Talent & Tech Asia Summit 2024
human resources online

Suite Talk: Looking back at conversations with 10 business leaders in 2018

As we get set to welcome the new year, we at Human Resources present to you our handy list of 10 interviews with CEOs, MDs and GMs across Asia throughout 2018.

The links to these interviews are appended with three key takeaways that you can expect to bring back from each conversation, in this special edition of the HR Bulletin.

What's common to a large majority of these interviews is just how the CHRO's role is expanding beyond talent attraction and retention to really partnering the management team in business sustainability.

You can click through on the newsletter, or you can directly go through the full listing below:

1. Ben Tan, country CEO of Courts Singapore

  • Embracing the philosophy of Kaizen
  • Ensuring every employee is recognised for their work
  • Enabling staff to give back to the local community
Read the full interview here


2. Beh Chun Chong, CEO, property division, Paramount Property Development

  • Importance of inclusiveness, teamwork and interdependence
  • How HR can better contribute to organisational goals
  • Democracy in decision-making and dictatorship in implementation
Read the full interview here


3. Lo Kien Foh, MD, Continental Automotive Singapore

  • How the company retained its staff successfully retained through rapid business growth
  • Living by the company's corporate culture
  • Implementing flexible working conditions as part of its Future Work initiative
Read the full interview here


4. Azharuddin Mat Sah, CEO, Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)

  • How to communicate difficult decisions
  • Being able to make a difference every single day
  • HR's influence on culture and diversity
Read the full interview here


5. Henric Sark, managing director, L’Oréal Singapore

  • Adapting leadership style to suit local nuances
  • Collaboration with HR to tackle the e-commerce disruption
  • Enabling staff to give back to society
Read the full interview here


6. Christian Rojkjaer, managing director, IKEA Southeast Asia

  • Swedish-inspired ‘fika’ for team building
  • The one thing HR can do away with
  • Why the future will see fewer emperor-style leaders managing from the top
Read the full interview here


7. Kyle Choi, managing director of Coway Malaysia

  • The alternative career path he might have chosen
  • The transferable skills between the two roles of CFO and MD
  • Initiatives towards building fresh graduate’s dream workplace
Read the full interview here


8. Audrey Cheong, managing director, FedEx Express, Singapore

  • How to manage one's emotions when breaking tough news
  • The value in making friends to facilitate enhanced collaboration
  • Why employee retention can be a challenge if we do not do things differently
Read the full interview here


9. Stuart Craig, CEO in Asia Pacific, Crestron Electronics

  • How to get staff to speak up and share ideas
  • Why HR should be in the field instead of behind their desks
  • CEO are agents of creativity too
Read the full interview here


10. Christian Westbeld, general manager, Raffles Hotel Singapore

  • Top qualities of a good leader
  • Benefits of a well-run HR team
  • Personal philosophy to be transparent, straightforward and honest
Read the full interview here


You can also stay posted on our latest news and interviews by following Human Resources on TwitterFacebook, and LinkedIn.

Lead image: 123RF

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

Related topics

Free newsletter

Get the daily lowdown on Asia's top Human Resources stories.

We break down the big and messy topics of the day so you're updated on the most important developments in Asia's Human Resources development – for free.

subscribe now open in new window