Learning across cultures 

Yovadee Nagapa-Chetty – Global VP, Client Growth & Strategy

Working across countries, cultures and time zones is part of everyday life at Valtech. But global collaboration is so much more than coordinating calendars or navigating time differences. It’s about understanding different perspectives, communication styles and lived experiences — and recognizing the value they bring to the way we work together.

For Yovadee, cultural awareness isn't just part of her role. It's something that has shaped her life and career.

Having spent 14 years at Valtech and having worked across multiple regions, she has built a truly global perspective.

One of the things I find most rewarding about my journey here is that I’ve had the chance to work in all of Valtech’s regions while being part of Global. I started in the corporate team in Paris, then moved to New York, and now I’m based in Dubai. So, I sometimes joke that the only region left for me to work from is LATAM at some point.

Her role focuses on connecting teams, markets and priorities across the organization, helping bring greater clarity, structure and alignment to how Valtech approaches client growth globally.

But beyond processes and strategy, Yovadee believes the most important part of her work is people, and the skills one needs to facilitate collaboration.

“For me, it’s people’s skills without question,” she says. “Technical skills matter, of course, but in a role like mine, being able to really listen, understand different points of view and get people onboard is far more important.”

Learning through different perspectives

For Yovadee, working with colleagues from different cultures is one of the most rewarding aspects of being part of a global organization.

“It’s one of the things I enjoy most about my work,” she says. “I’m constantly learning from the different ways people think, communicate, and solve problems, and that really broadens my own perspective.”

Her own multicultural background has shaped the way she approaches collaboration. Having grown up in Mauritius and lived in France, the United States and the Middle East, she understands firsthand the importance of navigating different cultures, languages and ways of working.

You quickly realize there are many effective ways of working, and that diversity genuinely makes the work better.

That perspective also influences how she creates space for others in conversations and decision-making.

“It also makes me very aware that for many colleagues English is their second or third language, so creating space, listening properly and not assuming everyone communicates in the same way really matters,” she says.

Creating space for every voice

One of the biggest lessons Yovadee has learned through global collaboration is how valuable ideas don't always come from the loudest voices in the room.

In global meetings, communication styles can vary significantly. Some people naturally share ideas more directly, while others may take a more reflective approach before contributing.

A lot of the real value comes from making sure you create space for different voices to be heard.

This belief extends beyond meetings and projects. For Yovadee, cultural awareness is fundamentally about respect, curiosity and recognizing differences as strengths rather than obstacles.

“To me, cultural awareness is about being genuinely mindful of the different experiences, communication styles, and ways of working and seeing that as a strength, not a challenge,” she says.

Building belonging beyond day-to-day work

Cultural awareness is not only reflected in how teams collaborate. It is also strengthened through the communities and connections that bring people together across the organization.

Yovadee values the spaces where colleagues can connect beyond their roles and responsibilities.

I really value the spaces that bring people together beyond day-to-day work, whether that’s D&I conversations, the Working Parents group, the House Swap group or even things like the Menopause Café. Those moments add such a human layer to global collaboration and make it easier to get to know colleagues more personally, even across countries and time zones.

These opportunities help create a sense of belonging that transcends geography and reminds us that every colleague brings a unique story and perspective to the workplace.