UNiDAYS has appointed Mona Akiki as its new Chief People Officer as part of efforts to strengthen its leadership team and support ongoing global expansion.
In her new position, Akiki will oversee the company’s global people and culture strategy, supporting a workforce of 250 employees. Based in London, she is expected to play a key role in optimising employee engagement, organisational performance, and the overall employee experience at UNiDAYS.
Akiki brings more than 25 years of business and leadership experience to the company. Her background includes leading transformation and growth initiatives in various fast-moving and scaling organisations. She joins UNiDAYS from rewards and benefits platform Perkbox, where she has held positions such as Chief of Staff and Chief People Officer, contributing significantly to strengthening Perkbox’s culture and supporting its private equity acquisition.
Prior to her time at Perkbox, Akiki was Managing Director of Human Resources at CPP Investments, one of the world’s largest pension funds. While there, she was instrumental in developing the people function to address the needs of a rapidly expanding operation, with the workforce growing from 875 to over 1,500 across eight international offices during her tenure.
According to UNiDAYS, Akiki’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment as the company accelerates its strategy for global growth and further scales its operations. The organisation sees her experience as critical to developing the agility and leadership capabilities required to achieve its expansion plans.
Akiki is also tasked with further strengthening UNiDAYS’ high-performance, purpose-driven culture. This cultural focus forms part of the company’s wider strategy to increase trust within the Generation Z demographic and support its student verification services for partner businesses, which include recent collaborations with Meta and TikTok.
“With students continuing to shape both culture and commerce, UNiDAYS’ unique proposition has never been more relevant – and that’s one of the reasons I’m delighted to be joining the leadership team as Chief People Officer. As we continue to prioritise our people, I’m looking forward to working with Jon and the team to drive a strong culture, shape an exceptional employee experience and build an environment where talent can grow and succeed.”
UNiDAYS highlighted Akiki’s international experience, having developed teams and talent across markets in the UK, US, Canada, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. Her appointment is intended to reinforce the company’s commitment to building a robust team as it enters this next stage of growth.
Akiki holds an MBA from McGill University and a Professional Coaching Certification from Henley Business School.
“Mona’s appointment is a significant milestone for UNiDAYS. She has an outstanding track record of leading transformations and developing strong, people-first cultures. As we continue to grow and evolve our operating model, her experience will be vital and will ensure that we have a world-class team to support our global ambitions.”
UNiDAYS’ platform is used by over 23 million members globally and maintains partnerships with more than 800 brands. The company focuses on enabling students, graduates, and young professionals to access savings, learning opportunities, and earning potential through its platform.
Akiki’s appointment forms part of a broader series of actions the company is taking to develop its people function and support operational growth internationally.