Munirah Khairuddin: Bringing your full self to work

Like any working parent, Munirah Khairuddin juggles—a lot. As country head and CEO of Principal^® Malaysia, Munirah manages a busy career and family. As a mom of four young sons, there are schedules and schools and sports, all coordinated with the help of her husband and mother. And as a woman of color and practicing Muslim, there are opportunities to change the narrative of who can and should be a leader.

Fortunately, Munirah, now 47, has always been up for any challenge, be it in her career, education, or personal life. She hopscotched across the globe as a young adult before family eventually brought her back to her home country. Now, as head of one of Southeast Asia’s largest asset management companies, “I’ve seen how Principal has become more diverse over time,” she says. “The leadership really allows and empowers; it doesn’t matter who you are or what you are.”

The road to bigger things

An only child, Munirah was raised in Malaysia by a disciplined, corporate financier mother and an idealistic “dreamer” father. Singled out for academic potential as a young student, she was admitted to Malaysia’s top boarding school. At 17, she won a scholarship and went on to study at Newcastle University in northern England. “I wanted to see the world,” Munirah says. “Malaysia wasn’t enough for me.”

Munirah studied hard in the United Kingdom and met the man she’d eventually marry. She held jobs at Petronas, and then as a portfolio-manager position at Rothschild in London. “Rothschild toughened me up. Everyone went to Eton, or Oxford, or Cambridge, and I didn’t. I wasn’t the smartest or the most socially privileged,” she says.

Then, Munirah received a call from her father, imploring her to come home. She was keenly aware that leaving Rothschild could be stagnating, but despite her misgivings, she returned to Malaysia, eventually taking a job with Principal to lead the institutional business. In the first week of that position, her father died. “That shook me,” Khairuddin says.

Munirah submerged herself in work and a family. The focus paid off: Before taking the position of CEO, she had her fourth child at age 38 and took three months’ maternity leave right after her promotion, a decision Principal supported fully. “You can catch up on career. Family sacrifices, you can’t catch up on,” she says.

Balance beyond profits

Managing her competing worlds has meant embracing mistakes in both. “But you are your only benchmark. My message to working women is to have a circle of support—then just go for it,” she says. Giving her home life that attention also ensures Munirah can bring her strongest self to the office. “If people aren’t happy at home, they won’t give their best at work.”

That balance is easier when work has meaning beyond profits, she says. For Munirah, that’s meant transforming her small Malaysian team into a globally competent and digital-savvy powerhouse. “My team now knows they’re as capable as anyone else,” she says.

Malaysia is a melting pot, but there’s one thing Munirah sees as common to everyone. “There’s an income gap here and we need to improve financial literacy,” she says. “We’ve started to think about mass market and retail and that’s really rewarding. It gives purpose to the Principal vision.”

Over time, Munirah began craving a stronger connection to her spirituality; several years ago, she began wearing the hijab. “What else can one ask for in a company but one that’s global, inclusive, and tolerant?” she says. “One that welcomes you if you’re a woman, of color, covered or not.” The Principal inclusive approach was recently recognized by @Diversity MBA: Principal was named fourth on the 2022 list “50 Out Front: Best Places to Work for Women and Diverse Managers.”

Embracing her whole self—mistakes and triumphs—ensures Munirah can face whatever’s next. “Life humbles you. Once you know nothing is permanent, mistakes are lessons learned, not regrets. The journey becomes richer,” she says. “Every day, it’s a brand new page.”