As head of brand and people at Simply Black Media, Inge Wulff approaches human resources less like an admin task and more as a powerful function for shaping a thriving culture from the inside out.
“I’ve always felt a pull to do work that’s bigger than me, work that empowers people and drives positive impact. I believe in a circular relationship between employee and employer, where work is not just a place to earn a salary, but a space for mutual growth and meaning. I’m truly energised by people and curious about what drives them,” she says.
“I majored in organisational psychology at UCT, but started my career in marketing, events and sales because traditional HR didn’t feel like the right fit. Still, I found myself gravitating towards culture-building in every organisation.”
She met the leadership team at Simply Black after a sabbatical, and reflects on how they shared a business challenge that wasn’t just strategic but deeply human.
“I was searching for a value-aligned shift, and this opportunity resonated immediately. It offered a chance to build something meaningful from the inside out. The synergy with this leadership team has been critical – not only do they get it, but they continue to partner deeply in shaping a culture that grows people and business together,” she explains.
“At Simply Black, ‘people-first’ isn’t just a value; it’s a design principle. We apply human-centred thinking to every policy and framework, starting with the real needs of our employees. For example, we recognise that the African understanding of ‘immediate family’ extends beyond the narrow legal definition. That insight guided us to rethink family responsibility leave in a way that’s culturally relevant and genuinely supportive. By grounding our frameworks in lived realities, we equip leaders to manage with empathy and clarity, and we build systems that honour our people, not just the policy.”
Defining expectations
From this, Inge has learnt that impactful HR requires balancing predictability with creativity.
“You need both structure and room for design and innovation. People need a framework to work within, but a company must maintain some agility to best serve people and business needs.”
That approach was put to the test when she tackled one of the industry’s most overlooked problems: unclear roles and metrics.
“Revamping job titles, descriptions, and performance metrics was a game-changer for both clarity and performance. The media industry is fast-paced and metric-driven, but for high performance to be fair and sustainable, employees need to know exactly what success looks like.”
“This process allowed me to deeply understand industry roles, their objectives and how they connect within the business. By clearly defining expectations, we built a framework that enables both accountability and growth. We witnessed a 100 percent increase in employee role clarity, as reflected in our biannual culture survey. When people know where they stand, they can stretch further.”
To drive cultural change, Inge is unafraid to interrogate policies that may be legal but aren’t necessarily fair. She highlights the company’s maternity leave policy as a key example of this.
“Our goal is equity, rather than equality. We continue to strive for internal fairness and still have work to do. We cannot get buy-in to a culture of high performance if our employees do not trust that the system is fair to begin with.”
“On maternity, our initial policy was in line with local law, and while technically equal, it wasn’t equitable or fair to South African women because their leave is unpaid. We adjusted this, and all employees going on maternity leave are entitled to 100 percent of their salary for four months.”
Being open to feedback
However, she acknowledges that effecting change is never a one-size-fits-all approach, especially when dealing with varying levels of influence and understanding within a company.
“I try to empathise with each group’s unique position and tailor communications to why it matters for them. If I don’t effectively understand their motivation and, as a result, they don’t understand why it is important, there will be no change.”
And she notes some changes start small but grow into powerful cultural cornerstones. “One of the moments I’m most proud of was institutionalising monthly one-to-ones across the business. What started as a basic check-in evolved into a core cultural pillar.”
“In an industry as fast-paced as the media, time for reflection and human connection often gets deprioritised. These structured conversations created space for real feedback, coaching and clarity, especially for younger staff. It deepened trust, gave managers a rhythm for support and accountability, and contributed to improved engagement scores in our culture survey. It’s a simple shift, but it fundamentally changed how we listen and lead.”
She doesn’t just ask others to grow, but is constantly evolving too. And sometimes, that means being open to feedback, even when it’s about her own leadership style.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt from my team is to ‘start with the punchline’. I used to lead with context and detail, thinking it helped people understand the full picture, but I realised it often diluted the message. My team showed me that clarity upfront builds confidence and alignment.”
In between building culture and driving strategy, Inge finds pockets of calm in her studies, garden and friendships.
“I am currently doing my master’s so free time is particularly limited, but I can be found reading in the garden with my cat, going for a walk in the park, solo travelling or enjoying a cold glass of white wine with my friends. My support network continues to be my most important source of comfort.”
She shares a glimpse into her current academic focus, which blends her passion for culture, systems thinking and the future of work.
“My master’s is in strategic design in global leadership through Parsons, The New School. I’m exploring the employee experience through a design lens. It includes the future of talent matching and how diversity breeds transformation. Ultimately, my work is driven by a belief that thriving people build thriving businesses. I want to keep shaping environments where culture and performance reinforce each other and where work becomes a place of possibility, not just productivity.”
Inge has also been recognised as an emerging culture creator in Culture Amp’s 2025 awards, for her work in shaping a strong, people-first workplace culture. “This recognition reaffirms that workplace culture is a strategic business priority, not just an HR function.”
Advising organisations looking to strengthen their workplace culture, she says, “Start with a survey. Ask the uncomfortable questions and use that data to set clear, actionable goals. Culture isn’t built through posters and policies, but it’s shaped by everyday actions and a shared commitment from leadership and employees.”
