In today’s blog post, I’m excited to share an enlightening conversation I had with Global HR Leader, Simon Mulder. We explored a wide range of topics—from the transition between large corporations and scale-ups, to the parallels between parenting and leadership, and even dove into mergers and acquisitions. I hope you enjoy our dialogue as much as I did!
Daria Rudnik: Welcome, Simon! I'm thrilled to have this conversation with you. Before we dive in, would you mind sharing a bit about your professional journey?
Simon Mulder: Well, thank you, Daria. Glad to be here. Let's see... I have just slightly over 20 years of experience in HR, which is funny because I started studying software engineering! A complete 180-degree turn. But I’ve loved HR ever since. I worked for large companies early on, then shifted to hypergrowth organizations about 10 years ago, helping them scale faster. It’s been an amazing journey. I've worked at companies like Palo Alto Networks (cybersecurity), Align Technology (medical devices), in global and EMEA-wide roles.
Simon Mulder: Well, thank you, Daria. Glad to be here. Let's see... I have just slightly over 20 years of experience in HR, which is funny because I started studying software engineering! A complete 180-degree turn. But I’ve loved HR ever since. I worked for large companies early on, then shifted to hypergrowth organizations about 10 years ago, helping them scale faster. It’s been an amazing journey. I've worked at companies like Palo Alto Networks (cybersecurity), Align Technology (medical devices), in global and EMEA-wide roles.
Daria: Interesting. And I’m really curious about this transition from software engineering to HR. How did it happen?
Simon: When I was a really young kid, my parents were one of the first in our area to have a computer at home. My dad was a teacher, so we had one of those computers with the tape recorders. I’m not sure if you remember those, but you could actually record software off the radio. So I learned programming by myself and thought that would be my future. Eventually, I went on to study software engineering.
But in the first couple of months, I realized I was completely missing the social aspect. Everything was done through the computer—communication, collaboration—and I’m the kind of guy who really likes to socialize. Then I had a conversation with the dean at the university, and he told me, “Simon, you know what you should do? Get away from the keyboard as fast as possible and become a manager.” I was surprised because I saw management as a profession in itself, not just something you do.
So I thought if my future was moving away from the keyboard and becoming a manager, I’d better study something relevant. That’s how I ended up switching to HR and business administration.
Daria: Well, that’s the power of great advice at the right time.
Simon: Yeah, I’m not so sure. A lot of people along my career have said, “Why did you ever move away from tech? It’s a booming business, and we need software engineers!” But I’ve always considered it a passion of mine. And I’ve always ended up working at high-tech companies, so it still comes back every now and then—especially nowadays with AI on the rise. I’m really interested in how I can refresh my coding skills a bit.
The Value of a Multi-Faceted Skill Set
Daria: I’m a strong believer in people who have diverse backgrounds—T-shaped, M-shaped, W-shaped individuals. You don’t follow just one function in one industry but instead develop various skills. I’m sure you understand tech teams better than many who don’t come from a software background.
Simon: Exactly. I love how you started calling out these different “shapes” of leadership. It reminded me of a kid’s drawing where the lines go crisscross all over the paper—that’s probably me as a leader. In my last job at Sendcloud, a leader once asked me why I wasn’t in Sales because I love learning about every aspect of the business I’m in. One day, it’s tech; another day, it’s sales; and the rest is HR!
Corporates vs. Scale-Ups
Daria: Right. You mentioned that you worked in big companies and then moved to scale-ups. What differences do you see in how those organizations develop, especially in terms of leadership style?
Simon: It’s a fascinating experience. Initially, I thought it would be completely different. I was working at one of the world’s largest energy companies, doing a lot of reorganizations, and I got tired of the constant downsizing. I thought hypergrowth would be so much more positive, but I quickly realized there are a lot of parallels.
Whether you’re in hypergrowth or downsizing, you’re always short on people, always dealing with messy processes that aren’t designed for your current scale. You have to handle a lot of emotions and pace. As a leader, you juggle everything—building for the future while maintaining the present. So in many ways, there are parallels.
Of course, there are differences. If you say you work at a hypergrowth company at a birthday party, people think it’s awesome. If you say you work at a large corporate doing reorganizations, it’s a less interesting conversation. But fundamentally, a lot of challenges are the same.
Adapting Corporate Best Practices to Scale-Ups
Daria: I’ve noticed that some scale-ups want to bring in corporate people and just copy-paste the processes, while others say, “We’re agile; we don’t need that bureaucratic stuff.” Rarely do they meet in the middle to adopt good processes in a flexible way.
Simon: I fully agree. Often, scale-up founders say they never want to become “corporate,” as if it’s something dirty. But they forget it’s the next phase of their evolution. In the beginning, you don’t have an HR department or a finance department, so the founder needs to do everything. Then, as you grow, you add these functions.
The fear is that professionalizing means losing freedom, having to justify decisions, and planning for the long-term. Suddenly, “agile” can get misused—people don’t want to write anything down or take accountability. Meanwhile, you do need processes that can scale. And there’s often an important conversation that doesn’t happen: “Am I, as the founder or current leader, actually the person who can bring the company to the next level?” Many leaders rarely question their own ability to scale with the organization. They judge if the rest of the organization is ready, but not themselves.
Lessons from M&A: A Look at Palo Alto Networks
Daria: You also have experience with acquiring companies and integrating them. Any tips you want to share about making M&A successful?
Simon: If I had the perfect recipe, I’d be competing with Elon Musk for the world’s richest person! Most M&As fail to realize their intended value, so you have to be really clear about why you’re doing it. Are you taking out competition, or extending your portfolio?
A great learning for me was from my time at Palo Alto Networks under CEO Nikesh Arora. He transformed it from a hardware firewall company to a cybersecurity-as-a-service business—so we went on an M&A spree, acquiring a new company about every quarter. We did “zero-day integrations,” which meant we integrated only basic operating processes like finance and HR, and left the acquired company’s way of working intact. We wanted to keep the talent and the product expertise alive. We also had our sales teams start selling the new product immediately.
Too often, the acquiring company suffocates the talent by replacing the leadership. Or if you’re acquiring just to eliminate a competitor, why pay a premium and toss everything out? So be super careful, think about whether M&A really helps your roadmap. If it doesn’t, don’t do it.
Learning from Harvard’s Case Studies
Daria: You took a course at Harvard. Why did you decide to go for it, and how did it help you?
Simon: My grandmother once told me: “Almost everything can be taken away from you, except what you’ve learned and experienced.” That stuck with me. I wanted to learn from some of the best minds and liked Harvard’s business case approach. You study real cases with people from all around the world, and everyone shares different perspectives.
One case was about the Challenger incident (though disguised under a different scenario). It showed the pressure on leaders to make quick decisions and how that can lead to disaster. Another case was about an entrepreneur who built luxury Swiss watches against all odds—and succeeded. It taught me that sometimes you need to slow down and other times you need to go for it, depending on your vision and what you’re willing to risk.
Parallels Between Leadership and Parenting
Daria: You made a transition to talking about families. In your view, what are the similarities between being a leader and being a parent?
Simon: If I look at my kids, I’m trying to help them grow into proper adults with strong values. Sometimes I need to give them more freedom; sometimes I need to set tighter boundaries. But ultimately, they’re individuals—just like employees. You guide them, but you can’t force them.
One thing is that as a parent, you can’t expect instant rewards. Sometimes your kids won’t be grateful now, but maybe in 10 years, they will be. It’s similar with employees: you might not see immediate appreciation, but you still do what’s right for them and the organization. And transparency is crucial in both parenting and leadership. If you hide things from your kids or from your employees, they sense it. They start looking for conspiracies. Openness can build trust.
Also, we often judge other parents or other leaders too quickly. Every situation is different. Of course, call out bad behavior, but realize not every practice that works in one context will work in another. We need to be kinder, more willing to understand each other’s circumstances.
Advice for the Future of Work
Daria: What advice would you give organizations about becoming ready for the future of work?
Simon: First, remember that organizations are just groups of people. People need to keep learning and adapting. The world changes fast—AI, quantum computing, geopolitical shifts. You can approach it with fear, or you can embrace curiosity. If you project fear, people make decisions based on fear. I’d suggest shifting to a more positive spin. Explore like a child would do, keep an open mind, and keep learning.
Wrapping Up
Daria: I love that shift from fear to curiosity and learning. Thank you so much, Simon. It was great having this conversation—talking about M&A, your Harvard experiences, parenting, and snakes!
Simon: The pleasure was all mine. I hope it’s helpful and that people find it interesting. If anyone has questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Daria: How can people connect with you?
Simon: The easiest way is through my LinkedIn page. Connect with me there, send me a message, and I’ll respond. That’s also how you and I got connected. I’m looking forward to more conversations.
Thank you for reading, and stay curious!
Simon Mulder has spent over two decades at the forefront of global HR, steering some of the world’s most dynamic organizations through hypergrowth, transformation, and innovation. From scaling operations at Palo Alto Networks to driving cultural change at Backbase and bol.com, Simon’s career is a blueprint for aligning people strategies with bold business ambitions. What sets Simon apart is his ability to balance strategic vision with operational excellence. He’s led transformative initiatives, including award-winning diversity programs and leadership development frameworks, while seamlessly integrating newly acquired businesses and building resilient, high-performing cultures. His contributions have been pivotal in helping organizations navigate the complexities of today’s fast-evolving workplace. Despite his impressive track record, Simon remains grounded in a simple but powerful philosophy: success is about empowering people to deliver extraordinary results. Known for his pragmatic approach and deep insight into what makes businesses tick, Simon is a trusted leader who inspires organizations to think differently about growth, leadership, and the future of work.
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