Kala Philip, Chief Executive Officer of BSI Learning, is a widely acclaimed name in the field of education, learning and development, given her real world experiences and broad industry specific expertise. Having worked overseas, she holds experience of working in senior management positions in several industries, i.e. government, telecommunication, mining, construction and others.
BSI Learning provides nationally accredited qualifications, customised corporate training programs, and elearning solutions. Every organisation has certain objectives to increase its output, be it improving employee skills or aiming at increased productivity. BSI creates customised programs to assist organisations in achieving their objectives and trains via workshops, distance learning, elearning, action plans and several other learning methodologies.
Her wealth of experience assists her in providing real and practical solutions for clients, stakeholders, and consultants she works with. According to Kala, Brand, People, Systems, and Solutions are her four pillars for work focus. She believes in creating customised learning solutions, encompassing a people-based approach, which in turn provides benefits to the client with increased performance and productivity.
A journey of courage and determination
It was Kala’s family that played a significant role in shaping her leadership and entrepreneurial outlook. Growing up in a family that encouraged independence, creativity, and problem solving, a strong entrepreneurial spirit blossomed within her. Education is another crucial factor that helped her channelise and strengthen her skills. Her school promoted leadership skills through group projects, debates, and extracurricular activities, providing a fertile ground for budding leaders and boosting confidence and ambition. Early work experiences, such as part time jobs or internships, further shaped her approach to leadership and business.
She moved out of her home to work in different states and also helped launch new franchises for a family that hosted her during her travels. These experiences sharpened her practical skills, like teamwork, communication, and time management. Through travel, meeting diverse communities, varied social interactions, and understanding different viewpoints, she created inclusive and effective leadership and innovative entrepreneurial strategies.
Overcoming obstacles, whether academic, personal, or familial, can foster a strong sense of perseverance and problem-solving ability. These experiences teach future leaders to view setbacks as opportunities for growth and innovation. Her exposure to diverse cultures, ideas, and perspectives broadened her understanding of the world and enhanced creativity and empathy.
Inspirational figures like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, stories of individuals who have overcome adversity to achieve success, motivated her to pursue her path with courage and determination.
Kala joined BSI Learning in 2012 after she moved to Sydney from Dubai in 2004 as a skilled migrant in education. The company was a small learning and development consultancy with a team of just five learning professionals, and over the years, through several acquisitions, grew into a strong force of 98 high performing and results driven learning experts. She served in several roles over the last 13 years, from an enterprise sales role to a GM, COO and then as CEO.
Growth and expansion have been the key focus for their board and shareholders, which in turn became an exciting opportunity for her to drive their strategic initiatives and plan their roadmap with a team of senior executives.
Key highlights of her career have been launching Australian programs in India as the next wave of international education, introducing a new program in biosecurity for indigenous rangers to protect Australia’s rich biodiversity and its natural habitats, and finalising a Trans-Tasman partnership with a higher education provider in NZ through private equity investment.
Since private equity investment can be a powerful catalyst for company growth, she is aiming for strategic management, access to capital, operational improvements, and a focus on innovation to help BSI Learning reach its full potential. While the journey may be complex, the results often lead to significant advancements and success in the competitive business landscape.
Transformative leadership is lifelong learning
As per Philip, transformative leadership in workforce development and education is about creating a vision for the future, empowering individuals, fostering lifelong learning, promoting inclusivity, and building collaborative and ethical environments. This leadership approach not only prepares individuals to succeed in their careers but also contributes to the overall advancement of society.
This leadership style emphasises vision, inspiration, and a commitment to fostering growth and innovation among individuals and organisations.
Transformative leaders are visionaries who have the ability to see beyond the present and imagine a future where educational systems and workforce structures are more effective and inclusive.
Their vision often includes innovation in education, encouraging the adoption of new teaching methods and technologies to enhance learning experiences and outcomes. They encourage lifelong learning, recognising its importance in an ever-evolving job market.
A purpose driven organisation
Kala believes balancing innovation with operational excellence requires a deliberate and strategic approach. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, aligning efforts with strategic goals, and leveraging technology, organisations can achieve a harmonious blend of creativity and efficiency. This balance not only drives growth but also ensures sustainable success in an ever-evolving marketplace.
In the competitive environment, organisations are continuously challenged to innovate while maintaining operational excellence. She affirms that striking the right balance between these two crucial aspects can lead to sustained growth and competitive advantage. Organisations that successfully combine these strategies can create a culture that fosters creativity while ensuring efficient execution. Some ways to integrate innovation with operational excellence include encouraging collaboration between different departments to generate diverse ideas and streamline implementation, adopting agile practices to enable rapid prototyping, testing, and iteration, implementing mechanisms for continuous feedback from customers and employees to drive improvements and leveraging technology to automate processes, gather data, and support decision making.
Philip advises that companies can maintain a competitive edge by staying ahead of market trends and improving operational efficiency. Delivering innovative products and services while ensuring quality enhances customer experience. Streamlining processes and reducing waste can lead to significant cost savings. A culture of innovation and continuous improvement supports long term organisational growth and resilience.
Creating a positive difference in the world
Kala maintains the view that aligning business growth with social impact is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic advantage in today’s socially conscious landscape. By embedding social responsibility into their core operations, businesses can achieve sustainable growth while making a positive difference in the world. Embracing this alignment is an essential step toward building a more equitable and sustainable future.
In the modern marketplace, the convergence of business growth and social impact is becoming increasingly vital. As consumers are more informed and concerned about the broader implications of their purchasing decisions, businesses have begun to realise the importance of integrating social responsibility into their core strategies.
Businesses should start by defining clear social impact objectives that align with their core values and mission. Integrating social goals into the overall business strategy ensures that social impact is not an afterthought but a driving factor in decision making. This will aid businesses in enhanced brand reputation, talent attraction, market differentiation and long-term sustainability.
A culture of continuous learning
Philip ascertains that fostering a culture of continuous learning within an organisation is essential for staying competitive, adapting to change, and encouraging employee growth.
BSI Learning encourages a growth mindset, a belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed. They encourage employees to view challenges as opportunities to learn rather than as obstacles. They provide a variety of learning opportunities to cater to different learning styles and preferences. BSI utilises technology to make learning more accessible and engaging. They encourage employees to experiment with new ideas and approaches without the fear of failure. Managers ensure that learning opportunities are aligned with the organisation’s objectives and regularly conduct skill gap analyses to identify areas where training is required. They design learning paths that help employees acquire skills that are critical to achieving organisational goals.
BSI Learning fosters a culture where change is not feared but embraced, encouraging innovation and continuous learning. This mindset allows teams to pivot strategies in response to shifting customer needs or unexpected challenges, turning potential threats into opportunities for growth. By cultivating adaptability, the heads empower their employees to be proactive problem solvers, enhancing overall efficiency and resilience.
Selfcare is non-negotiable
Apart from excelling in professional life, Kala emphasises equal focus on selfcare. She believes developing effective habits and routines is essential for maintaining focus, sustaining energy, and ensuring alignment with long-term goals.
To begin with, she has established a structured morning routine supporting her family to gear up for their day, allowing her to focus on tasks simultaneously. For her, selfcare is non-negotiable as she believes one cannot pour from an empty cup.
Healthy eating, regular exercise and adequate sleep are non-negotiable for Kala as they aid her in recharging her body and mind. She also engages in activities that promote personal and professional development, like spending time with friends and family to nurture relationships. Also, her list includes frequent holiday breaks to come back rejuvenated and energised to pursue the vision and strategy with some blue sky thinking.
Strategised decision making
During times of uncertainty or rapid change, decision making requires a blend of intuition, adaptability, and resilience. Kala approaches this process by first gathering as much information as possible, recognising that complete data may not always be available. She prioritises flexibility, allowing room for adjustments as new information surfaces. Embracing a mindset of agility, she relies on both analytical thinking and gut instincts, acknowledging the value of past experiences.
Collaboration is crucial; by engaging with others, she gains diverse perspectives that illuminate potential blind spots. Moreover, setting clear priorities helps in focusing on what truly matters, reducing the noise of extraneous factors. In uncertain times, she reminds herself that not every decision will be perfect, but taking action is essential to progress. By remaining open minded and reflective, she continuously learns and adapts, ensuring that she navigates through the complexities of change with confidence and poise.
Emotional intelligence: cornerstone of leadership
Philip affirms that emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of effective leadership, particularly when managing diverse teams. It involves the ability to recognise, understand, and manage one’s own emotions, as well as empathise with others’ emotions.
In her leadership style, emotional intelligence plays a pivotal role by fostering an inclusive environment where team members feel valued and understood. It enables her to navigate cultural differences with sensitivity and respect, ensuring that diverse perspectives are not only heard but also integrated into decision making processes.
By leveraging emotional intelligence, she builds strong, trusting relationships, which are essential for collaboration and innovation. This adaptability and empathy help to mitigate conflicts and enhance team cohesion, ultimately driving collective success. In essence, emotional intelligence allows her to lead with compassion and insight, creating a harmonious and productive team dynamic.
BSI Learning has a profound impact on shaping future leaders and managers through its innovative leadership courses. By focusing on a holistic approach to leadership development, BSI Learning equips participants with essential skills that transcend traditional management training. These courses emphasise emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and adaptive leadership, ensuring that future leaders are not only well prepared to tackle challenges but are also capable of inspiring and empowering their teams.
Participants engage in interactive modules, real world simulations, and collaborative projects that foster a deeper understanding of effective leadership dynamics. BSI Learning’s commitment to nurturing a culture of continuous improvement and lifelong learning ensures that graduates emerge as confident, adaptable, and visionary leaders, ready to make transformative impacts in their organisations and beyond. Through this comprehensive leadership development, BSI Learning is not just preparing individuals for their next role but creating a ripple effect of positive change across industries.
As the CEO, Kala Philip’s proudest achievement is advancing transnational education for BSI Learning and ensuring access and equity for students in South Asia. By spearheading initiatives that focus on providing quality education to underprivileged communities, BSI Learning has significantly increased educational opportunities in the region. This endeavour reflects their commitment to educational equity and their vision of a world where every student, regardless of location, socioeconomic status, culture, ability or background, has the opportunity to learn and succeed. By forging partnerships with local educational institutions and leveraging technology to deliver quality education, they have empowered countless students to overcome geographical and socioeconomic barriers. This initiative exemplifies her belief that education is a powerful tool for change and aligns with her dedication to fostering a globally inclusive and equitable corporate culture. It sets a precedent for how businesses can address educational disparities and contribute to meaningful social change.
Success is equivalent to growth
Kala emphasises that in today’s dynamic business landscape, success for a CEO transcends traditional metrics like profit margins and shareholder value. A successful CEO embodies visionary leadership, demonstrating agility and resilience in the face of rapid technological advancements and global challenges. They prioritise sustainable growth, integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into their strategic planning.
Fostering an inclusive culture that values diversity and innovation is crucial, as it drives creativity and employee engagement. Furthermore, effective communication and transparent decision-making build trust with stakeholders, ensuring long term organisational stability. A modern CEO must also embrace digital transformation, leveraging data and technology to enhance efficiencies and customer experiences. In essence, a successful CEO is not just a financial steward but a transformative leader committed to creating a positive impact on society and fostering enduring corporate success.
