Certain people carry an energy—light and impactful enough to transform any atmosphere they step into. It's their smile, their positive energy, their genuineness that makes you instantly feel better. Sama is that kind of person. From the moment our team met her, we knew she was a true Hero in HR.

What makes Sama special? It's how she knows every little detail about her employees, payroll systems, civil service policies, regulatory compliance requirements, benefit structures, talent development frameworks, and organizational workflows. But it's not just what she knows—it's how she uses this knowledge to help others. When you have someone like Sama on your team, you can move ahead with even the most difficult tasks knowing you have someone reliable, knowledgeable and positive.

The purpose of Heroes of HR is to shed a light on these hardworking individuals who are very much educated in these fiends and have consistently excelled in their positions for years. 

“Heroes in HR aren't made just by focusing on managing the documents, giving training, or setting up proper approval flows. It's their skill in navigating the complex world of workplace relationships and being able to read people and their emotions”

From coding dreams to HR leadership

Sama's path to HR came as a surprise, even to herself. At 15, she set her sights on becoming a software developer and held onto this dream until receiving a government scholarship. During her interview, a panel member discouraged her, suggesting software development was "for men." This is when she pivoted to HR—and then never looked back.

This early experience with gender bias likely planted the seeds for her future success in breaking barriers. For over a decade, Sama has served government and even corporate sectors—moving between traditional roles and even spending 5 years providing consultancy to 3 different companies.

Over the past 15 years, Sama has built an impressive career in the Maldives. She kicked things off in 2008 at the Ministry of Housing, Transport & Environment as a Senior Administrative Officer. Just a year later, she moved to the Civil Service Commission where she really started to grow in various HR roles.

Her big break came in 2019 when she joined Maldives Airports Company Limited, climbing from HR Policy Manager all the way up to General Manager of Organization Design & Total Rewards. Along the way, she's shared her expertise as a consultant with government organizations like the Civil Service Commission, Ministry of Health, and Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Today, she's bringing her talents to Maldives National Air Traffic as their General Manager of HR & Administration.

"HR is not just paperwork and documentation, you know. You are the one who gets to uplift people when they are down, you're the person who gets to give a pat on the back to those performing well, you get to really make an impact"

She is one of the HR leaders that played a tremendous role in restructuring and contributing to creating the current civil service policies in place, particularly the policies in the health sector. The work she did was incredible that the Personal Secretary called her personally to acknowledge and credit her for the impactful changes she helped create.

The future and finding balance

Looking forward, Sama is excited about the Employee Act's sixth amendment, requiring companies with more than 50 employees to have a Maldivian HR head. This means local talents get to lead without barriers, and that's a big win for the whole industry. 

When asked about balancing work and life, Sama points to her family, especially her husband. They team up on everything from school pickups to parent-teacher meetings. She also believes staying healthy with exercise and good food helps her professional success. 

The heart of HR

In what might be "the most people-centered job in the world," Sama exemplifies what truly great HR leadership looks like. It's not just about mastering systems and policies—it's about genuinely caring for the humans behind every work process.

Sama's journey proves that sometimes life's detours lead to our greatest contributions. She is truly a powerhouse in the Maldives HR.