Group senior vice president of people resource

Parkway Group Healthcare

What was your first HR job?

My first HR job was with NTUC Comfort. I was there for six years. I started as a personnel executive, and moved up to the role of an assistant personnel manager. This was before they were bought out by Comfort Delgro.

My first assignment was when I was in charge of the company newsletter called Comfort Newsletter. I went to the house of the longest-serving taxi driver, conducted an interview and wrote an article about him.

You’ve worked in China as an HR practitioner before. So what was the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from that stint?

That nothing is impossible. In China, they are so hungry for knowledge. They perceived me as a mentor and they will come to you and want to know about everything and anything.

When I went to China to work for Motorola, I had 35 staff in my department. They would come to me and ask me to teach them how to conduct fundamental things such as performance appraisals. You could see that they didn’t even mind staying late at work, because they wanted to learn.

What do you do in your spare time?

I go to the gym three or four times a week, because I need it not only for physical exercise but for mental health as well. I also learn calligraphy – I’ve been learning it on Sundays for a year now.

What is one piece of advice you would give to young HR practitioners?

Be down to earth, and continue learning and upgrading yourself.

If you weren’t an HR practitioner, what would you be doing?

I think I would be in sales and marketing.

How would you describe your colleagues at ParkwayHealth?

One group of colleagues are the healthcare practitioners. In general, these healthcare employees are tender and soft-natured because of the nature of their professions. On the other hand, we have people who drive the business, so they have to be very forceful in order to get things done. But both these groups help achieve the company objectives.