share on
Having grown up the ranks alongside his organisation, Howell Yong, Head of HR & Administration at Moomoo Malaysia, looks back on the people, experiences, and leadership lessons that have shaped his career and philosophy as an HR leader.
From his time as Manager, Human Resources & Administration to his current role as Head of Human Resources & Administration at Moomoo Malaysia, Howell Yong (pictured above) takes pride in having grown alongside the organisation. Speaking to Umairah Nasir, he reflects on the experiences that have shaped his leadership philosophy, the challenges of scaling people practices, and why staying close to employees remains central to his approach to HR.
Strengthening the people foundation as the business grows
Stepping into the expanded role, Howell says his first priority will be to continue strengthening the company’s people and organisational foundations as the business grows.
However, he views the transition less as a promotion and more as a natural expansion of responsibilities.
Whether as Manager or Head of Human Resources & Administration, I am still playing the role of a team lead for Moomoo MY.
According to Howell, the key difference now lies in the scale of the organisation, the larger team structure, and the evolving expectations placed on the HR and Administration function.
While his earlier responsibilities focused more heavily on building systems from the ground up and working closely with individual employees, the role now requires greater emphasis on strengthening structures, empowering leaders within the team, and ensuring the function can support the business in a more scalable and sustainable way.
As such, one of his main priorities moving forward is helping the HR and Administration function grow together with the company — not only in terms of governance and processes, but also leadership capability, employee experience, and business support.
Balancing structure with agility
Sharing his thoughts on the people strategy, Howell believes HR should remain closely connected to both business realities and employees’ day-to-day experiences.
It cannot be something that is designed only on paper.
Describing Moomoo MY as a young and fast-growing organisation, he notes that the challenge lies in balancing stronger structures and clearer processes with the speed, openness, and entrepreneurial culture that contributed to the company’s growth.
At this new level, Howell hopes to play a stronger connecting role between the business and employees, local priorities and Group direction, as well as organisational goals and employee development.
One area he personally hopes to focus on is helping managers become stronger people leaders.
In his view, people culture cannot be built by HR alone. As organisations grow, managers also play a critical role in communication, coaching, developing people, feedback, development, and maintaining workplace standards.
Rather than positioning people strategy solely as an HR agenda, Howell hopes it becomes part of how the organisation grows, operates, and leads overall.
Preparing for leadership scalability
Looking ahead, Howell anticipates that one of the biggest challenges in the role will be balancing speed with structure.
As he explains, while fast-growing companies need to respond quickly to changing business priorities and expanding teams, larger organisations also require clearer ownership, stronger governance, and more consistent people practices.
Another challenge, he shared, is leadership scalability.
“When the company was smaller, many things could be handled through direct communication and hands-on involvement,” he said.
But when the organisation grows, we need more leaders who can take ownership, make good people decisions, and help carry the culture together.
To prepare for this, Howell is focusing on strengthening the HRA team internally through better systems, improved processes, and developing stronger business understanding within the team.
At the same time, he emphasises the importance of staying "close to the ground".
For me, HR cannot be too far away from the real workplace. We need to understand what employees are experiencing, what leaders are facing, and what the business really needs. Only then can our advice and solutions be practical.
Building a grounded and human HR culture
Within the HRA team itself, Howell hopes to foster a culture that is grounded, responsible, trusted, and human.
Reflecting on the nature of HR work, Howell noted that the HR and Administration function plays a role across many important moments in the employee journey, from hiring, onboarding, engagement, development, and recognition, to more challenging areas such as performance issues, employee concerns, policy matters, and difficult conversations.
Because of this, he believes HR teams need to balance professionalism with empathy.
“We need to be fair and objective, but not cold,” he says.
At the same time, Howell believes HR teams need to strike a balance between supporting employees and understanding business realities, while remaining principled yet thoughtful in the way people matters are handled.
He also hopes the team will see themselves as playing a meaningful role in shaping the overall employee experience, rather than simply functioning as backend support. While the work may not always be highly visible, he believes it has a direct impact on how employees experience the organisation.
Moving forward, he also hopes to help the team develop greater ownership and confidence, not only in understanding what needs to be done, but also why the work matters, how it affects people, and how it contributes to the wider organisation.
Staying grounded beyond the milestone
Outside of work, Howell has been learning to appreciate simpler moments more, including spending time with family, being present with loved ones, and taking better care of himself.
Reflecting on the milestone, he says the role holds personal meaning for him, while acknowledging that his journey was shaped not only by his own efforts, but also by the trust of leaders, the support of colleagues, and the people around him both inside and outside of work.
Beyond the career milestone itself, he shared that he remains grateful for the relationships and everyday moments that continue to keep him grounded.
To Howell, the milestone represents more than a personal achievement, serving as a reflection of the environment, people, and culture that have shaped his growth over the years.
Ultimately, Howell is a firm believer that “you only live once” - a saying that serves as a reminder to stay grateful, continue growing, and not lose sight of the people and experiences that shape the journey along the way.
ALSO READ: Compliance will not make workplaces fair: Leaders will
Photos / Provided
share on
