Yeo Chung Sun
Chief executive officer
Lawton & Yeo Design Associates
How can HR add further value to your business?
HR has always played an important role in supporting overall business operations. However, our HR department has taken a front-row position to make improvements to – and, indeed, revamp – the company’s internal processes; for example, in processing employee engagement.
How has HR help your company achieve its goals so far? Are there any other areas HR can improve on?
Our company’s mission statement is to “Challenge the Current” and we have come a long way since the company first started in 1988. We
lacked focus in certain areas and one of these was in the HR arena. However, HR has now implemented a better structure for various procedures, and helped to align the policies between our Singapore and Beijing office.
HR has also been working very closely with the various department heads to advise on our employees’ career progression and identify key personnel to groom. The training and development of our employees is also important to us, and HR has been instrumental in cross-training our staff to be more well-rounded and skilled.
Describe your leadership style
I am a results-oriented person, and if my staff members share the same drive and passion for the business, I would entrust them with decision-making powers. Being a designer by profession, I must admit sometimes I see things rather differently. However, I do engage in discussions to ensure that decisions are made in unison, and we have not overlooked any valid points.
In the end, I believe in empowerment – where each individual in my company has a voice of their own and can contribute to the company in a meaningful way.
What does it take for a person to be in your role?
The crucial factor about being a CEO, in my opinion, is to have visionary thinking. It’s about having a vision about your team and what you can achieve – and having the vision to see where the industry is heading, and how your business can evolve to stay ahead of the crowd.
What qualities do you look for in your successor?
One who dares to dream, shoulder passion and be filled with a turbo drive.
What is your proudest achievement at work?
Twenty years of a design legacy that’s always focusing on knowledge development and growth.
How do you continuously encourage innovation in your employees?
By constantly overhauling our skill sets. When this is set in motion, each individual’s curiosity often breeds new intentions that are then translated into innovative sessions – what we call process-borne innovations.
Employees are team members who work together to strike a goal!
