HR Champions: Hendra Gunawan on communication, belonging, and crisis mitigation
Title: CEO Organisation: United Overseas Bank (UOB) Indonesia Office headquarters: Indonesia Company operations: Global Industry: Banking Employees: 3,200 (provided by the company) UOB Indonesia’s HR team and other staff can testify to how Hendra Gunawan prioritises employee wellbeing and development. He values clear and open communication with employees regardless of seniority or role, so a […]
HR Champions: Wong Sze Keed on taking care of staff
Title: CEO Organisation: AIA Singapore Office headquarters: Singapore Company operations: Asia Pacific Industry: Insurance Employees: 1,001-5,000 Coming in as CEO at the height of the pandemic, Wong Sze Keed immediately built on the holistic wellness of her people. The difficult period simply deepened her recognition that, “if they are well taken care of, they can […]
Cultural Diversity: 5 HR practices for Southeast Asia
In today’s globalised world, Southeast Asia stands out as a region of remarkable cultural diversity. Home to a myriad of languages, traditions, and perspectives, this vibrant part of the world presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses. To thrive in this dynamic environment, Human Resources (HR) departments must adopt practices that not only embrace diversity […]
HR Champions: Catherine Lian advocates for women in tech; leadership
Title: Managing Director and Technology Leader, IBM Malaysia Office headquarters: Malaysia Company operations: Global Industry: IT Services and IT Consulting Employees: 10,001+ (LinkedIn) Catherine Lian actively advocates for women in leadership. Prior to her appointment at IBM, she was part of the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, supporting women in business by providing access to technology, […]
McDonald’s Philippines to hire 500 PWDs, senior citizens in 2023
McDonald’s Philippines is committed to hiring 500 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens in 2023 as part of its ongoing diversity and inclusion initiatives. The program will be rolled out to key pilot cities across the country, including Pasig, Pasay, Antipolo, Caloocan, Makati, Quezon City, Marikina, and Mandaluyong. Qualified applicants will undergo a training […]
WHO SAYS: Quotes of the week from HR influencers and leaders
Immerse yourself in the wisdom shared by respected HR and business luminaries from across Southeast Asia as they offer their insightful views on the most urgent matters of the day. “In today’s workplace, employees now experience multiple, stacked changes that lead to burn out.” – Andy Karr, vice president in the Gartner HR practice In […]
HR Champions: Mharicar Castillo-Reyes’ people-centric leadership
Title: CEO Organisation: Asticom Group of Companies Office headquarters: Philippines Company operations: Philippines and USA Industry: Shared services and outsourcing Employees: 5,000+ When Covid-19 hit the Philippines with a lockdown announcement, Asticom went into a remote setup within 72 hours. Work-from-home essentials were provided to employees, and the leadership team, with Castillo-Reyes at the helm, […]
HR Champions: Anthony Tan emphasises humility for effective leadership
Title: CEO, Grab Office Headquarters: Singapore Company Operations: SEA Industry: Software Development Employees: 5,001-10,000 “Who am I as a CEO? How do I serve our Grabbers? How do I serve our customers? How do I serve our governments? How do I serve society?” These are the lead questions behind Anthony Tan’s principle of servant leadership, […]
HR Champions: Forrest Li’s perseverance on employee morale
Title: CEO, Sea Ltd. Office headquarters: Singapore Company operations: Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Greater China Industry: Technology and e-commerce Employees: 63,800 Addressing employee woes after a huge stock decline last year, Bloomberg reports, Forrest Li said: “This is short-term pain that we have to endure to truly maximise our long-term potential.” His focus remained on […]
HR Champions: Somruedee Chaimongkol’s communication focus
Title: CEO Organisation: Banpu Public Company Office headquarters: Thailand Company operations: Southeast Asia, China, Australia, Mongolia, Japan, and the US Industry: Oil, gas, resources and energy Employees: 3,000 Somruedee Chaimongkol recognises the importance of continuous learning and of riding trends, so it is a combination of digitisation, upskilling, and communication that she aims to implement for […]
