SML x Anita Ragusa on the Importance of Company Culture, Part II

We’re excited to bring you part two of our interview with Anita Ragusa, Human Resources Director at Karma Gallery and HR consultant.

In this segment, Anita delves deeper into the pivotal role leaders play in shaping company culture, shares strategies for aligning cultural values with business goals, and highlights the importance of clear communication and employee engagement. She also touches on diversity and inclusion, offering practical advice on building a workplace where employees feel valued and invested in, and gives us a glimpse into the future of the evolving workplace.

If you missed part one, find it here.

SML: You mentioned in the first part of our interview that leaders are one of the most important parts of shaping a company’s culture. What would you say is the role that leaders play in developing and maintaining a positive work environment?

Anita Ragusa: A gallery or organization’s culture is driven directly by its leadership and how leadership behaves. People pick up on those cues, and the culture trickles down from the top. A lot of organizations spend a lot of time and dedicate a lot of effort to creating policies and mission statements that they then leave in the dust or on a shelf, without consistently demonstrating those traits. If leadership is active in championing and standing behind those values, they can create and build a positive company culture.

SML: Are there any strategies you’ve found particularly effective for aligning a business’s cultural values with its business goals, and has this varied between the business types you’ve worked with, for example, auction houses versus galleries?

AR: For me, it comes down to establishing trust between stakeholders, and giving business owners the room to be honest with me about what they ultimately want their culture to look like. I always want a business to foster a culture they can fully stand behind and champion and believe in long-term. 

I’ve seen a lot more open-mindedness and innovation when I’ve worked with galleries or design studios. I feel like they shy from being overly corporate, but still recognize the importance of being organized and well-structured as a business, and that in turn positively impacts the people that work for them. On the other hand, some people love the structure of a very corporate job, like auction houses, that are highly regulated and by the book.

SML: Can you discuss any initiatives or programs that you implemented during your career that were particularly successful in enhancing company culture and improving retention?

AR:  I always look at perks first, because who doesn’t love more perks at their job? Identifying ways to expand health benefits and 401k programs, helping to set training programs in place, and establishing mentoring sessions are all things that help people feel more invested in and valued. They don’t always take a lot of capital, and they can make a huge difference to an employee’s day-to-day and overall comp package. I think people also find it extremely valuable to have clear communication around company changes and to know where to go for information. I’ve always championed trying to be a trusted partner to my colleagues and making sure I’m available to them as a resource.

SML: How do you integrate diversity and inclusion into company culture?

AR: I believe it starts at the most basic level, with internships and the recruiting pipeline. It’s refreshing to see more galleries and fine art institutions putting more importance on diversity and inclusion and being more open-minded about where talent can come from. We’ve all seen that diversity in humans generally results in a diversity of thinking and creativity in the workplace, and I think that’s a very key characteristic of a good company culture. I love working in places that carry that kind of philosophy. I know it’s taken the art world a bit longer to catch up to this, but we’ve certainly come a long way since I first started working in the industry, so it’s been exciting to see that change.

SML: As an expert in the field, what advice would you give to companies to create and maintain a positive culture? What advice would you give to a gallery or business that is struggling to attract talent due to issues with its culture?

AR: I think the most basic thing a business can do is look at their colleagues in the industry. Especially if it’s a business that you admire, identify what they seem to be doing right, and consider if that might work for your business. While bigger businesses often have bigger budgets to put into X, Y, and Z, there’s always something you can pick up on to see if it resonates with you and your business. It could be something really simple, like a summer staff party or summer Fridays, but it should ultimately be sustainable, and something you can stand behind.

A lot of us in this industry rely on word of mouth to gauge whether or not a specific gallery or other art world business is a place we want to work, and whether the benefits outweigh that business’s reputation. The best thing a business can do is recognize if their company culture is a problem. Sometimes you have the option of bringing in a consultant to take a look at what’s going wrong and where you can make tweaks, but I think it’s also fine to start from a clean slate and take small steps to rebuild trust with your staff. Rather than taking a lot of time and capital to come up with a formal statement of company values, although these are important, sometimes you just need to start with something small and honest. People value honesty, and that can go a long way.

SML: Finally, how do you see the future of the workplace evolving over the next five to ten years, and what is the importance of company culture in that?

AR: I think galleries and other art institutions and businesses will continue to place a lot of importance on creating and maintaining professional work environments and seeing that as investing in their businesses long term. As I said before, a company’s culture is a calling card and should be a part of its growth plan. There are amazing resources and conferences and talks out there that we didn’t have before, like the Art Business Conference, and companies should invest in sending their key leaders to those types of events to see what the trends are and hear what the experts have to say. 

Thanks to Anita for her invaluable insights and wisdom on the critical role of leadership in shaping company culture, aligning business goals with cultural values, and fostering a positive, inclusive work environment. Her forward-looking perspective on the evolving workplace highlights the importance of adapting to change and staying committed to core values. We hope her expertise has offered you meaningful takeaways for your own business or career.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Anita Ragusa has more than 15 years of experience leading and establishing HR functions at international galleries and auction houses. Currently the HR Director at Karma Gallery as well as a Human Resources Consultant for a broad spectrum of clients in creative industries, Anita has also held previous positions as the Director of People, U.S. at Bonhams, Human Resources Director at Pace Gallery, and prior roles at David Zwirner and Gagosian. Anita received her Bachelor of Applied Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from St. John’s University and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Photography, and Graphic Design from The Cooper Union in Manhattan.