Crystal Ventures (CVL) HR and administration director Ines Kayitesi learned early that culture does not shift through policies alone. It changes through repeated, simple habits that make people feel included. This understanding has shaped her approach as she works with teams spread across multiple subsidiaries.
Ines Kayitesi did not start her career in human resources. She trained in law and later became a general counsel before taking on broader corporate responsibilities. When CVL created HR as a standalone function, leadership believed she was the right person to build it. Stepping into the role introduced her to a new realisation: culture is people responding to their environment, not to formal instructions.
Patience over quick wins
“It is a process when you are dealing with people from different backgrounds and with different levels of understanding. Some embrace something very fast, and others take time. You cannot change people in one day,” Ines says.
She remembers the challenge of managing teams with different attitudes and readiness for change. What worked for one group did not always work for another, and the differences taught her to slow down and focus on steady progress rather than quick wins.
As she settled into the role, Ines began searching for practices that could be embedded into the daily rhythm of work. She wanted employees to connect naturally, without forced team-building sessions or rigid structures. That is how the Friday activity sessions became one of the anchors of the culture-building approach. Staff gather to play games, share conversations and unwind, creating a sense of equality and familiarity.
“When people are comfortable, they interact freely. When they see you not only in meetings but also in those small moments, it builds connection. It is not about big events, it is about the environment you create every day,” she explains.
Creating spaces to connect
Beyond face-to-face interaction, Ines wanted a platform that allowed employees to express themselves without barriers. CVL introduced a tool on Microsoft Teams where staff can submit suggestions anonymously. She believes anonymity encourages honest feedback, especially from those who may not feel free to speak openly.
“We want people to tell us what they think, even if they are not comfortable putting their name on it. What matters is that they are heard,” she adds.
In addition to the digital channel, quarterly town halls bring employees and leadership into the same room. These sessions are spaces for updates, questions, and discussions on team experiences in the company. For Ines, the format proves that transparency does not require elaborate planning, only consistency.
Ines sees accessibility as one of the most important leadership traits. She encourages leaders across the subsidiaries to be present in the everyday flow of work rather than confined to boardrooms or corner offices.
“If people cannot reach you, they will not open up. Leadership should not be something that creates distance. It should make people feel valued,” she notes.
Leading through accessibility
She works to ensure that the HR strategy is aligned with the group’s business strategy and supports the development of HR Policies and systems that speak to the direction of the business. With a workforce close to more than 10,000 people, it is important to ensure that companies abide by the country's regulations, specifically the labour laws.
Her commitment to creating an inclusive environment is matched by her belief that people perform better when they understand the organisation’s ambitions. She works to ensure that employees know their contributions to the business by implementing the management tools and systems that support the company achieve its objectives, such as the budget, performance indicators and business objectives.
“The aim is to give them a clear picture of how their roles contribute to broader goals. Well-being works when the business is performing. People need to know the targets, and once they understand that, they see how they fit into the bigger picture,” she explains.
That perspective informs her approach to performance management. Ines prefers a system that guides improvement rather than one that instils fear. Transparency, she believes, helps people take responsibility for their work without feeling threatened.
“Performance management is not a tool to punish people. It is a way to help them understand what they need to achieve and how they can do better. When it is done well, people appreciate it,” she stresses.
Consistency across complexity
Her work cuts across CVL’s subsidiaries, each with its own realities. She collaborates with the HR teams in those businesses to align on common values while allowing flexibility for local needs. The structure requires her to spend time across different offices, engaging directly with employees and absorbing their concerns in real time.
“When you show up in their environment, they talk to you differently. You get to see things as they are, not only as they are reported,” she notes.
While managing culture across multiple entities presents its complexities, she remains committed to building it not only through systems and policies, but also in small, consistent actions. She knows some changes take longer to land, but she views that as part of the work rather than a setback. Patience, she says, is essential when dealing with people.
Ines’s broader outlook on inclusion extends to how she fosters openness and strengthens team interactions. She believes these everyday practices shape whether employees feel a sense of belonging, a feeling that cannot be achieved through policies alone.
“You have to keep building it, because people and organisations keep changing. What matters is creating a place where people feel they belong,” she points out.
