Up the Ranks: HR's latest career moves

Keeping you up the date with the latest HR moves around the region.

For the latest HR jobs or to sign up for relevant job alerts, go to www.humanresourcesonline.net/hrjobs

To inform Human Resources magazine of a new HR move in your company, email us at rebeccal@humanresourcesonline.net

Deborah WoollardFrom: Abbott LaboratoriesTo: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)

IHG has named Deborah Woollard as vice president for human resources for the Asia, Middle East and Africa region, based out of Singapore. In her new role, she is responsible for shaping and delivering human resources strategies to support the company's business plans and objectives in the region.

She will lead the company's talent management programme to identify, recruit and retain key talent and also drive the training and development strategy for the company's leadership team to ensure IHG continues to have the right talent to deliver its strategy in AMEA.

Deborah succeeds Zareena Brown, who has been promoted to senior vice president, talent and leadership developmen at IHG.

Jean-Michel WuFrom: WPPTo: McCann Worldgroup

McCann Worldgroup has hired Jean-Michel Wu as the network’s chief talent officer, effective October 20, 2014. Wu, who was previously with WPP for 10 years, has relocated from his Shanghai base to Singapore.

In his new role, Wu will work closely with the global management team – headed by Joe Kelly in New York and Charles Cadell, president of McCann WorldGroup Asia Pacific – and will be responsible for building the network’s extensive talent capabilities.

Read more

Randy DuaxFrom: WPPTo: WPP

Replacing Jean-Michel Wu at WPP is Randy Duax, the former vice president of executive recruitment, based in New York. Duax has moved from New York to Singapore to take up the role of APAC talent director.

Stepping into the role on October 1, Duax is responsible for the company’s senior talent acquisition and management, and will oversee recruitment teams in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, and Tokyo.

Read more

Vivian WeiFrom: The Westin Sanya Haitang Bay ResortTo: Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel

Vivian Wei is the new director of HR at Sheraton Zhuhai Hotel, joining from The Westin Sanya Haitang Bay Resort, where she had been  managing the HR and operations since 2012.

In her new role, she will be in charge of overseeing a 400-strong workforce, and ensuring associates are trained to create a warm and welcoming environment for guests, as well as overlooking the hotel's operations and security.

New senior appointments at Mercer

Mercer has announced a number of new appointments in Singapore, in line with the company's continued growth in its Employee Health and Benefits (EH&B) business:

• Michel Faucher is named Mercer Marsh Benefits Growth Markets Region Business Leader
• Samuel Berry is named Mercer Marsh Benefits Singapore Leader
• Loo Kim Teh joins the Mercer Marsh Benefits Singapore team as Placement Leader

Michel Faucher is responsible for setting employee health and benefits regional business strategy and direction, developing effective solutions for existing markets and opening new ones, while improving the efficiency of client service delivery in the AMEA Region. Faucher joins Mercer Marsh Benefits from American International Group (AIG) in London, where he most recently held the position of Director of Consumer Lines UK, leading the Accident & Health (A&H), Consumer Marketing, Private Client Group, and Service Program operations.

Samuel Berry is named Mercer Marsh Benefits Singapore Leader with responsibility for strengthening the MMB value proposition and market leadership position, further developing the team’s capability and ensuring operational excellence. He joins with effect from 10 November 2014. He has more than 25 years of accident and health underwriting, and claims experience from senior industry roles covering Asia Pacific, the US, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, most recently as the Chief Underwriting & Claims Officer Asia Pacific Middle East Region at Zurich Life Insurance, which he joined in 2008.

Loo Kim Teh joins the Mercer Marsh Benefits Singapore team as Placement Leader, and will be responsible for maximizing the best placement solutions for clients. He will represent all areas of placement and insurer engagement in order to ensure best in class delivery to clients. He was previously at Aviva based in Singapore. He reports to Sam Berry and his appointment became effective on 27 August 2014.

Selina CheanTo: Packet One Networks 

Selina Chean has been named chief human capital officer of Packet One Networks (P1), which was recently acquired by Telekom Malaysia.

Ber appointment is announced as part of the acquisition and new board member and management line up, which includes Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, group Chief Executive Officer of TM, as P1′s chairman; Dr. Farid Mohamed Sani, chief strategy officer, TM; Imri Mokhtar, executive vice president, consumer, TM; Giorgio Migliarina, chief technology and innovation officer, TM; Park Jung Ho, executive vice president and chief growth officer of SK Telecom; Tan Kay Yen, CEO of Green Packet; and Puan Chan Cheong, CEO and managing director of P1.

Bernard ColumbaFrom: LVMHTo: Absolute World Group

Earlier this year, Singaporean Bernard Columba was appointed the head of human resources for Asia Pacific for the resorts and hotels operator Absolute World Group.

He brings 20 years of experience having worked in Singapore, Miami, Florida, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Afghanistan, and most recently, the Maldives, where he was the director of human capital development at LVMH. His appointment comes as Absolute World undergoes a strategic reorganisation and improvement of its traditional sales and marketing models.

For this role, he will be based at the company’s Asia Pacific human resource department in Phuket, Thailand.

Read more

Alan DarrFrom: Artyzen HospitalityTo: Outrigger Enterprise Group

Alan Darr was announced Outrigger Enterprise Group's corporate director for human resources and support in Asia Pacific back in August. He is responsible for the company’s strategic planning, direction and administration of the human resources function for the Asia Pacific region.

He was previously a human resources consultant for Artyzen Hospitality in Hong Kong, and has also worked for Shangri-La Hotels and InterContinental Hotels.

Read more

Have a recent or upcoming HR move to announce?If you have recently moved jobs within HR or are about to start a new role, please get in touch to help us keep the wider HR community in the region updated with your career moves. Email Human Resources magazine editor at rebeccal@humanresourcesonline.net

Image: Shutterstock