Initially a phone interview followed by a 1:1 with hiring manager and HR, which eventually followed up by the another face-to-face with the VP of the group.
The hiring manager mentioned that she had full autonomy on what to do in her role, but that was not the case at all from the presence of the HR, and the questions that came from HR.
The response that I think was the turning point and the deciding factor in the interview was where I was asked what would I do if the team continuously misses timelines, to which I responded (see below).