Calling Operator with Laura Nicol Ep 45. Scale and Soul: Anitta Krishan on Leading People and Culture Transformation at trivago, Grab, TikTok & Hoogly AI
Laura Nicol connects with Anitta Krishan, Chief Culture Officer at Hoogly AI. We begin with a breath—a literal nervous system–balancing pause—followed by people-first perspectives from a former Trivago, Grab, and TikTok executive now shaping the future of work through an AI-powered Culture OS.
Inside the episode:
- Operating mindfully: breathing, sleeping, deep sighing, and listening to your body’s signals
- The future of work, where humans serve as culture architects and AI steps in as orchestrator
- Joining Trivago at 200 employees and scaling through IPO to 1,600
- Leading people and culture transformation at Grab during a chapter of hypergrowth and reinvention
- Scaling TikTok globally from 1,000 to 50,000 employees, navigating geopolitical tensions and cultural nuance at warp speed
- The black ops moment: how the TikTok India ban shaped her legacy as a people-first operator
- Why “your calendar reflects your values”—and the case for auditing it weekly
- Building from the ground floor inside an AI-native company
- Advice for rising operators: “Stop waiting for permission and titles. Just influence.”
Want to connect with Anitta? Find her on LinkedIn.
Check out Hoogly AI for your org.
Guest ideas?
Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.
A note from your host, Laura:
My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.
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