Welcome to the Transform Awards Winner Spotlight Series, celebrating innovation and leadership in reshaping industries and workplaces globally. These awards commend both individuals and companies who are at the forefront of transformation, setting new standards and challenging the status quo. Recognized for their people-centric and visionary approaches, our awardees are the global changemakers pioneering advancements in business, entrepreneurship, and beyond. This series shines a light on their achievements and the impactful ways they’re moving the world of work forward.
About Transform 10 Award
The Transform 10 recognizes the ten most inspirational executive leaders leading transformation across their areas of influence and moving the world of work forward. These are the people-centric, global changemakers challenging the status quo through business, venture, or entrepreneurial leadership.
About Transform 10 Award Winner: Rebecca Port
Rebecca Port is a human resources leader experienced in working with executives to build and deliver transformative people strategies. Currently, she is the Chief People Officer leading the People Team at 10x Genomics, whose mission is to master biology to advance human health. Before 10x Genomics, Rebecca was VP of HR at Netflix. She has worked in six different industries and has lived in the UK, India, Singapore, and the USA. Rebecca is driven by solving problems, influencing the whole system & building deep collaborative relationships and aims to help organizations attract the best talent and create an environment where employees can thrive.
Leadership and Influence
Q: What is your journey that led you to your current leadership role?
A: I grew up in a working-class family in Hull, in the North of England. While Hull will always be home, I had a burning desire to see what else the world had to offer. During and after college, I backpacked all over the world.
I have always been fascinated by people and understanding why we do the things we do, so I earned a degree, a master’s, and a PhD in Psychology. After a short stint in academia, I went into consulting, focusing on leadership development and assessment. It was there that I got to go on my first international assignment, living in India for a few years while I helped build our practice there.
From there, I took a role in learning and development at a global bank and moved to Singapore. After nearly 10 years in Singapore, performing a range of roles across HR with the bank, I got the opportunity to lead the HR function for Europe and the Americas, based in NYC. It was a dream come true—I had always wanted to live in America, where I’d been taught anyone can do anything!
From there, I got the opportunity to work in tech and joined Netflix. I loved Netflix’s disruptive approach to HR and the ability for HR to truly be a facilitator of success. When I met my current boss, Serge Saxonov, CEO of 10x Genomics, I was inspired by how motivated he was to create a compelling people experience based on first principles and for HR to help create an environment where every employee can thrive. I joined 10x as the Chief People Officer three years ago and have loved every moment, transforming how we hire, pay, promote, develop, and engage our employees.
Q: What challenges have you faced while driving transformation within your area of influence?
A: How long do you have!
One challenge is that people are often distrustful of HR. This is often not due to anything you or your team have done but because of a previous experience at another company. Any form of change can be difficult for people, and even high performers often have insecurities about how well they are doing. We focused on driving talent density—the concept that every employee is exceptional. A challenge with this was that some people thought it was impossible to achieve. Having the initiative driven by the CEO and his team, along with a clear change and communication plan and alignment across all HR processes, helped drive the change and make this the new normal.
Vision and Impact
Q: What motivates you to challenge the status quo and lead transformation?
A: Making the world of work better. We spend so much time at work—it’s a privilege to be in a role that impacts people’s experience of work. Making organizations as successful as possible not only impacts the people who work there but also the customers, clients and communities that business serves.
Q: Can you share a significant change or innovation you’ve spearheaded in your current role?
A: This year, we have really been focused on leadership. Great leadership is the core of any great business. Bad leaders not only create bad companies but also have a terrible impact on employees’ lives. Helping leaders be great is all about creating an ecosystem that allows them to flourish. We started with people managers and trained all our people managers, centering this on coaching and feedback skills. This is important, as I believe that feedback is the best development a person will ever get. Having a manager who gives good feedback means our employees develop exponentially. We also built an infrastructure around our managers. This included a monthly manager digest sharing real-time tips and resources, and manager forums that help managers create community with their peers, work through problems in the moment, and help each other. We also created a leadership retreat where our most senior leaders join a residential program aiming to explore what leadership means to them and how they can become even better.
Strategies for Change
Q: How do you foster a culture of innovation and change within your team or organization?
A: In the team, we have four principles in which we ask ourselves 4 things:
- What is the problem at hand? How can it be solved now and in the long term?
- Is all the information and supporting data present to understand the problem holistically?
- How is this creating a phenomenal and inclusive experience for our employees?
- How can this solution be executed with excellence and have the greatest impact?
The focus on solving problems and being informed by data helps the team operate from first principles rather than just doing stuff because that’s how they have always done it at other companies.
Another way we drive innovation is together. We have a diverse team that brings a whole range of experiences. I look for people who think differently from me and will challenge my thinking. That way, we build great programs that solve business problems.
Q: What lessons have you learned about leadership in times of transformation?
A: Just how important communication is. Every person wants to be seen, heard, and understand the why. Leading through change and transformation requires leaders to do that both on an organizational and individual level. Whenever there is a misunderstanding, I ask myself what context I have not set.
Engagement and Influence
Q: In which ways do you engage with and inspire others in your industry or beyond to embrace change?
A: I engage with and inspire others in my industry to embrace change by connecting with leaders to understand why they want to work the way they do. I share alternative perspectives through articles and podcasts, helping leaders understand how transformative and strategic HR can benefit their business. By building strong relationships and understanding the problems they face, I help leaders see the value in adopting new approaches and driving meaningful change in their organizations.
Q: Can you describe a moment when you realized the true impact of your work?
A: A moment when I realized the true impact of my work was through individual mentoring. Hearing from people years later about how my mentorship positively influenced their paths has been incredibly rewarding. The impact on both individuals and the organization as a whole is equally meaningful and rewarding.
Looking Forward
Q: What future trends do you believe will further transform your industry or the world of work in general?
A: I think connection is going to be a critical focus. Right now, people are prioritizing autonomy over connection. People feel like their new hybrid or remote working arrangements are making them the happiest they have ever been. However, what is not clear to people right now is that over time, if they don’t build close relationships at work, it will have a negative impact on their happiness. People will end up disconnected from each other and their sense of purpose as their relationship with work becomes more transactional.
Ultimately, we all need a sense of purpose and belonging. This is hard to create if work is just a transaction and you don’t really spend time with the people you work with. I think there is a need to help people understand the importance of this, and we need to explore ways for people to create connectivity and a sense of belonging in our new world of work.
Q: What’s next on your agenda for driving change and innovation?
A: We have some really exciting projects coming up, looking at how we can help our employees continue to learn and grow and help our leaders lead through times of change.
We will continue to explore how we apply Gen AI and the power it has. Also, how we hire. We are always looking to enhance our hiring process by utilizing all new tools in the field, and including AI! Our hiring process is always top of mind for us because we know the best people in the world are what will ultimately help us move our mission forward.
Personal Reflections
Q: How do you balance the demands of leading transformation with personal well-being?
A:
Mindfulness means paying attention to what needs attention, knowing when to take breaks, and being present in the moments that matter.
Recognizing the importance of who you surround yourself with – both inside and outside of work.
Running is a key way for me to relax – the physical and mental benefits for me are profound so I prioritize the time to do this.
Q: What is one piece of advice you would offer to future leaders aiming to make a difference?
Create a plan and do the work that offers the best return on effort—it’s how you will have the most impact. Never follow a playbook; instead, solve a problem. It’s easy to get distracted by doing things that all HR functions do, but be clear on the problem you are solving and take a first principles approach. That way, you are not just an HR function; you are a strategic function that facilitates the success of the company and its people.
Q: How do you create work-life balance in your own life?
A: I view it all just as life. I pay attention to what needs attention and set boundaries around that. Sometimes I need to set boundaries at work so I can give it my all at home and sometimes I need to set boundaries at home so I can give it my all at work. It’s never constant, so communication is key.
Check out our other Transform Spotlights on the blog to learn more about our Global Ambassadors, People-First Leaders, Authors, Award Winners, and more!