With each new year comes a new level of responsibility for Nerisha Kistan. In January 2024, she stepped into the role of HR Director at Canon EMEA, and by January 2025, she was also promoted to the title of statutory director.
“As statutory director, I share the liability in terms of governance and compliance if anything goes wrong. This gives me the ability to ask the right questions and get the answers I need.”
“The responsibility of being a statutory director is quite key, and to have an HR person at that level is showmanship of how much Canon emphasises its people-focused approach.”
“Our employee engagement survey results for 2024 improved with double digit scores across all the survey elements and we hope to keep the same momentum for 2025.”
Due to her love for technology, she did not dive straight into HR. As much as she enjoyed the world of coding and systems, she says the element of human interaction was missing.
“I did two years of IT after school. I'm very tech-savvy, very technology-influenced, but I knew that you cannot connect with a machine. I’m very people-oriented and I have a heart for people.”
That realisation she says, led her to take a step back and explore new opportunities before committing to another qualification.
“I decided to start working and started my first job in the financial services department at the Tshwane University of Technology. I found myself being asked to help with choosing new talent in the team, recruitment, and also with training.”
“That naturally led me to a career in human resources. I then applied for an HR officer role at KPMG on a three-month contract, and in two months, my manager gave me a permanent role, and the rest was history.”
She says the role at KPMG was the backbone of her career, teaching her the basic foundations of HR.
“This first real HR job was around administration, governance and compliance; your foundation in HR. That is also something that I spent the last year doing at Canon, building those foundations.”
“Any little improvement we made was noticed because we focused on foundation building, and a proper back-to-basics approach in terms of everything operational and HR. This meant I had to be very operationally involved, very hands-on, and I could only do that because of the experience I had.”
“Although the main headquarters are in the UK, and some of the biggest regional offices are in Europe and the Middle East, there's nothing that I could have achieved all by myself. Every single person at Canon, from our MD right until our sweet Nelly, in the kitchen, was hungry to make this a success and turn things around for Canon in South Africa.”
Before joining Canon, Nerisha gained experience working in two global companies and thereafter joined local companies as well.
“As much as I love local companies, they run very differently. The pace is very different.” This different pace, she admits, pushed her to seek a faster HR rhythm, and that is what attracted her to the position at Canon.
According to Nerisha, her admiration for Canon lies in being very intentional about their big decisions, a place where speed and stability coexist.
“It feels like I just joined yesterday. I can’t believe it’s been a year already. I know the brand and the stability that comes with it as well.”
“There’s a lot more governance, a lot more compliance here. Canon places a lot of consideration on the impact on its people before it makes business decisions. They always ask themselves, what is the impact on our people? Even if it’s a difficult decision, they will seek ways to minimise the impact on people. We are guided quite strongly by our Kyosei philosophy, living and working together for the common good.”
With technology rapidly evolving, one might wonder where Canon stands in the digital age. While many associate the brand with photography and printing, Nerisha reveals that Canon’s influence extends far beyond that.
“We’re still strong in our photo and video product portfolios, but our real growth is in production printing. If you think about anything that can be printed, wallpapers, T-shirts, or even a cereal box, there’s an entire industry behind it. In fact we are delighted to share that we are officially number one in South Africa, with a fantastic 29.1 percent market share in production print.”
Over the past 22 years of her career, Nerisha has progressively climbed the HR ranks, working across industries and gaining experience in various disciplines. She mentions having some extensive experiences, but despite the challenges, she notes that she cherishes the moments she is able to make a real impact on people’s lives.
“I have such amazing memories of just getting to see how people grow with a company and giving them that opportunity, seeing that bright spark wanting just one opportunity. I think that’s what drives me every day, knowing that someone did it for me, and so remember to pay it forward when you have the opportunity to do it for someone else.”
“We have this power to influence people’s lives as HR, and it can either be for the positive or the negative. But once that impact is understood, and you’re responsible with that power, and you uphold integrity in how you operate, for me, that’s where the magic happens. Connecting with people and seeing people motivated and reaching their potential is what inspires me every day.”
For Nerisha, this year is not just about having diverse employees across various levels, but about fostering an environment where all employees feel included and respected.
“One of the things that Canon is very proud to champion and sponsor is our DE&I initiatives. Last year's theme was a lot around inclusion.. We’ve done a lot of work, and continue to do when it comes to equity, but we’re focusing on this simple question this year, what are we doing in terms of inclusive behaviour?"
“We want to see inclusive behaviour demonstrated specifically by our leaders because they run diverse teams. We have structured programmes and education and training sessions that are planned for this year, and I think it’s going to hold us in good stead. We started with a focus on wellness initiatives, but 2025 will see us be more proactive.”
Outside of work, Nerisha’s life in Centurion with her family is a balancing act. When not drafting policies or shaping HR strategies, she is busy doing school runs for her two kids.
“I’ve lived in Pretoria most of my life. I’m not going anywhere, especially since Canon is also based in Centurion.”
“To relax, I love listening to music, being out and about with friends and family. Spending time with family is a big thing for me. I also enjoy reading now and then.”
“Married for 16 years, with two kids still in primary school, she points out her family as her most important support system. The Canon brand precedes them, even when my kids see the Canon logo, it’s like ‘ta-da!’ I am definitely proud to be working at Canon.”
