArcelorMittal TPJ towards emerging trends that will shape the next decade of HR. Her top-of-mind priorities are:
- AI and automation to automate decision-making
- Skills-based talent management to support internal mobility
- Data-driven forecasting to drive forward-looking workforce planning
- Flexible, hybrid work models to promote equity across geographies
- Employee well-being platforms for mental and physical wellbeing
- Transparent pay practices to promote equity and trust
- Leadership development programs that reach from the frontline to the boardroom
The Leadership Academy Program, created with her direction, is a tiered, blended-learning program that fosters up-and-coming, mid-level, and senior leaders through coaching, experiential education, and authentic projects.
Personal Drive: Resilience, Learning, and Representation
Amani Bahassan’s success is deeply rooted in her personal resilience. In her early career, she often found herself as the only woman standing alongside her male counterparts. Without mentors or allies, she relied on her communication skills, relentless drive, and self-investment to rise through the ranks.
She obtained a master’s and PhD in HR management from a tier-one U.S. university and used her educational path to push her activism. Her voice, once silenced, became impossible to ignore—ringing through the work she was doing. Today, she is not only a leader but a mentor, using what she has to stand up for those who are often overlooked.
Advice to Aspiring HR Professionals
Amani Bahassan’s guidance for the next generation of HR leaders is rooted in passion and purpose. She encourages newcomers to:
- Build a strong educational foundation with relevant degrees and certifications
- Stay informed about emerging HR technologies and practices
- Develop key soft skills like communication and conflict resolution
- Gain hands-on experience, even in non-traditional roles
- Remain adaptable in a rapidly changing professional environment
In the end, she feels HR is not about policies or people—it is about driving transformational impact by aligning individual potential with organizational purpose.
Leading with Purpose and Impact
Amani Bahassan’s life is not just a career path, but a testament to determination, resilience, and visionary leadership in a fast-changing business world. Her work at ArcelorMittal TPJ and beyond the realm of human capital management demonstrates the power of HR to transform business through passion, informed by data, and fueled by empathy.
While organizations everywhere struggle to navigate the future of work, Amani Bahassan is a powerful testament to the impact that human-centered leadership can have on driving innovation, performance, and equity—a program, a voice, and one transformation at a time.
