Karen Koa

Head of HR

AXA Life Insurance Singapore

How many employees do you oversee?

I oversee 122 employees based in Singapore.

What was your first HR job ever?

My first HR job was in people development for AXA in 2003.

Why a career in HR?

The reason why I came into was because of people development. I think my real enjoyment and passion is when I am in front of a group and hearing different perspectives, challenging their perspectives and sharing thoughts from other people. That’s very stimulating.

How would you describe your colleagues at AXA?

One of the reasons why I am still here is because I’ve got good friends here. While friends have come and gone, I would say that people here are nice. Most of the people that I’ve had the privilege of working with are supportive of one another and will go the extra mile for you.

But if you weren’t in HR, what would you be doing?

I’ve always wanted to open a bookshop just because I like to read. There would also be a small corner for children so I could potter around with them doing art, while their mothers have a cup of coffee and have an afternoon reading a book that they never had the time to read.

How do you think the role of HR would evolve in the future?

I think it’s really all about partnering, that’s the catchphrase isn’t it? But not all HR functions or professionals are business partners. In order to partner the business, you need to know and enjoy the business from the start. It is not HR first then the business. I think a good partnership is having the business come first and then having HR support that. I think that is the future of a good HR professional.

What do you enjoy most about your work at AXA?

I enjoy the opportunity to be able to bring a different perspective to the table and the opportunity to facilitate conversations. I also enjoy being able to the sounding board to my managers when they need someone to bounce ideas off, or have a quick conversation around business needs to get a new perspective.

What do you do in your spare time?

I read anything except serious books. I love murder stories, fantasy books, forensic science and thrillers. I also enjoy music, and my current craze is Jesus Christ Superstar. I also enjoy doodling and crafts.