Leadership is often explained through frameworks and theory. For Axis Communications Executive Leader and Judge of The Final Pitch, Loubna Imenchal, it was shaped much earlier and far more personally. As a child, she was kidnapped. When she returned, life did not simply continue as before. The world felt unfamiliar, and the sense of belonging she expected was gone, even within her own family. That experience changed the trajectory of her life entirely.

In this episode of Above C-Level, Loubna shares a raw and deeply personal conversation about how those early experiences became the foundation of her mindset and, later, her career. Rather than framing her story as one of victimhood, she reflects on how feeling out of place pushed her to build certainty through action, structure through discipline, and confidence through results. Work became the space where she could create control, not through reassurance, but through capability.

That mindset followed her into every professional environment she entered. Instead of waiting for validation or permission, she learned to move decisively. If she wanted something, she went after it. Over time, that independence and drive fuelled her rise to C-level leadership in complex, male-dominated industries. Her journey reflects a wider shift in how organisations view career resilience and long-term professional fulfilment in the current hiring market.

Loubna and I also talk about hiring, where she explains why she consistently prioritises mindset over experience. Perfect CVs rarely tell the full story. What matters is how people think under pressure, adapt to uncertainty, and take ownership when it counts.

For anyone navigating leadership, building teams, or forging a career under pressure, this conversation offers a grounded perspective that goes far beyond any business theory can teach you.

Watch The Conversation Here

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