Workplace culture consultancy ‘together’ launches in Dubai

A new workplace culture consultancy has been launched in Dubai by entrepreneurial sister act Lucy and Camilla d’Abo, which they describe as the first such dedicated consultancy in the region.

Serial consulting sector entrepreneurs Lucy and Camilla d’Abo have popped up again to launch their latest venture in the Middle East – a workplace culture consultancy described as the first pure-play of its kind in the region. Dubbed ‘together’ and based out of Dubai, the new consulting firm will offer services in human capital planning, cultural transformation, internal communications, and people development among other areas.

“Globally we are witnessing one of the biggest transformations in workplace culture since the industrial revolution,” said Lucy d’Abo, who will act as the firm’s CEO. “However, the Middle East has limited resources devoted to workplace culture, helping organisations engage with their employees, drive performance, and develop new ways of thinking about the future of work. We believe that ‘together’ can meet this need.”

The aim of the sisters is to establish ‘together’ as the go-to advisory for CEOs and company directors looking to drive business performance through culture and purpose. As for track record, they point to the UAE Great Place to Work stamp and second-place in the Dubai SME 100 for human capital achieved by the independent PR and communications agency they co-founded in 2004 – the Edelman-acquired Dabo & Co.

“The secret to our success at the time was quite simply a belief in putting people and culture at the core,” Camilla d'Abo stated on LinkedIn. “Our reputation as people-focused leaders was celebrated by our staff, clients and colleagues, and our culture achieved multiple industry recognition and multiple awards. It is now time to bring that belief in culture and business knowledge combined with expertise in communications and human resources.”

With Camilla serving in a non-executive director role, joining the d’Abos at launch director of people and transformation John Hague, a specialist in learning, development, and employee engagement. Hague brings over 15 years of professional experience gained across the Emirates and UK to his new role, including through previous leadership development positions with Waitrose, Asda, and Sky.

According to its website, ‘together’ will adopt a three-pronged model to find the best solutions for individual clients, underpinned by a data-gathering insights-driven approach. The tailored programmes will then be action-oriented with clear outcomes (‘together’ will also provide services in values & behaviours and managing change), before consolidation through reflection and review – good habits, they say, are only achieved through repetition.

In speaking with Arab News, Lucy d’Abo outlined the key mix of ingredients which make for a ‘superpower’ work culture, including among others; progressive leadership that is open to change and investing in people; an aligned and engaged workforce that is living the company’s purpose; a clear strategy with articulated values and behaviours; clear communication with active listening; andcare for people, integrity, ethics, and cultural sensitivity.