I think about values as anchors that guide us. They reflect who we are, what we believe, and how we treat others. Of course, we’re drawn to the organizations whose values align with our own, but the truth is, in a company setting it’s hard to articulate what those values are beyond generic mission statements.

Shared values are a big reason why I joined Mubadala Capital. The firm has always operated with principles inherited from our parent company and shaped by our entrepreneurial journey, but we hadn’t yet put into words what makes this place so special. When I was asked by our senior leadership team to define and codify those core values, I jumped at the opportunity to help us get clearer on who we are and what we stand for.

When you're pursuing bold targets, your investment strategy and capital are just one part of the equation. What truly sets success apart is alignment: a shared sense of purpose and conviction that empowers teams to take on the complex opportunities others step back from.

This project wasn’t about creating new values from scratch, it was about uncovering what had always been there, just not yet clearly articulated.

Time for Clarity

As Mubadala Capital has grown across investment platforms, geographies, and people, our cultural foundation has had to evolve with us. What began as a small, entrepreneurial arm of Mubadala Investment Company has become a global force in investing: with over 200 employees across 5 geographies, a more diverse workforce, and a new set of strategic investment partners.

This growth is a huge source of pride, but also brings great responsibility: to stay true to who we are while we scale…with purpose.

We reached an inflection point where the implicit needed to become the explicit. In conversations with new joiners and long-tenured colleagues, it became clear that our values were deeply felt but not clearly defined. Clarity is confidence. It gives us a shared language for how we lead, collaborate, and make decisions, especially in the moments that matter most.

How We Got There

We didn’t start by telling our people what our values should be. We asked them to tell us what our values already are.

We engaged an external partner, idealis advisory, to conduct a comprehensive cultural assessment. We knew working with a third party would help us extract unbiased insights from our people. Through their partnership, we conducted a firm-wide survey, conducted 80+ hours of interviews across all five offices, held focus groups globally, and collected and analyzed over 15,000 data points from our team.

We found that while there are differences in the day-to-day expression of operating principles across offices, asset classes, and firm functions, our people already shared remarkably consistent values. Those values were deeply embedded across teams, showing up in tangible ways: reflected in how our investment teams stay close to portfolio companies, how our colleagues have spontaneously organized wellness initiatives and community building activities, and the instinct across all offices to step in when others need help. So, our challenge became synthesis, not invention: how to honor our collective differences while embracing our shared values.

Our Values Unveiled

After lengthy analysis, we landed on four core values that capture both who we are today and who we're becoming:

• Ambitious – We set bold goals and relentlessly pursue excellence in everything we do.
• Resilient – We rise in the face of challenges and see opportunity where others see obstacles, keeping a can-do mindset: determined, persistent and agile.
• Responsible – We lead with integrity, acting with transparency and purpose to carry the trust of our stakeholders.
• Respectful – We stay humble and live by the golden rule, building an environment where collaboration surpasses competition.

These values define how we lead, how we collaborate, and how we show up for our people, our partners, and each other. They inform how we invest, how we operate, and how we scale. They reflect not only who we are today, but the kind of organization we’re building for the future.

Why This Matters

In a year of transformation and reaching new scale, these values serve as a unifying force - anchoring how our leaders show up, how decisions get made, and how we develop and grow our people. They shape the culture we’re building, accelerate performance by creating clarity around expectations, and bring in ambitious talent who align with our principles.

Most importantly, these values ensure that as Mubadala Capital evolves, we do so with intention and integrity. The words may be new, but the spirit behind them has always been a part of who we are.

I am deeply proud of this work, and so thankful to our partner idealis for being our trusted stewards in this journey.