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Market Access Strategy Is Now a Growth Imperative

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:07:44 GMT

Market access strategy has moved from operational function to board-level priority.

In today’s environment, regulatory approval does not guarantee commercial success. Pricing, reimbursement, and payer adoption determine whether innovation translates into revenue. As health systems tighten budgets and value scrutiny increases, companies that fail to prioritise market access early are seeing delayed launches, restricted coverage, and eroded margins.

For life sciences leaders, market access capability is now directly linked to growth predictability.

Why Market Access Determines Launch Success

Strong market access strategy starts long before submission.

When access leaders shape evidence plans and clinical strategy early, organisations improve their probability of:

Health technology assessment approval
Sustainable pricing
Reimbursement durability
Faster patient uptake

Late-stage access involvement often leads to retrofitted value narratives and weaker payer positioning. Early integration drives stronger return on R&D investment and reduces launch risk.

This is not a functional adjustment. It is a structural shift in how portfolios are governed.

Asia Market Access Requires Local Precision

Market access in Asia cannot be approached with a single regional template.

Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam operate under different payer systems, affordability constraints, and policy maturity levels. Public and private funding dynamics vary significantly. Some markets are strengthening formal value assessment frameworks, increasing evidence expectations and pricing scrutiny.

A global pricing strategy without local adaptation will fail.

Winning in Southeast Asia requires:

Country-specific evidence positioning
Tailored payer engagement models
Deep understanding of evolving health policy
Regional coordination with local execution authority

Organisations that invest in local market access capability outperform those that centralise decisions too heavily.

The Market Access Talent Gap Is a Competitive Risk

Demand for experienced market access professionals is rising faster than supply, particularly across Asia.

Senior market access roles require a combination of clinical literacy, health economics expertise, policy navigation, and executive stakeholder influence. These skills are scarce and transferable, making competition intense.

Most companies respond by competing for the same limited talent pool. This drives cost inflation but does not expand overall capability.

The real challenge is not hiring. It is building.

Companies that develop structured market access career pathways, internal mobility routes, and early exposure to portfolio strategy create sustainable advantage. Those that rely solely on external recruitment remain constrained.

What High-Impact Market Access Leaders Do Differently

High-performing market access leaders demonstrate:

Critical evaluation of evidence beyond published endpoints
Deep understanding of healthcare system mechanics
Comfort operating within policy uncertainty
Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders

There is no universal playbook. Effective access strategy depends on product lifecycle, therapeutic area, and market structure. Judgment and system thinking matter more than job titles.

The Strategic Decision for CEOs

From a board perspective, market access capability should influence:

Portfolio governance decisions
Launch sequencing
Succession planning
Regional expansion strategy

Key indicators of strength include reduced launch delays linked to reimbursement, increased internal promotion into senior access roles, and improved payer credibility across priority markets.

Market access is no longer a technical function managed at the margins.

It is a growth engine.

Organisations that expand the market access talent pool rather than simply competing for it will launch more predictably, defend pricing more effectively, and build future commercial leaders.

The companies that recognise this shift early will shape the market. The rest will react to it.

Strategic Talent Delivery in Life Sciences: Why SOW is the model of the future

tinaledger@hydrogengroup.com (Tina Ledger) — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 13:16:36 GMT

An evolving talent challenge in Life Sciences

The life sciences sector is evolving at pace but internal hiring strategies are not keeping up.

For HR, procurement and programme leaders, the talent challenge is intensifying. Niche skills are harder to secure, hiring cycles are dragging, and expectations to deliver faster, leaner, and in full compliance continue to grow. Traditional hiring models such as permanent, contingent or consultancy often lack the precision, speed and flexibility this environment demands.

Statement of Work (SOW) is emerging as the answer. It is not just a procurement solution, but a strategic workforce tool. In life sciences, it enables smarter, faster access to specialist expertise with defined outcomes, within budget and in full compliance.

What is SOW and why should workforce leaders care?

SOW is a delivery-led engagement model that shifts the focus from resourcing individuals to delivering results. Projects are scoped and agreed with clear deliverables, fixed timelines and pre-approved budgets.

For organisations navigating complex, regulated programmes such as early-phase trials or HTA submissions, this model provides faster deployment, tighter compliance and greater financial control.

In a sector where programme slippage, resource bottlenecks and audit risks are all too common, SOW is not a workaround. It is a competitive advantage.

Why life sciences needs new talent models now

Organisations across APAC are under pressure from multiple angles:

Severe skill shortages in clinical operations, regulatory affairs and data science
78 plus day time-to-hire averages slowing project timelines and resource onboarding
Increased programme complexity across decentralised trials, digital health and pharmacovigilance
Headcount restrictions driven by investor caution and tighter capital planning
Greater regulatory scrutiny around labour classification and employment law compliance

Five ways SOW solves these challenges

1. Speed to deploy
SOW enables project teams to scope, engage and mobilise talent within weeks. This is critical for time-bound clinical and regulatory milestones.

2. Access to rare skills
Whether it is digital biomarker development, market access narrative building or regulatory response preparation, SOW allows you to bypass internal delays and directly access hard-to-find expertise.

3. Compliance confidence
SOW protects your organisation from IR35 and worker classification risks by focusing on deliverables rather than labour inputs.

4. Financial control
No unexpected time and materials overrun. With scoped deliverables and fixed fees, SOW provides the cost certainty CFOs demand.

5. Scalable resource strategy
From single-country trials to global product launches, SOW offers scalable and repeatable engagement models without disrupting existing headcount frameworks.

Where SOW delivers most impact in life sciences

Clinical trial start-ups Fast deployment of CRAs, start-up specialists and site activation teams under fixed scopes
Regulatory writing and submissions Ownership of full submission packages across MHRA, EMA and FDA markets
Quality system remediation Rapid QMS upgrades and inspection-readiness programmes
Bioinformatics and AI data science Engaging AI and machine learning talent for fast-turnaround insights on large-scale trial datasets
Market access and HTA strategy Delivering evidence packages and reimbursement strategy across target geographies

Why Argyll Scott?

At Argyll Scott, we have partnered with some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotech and MedTech companies to deliver time-sensitive programmes through SOW.

What sets us apart:

A sector-specialist team
A proven delivery framework
Full compliance alignment
Advisory support to help HR, procurement and operations leaders design high-performing SOW engagements from scoping to delivery

"We have worked with the team for a number of years and see them as a valued partner. They provide excellent professional service to a number of different functions within our business and we trust them to continue doing so. Their team has been great at understanding our business needs and translating them into a reliable recruitment service that is representative of the organisation. I certainly recommend Hydrogen as a staffing partner."
Global Pharmaceutical Group

Want to understand how SOW works in practice?

Download our SOW brochure

Ready to unlock faster and more compliant programme delivery?

If you are facing delays in hiring, difficulty accessing critical skills or pressure to deliver with less, now is the time to rethink how you engage external expertise.

We are helping life sciences organisations:

Accelerate project timelines without expanding permanent headcount
Engage hard-to-find talent in a compliant and outcome-based way
Adapt their workforce model to match the speed of innovation

Let’s discuss how SOW could transform your next programme

Contact our Life Sciences team today to schedule a free 30-minute consultation and explore how Hydrogen can support your goals.

AI in Workforce Management

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 15:53:09 GMT

How AI is reshaping workforce management in APAC – and how we can help you stay ahead

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an emerging idea in the Asia-Pacific region, it is already reshaping how organisations attract, engage, and plan for talent. Across markets like Singapore, Australia, Japan, India, and Hong Kong, businesses are accelerating their digital transformations, and AI is at the heart of smarter, faster, and more scalable workforce strategies.

At Argyll Scott, we believe that thriving in this new world of work means not just adopting AI but doing so strategically and responsibly. Drawing on insights from SIA, APEC, Deloitte Asia, PwC, AHDO, and global leaders like Gartner and McKinsey, we explore how AI is transforming Workforce Management across APAC, and how our Argyll Scott Solutions Team, through Statement of Work (SOW) and Project RPO services, can help you seize the opportunity.

Rising awareness and evolving attitudes across APAC

Awareness of AI’s potential is growing rapidly across the region. According to PwC’s Future of Work APAC report (2024):

88% of HR leaders are aware of AI tools in recruitment
60% are piloting or actively deploying AI into their hiring workflows

Optimism about AI’s benefits is strong:

70% believe it will improve hiring outcomes (Deloitte Asia, 2024)
46% feel confident AI can help reduce unconscious bias

However, concerns remain. 35% worry about governance, data privacy, and the explainability of AI systems (Gartner, 2023), highlighting the need for thoughtful, transparent adoption.

We guide organisations in APAC to implement AI ethically and effectively, ensuring innovation goes hand in hand with responsibility.

Where AI delivers value – and how we can help you maximise it

Organisations across APAC are taking a phased, targeted approach to AI adoption. According to McKinsey:

65% report faster hiring cycles
54% see improvements in the quality of hire
42% say AI has helped deliver more consistent candidate experiences across geographies

How are they using it?

57% for automated CV screening
39% use AI for sourcing and shortlisting
31% apply AI to interview coordination and candidate pre-assessments

Through our solutions, we help organisations deploy AI at the right stages of the hiring process, accelerating results while protecting the human element that candidates still expect.

The future is clear: AI will underpin strategic workforce planning

The appetite for investment is strong:

77% of CHROs in APAC plan to increase their AI-related HR technology spending within 12–18 months
61% expect AI to become a foundational part of workforce planning (Deloitte Asia, 2024)

Key functional areas where AI is creating value include:

Candidate job matching
Enhancing DE&I outcomes
Reducing time-to-hire
Lowering recruitment costs

Our Argyll Scott Solutions Team partners with organisations to embed AI into talent strategies, building the agility and resilience needed to stay competitive across dynamic APAC markets.

AI and DE&I: a powerful but careful opportunity

There’s a strong belief across APAC that AI can be a driver of more inclusive hiring:

75% of HR leaders believe AI can enhance DE&I outcomes if ethical safeguards are in place (PwC APAC)
However, 29% still express concerns about unintended bias, particularly in less regulated markets

We embed DE&I best practices into every AI-driven project we deliver, helping our clients use technology to support fairness and representation in their hiring practices.

What’s driving AI investment in APAC, and why now

Top drivers for AI adoption across APAC include:

Improving hiring accuracy (43%)
Enhancing candidate experience (36%)
Strengthening talent market competitiveness (33%)
Driving efficiency and cost reduction (28%)

Meanwhile, transparency expectations are rising:

49% of candidates expect clear communication about how AI is used in recruitment
41% of employers are updating processes to meet evolving data privacy regulations (Gartner APAC, 2024)

We help our clients implement AI with transparency and trust at the centre, essential for building lasting candidate relationships and protecting brand reputation.

Why Argyll Scott?

At Argyll Scott, we enable organisations across APAC to future-proof their workforce strategies through smarter, technology-enhanced hiring.

Whether through flexible Project RPO partnerships or targeted SOW engagements, we help businesses:

Integrate AI to improve hiring outcomes and workforce planning,
Drive better, faster, and more inclusive hiring processes,
Navigate APAC’s evolving digital, legal, and cultural landscapes with confidence.

Our experience across multiple APAC markets allows us to deliver AI solutions that are both globally informed and locally relevant.

Ready to future-proof your workforce strategy?

AI is already shaping the future of work across APAC. Partner with Argyll Scott to implement AI in a way that is ethical, strategic, and tailored to your hiring needs.

Gender biased algorithms and replacing human interaction: A deep dive into the ethical considerations of using AI in your recruitment process.

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 09:14:21 GMT

In today’s rapidly evolving job market, AI has emerged as a powerful tool in recruitment, with 70% of businesses now using AI-powered applicant tracking systems (ATS) to find and hire talent. Despite research showing that using AI sources candidates 75% quicker than conventional techniques, there are huge concerns across the industry about its ethics. From gender-biased algorithms to removing the human touch, we’re unpicking the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to using AI in your hiring process – and sharing our best practices when it comes to keeping things ethical. Let’s dig in!

The Good: Where and why businesses are turning to AI for hiring

The three most common ways of using AI in hiring is for CV screening, candidate sourcing, and using chatbots for initial interactions - but the list goes on, to interview scheduling, skills assessments and onboarding. Hiring teams are reaping the benefits, with AI enabling them to quickly sift through large volumes of applications, identify top candidates, expand their talent pools and find passive candidates, significantly reducing business’ time-to-hire. We’ve seen that where AI is used well, is for mundane tasks, saving employers time to focus on enhancing good, old, human interaction.

CV screening

Generative AI has significantly shifted the industry, with its ability to scan large volumes of CVs and match candidates to roles based on skills rather than just job titles. Tools like Canditech and HireVue promise to refine the selection processes through extracting key information from CVs and matching them with available job descriptions. Where hiring teams would otherwise need to manually review each application, these tools sift through CVs automatically and highlight the most suitable candidate for the position.

Candidate sourcing

Businesses are also using AI-driven candidate sourcing tools to identify and reach out to potential candidates more efficiently, enabling them to manage a larger talent pool without getting bogged down in administrative work. LinkedIn Recruiter now includes AI functions such as AI-Assisted Search and AI-Assisted Messages to help users target the right people and create personalised messages for their initial outreach. AI-Assisted Messages uses AI to draw on profile information provided by the candidate and combines it with the job requirements, saving hiring teams hours of time skimming LinkedIn profiles to gather insight.

Chatbots

Using chatbots for initial candidate interactions has been a contentious topic among industry leaders and has its obvious downfalls – mainly, its lack of personalisation and not being able to deal with complex issues. However, with many candidates searching for roles in the evening having worked at their current roles all day, an evening AI chatbot answering queries while your workforce is offline could ultimately booster your customer experience. Automated responses can also be used to avoid candidate ‘ghosting’, although if this is an existing problem, we’d probably advise to take a look at the root cause! Where chatbots take a turn for the worse, is when businesses continue the AI interactions into the first rounds of interviews – we’ll get to that travesty shortly…

The Bad: Where to be cautious

Gender-biased algorithms

One of the main ethical issues when it comes to using AI in the hiring process is its risk of reinforcing existing biases. Afterall, AI only generates the information it’s trained on, meaning that the input data can directly influence the decision-making in algorithms. The difference in the gender pay gap in STEM industries for example is still at around a 30%, and interestingly, women account for less than 25% of AI specialists. Because this information originally accentuates gender biases in the STEM industry, there is a risk that AI algorithms will replicate these biases in decision making.

A well-known example of this is when Amazon used automated CV screening, which used CV samples from candidates over a 10-year period to train its recruitment model. The model picked up historical patterns by analysing language patterns on CVs, and, due to the previous underrepresentation of women, began associating male candidates with the language commonly found on CVs of successful employments. On the other hand, CVs that included language often associated with women were dismissed by the algorithm. A more recent example is Carnegie Mellon University’s research, which found that Google Ads exhibited gender discrimination, showing males better paying jobs than female job seekers.

Brookings Institution’s Aylin Caliskan argues that AI algorithms, “need to be transparently standardised, audited and regulated […] Trustworthy AI would require companies and agencies to meet standards, and pass the evaluations of third-party quality and fairness checks before employing AI in decision-making”.

More and more businesses who use AI are adopting audit mechanisms as a step towards regulating AI biases. Out of interest, we reached out to PreScreenAI , a platform designed for AI-powered job interviews to ask how they avoid gender-bias. They commented, “[our] software has its own mechanism for avoiding [gender bias] and a specific methodology to test that.” However, Erica Sweeney from Business Insider points out that over 80% of companies using AI hiring tools lack proper oversight mechanisms to prevent biases […and] without rigorous auditing and regulation, these biases could become deeply embedded in AI-driven hiring practices.”

It's clear that careful oversight is essential to ensure AI doesn’t perpetuate the same old biases. Despite many platforms promising to enable a more diverse and inclusive hiring process, businesses should be extremely wary of biased AI algorithms.

Data privacy

Another issue businesses should consider is how their AI-powered processes are using and collecting candidate data. Businesses using Open AI (or similar) to generate and automate candidate interactions should be wary of the kind of data they’re feeding into their system. If businesses are inputting private data such as email addresses and names, then being transparent with candidates about how their data is being used is crucial.

The Ugly: Replacing essential human interactions

With 68% of jobseekers saying they want to be engaged with at least 1-2x per week, you can see why many hiring teams are cutting corners and automating their interactions. Platforms like Zapier allow you to use Chat GPT 4 to automate workflows such as candidate sourcing, assessments and scheduling, saving hiring managers hours of time. Where this turns ugly however, is when AI starts to seep into the workflows where personalisation and real human interaction is essential.

We’ve seen some businesses use AI platforms to assess candidates based on their tone of voice, buzz words they use and even their head movements. Some platforms also provide the functionality to carry out first stage interviews with an AI avatar. When we asked our network how they’d feel if their first stage interview was with an AI bot, over 80% said they would hate it. One respondent commented, “if I receive a request to do a 1-way interview with AI, I ignore it and drop out of the interview process. Companies which use [AI interviews] expect candidates to invest time preparing for such ‘interviews’ yet demonstrate they are unwilling to invest time themselves.”

In the end, while AI can significantly boost efficiency in recruitment by automating routine tasks, it’s crucial not to let technology replace the personal touch that candidates value. The backlash against AI-driven interviews and impersonal assessments underscores the need for a balanced approach. Businesses should harness AI's strengths to streamline processes but remain committed to genuine, human interaction where it matters most.

Using AI ethically: our best practices

There’s a common phrase quickly making its way around the industry, which is that HR won’t be replaced by AI. HR will be replaced by humans who are using AI to their advantage.

To harness the benefits of AI in your hiring process while maintaining ethical standards, check out our Ethical AI: Best Practices:

1. Balance automation with personal touch

Use AI to streamline tasks such as candidate sourcing, but ONLY to enable more time to focus on real human interactions.

If you’re struggling to figure out which of your processes to automate, try noting

down your core workflows. Ask yourself how much time you spend on the activity, how frequently the activity needs to be completed, and assess whether it can be automated or not while keeping candidate experience at the forefront.

2. Make candidate experiences engaging and respectful

Avoid over-reliance on AI for tasks where personal interaction is essential. Chatbots and auto-responses are good way of acknowledging queries and initial interactions, especially if a candidate needs support during offline hours. However, don’t over-use AI for things like first stage interviews, where employer/candidate connection is key to a good customer experience and ensuring a good cultural fit.

3. Be wary of biased algorithms

If you’re using AI for things like targeting candidates, initial screenings, and assessments, be extremely wary of gender biased algorithms and ensure your AI platforms use ethical AI practices such as establishing processes to test for and mitigate bias and investing in bias research.

4. Prioritise data privacy

Be transparent about how candidate data is collected and used. Ensure that all data handling practices comply with privacy regulations and inform candidates about how their information is being processed.

5. And last but not least, MAINTAIN HUMAN OVERSIGHT!

AI should support, not replace, human judgment. Use AI-generated insights as a tool to aid decision-making, but rely on human expertise for final decisions and to provide that oh-so-important personal touch in candidate interactions.

Useful links and references

How to prepare for career-driven Gen Z as they become one-third of the workforce by 2025

charlottecolley@hydrogengroup.com (Charlotte Colley) — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 09:14:28 GMT

Digital Natives’, Gen Z, have a whole new set of preferences employers need to be aware of. New data is dispelling some of the common stereotypes – notably, that they are definitely not ‘lazy’, but in fact the generation most likely to describe themselves as career-focused.

With the average tenure of Gen Z now at 2 years and 2 months, businesses need to work harder than ever to attract and retain younger talent. After all, they’re our future leaders – let’s set them up for success!

Here are 4 things your business can be doing now:

1. Embracing the adoption of AI to meet Gen Z expectations

Gen Z is the least likely of all generations to be fearful of AI, with over 50% using Chat GPT in the workplace. 23% feel it’s appropriate to use AI for workplace emails, and 20% feel it’s appropriate to use AI for job applications, demonstrating Gen Zs dependence on AI and trust in its abilities.

Businesses need to meet Gen Z’s expectations of AI in the workplace and use it to their advantage. Consumer research Firm GWI points out, “Millennials brought a wealth of internet experience with them into the workplace, now Gen Z are doing the same with AI. There’s an opportunity here for companies to hire AI-natives who can use the technology in creative ways for their business.”

Implementing AI doesn’t need to be complicated. Hydrogen’s Associate Director of Technology, Scott McCormick says, “To attract and retain Gen Z talent, businesses should embrace AI by integrating it into daily operations and offering training on AI tools. Starting with user-friendly AI platforms can empower companies to meet Gen Z's tech-savvy expectations and drive innovation.”

2. Define clear career pathways to reduce anxiety

According to Cigna International Health’s recent survey, 91% of 18-24-year-olds report feeling stressed at work. This is believed to be down to the fact that they entered the workforce post-Covid, meaning that many Gen Zers were not used to corporate social interactions having completed their degrees in isolation. Economic downturns are also causing career anxiety for younger generations entering the workforce, with redundancy cases rising globally.

Defining clear pathways for Gen Z will likely reduce anxieties around job loss and provide direction, aligning their goals with actionable steps. Career pathways can help all employees visualise their future growth and keep them feeling motivated to succeed. Hydrogen’s Senior Business Development Manager in the US, Marina Hart, says on the matter, “Gen Z grew up amid unprecedented technological advances, economic uncertainty and political unrest in many parts of the world[…] they value the clarity of expectations.”

3. Move your marketing to the right social media platforms

It’s no surprise that the generation most likely to use Instagram and Tik Tok is Gen Z. This prospect has rushed businesses to start up their own Tik Tok and Instagram accounts, scrambling for edgy, short-form video content. However, it might surprise some that YouTube is the most-used platform for Gen Z, with 80% spending their time on the app. This presents opportunities for businesses to create their own YouTube content, allowing for longer, more informative videos. The platform offers sponsored features, an effective algorithm and precise audience targeting.

Businesses will also be interested to know that X and Facebook are among the least popular platforms for Gen Z. Therefore, if companies hope to target younger talent, they might consider moving their social media marketing efforts over to Gen Zs most used platforms.

4. Implement targeted incentives to retain talent

Out of all the generations, Gen Z is the most prone to experiencing mental health illnesses, with one in three 18–24-year-olds reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety. Therefore, businesses which offer wellness programmes, such as mental health support, are likely to appeal to the younger generation.

More than a half of Gen Zers prefer a hybrid set up, and 38% reported that one of the biggest barriers to finding their dream job is businesses requiring five days a week in the office. CIPD offer great advice on how to plan and support effective hybrid working to companies considering improving their flexibility options.

Travel incentives like team holidays and social experiences are also likely to appeal to Gen Z, especially with travel influencers taking Tik Tok and Instagram by storm. However, because Gen Zs aren’t generally at their peak earning age, businesses have a great opportunity to inspire new talent with travel incentives that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

Hydrogen’s Head of TA, Dean Jennings, says, “It's important to ensure that incentives are inclusive. The next generation coming through our doors are ultra-marathon runners, semi-professional athletes and avid campaigners for a better world. They have a completely different grasp of what they want to do with their time. Whilst there is a place for boozy incentives, it is no longer the "go to" for a lot of individuals joining the workforce and they are craving something much more intellectually stimulating". This points towards businesses also offering educational incentives such as training and development programmes.

Interested in learning more about generational preferences at work? Read our recent blog on how to work alongside different communication styles and work life expectations - and bridge the digital divide: ‘FIVE generations side-by-side: How to thrive in a multi-generational workplace’ https://www.hydrogengroup.com/five-generations-side-by-side-how-to-thrive-in-a-multi-generational-workplace

This article was made possible by:

GWI: The New Age o f Gen Z

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/03/whats-up-with-generation-z

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/17/gen-z-travel-trends-travel-often-save-money-and-seek-adventure-.html

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230215-are-gen-z-the-most-stressed-generation-in-the-workplace

https://later.com/blog/gen-z-social-media-usage/

https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/guides/planning-hybrid-working/

FIVE generations side-by-side: How to thrive in a multi-generational workplace

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 12:29:27 GMT

For the first time in history, five distinct generations are working side-by-side. That’s Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation all under one roof. While to some this might sound like a nightmarish family reunion at the office, this combination brings about unique benefits that aren't being talked about enough.

While generational diversity in the workplace creates a rich mashup of experiences and work styles, it also presents challenges that organisations need to navigate in order to create a harmonious and productive workplace. This starts with understanding the unique needs of each generation.

So, let’s meet them.

1. Silent Generation (Born 1928-1945)

Key characteristics: Known for their strong work ethic, discipline and loyalty
Typical work style: Prefer face-to-face communication and structured environments
Biggest impact: Their wealth of experience and historical knowledge

2. Baby Boomers (Born 1946-1964)

Key characteristics: Competitive, goal-oriented, team-focused
Typical work style: Value hierarchical structures and in-person meetings
Biggest impact: Their commitment and experience, long-term strategic planning and ensuring organisational stability

3. Generation X (Born 1965-1980)

Key characteristics: Independent, resourceful, skeptical of authority
Typical work style: Favour flexibility, work-life balance, and digital communication
Biggest impact: Being a bridge between older and younger generations, promoting adaptability

4. Millennials (Born 1981-1996)

Key characteristics: Tech-savvy, collaborative, purpose-driven
Typical work style: Prefer collaborative workspaces, digital communication, meaningful work
Biggest impact: Their enthusiasm for technology and social responsibility drives organisational change/modernisation

5. Generation Z (Born 1997-2012)

Key characteristics: Digital natives, pragmatic, entrepreneurial
Typical work style: Expect flexible working conditions, value diversity, quick feedback
Biggest impact: Bringing fresh perspectives and digital expertise, crucial for future-proofing businesses

There you have it... but how can businesses ensure each generation’s needs are met at the same time as encouraging cross-generational collaboration?

We’ve tried to break it down:

Why it’s good:

Each generation brings unique experiences and viewpoints. This means organisations can drive creativity and innovation. Different problem-solving approaches and ideas can lead to more robust solutions.
Older generations can impart valuable knowledge and mentorship to younger employees. This fosters a culture of continuous learning. This exchange of skills can help maintain knowledge and develop future leaders.
Organisations that embrace generational diversity are better equipped to adapt to change. The blend of wisdom, knowledge and innovation can help organisations better navigate market shifts and technological advancements.

Why it can be bad... and how to fix it:

There are lots of reasons why employees might feel a divide between generations. Here are some common challenges and suggested solutions:

4 key takeaways for employers:

Catering to the needs of five whole generations isn’t an easy feat... and we're not leaving you in the lurch. Here are four key takeaways to help each generation thrive in a changing world:

- Foster inclusive leadership

Train leaders to understand and appreciate generational differences. Inclusive leadership that leverages diversity can create a more productive workforce.

- Encourage cross-generational teams

Create opportunities for employees of different ages to work together. Cross-generational teams can enhance mutual understanding and break down. stereotypes

- Promote continuous learning

Develop programs that encourage learning and skill development. By supporting career growth at every stage, organisations can maintain a motivated workforce.

- Celebrate diversity

Recognise and celebrate the contributions of all generations. Highlighting success stories and achievements can help foster a culture of respect and appreciation

Five generations in the workplace is a remarkable opportunity for organisations to thrive through diversity. With so much to learn from one another, the key is to let each voice be heard. Diverse perspectives will always drive success in this ever-changing world of work.

Are you finding your work environment challenging? We’d love to hear from you. Contact marketingsupport@hydrogengroup.com

References:
https://www.employerflexible.com/insights/generational-differences-in-work-styles/

https://www.purdueglobal.edu/education-partnerships/generational-workforce-differences-infographic/

Hydrogen Group and Argyll Scott appoint Joel Forrester as Global Managing Director - Client Services

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 14:57:53 GMT

12 July, 2024 - Hydrogen Group and Argyll Scott appoint Joel Forrester as Global Managing Director - Client Services.

Joel brings a wealth of experience to the role, having demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence in client services over his career. His dynamic approach and dedication to growth and development in teams make him a perfect fit for Hydrogen Group's ambitious future.

On the new role, Joel commented: “I am so excited to be joining Hydrogen Group. I have already met many of the truly fantastic people here, who are passionate about providing a world-class service to our clients and candidates alike. The golden thread that is clear to see is the work ethic and desire to evolve as people and teams. This energy and belief in the future is infectious, and I have no doubt this will be the foundation of our future success.”

He added: “The first connections I had with Hydrogen Group provided an accurate steer. The team is innovative, passionate, diverse, forward-thinking, and authentic, which is reflective of the strong and inclusive culture here. This is embodied by Hayley, our CEO – whose inspiration filters down through all levels, layers, and regions of the business. I believe fully in the direction of Hydrogen Group and I am excited to have a lot of fun along our journey over the coming years as we continue to thrive in an ever-changing world.”

CEO Hayley Still commented: "Joel’s arrival marks an exciting chapter for Hydrogen Group. His expertise and forward-thinking mindset are precisely what we need to elevate our client services to new heights. When we started our discussions, it was clear that Joel’s innovative attitude was aligned with our vision for the future.

His passion for cultivating a vibrant, collaborative environment will be instrumental in driving our growth. We are thrilled to have Joel on board and look forward to the dynamic impact he will undoubtedly bring."

Contact Information

For more information, please contact: marketingsupport@hydrogengroup.com

About Hydrogen Group

Hydrogen Group is a global recruitment agency dedicated to helping organisations find the best talent in the life sciences, legal, engineering, business transformation, and technology sectors. Our mission is to enable people to thrive in a changing world through innovative recruitment solutions and exceptional service.

LGBTQ+ Allyship in the Workplace: A Global Analysis

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:13:32 GMT

You may have noticed us sharing polls across our network recently around LGBTQ+ recruitment practices... and our results are now in! With insights analysed from over 1430 LinkedIn users, we're excited to bring you a benchmarking guide alongside resources to help support the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

55% believe that providing inclusive healthcare benefits is the most important factor to making an organistation more attractive to LGBTQ+ candidates.

This means offering medical and wellness services that meet the unique needs of LGBTQ+ individuals. This doesn’t just mean providing non-discriminatory access to things like maternity, paternity or adoption leave, which by law is a minimum. It means providing access to care which caters for every individual. This could be anything from tapping into training networks to ensure respectful communication, offering sexual and reproductive health services tailored to LGBTQ+ needs, or access to gender-affirming care. 27% of our network believed that providing support for transitioning employees was the most important factor, further emphasising the critical role healthcare inclusivity plays in making an organisation more appealing to LGBTQ+ candidates. We also received comments and questions around the need for separate benefits, opening the conversation around equity vs equality, and how standard employee benefits can overlook the needs of LGBTQ+ employees.

More than a third of LGBTQ+ candidates looking for work are worried about being discriminated against due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Outwardly showing your support through the inclusivity of your company benefits can help alleviate concerns around being accepted in the workplace as well as show your allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community.

71% of our network do not work in companies that have specific initiatives to recruit LGBTQ+ talent.

Even though our network agrees that factors like healthcare benefits and supporting transitioning employees should be high on the agenda, 71% of our network admitted that their organisations do not have specific initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ talent. This proves that some businesses have a long way to go towards championing allyship. We also received comments on this poll reflecting different perspectives, such as “Isn’t this discriminatory?”, in reference to businesses having initiatives specifically to recruit LGBTQ+ talent. This is a common misconception and draws back to the theme of equity over equality. Equality refers to individuals or groups having the same rights. Equity, however, recognises that each person is different and therefore needs specific treatment to reach an equal outcome.

Another comment we received on the poll was, “Leave your personal life at home”. Again, this is a misconception and to create a true sense of belonging at work, employees need to be able to bring their full selves to work and feel accepted.

17% answered that their businesses had multiple initiatives to attract LGBTQ+ candidates, which is a notable amount. It would be interesting to see if this figure increases year on year (stay tuned), as LGBTQ+ allyship becomes increasingly higher on the agenda for businesses looking to elevate their work culture.

Listening is the best way to support LGBTQ+ coworkers

On allyship, we asked our network, “How have you supported your LGBTQ+ coworkers?” The most popular form of support was “listening actively.” Active listening is a crucial communication skill in which the listener must be acutely aware of the speaker's needs and underlying messages before providing feedback, rather than passing judgment or simply listening to intervene. It sounds simple, but it’s difficult to master, and the poll responses show an understanding that listening is key when building an environment of belonging for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace. If you're curious about how to improve active listening skills at work, Mit Human Resources provides Key Tips for Active Listening.

22% of our network said “inclusive language” was the most important way to support LGBTQ+ employees, whilst 29% answered, “challenge discrimination”. In a constantly changing world, using inclusive language and challenging discrimination helps build an environment of respect and acceptance. Academy To Innovate HR offers practical tips on how to use inclusive language: A Guide to Using LGBTQ Inclusive Language in the Workplace. A Great Place to Work also provide simple and effective tips to challenging discrimination in the workplace: 5 Powerful Ways to Support LGBTQ+ Employees in the Workplace.

Bridging the gap

The data reveals some crucial insights, but largely that most businesses lack specific LGBTQ+ initiatives, despite the fact there is growing recognition from candidates of their importance. To bridge this gap, companies should:

Implement inclusive hiring practices: Use gender-neutral language, diverse interview panels, and create a welcoming recruitment environment
Use blind CV screening: Remove identifying information from resumes to reduce bias and focus on skills and qualifications
Provide training on unconscious bias: Unconscious bias is associations we hold outside our conscious awareness and control. Educate hiring managers on recognising and mitigating unconscious biases that affect decision-making
Create support networks and resources: Establish employee resource groups (ERGs) and offer mentorship and inclusive health benefits
Demonstrate allyship: Partner with LGBTQ+ organisations to reach a wider pool of diverse candidates, participate in Pride events, and support LGBTQ+ charities
Measure progress in recruiting and retaining LGBTQ+ candidates with specific KPIs.

By implementing these strategies, companies can create a more inclusive and supportive environment, attracting and retaining diverse LGBTQ+ candidates. If we were to give you one key takeaway, it would be to keep the conversation going. Talk to employees, talk to candidates, and continue to champion allyship.

Navigating the Depths: Insights from the World's Toughest Row

Wed, 22 May 2024 12:30:00 GMT

The World's Toughest Row isn't just about physical endurance; it's a journey that tests the limits of human resilience, camaraderie, and adaptability. In a recent conversation with the Tidewaves who conquered this challenge, their reflections provided insights into the preparation, sacrifices, and lessons learned along the way.

Push thinking: How did you mentally and physically prepare for the World's Toughest Row? How did that mindset help overcome other challenges during the journey?

“I think there was quite a lot of preparation that was, in some ways, harder than the physicality of the row itself. [Motivated by] looking at our long-term goal and seeing that it would be worth it in the end.” Robyn Hart-Winks

“To follow off on Robyn's point, all those hours had to be completed and even though it felt a drag and it was, you know our whole summer was spent doing those training hours at the same time you would think, this is probably going to save my life if I come into you know if we get into a sticky situation. I remember thinking even though I didn't want to pay attention or I felt that my brain was switching off, I was like actually, this is either my life or the other two.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

"The life-or-death thing doesn't necessarily translate into daily life. But there are lots of ways to cheat yourself; you suffer if you don't put in the work.” Robyn Hart-Wicks

Listen first: Could you share an example of when effective communication led to strategic decisions or overcoming obstacles?

“After we capsized, and it was quite a shock and we moved on quite quickly [until] Robyn vocalised “How much more of this can we take? You know, being battered.” I think her vocalising it made us all reflect on what just happened.” Louise Cox

“The whole row, we were all pretty good at sharing how we were feeling at various points, and we were quite lucky that generally, we didn't have those low moments. At the same time, so in that example, Louise talked about, I would say that was my lowest point. I'm all out of toughness. I'm lucky that I did this course with two of my best friends. There wasn't any option to not be open with your feelings.” Robyn Hart-Wicks “We saw the importance of just taking 5 or 10 minutes with your team to check in how everyone's doing, see what's on the agenda for the day and what your goals are. I do think the days that we let that slip, it was clear.”

“I think the other thing that I've realised is free and it's quite universal is having a sense of humour. It's such a simple medicine and it can range from such just a simple joke, which can be ridiculous. A lot of the things that we said while we were on land would have been just embarrassing and crude, but it works at that moment to take you out of yourself and take you out of your fear." Jordan Cole-Hossain

All In: What was your biggest sacrifice, individually and as a team, when going all in for the journey?

“There were a lot of financial sacrifices and all of these things in the lead-up to the campaign, but we're hugely privileged that we were able to even able to make that start line. It's quite hard to say "sacrifices" when it's a choice. But I think in terms of the smaller things on the boat, it was the little luxuries like hot cups of tea. Now I'm back at work, I must honestly drink about 10 cups of tea a day. ” Robyn Hart-Wicks

“We were so seasick, and we didn't have the energy. We barely drank water. We were just exhausted. It's wild when you think about it.” Louise Cox

Open up: What was your biggest challenge individually during the row, particularly when it came to opening up?

“I have two things that I struggle with. I struggled with the lack of sleep, and I always thought I was quite an easygoing person in terms of sleep. I also learned as well that I bottle things up a lot more than I thought. I thought my communication was pretty good, perhaps it's not as good as I thought it was when under real pressure.” Louise Cox “I feel I can do anything now. Honestly having been through that, when I had a gym class at lunchtime today, I was like, I can do this.”

“I think I found it difficult not knowing what was wrong with me and it's so strange. I felt like a toddler. Sometimes you are hungry, or you think that eating would solve your problem... [or] maybe you were too damp, maybe you were too cold [or] too hot, or maybe you had had too much caffeine. Everything was complicated, and everything felt high stakes. There was nowhere to put that energy as well. Introspection was quite a lot of work. So that was tough, it's helped me back on land now kind of dissecting myself and figuring it out.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

Own it: Reflecting on your journey, was there a time when each team member took ownership of a situation or role? If so, how did that sense of ownership drive the team forward?

“Through different points in the row, we all had to take ownership of different things. Being able to be flexible and adaptable to the different roles we were gonna take on. If someone didn't make water through the desalinator, we [don't] get drinking water. So, it was the roles were kind of roles that initially we were set, but then the jobs within those roles kind of became collective.” Louise Cox

“[For example] I was in charge of the water maker, but as we crossed time zones it made sense for Jordan to take on that role because of our shift pattern. Jordan had to take on an extra job.” Robyn Hart-Wicks

“I think that made us quite a dynamic team - there's just no choice. If you're too rigid with your structure you're going to get a horrible awakening. When you're at the mercy of nature, you have no choice but to adapt and I think as well that that's another really good example of when our communication was really strong.” Louise Cox

What has been your biggest takeaway from the challenge, both personally and in applying it to your everyday life?

"Celebrating the small wins. There are moments now when I brush my teeth and I'm like oh my God. Brushing your teeth is so good. There are other moments where I do take the time, drinking tea now, or find, buying a chocolate bar in the shop and it's not crushed and it's not melted and it's just perfect. I really hope that I can continue to take forward as just celebrating the small wins taking joy in those little moment.” Robyn Hart-Winks

“It’s given me a lot of confidence that I can do anything. Nothing will ever, ever be as hard as getting up after a 1/2-hour nap for a 2:00 AM shift on my own. I cannot believe I did that. Recently I was applying for a job, and I called my dad [and said] I'm not sure if I'm qualified for this job. He said you weren't qualified to row across the ocean and that didn't stop you, did it? I [replied], Oh my God, yes, that's so true .” Lousie Cox

“It's made me realise that you just have to work everything out as you go along. Everyone's kind of just winging it and I think that also applies in jobs too. The best way of learning is on your feet, isn't it? You can only really get that experience by having it. There's a real slowness and deliberateness to my life now. Being in nature for six weeks straight has given me a real perspective. I've come out like Bambi on ice.” Jordan Cole-Hossain

Through determination and supporting each other, the Tidewaves demonstrate how perseverance can change lives. Their journey inspires us, showing that every challenge offers opportunities for growth and success.

Legal Salary Guide 2024

Thu, 09 May 2024 09:30:40 GMT

With over 20 years of experience in the global legal arena, we've provided our clients with access to top legal talent worldwide. Leveraging our extensive industry connections and in-depth expertise, we've curated the most comprehensive salary data and hiring trends for professionals like yourself.

Our 2024 Salary Guide provides an overview of competitive packages and explores the latest hiring trends shaping the landscape of Legal employment in your region.

Get your complimentary copy of the 2024 Salary Guide directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

2024 Salary Guide: Healthcare & Life Science

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 15:23:12 GMT

For nearly a decade, we've been at the forefront of building networks and sourcing top-tier talent in the Healthcare & Life Science sector across Asia–Pacific. Drawing from our extensive industry connections and in-depth expertise, we've curated the most comprehensive salary data and hiring trends for professionals like you.

Our 2024 Salary Guide not only provides an overview of competitive packages, but also explores the latest hiring trends shaping the landscape of Healthcare & Life Science employment in the region.

Receive a complimentary copy of the 2024 Salary Guide directly to your inbox by filling in the form below.

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Hayley Still

What Is the Thrive Guide and Why Do You Need It?

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:13:01 GMT

The modern workplace is transforming. It’s driving more innovation and resilience and is more committed to creating inspiring work environments than ever before.

But how do we ensure employees thrive and maintain top talent in our workplace?

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To address this question, we sent out our Thrive Quiz to hundreds of employees worldwide - and now, we're excited to reveal our insights.

At Hydrogen and Argyll Scott, our purpose is to enable everyone to thrive in our changing world. Defining what thriving looks and feels like can be challenging, which is why we developed the Thrive Quiz in collaboration with well-being training partner Haptivate. The quiz, comprising 40 questions across 12 key drivers, provides participants with a 'Thrive Score' and practical solutions for personal development. We invited businesses across the globe to take part so that they could better understand their workforce and get tailored support for their most common challenges. Over 200 global employees have benefited so far, gaining a deeper understanding of their triggers and soothers. Our Thrive Guide, drawing from anonymised quiz data and created with industry expert insights, is more than a white paper; it's a practical roadmap for establishing workplaces where everyone can thrive.

View the Thrive Guide now

Are you curious about changes in the workplace that are shaking up job markets? Keep reading!

Beyond the 9-5...

Before the pandemic, workplace culture thrived on face-to-face interaction. Post-pandemic, with the worldwide adoption of hybrid working, the great challenge became balancing the desire for flexibility. Everyone understands the phrase "flexible" differently. People loved the freedom that came with remote work, suddenly having the ability to create their perfect working environment. Our Thrive Guide emphasised that organisations must define their flexibility expectations for employees and future talent, as inflexibility may lead to attrition, with AIHR reporting that 67% of workers prefer a hybrid work setup.

Finding purpose post-pandemic

There's a growing enthusiasm among employees for continuous learning and a need for strategic career growth provided by their employers. This shift has companies focusing on professional growth as a vital business strategy to attract and retain top talent. The People and Culture platform, Culture Amp, reports that the top two consistently emerging key influencers of global engagement are leadership and learning and development. Recognising that a third of employees prioritise professional development, business leaders must emphasise L&D as a driver for employee commitment.

The diversity imperative

The evolution from Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) to the more recent DEIB imperative is not surprising. Verna Myers, an expert in DEI, succinctly puts it, "Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance." However, not all organisations have caught up with DEIB, and many employees still feel the impact of workplace exclusion. In our Thrive Quiz, 1 in 5 participants strongly disagreed that they had good friends at work, and only half agreed they had sufficient opportunities to socialise with colleagues. Workplace loneliness is still prevalent. Quality social interactions with colleagues are vital for boosting employee engagement. Addressing this issue requires effective management and interventions to foster a more inclusive workplace where individuals can meaningfully contribute and thrive.

Thriving in 2024

Unlock the key to thriving in an ever-changing world with our Thrive Guide. Dive into industry trends and discover key recommendations in our report to navigate this new talent landscape.

Download your free copy now

Jan 29, 2024

Hydrogen & Argyll Scott to Sponsor All Female Trio Taking on The World’s Toughest Row

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 06:16:16 GMT

Hydrogen and Argyll Scott are proud to be sponsoring the formidable trio, The Tidewaves , as they embark on their mission to be the fastest, all-female rowing team to take on the World’s Toughest Row across the Atlantic!

Robyn Hart-Winks , Louise Cox , and Jordan Cole-Hossain will take on this challenge, rowing 3,000 miles from San Sebastian de La Gomera in Spain to Antigua in the Caribbean. They are aiming to be the fastest female trio to complete the challenge and hope to inspire the next generation of young athletes, championing access to sport for young people.

The Tidewaves have first-hand experience of the benefits of being involved in sports from a young age and passionately believe that all children should have access to sport and the life lessons it teaches. The Chief Medical Officers of the UK stated that;

"if physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat”

Aside from the physical benefits, sport at an early age helps ingrain invaluable life skills such as teamwork, dedication, discipline, and accountability – all which bond together to foster a winning mindset.

It signalled a perfect partnership for Hydrogen and Argyll Scott to support the Tidewaves, given the firm’s dedication to understanding how mindset drives performance . The group specialise in truly understanding people and uncovering what it takes to bring out their personal best, and champion those who challenge themselves and push their thinking and performance to the next level.

Hayley Still , Hydrogen & Argyll Scott’s CEO is a firm believer in physical activity playing a crucial role in keeping both mind and body healthy. Having grown up in a sporting household, Still herself pursued competitive gymnastics in her youth. Talking of how this has translated into her adult life she stated;

“Sport and physical activity in childhood helps set patterns for life. It provides lessons to understand what your challenges are and what you need to do to meet those challenges. It helps you build the routine and habits that you need for physical and mental prep to get to where you need to be.”

The three London-based women will row across the Atlantic Ocean unsupported in December 2023, and their mission will have them face a gruelling rowing schedule of 2 hours on the oars, 1 hour off, day and night for up to 60 days. They will face extreme conditions including hunger, severe dehydration, exposure to the sun, body sores, up to 40 ft waves, and even shark-spotting.

Over the next 8 weeks the Tidewaves will not only be investing time into their physical fitness. They will also need to mentally prepared to develop a mindset that will get them through the aptly named, World’s Toughest Row.

The team members of the Tidewaves all have different motivations, soothers and triggers that push them in different ways towards their common goal. In a mission to advocate for inclusive access to sports, the Tidewaves will be fundraising for three key charities: SportsAid Scotland , London Youth Rowing and Access Sports .

You can learn more about The Tidewaves and donate here .

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"I thrive by making a positive impact.” Free Thrive Quiz to help you discover your team’s drivers

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 06:36:43 GMT

With September ranking as one of the hottest months for employees to embark on a job search, measuring your team’s engagement is crucial. Take action now and boost productivity, improve job satisfaction and enhance employee retention.

In a fast-paced world of deadlines and demands, knowing for sure whether your team members are truly thriving, both in their professional and personal lives, can be a challenge.

Enter our new Thrive Quiz , a new tool that aims to help you discover your team’s potential, understand their motivations and equip you with tools to support them on their journey to success and happiness.

The Thrive Quiz’s tested methodology analyses team member’s answers to carefully designed questions anchored around 12 key drivers that influence work and home life, from work-life balance and autonomy at work, to having a sense of purpose and fostering close relationships.

To get started, click the link below to generate an individual quiz link to send around to your team. You will then receive a personalised report that highlights the biggest drivers that fuel your team's performance and the areas where they might require more support.

Generate your unique Thrive Quiz link

We’ve already gained valuable insight into what makes our own team members thrive. By understanding what motivates them and what challenges they face, we’ve been able to better tailor our support to ensure they continue to thrive.

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The Focused Life: 5 ways to Stop Procrastinating and Start Thriving

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 06:59:12 GMT

If you've ever found yourself caught in a swirling tide of distractions or struggling to muster the motivation to tackle important tasks, you're not alone. The battle against procrastination is one that many of us face. In fact, a recent study carried out by Darius Foroux revealed that a whopping 80% of average workforces procrastinate between 1 and 4 hours a day.

In the digital era, maintaining focus has become an elusive skill. The constant barrage of notifications, clickbait and the temptation of endless scrolling can lead us astray. So, how can we stay focussed? How can we maximise our time at work so that we still have time to enjoy the things that make us happy?

We’re on a mission to enable you to thrive in a changing world . This means acknowledging the things that hinder you and discovering the positive drivers that move you forward.

But, where to start? “What makes you thrive?”: It’s a big question. Below you’ll find our ultimate guide to figuring out your key drivers and avoiding that all-too-familiar procrastination slump.

1. Embrace the Power of Flow

Flow is the state of mind where you’re operating at your absolute best. You might be so deeply engrossed in your work that time seems to slip away, or so in the zone that the coffee you brewed an hour ago remains untouched. The state of flow is essentially the opposite of procrastination, a place where productivity knows no bounds. Sounds pretty dreamy doesn't it?

Unlocking this complete state of immersion involves mastering four key principles:

1: Choose an activity you’re currently finding challenging but that matches your skill level
2: Make sure the activity holds personal meaning and significance
3: Find an uninterrupted block of time (ideally between 1h30-2hs) to dedicate the activity to
4: Drown out the distractions. Try muting your phone or turning your emails to Do Not Disturb!

Follow these concepts and you might just be surprised at the quality of your work and how satisfied you feel after completing it!

2. Try Time Boxing

In a study by Harvard Business Review it was found that out of 100 productivity hacks, Timeboxing was considered most useful.

Timeboxing is a similar concept to Flow in that you blockout time in your day to work on a certain project. Essentially, rather than writing an overwhelming to-do list, you add your tasks to a calendar and assign a certain amount of time to each one.

Timeboxing has many advantages. It’s visual, acts as a record of work you’ve completed, and can actually save you time. By assigning a set amount of time to a task, you’ll likely find that you’re driven to finish the task in time. Whereas assign a whole afternoon, a day, a week… you can guess how long it’s likely to take.

3. Guide yourself towards success through goal-setting.

An important aspect of staying focused and defeating procrastination is setting clear and achievable goals. Effective goal-setting can guide you towards success and give you the motivation to persist even in challenging times.

When setting goals, make sure they’re specific and clear. Breaking your goals down into smaller steps can help make your goals feel more achievable, and celebrating each milestone will keep you on track.

4. Reserve time for fun

It’s important to remember that embracing fun and enjoyment is equally essential in boosting your productivity. In a recent Indeed report, it was found that burnout at work has increased by 52% over the past year. Balancing work with leisure not only prevents burnout but also recharges your mental batteries, making you’re more effective when you return to tasks.

5. Take our new Thrive Quiz

Kickstart your journey by completing our new Thrive Quiz , designed to reveal how you can stay focussed and live your best life, in and outside of work.

We’ve partnered up with Haptivate to design a carefully crafted questionnaire that generates an instant report detailing where you currently are in your journey and positive actions to take forward. It’s that easy.

This article was brought to you by multiple breaks, x2 Timeboxing sessions and getting into the zone with Flow. And with that, let’s say a final farewell to procrastination and embrace the power of focus!

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From Inclusion to Belonging

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:06:40 GMT

Two years ago, I wrote a piece on the journey from Diversity to Inclusion with a list of actions that can help move the dial forward, as individuals and organisations. Since then, Diversity & Inclusion (or DEIB) have moved on a little, but the earlier Tech mass layoffs may suggest otherwise. Some might have seen D&I as a one-and-done that you can easily embed and walk away with pride, which sadly isn’t the case. In today’s ever-changing world, D&I will likely remain an ongoing journey, where we go from Diversity to Inclusion and Inclusion to Belonging.

When it comes to inclusion, simply making the effort to include someone doesn’t quite cut it, instead, it’s about making people feel that they’re being included. Failing to identify the difference will likely lead to the eventual demise of the journey to inclusion, even if intentions were good. It’s important to keep in mind that everybody’s different (this is where the diversity part comes in), and not everyone wants to be included in the same way. While giving voice to the voiceless is usually a good way to empower minorities, pushing them onto the pedestal might not be the way to go.

Ultimately, it’s about showing that you care, not because everyone else is doing it and you feel compelled to follow, but that you genuinely concern about the subject and want to do something about it. Have an open mind and be willing to have those conversations. Be there, show up, and lend your voice.

While some would distinguish inclusion as the effort a company/group makes and belonging as how the individual feels from those efforts, I’m inclined to look at this in a slightly different way, particularly around the nuances of the two words.

Include (v): to make part of whole or set
Belong (v): to feel happy or comfortable in a situation

Just like how you can have diversity without inclusion, it’s also possible for someone to feel included but not belong. To better illustrate this, imagine a large group setting where everyone else shares similar traits different from yours (this can be a combination of race, gender, age, etc.), despite how accommodating the group might be, it’s likely the sense of belonging won’t come easy. We often hear people talk about imposter syndrome, which also partly attributes to a low sense of belonging or self-assurance because they can’t see people like them in senior ranks or positions of success.

At this point, you might’ve already caught on, that the lack of belonging is oftentimes a result of the lack of diversity, regardless of whether inclusion measures are in place. That being said, it’s also important to keep in mind that there can be a plethora of other reasons one might fail to foster belonging, aside from purely looking at their diversity.

Taking Disney as an example, their popularity among the queer community (myself included) can be seen in both official and unofficial pride events across parks worldwide. However, there’s barely any queer representation in their productions, except maybe a few queer-coded characters that are often villains or sidekicks. While do see a gradual shift in recent years (yes I’m talking about Strange World), the lack of visible representation never really posed a hurdle in their belonging journey. Instead, through story-telling and world sculpting, they created worlds where people can feel that they belong, where they can momentarily forget about everyday struggles, and just be who they are and have a good time. This goes to show that diversity isn’t always a prerequisite to belonging, although having a diverse representation will make the journey a lot easier.

Another critical element to belonging is the notion of “enabling”. People need a place where they are enabled to perform their best, where they can feel empowered and are free to be themselves. Therefore, it’s important to try and be an “enabler” where you provide others with the space and tools necessary for them to thrive. Again, this is different from one individual to the next, so take the time to understand what works best for each, find good common ground, and adjust accordingly. Compromises will have to be made, but what matters most is to show that you care, are willing to listen and are trying your best to accommodate wherever possible.

Trying to make waves in the sea of Diversity & Inclusion is never easy, especially within a constantly changing landscape. However, with the right intentions, an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the desire to make a difference, you’ll see yourself making progress on the D&I journey in no time.

Do you have any tips on how we can better move from Diversity to Inclusion and Inclusion to Belonging? I’d love to hear them!

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Why we’re asking: ‘what makes you thrive’?

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 09:12:10 GMT

This was first published on LinkedIn Talent Voices.

This month sees us launch our new purpose: Enabling You to Thrive in a Changing World. Like any campaign worth its salt, this tagline isn’t something we landed on overnight. Our purpose captures the reason why Hydrogen and Argyll Scott exists and our vision for what we want to change in the world.

Where we’re coming from

In the 16 years I’ve been with Hydrogen Group, I’ve worked with people from all over the business. This perspective is proving to be a real asset in my role as CEO, and has helped shape my vision for the organisation as we move into the next stage of our evolution.

But who I am outside of work has also played a huge role, as it does and should for all of us.

I grew up in a household where the understanding of sacrifice in the pursuit of success was a central concept. Between them, my parents attended 10 Olympic Games spanning four decades, in their capacity as National Coach for Women’s Gymnastics and BBC Commentator for Gymnastics. As a serious gymnast myself, I learnt skills which have stood me in great stead for the world of work. These include concentration, focus, mental resilience and awareness, but also the importance of relationships (here between me and my coach), routine, structure, progression and planning (the list goes on)!

Finally, I had that incredible feeling of happiness coming from the pride I felt when I achieved the goals I had worked tirelessly to achieve from an early age. To me, that is the feeling of thriving. It could have been from winning a competition, but it could also have been learning a new move or finally staying on the beam for a full routine!

When I was asked to be CEO, I was on maternity leave. I know my previous contributions to our culture and work style played a big part in our founder Ian Temple’s decision to offer me the role. Before the pandemic, we were already offering our people the choice to define their workstyles, which seemed ‘out there’ to some at the time. For example, we introduced ‘I own my time’ to allow our teams to work when and where they felt most productive, which had a hugely positive impact on team morale.

Being a sector entirely focused on people, it has always seemed strange to me that organisations have largely avoided tapping into how their people feel, think and behave. At Hydrogen Group, we don’t want people turning up because they have to. We want them there because they feel inspired, happy and motivated to succeed; that looks entirely different based on who you are talking to. Don’t get me wrong, there is still a place for performance indicators, but it’s what you do with them and how you use them that we’re working on.

Giving people choices

I strongly believe if you treat people like adults and give them autonomy and responsibility – they will respond accordingly, and most of the time, positively. It’s about enabling people to thrive and giving them space to keep making the right choices for themselves and our business.

It’s not up to us to make people thrive; it’s about giving our people everything they need to enable themselves to do – and this all comes down to an individual’s preferences, passions, and priorities. When empowering people to be the best versions of themselves, I believe in prevention rather than cure. Wellness days won’t improve someone’s life in the long term; we need to go deeper. I want my teams to understand what makes them tick and conversely, when they’re not doing so great, what they can do to get back to a good place.

Speaking from my own experience, I’m in a new role with an 18-month baby so I have to be mindful and deliberate about how I go about my daily tasks. Visiting our city-based office two days a week allows me to balance my roles, so that I can give my best to the business and my family. I have a clear system to keep me organised; I prep and plan, and am ruthless with where I spend my time to ensure I stay ‘in control’. That sense of stability works well for me, but may look different for someone else at a different stage of their life/career. Having that choice is crucial to success.

I love that our teams don’t have to ‘choose’ between work and home life. If going for a walk during the day or after a difficult call helps you re-gather your focus, why shouldn’t you be able to do that? It takes a huge amount of pressure off when home and work life can co-exist. And if our people are thriving, so will our business.

Giving people choices

Historically, success has come down to how you are seen by other people. Do you wear a suit? Do you travel internationally? Do you have a prestigious title? I want people to understand what success looks like for them. To that end, a big part of this project has been changing the language around how we are feeling beyond, “I’m fine.” We encourage people to track how they are progressing on their journey at any given moment (what we call our thrive-o-meter!).

It goes without saying that inclusivity is a crucial part of this conversation. We also ask people to identify their triggers. For instance, what barriers are preventing them from thriving? Is it isolation, family pressures or even a colleague relationship that isn’t working out? We then talk about soothers to get back to a place of thriving – from getting out in nature to dedicated play time with their children. If you understand your own triggers and soothers, you can plan better, work better, and feel better.

Why it’s important to ‘enable’ people, rather than prescribe

From the first day of school, our children spend most of their lives having to make decisions for themselves. To me, loving my son is giving him the support and tools to recognise what makes him happy, what success looks like, and the confidence to go for it. I don’t think my team should be any different.

We must prepare our children for the world they are going to live in; not the world we live in. The same applies to the Gen Z-ers entering the workforce. We’re seeing more recognition now for the soft skills people possess – not just whether they have a degree or can spell. This is where our purpose really kicks in.

Our role is to enable people with the right tools and support, rather than do things for them. This isn’t a soft or fluffy proposition, and we’re already seeing great results. From a business perspective, it is a no-brainer. If we can get 20% more productivity from our colleagues, simply by giving them the time and space to think about themselves and realising that one size doesn’t fit all – why wouldn’t we?

A changing world

To speak to the second part of our new purpose, the world is changing. This is only going to accelerate over the next 10 years, driven by issues like climate change, AI and geopolitical shifts.

By having a focus on our purpose, why we are here and the impact we want to create, we can deliver more. As a business, an employee, or a candidate – we must re-evaluate what makes us thrive all the time. We’re working to understand what our clients and candidates need to thrive in their individual roles and in their wider businesses.

For candidates, this means really understanding what they’re looking for in their next role that will light that spark. What do they want to achieve in life? What’s important to them, and what does their working environment need to look like to support this?

For clients, we’re getting under the skin of their business to understand the kind of people they need to help them succeed. For example, if the role they’re trying to fill needs someone in the office five days a week, we won’t put forward candidates we feel perform better in a hybrid role. Instead, we’ll look for great candidates who thrive being in an office environment. It’s about putting the people and their values first, and going beyond transactional partnerships to enable long-term success.

I’d like to leave you with a simple thought. Imagine a world where every person knew what they needed to do in order to thrive in life. Imagine every business knew what they needed to help their people succeed. Imagine if we all understood our triggers and soothers. We’d have better mental resilience and stronger relationships with our friends and family. The world would be a happier place.

I’d love to hear what you think about this – please share your thoughts with the #TalentVoices hashtag.

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Technology, Data & Analytics Salary Guide 2023

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 09:29:09 GMT

Based on our meetings with organisations across the region, we've compiled the latest salaries for technology, data & analytics professionals.

Our 2023 guide includes the average salaries for Technology, Data & Analytics teams across:

Hong Kong

Singapore

Thailand

Vitenam

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Sales & Marketing Salary Guide 2023

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 07:40:00 GMT

Based on our meetings with organisations across the region, we've compiled the latest salaries for sales & marketing professionals.

Our 2023 guide includes the average salaries for Sales & Marketing teams across:

APAC Market Update - Singapore Overview

Thu, 12 Jan 2023 04:06:00 GMT

“It’s Not all Doom and Gloom”

Singapore has made its intention clear to welcome rainmakers from across the world to help it stay competitive and relevant on the global map. However, it's not just Singapore- many other countries across the region have updated their visa policies to attract better quality and more diverse talent.

Top talent is a key priority for markets to remain competitive and relevant in today's globalised environment. This allows industries to remain competitive and at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation and development, where businesses constantly look for individuals with skills and experience to help them succeed.

Technology - A function or an industry?
While there's a lot of news on the high-profile layoffs in the tech industry, when you look deeper, the proportion of tech talents being impacted are not as huge. (Not disregarding those impacted, our thoughts go out to them.) But with tech being a function to many other industries, demand for this talent continues.

Many are asking, "Has tech hiring slowed down?", "Are candidates having more reasonable expectations?". 
Not yet, is the short answer, from what we see in Singapore. Those with the right skillsets still get soaked up in the market quickly, and candidates still have an abundance of opportunities.

Do macro factors impact hiring plans? But also because of that, many who have teams heavily based in other locations are looking to build a stronger base elsewhere to diversify their risk. Singapore remains as one of the top locations for great tech.

If you’re curious for more insights into the Singapore market or are considering the option to pursue a career in Singapore, don’t hesitate to reach out to us:

Tom Swain – tswain@argyllscott.sg / +65 6797 8367 (SG)

APAC Market Update - Thailand & Vietnam Overview

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 09:48:26 GMT

“It’s Not all Doom and Gloom”

As the economy shows signs of recovery with the return of tourism, we are seeing more movements coming from the FMCG and Retail sectors. Thai conglomerates are looking to expand as well, which is causing a ripple effect across the market. Blue chip MNC candidates are in high demand and in the past, these candidates have shown reluctance to join local companies, but we are now seeing more of these types of candidates willing to make the jump.

Technology: All year long the technical space has been an area that has really been quite busy in terms of candidate movements. Our clients are always looking for specialists in supply chain, procurement and more recently on the niche engineering and manufacturing side. Because of constant candidate movement, we are seeing a domino effect amongst our clients. The manufacturing space in Thailand seems to be quite healthy and the growth plans seem to have bounced back quite fast since COVID. This does not seem to be changing as we close out the year and our technical team are as busy as ever.

FMCG: This year, we have seen global FMCG companies who manufacture in Thailand looking for high level HR candidates with strong plant experiences. We are also seeing a trend where a lot of long-term TA specialists are now being promoted internally to more of a HRBP role, which has recently caused a demand for more TA people as well.

Emerging Trend: An exciting trend right now with large local companies, as they look to scale again, they also want to change their culture and implement a more MNC type of environment. Because of this we have seen quite a few senior HRDs move from global world-famous companies to tackle these challenges and implement these changes. No doubt with the head count planning for next year we will see the MNCs go for a more lean but highly skilled approach in their HR department whilst the local conglomerates go for a larger team scale.

If you’re curious for more insights into the Thailand market or are considering the option to pursue a career in Thailand, don’t hesitate to reach out to us:

Chris Russell – crussell@argyllscott.co.th / +66 2107 2561 (TH)

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Flexible Futures

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 09:56:09 GMT

Earlier this month The Global Recruiter magazine in association with Sonovate held an online round table which brought together a number of leading recruitment professionals to examine current trends and challenges surrounding flexible work. While the intention was to discuss how clients are deploying flexible work and what can be done to incentivise this, the conversation equally highlighted how the recruitment industry had adopted and was adapting to flexible work. Forever an innovative sector, the conversation showed that it may well be that as flexible work continues to evolve, where recruiters lead others will follow.

Dean Jennings, Hydrogen Group's Global Head of Talent Acquisition took part, and you can read his views here on Page 18.

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Still The One

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:15:27 GMT

This article originally appeared in the California Business Journal on 18th April 2022.

Fourteen years ago, when Hayley Still first started at the London-based global recruitment agency, Hydrogen Group, becoming CEO one day was not on her list of goals. Even if you had asked her three years ago — after she had risen through the ranks from recruiter to team leader to director — she would have said that she was too focused on her current position to think about heading up the organization as CEO.

“I’m always just really focused on the job that I’m doing and being the absolute best that I can be in that particular role, and just trusting that if I put my mind into it, and I do my absolute best, that other doors will open,” she told California Business Journal. “I never thought too much about what those other doors were, and just focused on the here and now.”

Ms. Still attributes this ability to focus on the current task at hand — and perhaps a certain competitiveness to be the best that she can possibly be at that task — to her upbringing in a sports-focused family. In her youth, Still trained seriously as a gymnast — her father is a National Women’s Gymnastics Coach, and her mother is a gym owner and Gymnastics Commentator for the BBC.

After earning her Bachelor of Law from Cardiff University, Ms. Still realized that a life as an attorney wasn’t the best fit for her. She knew that she loved people though, and in 2008, began working at Hydrogen Group in the highly competitive in-house legal market. She moved through the ranks, becoming a team leader, then associate director, then director, managing director, chief operating officer, before finally becoming CEO in January 2022, whilst on maternity leave with her first child.

With her people skills, being a recruiter was a good fit, and similar to gymnastics, there was a sense of winning when she found the perfect candidate for a job. But unlike gymnastics, where one could be limited by physicalities, in recruiting, there weren’t any limitations to what she could do.

“Once I knew that I was very good at recruitment, I was determined that nothing could hold me back. It was only up to me — how much I was willing to put in, how dedicated I was, what I was willing to sacrifice to get there. I just loved it. I’ve always found I get a bit of adrenaline from work. It’s one of those industries where you get little wins throughout the day. It’s really addictive because it’s so fun.”

As a naturally curious person, what she enjoyed most about her work as a recruiter was learning about people, different businesses, and everyone’s individual stories. Turns out those same skills — understanding peoples’ motivations and abilities — are perfect for the role of CEO.

“Whether it’s with people in our company, whether it’s with our clients or candidates, you’ve got to really understand where someone’s coming from, and where they’ve been, to know where they want to go, and what their perspective is. It has put me in such good stead for running a company and knowing that about people in my company — that what matters to one person does not matter to another. Never make that kind of assumption. You’ve got to really focus on what they want.”

Hydrogen Group is a leading STEM staffing business focused on supplying talent to a variety of sectors globally including Life Sciences, Technology, Utilities & Power, Legal and Project Management. Delivering into a variety of sub sectors has meant the Group has had to develop a sophisticated platform to not only be competitive but to get ahead of larger staffing firms in North America and across the globe. What separates the business apart is Hydrogen’s ability to have a core Purpose that puts people at the center of everything it does, which it believes is vital for now and in the future.

For people to be successful in their careers, they not only have to define what they want, but what they are willing to give up in order to achieve those goals, Ms. Still says. When she was a manager and team leader, she learned to help others identify those parameters, so that they could hone in on their particular version of success.

“I learned to be realistic with people, like, you might want to conquer the world, but are you willing to sacrifice what you might need to sacrifice, to conquer the world? And how do we find the right balance for you? And how do we create an environment where it’s fine for you to be open about what your success looks like — not what society tells you your success looks like.”

It is a vision and philosophy that she puts into action as CEO, helping Hydrogen employees achieve their goals, not just professionally, but also personally. With the onset of the pandemic and move to the work from home model, there’s been a worldwide reckoning of the role jobs play in peoples’ lives, and a reimagining of how to achieve not only a better work-life balance, but also more personal fulfillment in one’s work.

At Hydrogen, there is a little more forward thinking. Ms. Still in particular started to think about this in 2018 — before the pandemic and this worldwide reimagining — when she was still an associate director.

“We needed to evolve and change with it. I believe that expecting employees to adhere to traditional work hours was, in essence, treating them like children, and could even prevent workers from leading a fulfilling life,” she says. “We need to treat people like adults and put the accountability back on them, so that they understand how to structure their lives and get the most out of life. Everyone’s an individual; it can work differently for everyone. I feel like the new generations that are coming through don’t want to work 9 to 5, and why should they? There are so many other things in peoples’ lives that are important.”

Hydrogen launched what it calls “I Own My Time,” and did away with standard working hours — although employees did need to have some consideration for their clients’, colleagues’ and candidates’ hours. The firm also did away with the need to be office based. And then the pandemic hit, which further set these new policies in place.

The philosophy of “I Own My Time” evolved even further at Hydrogen. Now it’s “I Own My Future” and “I Own My Goals.” Ms. Still likes to think of managers as personal trainers who are there to encourage employees in their pursuit of goals. She would eventually like Hydrogen to evolve into a company where this expands outside the traditional career realm. For instance, if an employee wants to train for a marathon, or work on any other life goals, she would like to see managers helping their team members to achieve it.

“It’s a work in progress; there’s a lot we still need to work on and get right. But I feel passionately that, if you look after people and their wellness, they can thrive. And I think a common mistake for leaders to make is to feel they need to ‘make everyone happy.’ I don’t think it’s about that, it’s about helping people to unlock the ability to make themselves happy, as that is then in their control and they can repeat it! Hopefully very often!” she says.

Most people are still pursuing society’s version of success, rather than their own personal version of success, and Ms. Still envisions Hydrogen as a place where people can go after their truest idea of success and fulfillment. That might mean building wealth or moving into management — or it might not.

“Everyone should be able to define what success means to them, and we have to have an environment where people can be open and honest about that. You could be the most junior person in my business, but if you’re incredibly happy, and you get that feeling of success, because you’re doing the job at the right level for you, then you are successful. The loop is that the more successful everyone is individually, the more successful we will be collectively, obviously.”

As CEO, Still’s leadership style is decidedly non-hierarchical, seeking input from a wide range of company members — even on non-business topics, like what they’re watching and listening to — in part to ensure that Hydrogen stays relevant with its clients and candidates.

“I’m always accessible to my people. I don’t see myself as the CEO. I view myself as someone who is just working on the business to make it as good as possible to give them a platform to achieve their hopes and dreams and goals.”

As a purpose-led business, this ethos transfers into benefits for Hydrogen’s Clients and potential candidates as well, as it has become a company known for honing in on everyone’s specific challenges and goals.

“I want us to be a business that is full of really bright, motivated people with clear personal and professional goals who feel supported, and I think that ultimately will move us forward as a business as well,” Ms. Still concludes. “For our clients, it will allow them to lean on us properly. We’re going to find out what their challenges are, and work with them to find solutions. It’s really about helping people and enabling people to thrive in a changing world, whatever that change might be. And I think that a lot of how we’re overcoming the challenges is by connecting with individuals.”

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Why graduates are turning to the recruitment industry

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 10:45:43 GMT

If you think the past two years at work have been tough as an experienced employee, spare a thought for those who’ve recently graduated! They have joined a radically different workplace, in an uncertain global economy, with mass resignations in the news, virtual colleagues on screens, and no guarantees of job security in their career ahead.

What’s different for graduates, post-pandemic?

Remote studying has left many graduates fending for themselves, without the formative networks previous generations have cultivated through hands-on career guidance, physical internships, and workplace experience. Not having easy access to employers has left them low on confidence and re-evaluating what they want from their careers. The disconnect between what graduates think employers want and what skills employers are looking for is wider than ever. Insecurity has promoted “industry experience” to the top of the graduates’ assumptions for the first time, whereas employers, post-pandemic, want candidates with resilience and problem-solving skills.

A recent survey across APAC showed almost half of current university students and grads were reassessing their career paths in the new world of work. Even the traditionally popular sectors have changed for grads – in Singapore, for example, the resilience and rise of e-commerce during the pandemic has seen that option grow in appeal to the tech-savvy generation leaving university. But it’s not just about the sector or the role for graduates today – they have other things on their minds that employers should take note of.

What else do graduates want?

Salaries and titles don’t feature high up the wish list for graduates today. Instead, they want to work for employers that demonstrate a variety of options and qualities, including:

Purpose

A McKinsey report stated that for 70% of people, their sense of purpose is defined by their work. Purpose is hugely important to university graduates, and to Gen Z in general, who want to work for employers that share their values. The pandemic caused thousands of people to re-evaluate their purpose in life, which has played a role in the “Great Resignation”, so the employee experience overall and the employee value proposition should be a huge consideration for employers, but particularly when thinking about the next generation of workers.

Hybrid and flexible working options

While remote working and the worldwide adoption of working from home was a welcome novelty to many employees bored of commuting, most of whom will never go back to an office full time, it’s less appealing to those starting out in their careers. They not only want the social interaction of a physical workplace after two years of studying predominantly from home, but they need to observe role models and interact face-to-face to learn and develop. They want flexibility and the option to work remotely, of course, but more for their own work/life balance than to avoid the office.

Inclusive workplaces

Over 90% of students consider an employer’s commitment to diversity and inclusion before applying for a role, so it’s not something that they should have to dig deep to find. A recent survey in Australia among graduates deemed that a solid D&I policy was a crucial factor in their choice of employer. They want to see Equal Opportunity, Indigenous, and Neurodiversity programs not only showcased, but part of the fabric and culture of any decent employer.

Upskilling and development

Perhaps more so than previous generations, today’s graduates have a plan when it comes to their career. Many know exactly the type of employer they want and where they want to go – and they will expect help to get them there. That means mentorships and training as well as the latest tech to enable them to achieve their career ambitions. They’re not looking for perks like gym memberships but place more emphasis on learning new skills that will open doors for them.

Why go into recruitment?

An increasing number of graduates are choosing recruitment because of the integral role it plays across all industries, the impact it has in people’s lives, and the visible potential career path. Unlike many sectors where it might take years to reach a senior level or a good salary, in recruitment there are excellent financial incentives for performance right from the start, and a clear route to senior roles for consistent top performers. Working in recruitment cultivates a wide range of skills as well as exposure to other businesses and sectors. Dealing with clients and candidates, networking, negotiating, interviewing and problem-solving is all part of daily life and improves soft skills such as communication, empathy, teamwork, and relationship building. Add cutting edge tech and possible international relocation into the mix, and recruitment becomes an attractive option for graduates.

Graduates choosing Hydrogen and Argyll Scott

Hydrogen Group gives joining graduates the platform and support to achieve their career goals and ambitions. Our uncapped commission scheme means our people are genuinely in control of what they earn and there is potential for swift career development, if that’s what you’re looking for. Nothing is set in stone, it’s up to each person – you can go from ‘Associate’ to ‘Recruitment Consultant’ in your own time, whether that’s 3 months or 12 months. One of our most attractive initiatives is our unique flexible offering where employees own their own time, meaning that they can work whenever and wherever suits them best.

If graduates needed any further proof or inspiration that Hydrogen Group is the place to forge a career in recruitment, consider this mini case study. Hayley Still started with us as a graduate in 2008 in London and worked hard to move up through the organisation. A decade or so later, she’s now the CEO!

So, if you’re just as ambitious as Hayley, and see yourself as being a CEO one day too, get in touch with our Talent Acquisition Team to find out more about our current vacancies.

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Hayley Still appointed CEO of Hydrogen Group

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 11:28:17 GMT

Hydrogen Group, the £100 million turnover specialist recruitment business with offices worldwide, announces today that Hayley Still has been appointed as CEO to lead its business globally.

Previously COO EMEA, Still, who joined the company as a graduate recruiter in 2008, has risen through the business to become a well-respected leader. She recently returned from maternity leave following the birth of her first child.

Former CEO Ian Temple and COO & CFO John Hunter will remain on the board, whilst also pursuing and growing other business ventures within the wider group.

Ian Temple commented: “Hayley’s passion for people has always shone through. She has developed her teams into a formidable force in highly competitive markets. Having bounced back from Covid we have very ambitious growth plans, and the board believes that Hayley has the right combination of skills and abilities to engage with the next generations in order to lead the business forward. This is a new era for the Hydrogen Group.”

Hayley Still, CEO of Hydrogen Group added; “I am delighted and honoured to be appointed CEO. I’ve had an incredible 14 years here and feel passionate about creating the same opportunity and experience for those who love the recruitment industry as much as I do and have the drive to succeed. We’ve invested a lot in our infrastructure, platform, and people over the last few years and Ian and John are handing over the business in a fantastic position. Along with the Executive team, I’m excited to take the company to the next level by building on that platform and inspiring and investing in our amazing current and future employees. We have so much to achieve and can’t wait to get going!”

For additional information, please contact:

Delyth Hughes, Head of Comms
delythhughes@hydrogengroup.com
+44 (0)20 7002 0044

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Priyadarshini Sharma

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 11:43:51 GMT

Priyadarshini Sharma is the Managing Director, India & SEA and VP Marketing Asia Pacific at McCormick & Company. She is a seasoned, high-performing commercial leader with 20+ years of multi-country, multi-industry experience in blue-chip companies. She has a strong track record of success in accelerating business growth via premiumisation and leader high-performance teams across the Asia Pacific (Including China, Australia, ASEAN & India).

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

I constantly try to challenge myself and took on assignments I knew would take me out of my comfort zone – for instance, I moved to Hong Kong and then to China. The experience gave me a much broader perspective working with diverse teams transcending language barriers, honed my skillsets and deepened my experience in delivering results across different contexts and cultures.

Also, becoming a certified coach has been very enriching for me, and I am ever so grateful for my coaching journey. I can honestly say (without exaggeration) that it has been life-changing for me. What started as a "self-serving" endeavour to improve my leadership style has gone on to be the "gift that keeps on giving" - not just for myself, but for my teams and family as well.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Resilience – the realisation that no problem or issue is insurmountable. Key Learnings are:
Life goes on
Sometimes we don’t know what we want – what we think we want may not be the right thing
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward
Every situation teaches you something!

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value in having a mentor or being a mentor?

It takes a village to build a career, and mentors, coaches, friends, family, and co-workers all have played an important role in mine. Mentors provide a unique lens of looking at situations based on their own experiences, which makes navigating complex environments easier. They can also be someone to bounce ideas off, get advice and feedback from so we can improve as leaders. When it comes to being a mentor, it’s about paying it forward, we can learn things in the process as well (reverse mentoring is a real thing!).

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

We win by playing to our strengths, not focusing on our weaknesses; this is true of people, brands, and businesses. So be aware of weaknesses and ensure they won’t derail you, but really focus on honing your strengths so you can bring the best of yourself to the table.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

When I joined the workforce in the late 90s, gender was still very much an issue and casual sexism was rampant. Even then I soldiered on and continued to build my career without letting it get in the way. I stayed focused on my priorities and delivered on them. Whether as a spouse, mother or corporate leader, I took time off when I needed to and also leaned in when I was able to – this ensured that my gender (and different roles in life) never hindered my progress.

Now, as a leader with McCormick, I take pride in being the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) champion for the Asia Pacific Zone. As D&I lead in the last year, I have learnt that ‘Being the change we want to see in the world” is the surest first step in driving change. So, the leadership team and I have been consciously working on building a team with diverse abilities & experiences while ensuring we have an equitable and inclusive culture where our teams can thrive.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I believe it is about work-life integration rather than balance. Sometimes work takes precedence and sometimes, life does. The important thing is that we feel fulfilled as a whole person – and we make time for things that bring us joy. Find your “Ikigai” and then work will not feel like something we need to get away from - it naturally flows together.

At a practical level – I try to “stack” activities so they address several priorities. For example, with the kids, the things we need to do are spend time together as a family; give them meaningful experiences to build their resumes; get physical exercise/fitness. We can check all 3 boxes by doing a sport together (e.g. learn Karate) in one hour – very efficient! Another example is that I go for walks with my colleagues from the office; we get a chance to meet face to face and get in some exercise/nature immersion at the same time.

I also have clear boundaries that I set so I can bring my whole self to both work and my personal life. For example, at McCormick, we implement Focus-Fridays without meetings, which empowers us to use Fridays to clear emails/work and set up for the week ahead. I never travel on important occasions like family birthdays, anniversaries, vacations or festivals, because these are the defining moments when I prioritise my family. When working from home, I carve out the “do not disturb” time and my family knows that I am concentrating so they will give me my space.

Do you have any advice for professionals earlier in their careers on how to progress and succeed?

For this, I have three principles – Work Hard, Have Fun, and No Drama.

By Working Hard, I don’t just mean getting stuff done but also working smart, as delivering results is more important than hours spent ineffectively. You can have a bias for action but begin with understanding the issue and keep the result in mind, focus on what’s important rather than what’s seemingly urgent but unimportant and avoid the temptation to confuse action (making important things happen) with activity (just being busy). Having a proclivity for lifelong learning is the best asset, and so is being resilient.

When it comes to Having Fun, work should be fun as it can lead to great results when skills & challenges align, you can also build a personal rapport with colleagues and form strong bonds with those you’ll be collaborating with closely. Work-life effectiveness is the key here, so do enough of what replenishes your energy. It’s also important to take real vacations, as long as you plan and manage projects accordingly.

Finally, No Drama means saying what you mean and meaning what you say, seek to understand before seeking to be understood. Keep in mind that winning an argument is not important, but the result is, so challenge assumptions/beliefs/ways of working and be open to being challenged. If there is a problem, understand the root cause and take steps to fix it, don’t assume the “victim mindset”. And remember, feedback is a gift, so give and receive it in the right spirit.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

I am inspired by McCormick’s Purpose-Led-Performance principles, which essentially reflect our purpose, competitive advantage, and ambitions. The approach is two-fold: we’re delivering industry-leading financial performance while doing what’s right for people, communities, and the planet we share. The cornerstone of McCormick’s approach is helping people live better lives – we believe that championing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion enables our team to bring their whole selves to work, enhance their wellbeing, and helps them lead more fulfilling work and personal lives.

Valuing D&I is at the core of McCormick’s principles and strategic business priorities. We know a diverse and inclusive workplace results in business growth, increased innovation, retention of talent and a more engaged workforce. Our D&I strategy is focused on four key areas: Workforce, Work Environment, Marketplace, and the Community. Our 2025 Diversity & Inclusion goals centre around increasing the proportions of ethnically diverse talent and women in leadership positions, launching and leveraging Employee Ambassador Groups, and expanding leadership development programs.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

I believe that people need to see it to believe it. The more we have women or diverse candidates in leadership roles, the more other women & diverse candidates believe they can also get there. So, the most important thing companies can do is to have visible leadership for diverse groups; this means consciously addressing unconscious bias and taking steps to ensure that we coach and develop a diverse pipeline of future leaders. In addition, I feel that having sponsorship and mentoring for diverse candidates by senior leaders in the organisation can also help in preparing a diverse slate of talent for leadership roles.

What are some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about them?

Age-old issues like the unconscious bias against women are still prevalent, even exacerbated to some extent due to the pandemic. The misperception that women should naturally be the ones to bear most of the caregiving responsibilities at home will continue to result in loss of opportunities.

Therefore, unequal distribution of caregiving, and lack of support from employers, will remain a barrier for women at work even after the pandemic. Offering flexible work options, such as the ability to work remotely or with flexible hours may help lessen this burden. Importantly, leaders should look at creating a culture of empathy and psychological safety where women can feel safe to share their needs (for instance, taking time off to attend to a child) and not be judged for it.

According to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Human Capital Trends report, organisations that integrate well-being into the overall design of work will be best positioned to build a sustainable future where workers can perform at their best. We need to ensure our employees can bring their whole selves to work because when they feel their best, they perform at their best.

Are there any specific challenges in terms of achieving better gender diversity within the Consumer/Food Ingredients industry?

Achieving better gender diversity for any manufacturing industry is predicated on having a sufficient pipeline of diverse talent in areas of operations management, R&D and other functions. This is not a food industry-specific challenge; it is one for several industries.

What do you think the industry can do to improve diversity & inclusion?

As leaders, we are in the unique position to identify and implement new and innovative ways to redesign work for our people’s well-being. This is best done by listening to them and recognising what works for them. So, having a good listening strategy within the organisation is critical in this approach. Training leaders on the concept of unconscious bias and how to actively manage it would also be critical in improving D&I.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Be the change you want to see; it is the first step in creating any cultural interventions. It all starts with you. Put up your hand, be open to having honest conversations and do not judge. We need to take the first step and lead by example.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders within McCormick or outside?

I decided to take on the role of D&I champion for the Asia Pacific Zone because I am passionate about making a real difference for women in the workplace through this cause. As a core member of the Purpose-Led-Performance Committee for the region, I am responsible for setting and delivering on our D&I goals, looking at opportunities with the team to ensure we drive the D&I conversation and agenda wherever possible. At the Corp level, we are committed to achieving our 2025 goal of having 50% women in senior leadership positions globally and my role in this committee is to ensure we deliver on this goal for the APZ region. I also coach and mentor several female leaders within McCormick, providing a listening ear, sharing advice and role modelling the McCormick growth behaviours to support and inspire our next generation of talent.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Tran Thi Tuyet Nhung

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Fri, 03 Dec 2021 11:55:55 GMT

Tran Thi Tuyet Nhung is the Human Resources Director, Vietnam and Asia Area Frontiers Markets at AstraZeneca. Possessing over 18 years of diverse working experiences in multinational companies as an HR professional, she inspires others with her authentic leadership, growth mindset, resilience and positive energy. Nhung is always passionate about developing talents and helping people to contribute to the growth of an organisation.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

My favourite motto is: “Nothing is Impossible”. It silently guides and inspires me to see challenges as opportunities, to make a difference, to add values, and to propel my career forward no matter where I am. It also helped me understand that I don't need any permission to decide who I am, where I want to go, and how I should work and live life to the fullest. It is truly a lifelong journey to enrich my knowledge and experience, to learn unlearn and relearn, and to grow, not only from successes but also from failures as well as building a support system. At the end of the day, what matters to me is that I'm constantly trying to become a better version of myself by having the courage to take smart risks, think big and believe that all missions are possible.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value of having one?

One of my most precious assets in life is my diverse group of mentors, who would always stand by me, both professionally and personally. They are my managers, peers, friends, partners, team members, and even students who were my mentees in the last five years. I am grateful to listen to their independent views, experience, and knowledge, even if they are at times the opposite of mine. Reverse mentoring has helped me learn a lot by offering new perspectives and breakthrough thinking. Their advice and consultation are always valuable to improve my decisions and actions. Through such an amazing journey, I found that trust, openness, and active listening are key success factors of mentoring. It really inspires me and drives change in my life.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I was inspired by what Jack Welch, former CEO of GE said: “There's no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences.” I prioritise and choose to accept the results of that decision. It’s interesting to see work as life as you’ll always deliver your best when you’re happy. Thus, I enjoy work and life with passion, energy, preparation, and focus. You might wonder why I’m able to travel so often and still manage to enjoy quality time with my family, friends, and colleagues while being known as a “hard worker”. What people don't know is that I plan everything in advance, by setting a fixed schedule to manage work during every trip. By practising these principles, I get to fully enjoy my time. That's how I choose to treat myself well and fully recharge to welcome new challenges after each trip.

Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

Our culture, environment, perceptions, mindset, and experiences may limit us. Even when it is hard to change others, we can change what we think, what we do, and become role models. From my perspective, we should choose to work for a company where our values align and/or we may share similarly meaningful purposes. While it is important for women to be strong, adaptive and nurture a growth mindset to achieve success in their careers, it is equally crucial that institutions – society, organization, workplace culture, etc. – uphold gender equity, inclusion, and diversity so that women can reach their highest potential.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

At AstraZeneca, Inclusion and Diversity is one of the key pillars of our “Great Place To Work” strategic priorities — driving innovation, engagement and a sense of connection and belonging. The more we collaborate and value our differences, the closer we get to working in a truly inclusive community and having a great place to work. Each of us is unique; celebrating our differences together is a competitive advantage and is critical in driving our growth as a company. Within this year, more than 20 initiatives have been implemented under the Inclusion and Diversity program named “My ID”. The majority of those are driven by our employees to meet the diverse needs of their departments, which has motivated each team and highlighted the true meaning of inclusion and diversity. It also emphasises our Country Leadership Team’s commitment to promoting an inclusive culture, inspiring entrepreneurial spirit in every employee and empowering employees to reach their full potential.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Be role models by building trust, walking the talk, and putting employees at the heart of everything you do. You can also create and foster an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to speak their minds and express their opinions. Building and sustaining a diverse talent pipeline is equally important, so is empowering inclusive leadership. Finally, be aware of unconscious bias or discrimination, and address any inappropriate behaviours effectively and efficiently.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders in AstraZeneca and in general?

Female talent makes up more than 50% of the AstraZeneca Vietnam team. We empower our women to unlock their potential, assist their lifelong learning journeys and growth through many development programmes. For instance, “Women As Leaders” aims to push boundaries for female leaders; “Plan 100” offers emerging female talent the opportunities to work outside Vietnam such as Japan, China or to attend MBA programmes at prestigious universities.

As an HR female leader, I participated in the “Global Girls Takeover” programme under AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme (YHP), an initiative focused on empowering girls’ leadership and female talent by enabling them to take over my role.

As a member of Vietnam Alumni Mentoring, under the auspices of the University of Economics HCM Alumni Community (UEH Alumni) and the support of Your Study Support since 2016, I have helped students to adopt the right outlook on their future careers and provide consultation on how to best prepare to achieve their dreams.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career in your industry now?

Curiosity and Commitment:

Constantly put yourself in a learning mode and learn fast. Learn from experience to have the right knowledge and attitude, learn to explore what slows you down, and learn to deal with ambiguities so you can be more accountable and responsible.

Courage:

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Take time to ask yourself and others, reflect on what you're doing well and what can be improved, then ask others for support and help so you can continue to grow.

Creativity and Values Creation:

Early in your career, try to map the experience and learning opportunities that can support you to achieve “big dreams”. Whatever you do, do it with your best and you will receive rewards in return.

Do what you love and love what you do:

Always nurture your passion, self-awareness and learn from diverse mentors!

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

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SEA’s appetite for digitisation and e-Commerce

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Even though Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative meant many organisations had already undertaken their digital transformation journeys, the global pandemic accelerated the plans of many more, increasing the demand in digital and commercial, customer-focused roles. While there was an inevitable focus on tech talent to facilitate this trend, Sales and Marketing professionals with a digital or customer background were equally sought after, as companies pivoted swiftly to an online model.

Now, as the economy has turned a corner and is recovering, a digital, e-Commerce model is here to stay, possibly as the primary offering for many businesses, so investment in the relevant required talent is making the market for skilled candidates highly competitive. Across Southeast Asia, it is estimated that over a third of digital consumers are new, with 90% of them intending to continue their new online practices post-pandemic. Singles’ Day 2020 data showed a vast increase in online sales and traffic in the region, Singapore experiencing a 248% bump. These new digital shoppers represent a huge opportunity for brands.

Despite the speed at which digital has been embraced by these consumers and become the norm, among employers and candidates digital marketing is still considered a specialist niche skill. Employers needing these skills in-house are facing considerable challenges in securing the best people, particularly for roles and skills including:

As customer experience has naturally moved up the agenda for most businesses during the past year, we are now also experiencing increased demand for Sales Development Representatives, Customer Success Specialists, Customer Marketing, Business Development Specialists, and Strategic Advisors.

Last year, in FMCG, sales across Asia Pacific rose by 4.5% year on year, as consumers’ spending habits changed with more time spent at home, the quarantine lifestyle creating a spike in online shopping. This has created considerable demand for candidates with technical skills as well as those in customer-focused roles. As part of the wholesale shift online, there are excellent opportunities for more functional skills such as content creation, research analysis and data analytics.

Despite an economic upturn in Singapore, there is still considerable uncertainty worldwide, forcing FMCG companies here to prioritise flexibility and move to a more hybrid model of permanent and contract staff. The number of contracting roles in the sector has doubled to 20% in comparison with pre-pandemic figures. This positive reaction by employers is echoed among candidates who can equally retain some flexibility in their careers, as well as put more emphasis onto their own work/life balance by choosing to work as an interim professional.

If you’re curious to find out more about how the market is performing or if you need any support with your hiring, don’t hesitate to contact me at plyle@argyllscott.sg .

Dealing with the increasing Technology talent cost

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 04:03:00 GMT

How much are you willing to pay for technology talent in today’s market? This is the question companies will have to answer if they are looking to invest and expand their technology teams.

The average inflation rate in today’s economy averages about 2-3% annually. However, the supply and demand of technology talent today has tilted the salary ranges to such an imbalance see-saw that companies must either pay the top dollars or lower the expectations, as they’ll otherwise risk not being able to hire at all.

This is extremely prevalent when it comes to mid-to-senior level Software Engineering and Data professionals, as more often than not, they would be open to exploring new opportunities and can easily be engaged in multiple processes at the same time. And when that translates into offers in the final stages, they are likely to have more than one offer on hand to consider as well.

As for the other end of the spectrum, starting salaries for fresh graduates are also rising, setting a much higher bar right from day one when these talent step foot into the corporate world. Companies often find themselves in situations where they’re stuck between the exorbitant price tag of new talent and internal benchmarking of their existing pool of resources, especially those who have been loyal to them.

With the increase in Technology talent cost, we can’t help but question ourselves – Is salary the only differentiator in today’s market? Besides the dollars, are there any other ways to attract such talent in today’s market? How can companies better position themselves to be more competitive in this talent crunch? Should we lower our expectations or risk not hiring at all?

How is your company dealing with the increasing Technology talent cost? Let us know! If you’re curious to find out more about how the market is performing or if you need any support with your hiring, don’t hesitate to contact me at gkoh@argyllscott.sg .

How a quality executive search firm adds real value

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:12:33 GMT

One of the things that can frustrate clients about recruitment is time, because they can’t afford to waste it. Many recruiters apply quantity over quality, matching keywords from job descriptions to CVs in their database, then sending as many as they can to their client in the hope that one hits the target. Sometimes, they get it right of course, but it’s a low conversion rate and their client must evaluate dozens of CVs themselves, which is not cost-effective, in all meanings, particularly if they are hiring for several roles. A good executive search firm will only need to recommend three or four candidates to make a placement, because all the evaluation and screening is done in advance, meaning the success rate is much higher and the client wastes no time.

We mostly recruit from management level and upwards to the C Suite; if we get it wrong, the cost to the client would be high, so we deploy a range of methodologies and technologies to vastly increase our chances of success. Firstly, we work closely with our clients to understand their market, their business as well as their culture and people. Remember, firms are also working on behalf of their candidates, so they need the opportunity to be right for them too in terms of fit. Secondly, once we understand exactly what the client needs, we map the market in detail and evaluate the competencies of the candidates we want to approach. We have the advantage of an international network of offices giving us a rich global database of active and passive candidates, and as part of an established business, we also use a market-leading CRM system as well as digital internal comms to leverage expertise from our other locations. Because we can do all this background work so swiftly, we add real value for our clients by identifying high quality, ideal candidates who can come in and genuinely contribute to their business. At the same time, our candidates know that we are only putting them forward for positions that match their own aspirations, so it works for both parties.

None of this makes us unique, of course, there are other search firms with integrity in our sector, so we also try to go the extra mile elsewhere, and as should other firms, to ensure the service we are offering is the best it can be. For example, organizations can have very different cultures or be led by very different personalities that might not suit even the most qualified candidate. The culture of a business is set by its leaders, so we like to really get inside the mindset of the company to know who will succeed there, particularly in senior executive roles. If we have a candidate that ticks all the boxes from the client’s perspective, but perhaps doesn’t always show a personality trait that we know they will want to see, then we will do some coaching and mentoring to help bring this to the forefront in the interview process. On the other hand, if we know that a candidate has only worked in a huge international business that has an aggressive, salesy culture, then we know that they are not going to transition easily into a more humble, local business without some mentoring and help.

The more work that an executive search firm can do in advance, the more time a client ultimately saves, which makes for a happy partnership.

Jan 05, 2024

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Technology trends to look out for in the coming year

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 08:33:12 GMT

The global pandemic put technology centre stage, from the initial drastic shift to remote working worldwide, onto vaccine development, and a rapid expansion of, or pivot to, e-Commerce. It has also had a major influence on the coming trends and developments in the space. While the after-effects are still with us and the virus far from eliminated, we can be confident that the technology sector is one that will continue to evolve and experience rapid growth, whatever the outcome.

The digital transformation plans of countless organisations were accelerated during the past 18 months, as companies embraced tools to enable them to survive and continue business as normal through a period of unprecedented change. Solutions that were possibly seen as temporary during the initial stages of the pandemic have proved themselves worthy of full adoption and have paved the way for some of the trends we expect to see over the next year or two. Similarly, as employees had to adapt to remote working and a more digital lifestyle, their lives have now fundamentally changed, and many will never return to their former working practices or environments.

Remote working is here to stay

Moving to the cloud and setting employees working from home wasn’t as problematic as many employers imagined – some organisations transitioned thousands of employees in a matter of days before the early lockdowns kicked in. Studies have since shown that productivity hasn’t been impacted; most employees have enjoyed a more positive work/life balance; and the improvements in VC tech has kept communication, interviewing, training, and onboarding possible. With health concerns still prevalent, we expect online meetings and digital collaboration to remain the norm well into next year, regardless of a gradual return to the office.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of start-ups have appeared in the VC space to challenge the established players such as Teams and Zoom, with many providing additional functionality. As this is relatively new technology in terms of mass adoption, we may well see a disruptor rise to the top. Although many organisations have retained office space and are making plans for a return to work under a hybrid model, several big names have implemented full remote working for employees who want it. This could see a seismic shift over time to “locationless” businesses, as employers enjoy the cost benefits of less physical space to maintain, as well as a wider talent pool of remote candidates.

Cybersecurity will move up the agenda

With employees working remotely, accessing potentially sensitive company information from a home working tech set-up, the likelihood of a cyberattack is increased. To ensure compliance and minimise risk, training in cyber-awareness will be vital, equipping employees with the tools they need to secure their devices. As hackers become more sophisticated to take advantage of the current window of exposure, specialist cybersecurity skills will be in high demand as organisations ramp up their protection in the short term. Due to the number of high-profile security breaches that frequently make headlines, we expect to see cybersecurity at the top of the corporate agenda while digital transformation journeys are still underway. Remote working is still a relatively new phenomenon and the necessity to implement it quickly will have outweighed security protocols for many organisations that will need to address this before it is too late.

An increasingly digital life

e-Commerce can’t really be classed as a trend given its prominence before the pandemic; however, it is one of the few markets that has experienced significant growth during a global economic downturn. If remote working continues as we expect, then online sales will increase their market share as more retailers expand and improve their product offering and mobile applications. One related tech trend that is in its infancy but could benefit from an e-Commerce boom is drone usage and self-driving cars in contactless delivery. Health concerns have fundamentally shifted the way deliveries are made, in response to consumer preference for no physical contact, and tech advances in this field are moving rapidly.

The retail sector is one of many that are also turning to augmented reality (AR) tech to reach consumers with product visualisation, with the AR market booming. Coupled with advances in payments and facial recognition tech, the e-Commerce space is likely to go from strength to strength in the next year. As 5G rolls out in the near future, our digital lives will be further enhanced as more and more of our devices go online to streamline and improve our lives. The Internet of Things has been much discussed but should really come into its own on a 5G network, enabling areas such as healthcare and manufacturing to advance quickly.

An increasingly digital life

The rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning in business has seen developers become much sought-after. With Python increasingly the language of choice alongside Javascript, candidates with experience and niche skill sets will be in demand for the foreseeable future. Such is the skills shortage that the online distance learning market has thrived, and this could well become a tech trend of sorts, affiliated to the training and development of remote workers. The battle for tech talent has also seen an increase in low-code and no-code software development, a more visual method that doesn’t require traditional coding skills. Gartner predicts that 65% of application development activity will be low code by 2024, which, even though it may not require coding skills, will become a niche area of expertise in its own right.

If you’re curious to find out more about how the market is performing or if you need any support with your hiring, don’t hesitate to contact me at cprungsukarn@argyllscott.co.th .

Q3 APAC market updates: The rise of different staffing solutions

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 12:35:45 GMT

As we approach the end of Q3, we continue to see signs of recovery across different Asian markets, along with a common trend in the adoption of flexible working solutions, as well as a slight change in candidate behaviour when it comes to new job opportunities. Check out the updates below for more details on how different markets have been performing in the past few months.

Singapore:

Despite heightened restrictions and a mandatory WFH, we see Singapore’s hiring rate remain on a steady incline, a sign of the gradual recovery of major economies. Employers are now acknowledging and leveraging the benefits of flexible staffing solutions as they look at increasing part-time and contract/interim job openings. In order to better attract high-quality candidates within the increasingly competitive market, we’ve seen a growing demand for more employer branded advertising solutions, as a way to differentiate themselves from being just another advert and stand out from the crowd.

Hong Kong:

As markets continue to recover, employers in Hong Kong are leveraging more flexible staffing solutions, with the share of contractor and part-time job listings increasing by 21.5% YOY, according to LinkedIn. In terms of overall job openings, we’re seeing the highest numbers across Finance, Software & IT Services, Corporate Services, Consumer Goods, and Recreation & Travel, but it is Marketing and Media & Communications which have the highest YoY increase in terms of listings, for roles like Marketing Manager and Sales Manager.

Thailand:

Despite still being under lockdown, the Thailand market remains strong with plenty of opportunities across industries, particularly within Technology, Corporate Services, Industrial, and Consumer Goods. It can also be seen that what candidates prioritise when it comes to new jobs have shifted, according to LinkedIn’s recent survey, with compensation & benefits topping the list with 61%, followed by a good work-life balance, open & effective management, and having the colleagues and company culture that can inspire them to perform. To remain competitive in this changing market, companies will have to shift their focus accordingly to attract the best candidates available.

Vietnam:

Similar to Thailand, Vietnam’s market remains strong despite going back into lockdown, with continuous hiring across industries like Technology, Corporate Services, Industrial, Finance, and Consumer Goods. When it comes to new opportunities, 61% of candidates in Vietnam surveyed told LinkedIn that compensation & benefits is something they will take into consideration, followed by having the colleagues and company culture that can inspire them to perform, good work-life balance, and open & effective management. This acts as a good indicator for companies on what to pay attention to when looking to engage with potential employees.

With specialist recruiting within 12 industries across our four Asia offices, we understand the time and effort it takes to unearth the most suitable candidates for each role. If you or anyone you know is looking to explore different recruitment services , let us know by filling in this form .

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A Diversity & Inclusion conversation with Prudence Tai

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 12:28:39 GMT

Prudence Tai is a lawyer with a practice focus on corporate legal advisory and commercial litigation. She has a strong interest in corporate governance, sustainable economy and geopolitics. Prudence is currently the Managing Counsel at Bupa Global APAC Region looking after its legal function in Asia and managing the business partnerships in the region.

What does D&I mean to you?

Diversity and inclusion are very different things. As per Vernā Myer’s analogy, where diversity involves inviting different types of people to a party, inclusion is getting them actually dancing with each other. D&I is important for every kind of organisation, firstly because it's simply the right thing to do – everyone should have a voice and the right to participate and be heard. Secondly, it helps avoid group thinking, which comes about when everyone is from the same background and decisions are made by and predominantly for those same types of people. From a business sense, you need to appeal to everyone, so you need diversity internally to be able to reach that wider audience. Diversity is easier to achieve than inclusion because it's about being aware of things like race, background, and age when you're hiring. Including different types of people to work and make decisions together is harder. One of the main issues that companies are facing now is managing people from various backgrounds, and if your organisation is only focused on the interest of one group of people, then the rest will not feel engaged and eventually disconnect.

On a personal level, D&I means growth and expanding my scope of knowledge and views. I am a very curious person and I've always been interested in different cultures and in understanding how people see things depending on where they are from or what they have done. Even for things that we all experience worldwide, like climate change, we will have different views on it, based on our experiences of where we live and how it affects us. Understanding other people's perspectives helps me grow and be more compassionate, which I think is something that is lacking in society these days.

When did you first notice D&I around you?

The companies I've worked for have been good at D&I, because they talk about it often and support it by action. We have an almost equal split at Bupa Board and Executive Team in terms of gender, which is important because we need that female perspective in our decision-making to be a truly customer-centric insurance company. For management teams, we have lots of training that help us create a diverse environment at work. I have recently attended one which taught us how to lead with curiosity which means that as leaders we should take an interest in our team members’ lives and see things from their perspective. In the training, we have also covered self-awareness, being authentic, how to voice your opinions and stand by your beliefs, but also accepting and discussing other people's points of view. Small things like “Coffee Roulette”, where you have random chats with other people in the organisation are great for improving inclusion and understanding what other people do in the company.

What is the biggest benefit to an organisation of improving D&I?

You get a workforce that is more willing to work with each other. People feel that they won't be judged because of their background, so are more confident about voicing their opinion or making mistakes, and that's how you get creativity and innovation, which are so important in business. You also get the diversity of solutions, because without that groupthink situation of everyone voicing the same opinion, you can solve problems in different ways, which increases the agility and flexibility as a team or organisation.

How do you see your role and contribution at Bupa in terms of D&I?

I'm part of the diversity and inclusion group in the Bupa Global legal team and have recently joined a programme hosted by Leeds Beckett University where I mentor young people from BAME backgrounds. I am now mentoring a finance graduate and we are talking a lot about financial independence for women and how it affects one’s well being and the society at large.

In addition, Bupa Global’s legal team is also trying to encourage the law firms that we work with to put in place D&I policies in their recruitment and management system. Within Bupa, we are also trying to put D&I elements into our recruitment process and legal outcomes, such as using masked CVs during recruitment interviews, so hopefully the company will be having a more inclusive culture in the future.

Do you think Bupa could do more in D&I?

I think Bupa is doing well in terms of gender diversity, but we can always do more to improve the diversity of mindset and background within our workplace and train leaders that are knowledgeable enough to manage a culturally diverse environment. Traditionally, leaders are strong in their own specialist fields, but now we need to grow leaders that have awareness and skills in various subjects including ESG and D&I. Leaders can also do more to empower their teams to embrace D&I and to promote the culture together.

Have you ever felt your own career has been hindered in terms of gender or race?

I don't think any companies that I worked in have tried to stop me from achieving certain goals because I'm a woman or Asian, but I think my own mindset used to. I think it's important to fight against the traditional mindset of believing that there are limits to what you can achieve as a woman. It's a matter of changing your mindset and understanding that success is achievable.

How do you think D&I has benefitted you in your career?

Working in D&I suits my character and what I believe in, so there is a definite sense of fulfilment for me. As I've always been interested in society and people, it's perfect for me and has really helped with my personal growth. That in turn has helped my career because even when I am analysing legal issues, for example, I am drawing on the perspectives and insights of other people that I have learned from along the way, rather than just giving a text book answer. D&I has helped me understand the needs of people, and that's very important for lawyers and consultants.

What advice would you give to young people for achieving their career goals?

Firstly, it is the mindset issue I mentioned. Think about the bigger picture, the long-term goals, and set your positive mindset that these are achievable, regardless of your background or gender. Avoid self-reject mentality. Secondly, use the tools at your disposal to improve yourself. The internet is amazing: online courses, TED Talks, networking are all there and aid your social mobility. I learned an entirely new culture in Sweden by watching TV programmes and clips on YouTube and immersing myself in their culture, all to help my career and my personal growth. Lastly, be yourself, don't conform to any stereotype that society wants to place on you. It's so important to have your own views, articulate them and remain true to yourself.

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Update on Executive Search Market and the Rise of Online Communication

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 13:05:06 GMT

It’s been an interesting few years in the Vietnam Executive Search market and with the changes enforced worldwide over the last year, I expect another fascinating year ahead. If you look back a decade or so, before the global financial crisis, there was no real competition among recruitment agencies here. Then, as Vietnam’s markets took off after the crisis, dozens of agencies moved in and clients were able to engage multiple headhunters at once, which obviously doesn’t work well as a model. Argyll Scott had been recruiting mid- to senior-level roles for many years and has always had an established, high-calibre network in the region, so when we saw that there was an opportunity for a reputable firm with a strong track record and sector expertise, we opened an office here. We’ve since grown in size, in response to demand, despite the unusual year, and the activity in the market suggests that we’re going to continue to be busy.

Vietnam is coming out of the pandemic downturn stronger than most countries, with the IMF predicting 6.5% growth this year. As a strong tech manufacturing nation, we’ve benefitted from the rise of people working from home around the world, and with Apple and Samsung moving here, that reputation is set to intensify. There’s a positive knock-on effect on a number of other sectors, which means that executive job seekers have excellent opportunities right now, although there are still plenty of challenges for them.

In recent years, the government has prioritized hiring local talent over expat talent, except where there is any skills shortage. So, large banks undergoing digital transformation, for example, are still looking at expat expertise due to the lack of good local candidates. But otherwise, local executives, particularly those that have studied or worked abroad and have international exposure, are in demand. For expat executives, it’s tougher due to the initiative, but again, those who have been here a long time and integrated well into the Vietnamese culture, have an advantage over the rest.

The main challenge for both local and expat executives is the new normal, post-pandemic. Recruitment processes have moved online, so networking; a defined online presence; and video communication skills, have never been more important. Interviewing over Zoom is a new skill that candidates are learning quickly, and we’re seeing a sharp rise in top candidates taking courses in that and other digital proficiencies to improve their chances. Again, the early adopters, those who maintain their LinkedIn profile and reach out frequently, will have a competitive edge over other job seekers.

In the market, it’s the organisations that have acclimatised quickly to the new ways of working that have performed well. Those who either pivoted into digital or increased their ecommerce presence have moved ahead of the competition, and those already in tech are taking advantage of the ongoing rise in online communication usage. It’s a similar story for Executives too, and those individuals who have adapted easily should see more opportunities than others this year. Digital is reshaping the business landscape worldwide with online interviewing and working from home here to stay for the foreseeable future. Now is the time for Executives to embrace that, because hiring and networking isn’t going to stop just because it can no longer be done face-to-face.

Jan 05, 2024

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Vu Thi Cam Uyen

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:44:29 GMT

Vu Thi Cam Uyen is the Head of Trade Marketing at Sanofi Consumer Health Care (CHC). She is passionate about driving commercial lead with 18+ years of experience in sales management, brand building and trade marketing working in different MNCs. She inspires others with her strong resilience, agility and commitment to developing people.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date?

It has been an incredible and rewarding journey with 18 years of learning, growing, finding the best version of myself in different roles & situations and making a meaningful impact at organisations I worked with. This journey has taken me to a wide range of roles and wonderful choices in a few leading MNCs. Whenever I look back, I feel deeply grateful for serving purposeful companies like P&G, Mead Johnson, and Sanofi; for working in empowered and inclusive working environments; for learning from talented colleagues and leaders; and for having many precious opportunities to develop myself and others. I’ve always felt uncomfortable about being too comfortable, which is why I’m always passionate about pursuing different challenges through the different milestones of my career.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Resilience – the realisation that no problem or issue is insurmountable. Key Learnings are:
Life goes on
Sometimes we don’t know what we want – what we think we want may not be the right thing
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward
Every situation teaches you something!

What are some moments that helped you to get where you are today?

I would say the countless number of times where I’ve been given opportunities to stretch and go beyond my comfort zone. I never say no to challenges and is always quick to take on new roles, which has kept me going and see my progress.

What are the things that have helped you the most throughout your career?

Two things. The first is my fire and motivation to learn and enrich my values over time in becoming a valuable partner to others, the second is the practice of giving while never asking or expecting any return.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career?

I’ve worked with two great female leaders who left behind legacies that have impacted both my personal and professional lives significantly. One thing in particular that I’ve learnt from them is the way they build strong supporting networks which enabled them to have a good work-life balance.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

I first noticed it when I joined a management trainee program as the first female sales manager they ever had, where my male counterparts were always very vocal whenever I made the wrong decision. People thought that females were limited to certain type of jobs or roles and thus were less inclined to offer the same opportunities to females.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I don’t think so, I think it comes down to your perception and your will, so don’t let anyone label you or stop you from doing what you want.

What advice would you give to your mentees?

Find a mentor
Be authentic and confident in yourself
Don’thesitate to ask for help and help others
Be open and seek feedback regularly
Stay hungry and continue to learn and unlearn

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Make sure you set clear priorities and goals for both your professional and personal lives, and share them with your support network, whether it is your partner, children, parents, or other relatives. You’ll also have to manage your time effectively, setting aside time for yourself and your family, and openly communicating it with your line managers and don’t be shy in requesting support.

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Sales & Marketing Top Skills Report 2021

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 12:50:05 GMT

For that past decade, we’ve built an extensive network working with the very best talent, giving us unique insights into the Sales & Marketing industry across APAC.

Our 2021 top skills report is designed to give you more of an insight into four of the most in-demand areas of Sales & Marketing in 2021, alongside the skills and training needed and the salary rates available, particularly across:

Hong Kong

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Receive a complimentary copy of the 2021 top skills report directly to your inbox by filling in the form below:

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Jennifer Di Liping

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 12:58:58 GMT

Jennifer Di Liping is the Director, Human Resources at Baxter South East Asia & APAC Corporate Functions. Jennifer is a commercial-minded, purpose-led and result-driven Human Resources Leader, specialised in translating business needs into HR strategy, Organisation Development, HR Digital Transformation, Future of Work and large scale change management. Her professional goal is to create extraordinary value for organizations and to enable people's purpose and unleashing their potential so they can give their best, at work, and in life.

Please tell us a bit about your career to date.

I started my career as a Management Consultant with Accenture, doing that for about a year before I made a switch in my career journey to HR. After working at Accenture for a couple of years, I decided to further my in-depth knowledge of HR by moving to the States to do a Master’s degree in Organisational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania. After returning to the APAC region, like many of my colleagues here at Baxter, I was attracted by Baxter's mission to save and sustain lives and luckily there was an opportunity to join them. The next thing I know, 10 years have passed by! I have had the chance to move around the region during my time here and take on multiple HR leadership roles from China to Singapore. I'm currently supporting the Baxter Southeast Asia cluster which covers over 10 different ASEAN markets.

Did your experience in Management Consulting influence the way you have built your career? What factors have influenced you the most?

It was not a single factor or decision. In my early career, I was still figuring what kind of job would suit me. I was still exploring the differences between consultancy and HR, but as I say now to my own team, it's important to keep an open mind, as you never know what opportunities will come along. When I realised that HR was my passion and that I wanted to be an HR leader, I had to work out what the building blocks would be to help me get there. One of the things that I learned in my consulting career is to be purpose-driven and always have a big picture in mind. Having a clear understanding of objectives and problems, developing solutions and following through with actions, this is also the approach I applied in building my career. The decisions of furthering my knowledge and taking roles in different cultures in Asia were all building blocks that I was creating for myself to reach my goals.

Have you had any role models or mentors that have helped you on your career journey?

I am very lucky to have had a couple of mentors in my life who have guided me, particularly at critical moments in my career. One of my managers, who is also a very good friend of mine, had the original idea that I should go abroad and gain international exposure that would help my career. I'm a big believer in having a mentor or a coach in one’s professional life for development. We all benefit when someone with more experience can show us the ropes and support us for personal and professional growth.

As a mentor yourself, is that how you work with your mentees, imparting advice and transferring knowledge?

I enjoy mentoring others because the process is one where I can grow myself as well. Obviously, I get a great sense of satisfaction from helping other people in their careers, but meanwhile, I'm learning too. My mentees have taught me a lot of things, especially nowadays, the reverse mentoring with the new generation offers so much rich information and knowledge. It's a mutually beneficial process. One piece of advice that I give to almost all my mentees is to stay curious and try different things. Don't stay in that comfort zone. If you want to make changes in your professional life and progress, then sometimes you have to disrupt it.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I have never felt that way. I've heard feedback and comments from female peers that they feel there are certain disadvantages to being female in certain organisations, but I have never felt that at the organisations I’ve worked for. All the companies I came across have a very strong culture of diversity and inclusion. Many workplaces really position women at the centre of everything they design. At Baxter, we review systems and processes to support our female employees, for example, even before COVID we had a very clear, flexible working arrangement policy that enables female colleagues to balance their work and life obligations. And when we are hiring, our recruiting process means that we always make sure that we have a strong female representation on the candidate slate.

What do you think are the main benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

The benefits can be tremendous. Diversity and inclusion are two different things. First of all, diversity means people with different characteristics and backgrounds such as gender, race or generation. Diversity brings a wider range of skills, experiences and cultural insight, which is very crucial to organisation productivity, innovation and employee engagement. Then in terms of inclusion, which refers to a variety of perspectives and viewpoints, an inclusive organisation will be open to dynamic viewpoints. Different perceptions and ideas all bring a rich input to a business. Employees can bring more of themselves to work, and more engaged when they feel safe and valued. And with that more positive culture, being inclusive to all people, the company will also be able to attract more talent, which helps with growth.

Can organisations place too much emphasis on D&I because it has such a spotlight on it?

That can happen. I have seen companies doing it for the sake of it. For example, in terms of recruitment, I saw one instance where a male candidate was the best fit for a position, but the company pushed a female candidate, who was still a strong candidate but not the best one, into that position. And it didn't work out after a while. So, organisations have to do it properly and choose what’s right for the organisation and people in a long run and be careful how hard they pursue D&I and not do it for the sake of it.

What advice would you give to leaders wanting to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

This connects back to how to create a culture. The beliefs and actions of the people in an organisation constitute the culture. So, in order to create a certain culture, whether that's a D&I culture or a digital culture, you have to start by creating a certain set of experiences. Leaders are in charge of creating a vision and the experiences every day that will help shape our organisational culture. Each interaction we have with others creates experiences that either foster or undermine that journey, so leaders have to walk the talk and provide opportunities and embrace different ideas.

What about advice to women in general?

Women can be very powerful when we unleash our energy and potential, but sometimes, we can also seem to be too sensitive from time to time. We don't have to be that sensitive. I was in a forum with female leaders a few years ago and some women there had that victim mindset. There was a lot of talk about barriers and how they couldn't achieve their aspirations because of this or that. I feel differently to that and believe that a lot of limitations can be self-imposed. By the end of day, it's a personal choice of where and when we want to spend our time and energy.

Plenty of women do that successfully, so maybe they're better than men at other things too?

Traditionally, we define strength as meaning physical strength, so men are "stronger". Research data shows that women are often a lot more resilient than men; they're extremely tenacious, and often more organised. That's why when women and men work together, you get better results, because it's a more balanced team.

Do you foresee any obstacles for future generations of women and is there anything they can start to do about it now?

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I actually see positive changes in our working environment for the next generation of female employees. The next generation are less traditional and more open to the new ways of working. They also have more courage to challenge the status quo, so I have huge confidence in the next generation and their capabilities and mindset. At the same time, more and more organisations are building the right culture to enable female employees to develop and flourish, so I'm hoping that there won't be any obstacles in their way!

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Joy Xu

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 13:13:33 GMT

Joy Xu is the Chief Human Resources Officer, Asia Segment & Global Head of Learning & Future of Work at Manulife. She is experienced in strategic HR partnership, leadership & talent management, culture change, transformation, diversity & inclusion, organisation design and change, coaching & advisory, compensation & benefits, and labour relations.

What is one contributing factor that has helped you throughout your career?

It would be growth mindset, an idea I stumbled across when I was young.

When I didn’t get the sufficient grades required to get into the best junior school in China, my teacher advised me to take on vocational training as a kindergarten teacher, until my brother sat me down and encouraged me to continue with my studies. That inspired me and awakened my passion for learning, and the rest was history. After graduating from university in China, I landed a great role at Procter & Gamble which allowed me to work in the US, followed by my role at PepsiCo that saw me go to Dubai and Hong Kong and then ontp Novartis as Global Head of HR for Sandoz in Germany, before returning to Asia for my current role. It has been a wonderful journey and it all started with that one conversation.

I later learnt that this is what growth mindset is about, to not let failures deter you but instead motivate you to keep learning and improving, believing that talent can be developed. That encouraged me to explore different possibilities in my career, across industries and geographies.

Having worked in China, the US, UAE, Germany, and now Hong Kong, have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and how has that affected your management style?

Cultural differences have had a profound impact on my management style, which has evolved over the years. When I first started working in China, I focused more on discipline, execution excellence and having a can-do attitude, which felt like the only way to get things done. Having worked across different cultures, I’ve come to appreciate that there are many ways to get there. That understanding helped shape my leadership style as well, which saw me transform from a functional expert to a global business leader, who drives purpose, delivers impact through collaboration, and empowers those around me to do their best. I’ve also become more balanced in my leadership journey where I’m honest about the things I don’t know. By doing so, I’m seeing the power of people, and it’s been my focus of nurturing them to deliver their best.

You’re in rare company, not many people have such diverse experience, across both geographies and industries.

I think it’s important to look at industry experience as another dimension of diversity; you don’t want everyone to think about things in the same way because innovation only happens when there is diversity of thought. What we need is to recognise that within our industry there will be roles that require deep functional expertise, like actuaries, and there will be roles in which you will need to acquire expertise elsewhere, like digitisation. Through a mixed strategy of buy, borrow and build, you will be able to continuously strengthen your company.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I don’t think there’s a recipe for that, but I do have some tips and advice to share.

First and foremost, you have to be critical about how you manage your energy, not your time. It’s very important to look at what helps you deliver the best impact and manage your energy rather than just working around the clock to get things done. For that, it’s important to look at our mindset, identify what might lead us to a negative zone and learn about how we can pull ourselves out and turn it into positive output.

My second tip would be on super-compensation, which is a sports science theory about how a timely training and recovery cycle helps build up performance levels over time. I think the same concept can be applied to the business world – when we find ourselves working long hours because of the global environment, scheduling recovery time helps ensure your performance output remains high. It’s also important to take breaks throughout the day, even if it’s just for five minutes, to help reset yourself and your mind.

Finally, developing rituals and routines are also important. For me, I always make sure to start my day with my own rituals, whether it is for 5 or 15 minutes, to exercise and meditate. It helps carry me through the day, so I won’t be too exhausted when I see my family at night. It’s important to be mindful to make those transitions happen, so you’ll have the energy for both your family and your career.

Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

Over the last decade, there has been a huge movement in women breaking through the glass ceiling, particularly within the political and corporate world, but there’s still more to do here. This year’s IWD theme is #ChooseToChallenge, I like it because it requires women to take greater ownership in challenging the status quo.

With that being said, I do feel women are often over-mentored and under-sponsored. Development programs always tell women to exert their presence and be assertive, but it’s more important to recognise the strength female leadership can bring, through sponsoring them to grow and fulfil their potential. Collaboration is another key attribute in bringing diversity to leadership. Seeing that over 50% of our customer base is female, having female leaders can help make decisions to better serve our customer needs. Therefore, from a leadership development point of view, we’ll have to be more targeted in helping women rise and offering them sponsorship to help them grow.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career, and have you been a mentor yourself?

Throughout my career, I’ve benefitted tremendously from my mentors and coaches, which I refer to as my board of directors. From the early stages of my career, I’ve had male leaders who would take a chance on me and handpick me for jobs, even when I didn’t have the relevant background. Aside from these male mentors who I look up to, I also have female role models that continue to mentor me today, offering me opportunities and career advice; it’s been helpful to see what’s possible for women in the corporate world, which has truly widened my horizons.

I’m a big fan of mentoring others as well. We have both group and one-on-one mentoring sessions; I also keep in touch with my colleagues from my previous companies to provide them with career advice. Besides the structured mentoring program, we’re also practising reverse mentoring, where the more senior members of staff learn from the younger generations, and it’s been very rewarding for both.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

It all starts with listening. Learn to listen to your people empathetically, don’t just jump into solutions without taking into consideration your people’s views. It’s also important to assume positive intent and try to step away from being judgemental. People from different cultures see things through a different lens, therefore it’s critical to treat others how they want to be treated instead of resorting to judgement based on our traditional ways of thinking. For example, being loud can be seen as a sign of rudeness and lack of respect. There are sayings in Asia like “Silence is Golden” and “The loudest duck gets shot” but the western culture encourages people to speak up. My point is, do not judge people based on what’s on the surface. Invite people with different ideas to come to the table instead. Last but not least, diversify the ways you engage with people, be mindful of how people want to be engaged so they can bring their full self to work.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

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Technology & Data Analytics Top Skills Report 2021

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 20 May 2021 13:18:01 GMT

For that past decade, we’ve built an extensive network working with the very best talent, giving us unique insights into the Tech & Data Analytics industry across APAC.

Our 2021 top skills report is designed to give you more of an insight into six of the most in-demand areas of tech in 2021, alongside the skills and training needed and the salary rates available, particularly across:

Hong Kong

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Australia

Receive a complimentary copy of the 2021 top skills report directly to your inbox by filling in the form below:

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Nga Vuong

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 18 May 2021 13:28:42 GMT

As part of our Inspiring Business Women series , Argyll Scott has interviewed over 80 female leaders from various industries across the APAC region. With every interview, we learn something new and continue to find it fascinating to hear about the many different career journeys of these women and their insights into how we can build more diverse teams in all workplaces. We thought it's time to turn the lens on ourselves, and interview our own inspiring business women from Argyll Scott.

Nga Vuong has over 25 years of international experience in business development, people development, and general management, with a proven track record in setting up new businesses and rebuilding executive search firms from times of crisis. As a professional in business coaching, executive coaching and executive recruitment, Nga has extended her support to C-suite clients and candidates in the FMCG, Industrial and Professional Services sectors. With her industry experience and market knowledge, she has joined Argyll Scott to launch our new Vietnam business.

You've joined Argyll Scott to lead our new office in Vietnam. Could you tell us about your career progression that brought you here?

In 2006, I returned to Vietnam from the Netherlands where I had done my master’s degree in HR and Employment and where I was also the Recruitment Manager for Asia, recruiting students from Asia to study at HAN University in the Netherlands. When I came back, I started my first headhunting job with Navigos, managing a team of five consultants, and having to learn everything about headhunting, from interviewing to the offer process and getting fees paid. Later, I joined Active Selection, which was set up by my boss at Navigos, then after a couple of years with Odgers Berndtson, I was headhunted myself to set up the Vietnam office for RGF. I was the Managing Director there for five years, building teams in Ho Chi Minh City, then Hanoi, to become one of the market leaders, which I was very proud of. After that, I did some advisory work, HR consulting, and building other executive search teams for a couple of local firms before joining Argyll Scott to build a Vietnam office from scratch, which currently has a headcount of six.

Do you feel that your roles in HR consulting have helped you become a better recruiter?

I believe that the best recruiters need to be all-round general managers, because you need to understand the market, as well as your clients' business objectives and strategy, to be able to find the best candidates. You have to be an expert in the market and know a lot of people, so I gained a lot of experience doing those jobs in different functions and industries. Before the financial crisis, I was recruiting in Financial Services and Investment Banking, but after it, I pivoted into different industries such as FMCG, Industrial and Manufacturing, so I've had experience across the board. Different management roles give you exposure to other skills too, such as how to manage P&Ls, business development and developing people, and it's important to have experience of all of those, to be an effective country head.

What one factor would you say has helped you the most throughout your career?

Integrity is the main thing I try to bring to everything I do. I put everything into my work for the benefits of my clients and candidates, as well as my colleagues and staff. And I always try to balance what I do for my company or other parties, with my own values. I've focused on that throughout my career.

Have you had a mentor or a role model in your career? And what is the value in mentoring?

I've never had an official mentor, but when I started working as a headhunter, I learned a lot from a woman who, to me, is a Guru in the recruitment industry. She taught me how to perform professionally – she is someone who knows everything about every function, industry, and candidate! 15 years later, my mentors are now my clients, candidates, and colleagues because I've learned so much from them. I also do a lot of coaching and mentoring for my staff, as well as some clients and candidates. So, I'm an unofficial coach & mentor to them and I think that a coaching/mentoring combination is great for supporting people.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked you from any personal progression?

No, I don't think that has been an issue. As a Vietnamese woman, I have quite a strong personality, and we are known for being hard and smart workers, so I've never had any gender problems here. When I was in the Netherlands, there was good gender equality already, so I didn't face any problems there either. In Vietnam, we actually have more female headhunters than male, which I know is quite different to other countries. If you go into any office here, you will see more women than men, so the team I'm building at Argyll Scott does have more women in it at the moment, but I am trying to balance that. If I can get to a third of the team being men, that will be very positive.

How do you balance the long hours that often come with a job in recruitment with your personal life?

I like to use the phrase "work/life integration". I don't separate the perceptions or definitions of life and work. I love my job, so I don't mind integrating it into my life outside of traditional hours. Our location means that there is a huge time difference with Europe or the US, and the market here is so competitive, that we don't have the luxury of choosing to do a call the next day instead. So, I still have time with my family and for holidays, but I don’t mind spending my evenings talking to clients or candidates when I need to. It's a part of life, so that's why I look at it as integration, rather than balance.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

In Vietnam, diversity is a fairly recent thing, not many people were aware of it that long ago, especially diversity outside of gender, such as diversity of race or background or religion. I first noticed it when I was in the Netherlands because there are people from many different countries and all sorts of backgrounds, but it's normal there. If you have the capability to do a certain job, there is no negative impact of being a minority. I could have changed my nationality from Vietnamese to Dutch when I was there, but I didn't because not only am I a proud Vietnamese, but I didn't have to do it to improve or prove anything. I was accepted as a Vietnamese and had the same opportunities as everyone else.

What is the main thing that you've seen in an organisation that works from a diversity point of view or that enables women or people from diverse backgrounds to progress?

I think whether it's gender or any other form of diversity, there should be no barriers or limits if a person has the competencies to perform their job. Treating people all the same and focusing on capabilities is the thing that works best. Our clients in Vietnam often prefer to work with women as we are known for working hard and working smart, so there are more women here in senior roles and they have plenty of opportunities. Sometimes, we reach a ceiling if our company is owned by a parent organisation from another country that has its own corporate culture and perhaps doesn't treat women the same, but otherwise, gender diversity is not as big of an issue here.

As you have worked in different countries, did any cultural differences affect your management style?

Working in the Netherlands, as I mentioned, everyone is very accepting and respectful of other cultures and backgrounds, so I have adopted that into my management style. Vietnam is a developing country, an emerging market, and over the last 20 years, a lot of MNCs have come here, bringing different cultural traits from America, Europe and other parts of Asia. These cultures are welcome and have been adopted and I believe it's the leader who leads by example and who shapes a company's culture, so embracing those are important. At the same time, it's the leader who has to impart the company's own vision, mission and values to the employees. We respect an individual’s own values, and I believe it’s vital to embrace them into the company’s culture. I did that at RGF and now I'm doing it again here at Argyll Scott. I introduce the culture into the team and get everyone to buy into it and lead by example. And remember, I always write the value INTEGRITY in capital letters.

Is there anything that you're doing to help or support emerging female leaders?

I participate in a lot of events, seminars and talks that are held by the many leadership and business professional bodies that we have in Vietnam, and I have also been a guest speaker on international talks whenever the subject is on working in Vietnam or women in leadership. We also do a lot of charity events that have a focus on women and get female leaders involved in lots of activities in the community. In terms of future leaders, I am very passionate about supporting students in high school who are about to choose career paths and options, or those about to graduate and start their careers, helping them improve their skills or decide which major or course they should do.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Our Vietnam office is currently expanding and looking to hire! If you are an experienced recruiter within Sales & Marketing, Technology, or Engineering & Manufacturing, and would love the opportunity to work alongside Nga, send your resume to phuong.vo@argyllscott.vn for a confidential discussion!

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Millie Gillon

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 13 May 2021 13:36:01 GMT

Millie Gillon is the Global Head of Client Experience at Standard Chartered Bank. She is a strategic business and innovation development professional with 15+ years’ experience in Financial Services for multinational companies; she has a proven track record in identifying and developing key partnerships, with a focus on mutually beneficial outcomes.

Could we start with an overview of your career and your current role at Standard Chartered?

I joined JP Morgan during high school as part of the bank’s Smart Start scholarship program, juggling both studies and work full time. My corporate career after college started in fixed income derivatives trading and prime brokerage, across three different big US banks, but I knew I didn’t want to do it long term. I managed to land a role at American Express in 2008 where I found my passion and got trained in Six Sigma by some of the best experts in the world. Being exposed to the entire payments ecosystem and B2B interaction, I was driven by the importance of being there for merchants in such a challenging economy where the goal of many small businesses was to keep their lights on; helping them to do so then became my passion.

I then took on an exciting role back at JP Morgan, focusing on digital product strategy. It was an interesting joy ride which included us being the first bank to roll out Apple Pay; I learned a lot about an industry that was ripe for innovation. I further developed this passion when I joined Mastercard Labs, where I led innovation teams in using design thinking to help companies solve their problems.

The Standard Chartered opportunity really fell into my lap through networking rather than me looking for a new role, let alone to relocate. I was hired in 2019 as the Global Head of Client Experience and led an organisation of 550, which gave me the chance to impact the 550 families as a result. Our main focus has been on the pivot to cater to our changing customer base and the growing wealth amongst millennials who have different preferences and ways of interaction with their bank.

What was your decision-making process as you started in your career?

Initially, I just applied to any job that looked interesting. I knew I was not passionate about what I was doing in my early career, but to find my passion I need to set out on a journey of elimination. I carried out a self-assessment using a vision board, asking myself questions like what makes me happy, what do I find boring, etc.

Have you had any personal experiences that have driven your passion for diversity & inclusion?

I was born and raised in a very traditional Asian family, living in a town among a large Italian population in New York City, so I have had high levels of awareness of being a minority very early in my life. As a teenager, I remember looking up to singers like Gwen Stefani, whose persona and song lyrics I found inspiring. I used to believe that I could be just as good, if not better.

In roles throughout my career, I have often found myself as one of the only females and usually the youngest one. I would often approach senior females early in my career to mentor me. The majority said no. Therefore, I promised myself that when I became a senior, I would make time for anyone who would ask for help and advice, female or male.

Was there a period in your career that you found challenging and how did you overcome it?

My relocation to Singapore was a very challenging period for me and my family. We decided I would relocate first while my two young daughters finish the school year, but then Covid-19 hit. I managed to get back to the States to be with them while working Singapore hours for six months, still new into the role. To balance everything with this timetable in so much uncertainty was challenging but I overcame it by seeing it as an opportunity to learn and grow. I learned a lot about how much stamina I have. Of course, it’s also helped me to put our challenging situation into perspective. While working overnight hours from 15,000 km away was difficult, others have faced far starker circumstances as the world changed nearly overnight.

Perspective is very important when you are experiencing something challenging in your career.

How has the perception of females in senior banking positions changed since you joined the industry and what should we be working towards?

We are in a much better place because we now recognise the need to change. There are a lot more examples of successful senior females in the industry, just like my boss and also her boss. Diversity and inclusion plays an incredibly important role in driving innovation, which is why we should be adding more women into innovation-focused roles for a more genuine diversity of thought.

What can leaders, male or female, do better to support female colleagues?

In many of my roles, I have been the lead or co-lead of women’s networks and have made sure that all are welcomed, not only females. Male colleagues are also key to the success of females, so we must be proactive in finding males who have empathetic ears. It really doesn’t matter what your role or gender is, we should all be helping each other and lifting one another up.

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Digital Disruption Series: Norman Tam

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 04 May 2021 05:21:06 GMT

Norman Tam is the Vice President, Tencent Cloud International, Cloud & Smart Industries Group at Tencent. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with over 20 years of experience in product development, operation management, and startup investment in the Internet and technology sector. Since joining Tencent in 2010, Norman has been developing the international business of various areas including social networks, online advertising, digital payment, and online entertainment. Currently, as the Vice President of Tencent Cloud International, he is responsible for the overseas expansion of Tencent’s cloud computing and corporate solution business. He also serves as the Chief Executive of WeChat Pay Hong Kong Limited, which operates the WeChat Pay HK mobile payment service. Prior to Tencent, Norman has worked at Lehman Brothers, Credit Suisse, and co-founded two Internet startups on education and gaming. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with a Bachelor's degree in Information System and Computer Science.

What are your thoughts on the digital transformation landscape?

Businesses will inevitably have to adapt to digital disruptions to strengthen capabilities in maintaining continuous and sustainable business operations, as well as to quickly adjust to evolving customer behaviours.

ABC (AI, Big Data & Cloud computing) plays a crucial role in enabling the digital transformation of various industries. Businesses that deploy digital transformation and ABC have reported enormous growth and improved productivity, as it enables them to stay relevant and to flourish within the dynamic cloud computing environment. ABC computing will ultimately be the necessity of people’s lives and a key element of sustainable development of the society.

How is your company utilising ABC?

Tencent Cloud provides industry-leading Cloud products and services to organisations and enterprises across the world. Leveraging its robust worldwide data centre infrastructure, Tencent integrates Cloud computing, Big Data analytics, AI, Internet of Things, security, and other advanced technologies for deployments in various industry-specific scenarios, with the vision to help build smart industries. It provides holistic smart enterprise solutions for industries including financial services, education, healthcare, retail, transport, energy, and radio & television.

What real-world problems is it solving? Are there any specific projects you are currently working on?

In fact, ABC is highly relevant to and applicable in our daily lives. During the pandemic, various cloud-based digital solutions help companies maintain business operation and ensure business sustainability. These solutions include virtual or hybrid conferences, video meeting, eKYC, chatbot, etc.

Under the new normal in the education sector, we understand that schools and teachers are facing challenges that often require additional technical resources. Therefore, we have been working with a local educational technology platform, GRWTH, to launch a cloud-based video-on-demand solution for local schools in Hong Kong, supporting hundreds of primary and secondary students to continue with remote learning during the pandemic. The project won the Outstanding Education Award in 2020 and is also recognised by The Hong Kong Association for Computer Education.

Are there any success stories in leveraging these tools that you can share with us? Were there any obstacles, and how did you overcome them?

Last year, we worked with Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) to support their first-ever hybrid global conference, providing global live broadcasting of the event and online business matching solutions to help travel and tourism businesses go global and stay connected across borders. In particular, we successfully helped businesses around the world register and make appointments as well as match them with potential business partners around the world via our dedicated business matching solutions despite travel restrictions globally.

The obstacles mainly lie in the geographical constraints, but the project team endeavoured to deliver excellent deliverables to the clients. Indeed, our advanced cloud-based technology allowed us to manage the project remotely and seamlessly, thus achieved successful results.

What kind of tools and/or products did you use for that? What are its pros and cons?

For this, we went with audio and video streaming solutions which are key products within our Tencent Cloud offering. Traditionally, managing a conference with audio and video streaming or broadcasting may involve very complicated processes and planning, but with the SaaS-based video solutions, conference organisers can easily implement the broadcasting activities at a lower cost.

Have you encountered any challenges in recruiting the best talent?

Yes, acquiring the best talent is always a key challenge to any business, especially within such a competitive business landscape. Sourcing, hiring and retaining top IT talent will always be a major challenge in the technology industry as skills shortages and the fast-changing landscape are two major obstacles.

That being said, candidates can also upskill themselves on this. Apart from staying up to date with newly developed technology, candidates should also leverage their daily experiences in dealing with technology and see how creative and innovative elements can be implemented to business ideas.

Are there any new opportunities within the Technology industry?

Technology enables the digital transformation of businesses, as well as the transformation of the recruitment landscape. With automation increasing efficiency and streamlining processes, resources can be reallocated to other value-add positions, in turn creating opportunities for existing staff to convert to new job functions.

For example, a chatbot may take up certain job scopes of customer service professionals such as handling simple FAQs, in turn allowing them to focus on and prioritise more complicated questions or enquiries that may require a real person’s attention. Furthermore, it also creates opportunities for them to transform themselves into frontline salespersons who have strong skills to serve clients directly.

What do you think would be the next frontier for digital transformation?

I think business automation will be one of the key areas for digital transformation, along with big data, advanced AI solutions and reliable cloud computing infrastructure, many business processes will be streamlined and automated. Getting the right talent within the fast-changing digital business world is likely to remain one of the biggest challenges to enterprises.

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Why you should challenge yourself to get outside the comfort zone

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 05:30:59 GMT

Where should I even begin to talk about getting outside the comfort zone? Perhaps, I shall start with what might interest you the most – by being open and honest about my journey as a senior Tech recruiter who moved to Hong Kong around two years ago.

Before the move

Let me give you a bit more context before we get into the very heart of this topic.

More than two years ago, I was living in Ireland, working as a Tech recruiter covering the different European markets. Professionally speaking, I was possibly at the top of my career, working in a very successful team, dealing with great clients, and had business coming in without making much effort. To sum up, I was in my comfort zone. Personally speaking, I was struggling to really blend in with the local culture, city atmosphere and code, and in particular, creating genuine and long-term relationships with people. Therefore, a desire to explore outward emerged, progressively taking up more space in my head.

“Am I where I should be? Is this the right place for me both personally and professionally?”

What happened next, you might’ve guessed. I decided to move to Hong Kong and Asia, to experience a new culture, new ways of working and to live a completely different life than the one I had gotten used to in Europe.

Taking that leap

With every relocation, you may lose a certain aspect of comfort. In my case, I had to give up a good position at an established firm, being close to my family and friends in Europe, and a strong sense of security, where I was surrounded by people who I love and would support me regardless of what happens.

This might make you wonder why I decided to leave at all, but with everything you lose, there is also the potential to gain something new, and it’s exactly this desire of getting something in exchange that prompted me to make the move without looking back.

This specific trade-off is not for everybody though. Back then, I had no strong familial obligations; I realise now that the situation can be very different when you have a family and need to consider others instead of only thinking for yourself.

Being established in Hong Kong

Does being more established in Hong Kong now mean that I don’t get out of my comfort zone?

I’d like to believe that’s not the case. In our line of work, the comfort zone doesn’t exist. I would even go further in saying that the comfort zone doesn’t exist in a city like Hong Kong; and if it does, it’s reserved for those with higher social privileges. You have to fight for everything you care about, whether it is family, friends, or work, as you’ll be left behind if you can’t keep up. This is further strengthened under the unfortunate pandemic, where you might even lose your job if you’re not fighting hard enough.

Benefits of getting outside the comfort zone

It might feel like returning to the gym for the first time after months of lockdown, you won’t like it and might even question why you’d put yourself in that situation. Don’t worry, that is perfectly normal, it is just your auto-defence mechanism kicking in to help mitigate mental or physical pain. Ignore the temporary pain, stay focused on your end goal, don’t be too harsh on yourself, and see failures as an opportunity to learn.

The biggest benefit in getting outside the comfort zone is the self-acknowledgement that you’ve achieved something new and difficult. The first person who can value your efforts is you, so look in the mirror and smile. Self-confidence is important and you will need it to reach the top of the mountain.

Adopting a new diet, developing a new habit, discovering a new hobby, or making a career move, stepping outside your comfort zone is something everyone should do occasionally. Life will not be as exciting if we don’t take it upon ourselves to make it challenging.

How have you ventured outside your comfort zone? What do you think are the benefits of doing so? I’d love to hear from you.

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Argyll Scott launches in Vietnam!

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 05:46:10 GMT

I’m excited to let you know that Argyll Scott has launched in Vietnam! We’re thrilled to be able to service our clients who have a presence in Vietnam but also to continue to grow our specialist candidate networks throughout the region, which benefits all our clients.

Our Vietnam team specialises in:

Accounting & Finance
Human Resources
Legal & Compliance
Sales & Marketing
Supply Chain & Procurement
Technology

If you have any recruitment needs to discuss in Vietnam or would like some market insights, don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

The Argyll Scott Vietnam team

Nga Vuong

Managing Director – Vietnam
With over 25 years of international experience in business development, people development, and general management, Nga supports C-Suite clients and candidates in FMCG, Industrial and Professional Services crossed functions.
e: nga.vuong@argyllscott.vn
m: +84 91 222 36 30

Trang Tran

Managing Executive – Sales & Marketing
Trang has over 15 years of experience in consulting and HR leadership. She has a passion to bring value to the social community, building long term partnerships with her clients and candidates through trust, integrity and collaboration.
e: trang.tran@argyllscott.vn
m: +84 90 845 01 88

Ha Nguyen

Managing Executive – Technology
Ha has over 15 years’ recruitment experience. Having worked with IT Professionals and Hiring Managers over many years, Ha understands their work and strives to add more value to their career path by connecting them with the right opportunities.
e: ha.nguyen@argyllscott.vn
m: +84 90 878 49 81

An Le

Principal – Accounting & Finance/Legal & Compliance
With15 years of experience in both online and offline recruitment industry, An provides exclusive and high value talent solutions for her clients. Her main focus is on senior positions for MNCs and giant local corporations in the Vietnam market.
e: an.le@argyllscott.vn
m: +84 90 253 3683

Will Tran

Senior Executive – Supply Chain & Procurement
Will has been a Recruitment Consultant since July 2015. His mission is to help connect businesses with qualified and experienced Supply Chain professionals in a right first time and timely manner.
e: will.tran@argyllscott.vn
m: +84 908 27 22 66

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Michele Wee

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 05:54:08 GMT

Michele Wee is the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Vietnam .

Looking at your early career decisions, how did you become a broker and how was your experience?

It wasn’t planned. I was fresh out of school and fell into it. I had an interview with the bank to get a mortgage and needed a job so that the loan would be approved. The role was really fun and it was something I did for 8 years before joining Bloomberg just as e-Commerce was taking off in Asia. They hired me into their eFX Sales team, as part of their digital platform initiative which was a natural fit for a voice broker.

What have been some of the highlights of your career and what has enabled you to be successful?

I joined Bloomberg at a really exciting time and was part of the pioneer team that launched FX Gold in Asia. I did this role for two years and was offered a job at Deutsche Bank after a pitch I did to them which was again a timely move as I joined the original core team that launched AutoBahn into APAC. One thing led to another and I ended up being headhunted by Standard Chartered Bank who wanted to re-ignite their e-Commerce efforts. Both e-Commerce and FX as an asset class were growing exponentially so it was very much a “right place right time” situation. A global role from Singapore was a great jump in my career. I made sure that I was agile and open to taking up new challenges, and have been very lucky with the timing at each stage of my career.

What has been the toughest part of your career and how did you overcome it?

Joining Standard Chartered Bank was a big step up for me and it has been very challenging. It was at that point that I really started to think deeply about my value to the organisation as a leader. The toughest part of my career was going from a regional Director role in an established platform to a global Managing Director at a time when the bank was trying to change its business model. There was a very big change in culture and the way that I had to influence global stakeholders. I spent the first two years trying to understand the organisation and find my purpose. I had to learn on my feet, park my securities and never give up. I think it was my enate passion that got me through that period. I had a passion for the e-Commerce world and communicated it effectively. And with a lot of patience and some luck, I found a manager who truly understood me. This gave me even more confidence to do what I was hired to do.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to you as a leader and how do you promote it among the teams you lead?

Diversity is not just about gender but the diversity of thought and the inclusion of mindset. Inclusion is a choice and diversity is the effect.

I strongly believe in the importance of good people managers but also coaches and mentors. These don’t have to be official mentors but just people who are there to provide you with little nuggets of information that you can digest and decide if you want to implement. Once you reach a certain level, it is no longer about growing yourself but growing others. When you get into a position where you are a hiring manager, you have a big responsibility and people look to you. I have found particularly good coaching topics include how to get balance, create presence, have influence and personal branding.

With mentoring in particular, female to female works really well although I have actually had a very good male coach who always creates a safe space. Coaches give you perspective. Family also gives you perspective and I have always taken inspiration from my children. Having children is your reminder of why you work so hard. When a child has a play date, there is a huge amount of diversity and they don’t see anything but the individual.

What is your vision for SCB in Vietnam and what role will diversity and inclusion play?

Vietnam has some fantastic local talent and building upon my predecessor’s work, we want to hire the best people, be agile and support our community. Vietnam is also very unique in it that the banking industry has a gender ratio of 70% being females. I was so pleasantly surprised during our first town hall to see what a great job we have done at hiring. We have re-written the people agenda with some tweaks and this includes mentoring some of our high potential successors.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Miao Song

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 04:01:00 GMT

Miao Song is the Global Chief Information Officer at Mars Petcare. She is a creative, senior global CIO with more than 20 years’ international experience in IT operations, application support, infrastructure support, strategy and planning, IT management and consulting, including overseas experience working in China, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Belgium etc.

If we start at the beginning, why did you choose a degree in Information Management?

30 years ago, in high school, I fell in love with the school’s first early model Apple computer and I was hooked. I later applied to Peking University to study Information Management rather than Computer Science and was one of two girls among 200 people on the course. I loved it. It was important for me to pursue my passion rather than something that might get me a better perceived job or something that people thought I should do instead. There was still the bias back then that women couldn’t do subjects like science or engineering, which of course, is nonsense. Growing up in an environment where both my parents worked (my mother was a doctor who had to work incredibly hard to pursue her dream), I knew anything was possible.

After graduating, you joined Nestlé in China?

Yes. My first official job was working as a software developer for a few months, and I was proud to be the first local IT hire for Nestlé in China. Previously, they had imported talent from Hong Kong, Singapore and even Switzerland to China, but it was always challenging because of the language barrier. I got the opportunity, and worked incredibly hard, studying at the same time to gain my various certifications while I was in the job. I nearly didn’t take the job – all of my classmates were going to Ivy League schools in the US to do their Masters’ Degrees, which was a popular route to take at that time, but I changed my mind and decided I wanted to start my career journey to being a CIO, which actually happened later when I moved from Nestlé to Shell.

What were some of the challenges you faced in that transition into leadership?

At Nestlé, I managed a very small team; we all sat in the same office, which made it easy to communicate. At Shell China, it was very different. I had to adjust my leadership style to be effective because my team were from different backgrounds and geographies. Shell also wanted to develop its international leaders at the time, so I was given an opportunity to rotate my job into the Netherlands where I switched my office environment for a manufacturing one and had to change my leadership style again for a new culture, learning a new language. In manufacturing, there were very few women then, and I was the only Asian woman in 3,000 people on the site and in the leadership team of 15 to 20. It was a challenge, but I got some valuable exposure to new things there and became a much stronger leader, and learnt how to better be my true self. Not many organisations intentionally rotate international leaders like Shell did, so it was an excellent learning experience for me, which I really appreciate now.

And then you moved to Singapore?

Yes, at the end of 2009, they asked me if I wanted to take a new leadership job back in Asia, and as a family we decided to take the opportunity and go for it. As a global strategy position, it can be quite demanding because of the compromise you have to make to speak with people across different time zones while based in Singapore. I had to organise my life flexibly so that I could manage my health and wellbeing while working late, luckily, the organisation was supportive of my schedule. The role gave me excellent exposure to the business, as well as a chance to reflect on where I was at. I had a colleague in Argentina, who I had never met, decided to leave to set up her own business and be her true self. It really made me think about who I wanted to be. I realised that I wanted to be a truly authentic leader rather than someone in the boardroom ordering people around, and that I would only choose to work for organisations where I really wanted to go, or where I could be my true self.

What's been your experience of diversity and inclusion in the different regions you've worked in?

Different locations and organisations tackle it very differently. It can’t just be the icing on the cake, it has to be in the culture of a business. A more diverse and inclusive culture is more innovative and performs better. I think Shell do it very well around the world, and they are in some tough places too. When I was at J&J, I ran a Women in Leadership programme for Asia Pacific, trying to empower female leaders in the tech space because the numbers were lower than we would have liked, and I realised there were definitely problems and challenges depending on location. In China and Singapore, for example, there is a lot of social support so that women can work. But in Japan, it’s not the same, the social support isn’t there. Women almost have to choose between a career or family, and the needle hasn’t really moved over the years. Compare that to my experience in Europe where I had a Swedish team member who was able to take a year off as parental leave, because the policies there enable women to continue their careers. I’ve gotten a lot of comments myself about my husband’s childcare role, which have been disappointing, but fortunately I have a thick skin and they don’t worry me. We worked out a situation that was right for our family that enabled me to prioritise work. When there is a conflict in the work/life balance, it’s very important to have the right support system around you, so we used a variety of after-school care options too, to make it work for us. In the long term, it meant that my daughter grew up strong because she was able to be independent and the whole international experience also shaped her.

What attributes are the things that you're most proud of in your career?

The first would be to make bold decisions. For example, I moved overseas without any hesitation and took that opportunity, I also moved from an office environment to a challenging manufacturing site. Secondly, I’m proud of my ability to work hard. I will always go the extra mile to achieve what I want, like learning Dutch when I didn’t really need to because there were so many ex-pats. Those two things really make me feel like my true self.

How have you overcome the challenges in your career?

There have been plenty of tough moments when I’ve felt nervous or misunderstood, or when my efforts haven’t been recognised. When I reflect on those times to see if I was happy with what I did and remained authentic, I wouldn’t take the responses too seriously. If you take everything like that seriously, you’d be stuck, and if you’re stuck, it’s time to move on. I don’t believe that we need to be stuck in one role for our whole career, there are always other options and opportunities where we can be ourselves and continue our careers.

As a leader, what do you do to foster a diverse and inclusive environment?

My company has excellent programmes and strategies around creating a diversified workforce and being more inclusive in our culture, but the one thing that I found very helpful was when I learned about unconscious bias at J&J. I’ve since had unconscious bias training at Mars Petcare too, and it’s really important. In my own team, I try to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. You can have a diverse team on the surface, but you need to listen to people to make them feel included. It’s not just about the hiring, it’s about then taking it to the next stage and listening to people’s opinions and not judging them. Listen and learn, is my advice.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their tech careers who might want to reach CIO one day?

I would say don’t be scared. There is clearly a challenge for women in tech or STEM-related roles, because the stats show us that even though girls may be interested at a young age, as you move up within an organisation, the number of women drops. Something happens in the middle of their careers and they’re not able to break the glass ceiling and the numbers decrease. If you love it, don’t be scared and don’t give up, also don’t let what others say or even your family situation stand in your way. Secondly, don’t stop learning. Learning agility is really important in tech and you can never stop. You need to take courses, read and learn all the time, otherwise you lose the essence of being a technology person. So many people give up learning because they don’t have the bandwidth to continue, and then they are forever lagging behind.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here.

Inspiring Business Women: Maria Henderson

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 06:01:55 GMT

Maria is a leader with international experience across EMEA, APAC and the USA. After being raised in the sandy dunes of Saudi Arabia and sunny Cyprus, Maria moved to the UK and entered the HR world in 2009. She took the academic route in Management Science and HR, completing her master’s and CIPD Level 7 in 2013 while spending her early career in Professional Services across various operational HR roles. She joined Hydrogen in 2016 as an HR Business Partner and rebranded its HR team to the dynamic and People & Culture team, driving change and improving the employee journey. Maria is now the People & Culture Director for the Global group, leading a team of People & Culture Business Partners. She is responsible for leading the Group’s People vision, ranging from D&I, Talent Management and Growth Mindset.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date and some of the key moments that have helped you get where you are?

I've been at Hydrogen for four and a half years and I can honestly say that it has been the most inspirational few years of my life. I joined the business as an HRBP from a Professional Services background, which was very ‘textbook HR’ in nature, naturally. I joined Hydrogen and my policy book went out of the window on the first day, which was by far one of the best things to happen for my career. I started off reporting into a Head of HR who later left the business and then began reporting directly into Ian, our CEO. He has been an amazing coach to me and took me from HRBP to People & Culture Manager where our HR function became a lot more culturally focused. We built the HR team into a global function and I then moved to Head of People & Culture and I’m now Director of People & Culture. I get to do all the exciting things on the People Vision, including setting the agenda on things like increasing opportunities for female and diverse leadership and making sure there's a strong sense of equality across the business, with the right benefits packages in place to accommodate that. 2020 was an interesting year for everybody and came with its challenges, but I was supported every step of the way and it's been an incredible journey!

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I've been quite lucky in my career in that some of the best mentors I've had have been male. I was mentored by the Global HRD and the UK HR Manager in my previous role, who both gave me a lot of support and encouragement. I then moved to Hydrogen, where Ian, our CEO, has never let gender hinder my progression. A lot of my peer group happens to be men and again I have never felt that's been a hindrance – quite the opposite!! I actually believe it strikes a really good balance because having men and women in leadership roles and throughout the business is a key advantage as they bring very different things to the table. One of the things that I'm dedicated to doing throughout my career is removing any gender stereotypes and creating opportunities for all. Everybody should be there on merit and what they add in terms of value. It would be wrong to assume that there is not some form of bias when it comes to gender, but I think that we are taking the right steps to make sure that we're addressing that and talking about it more.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

Being in the People & Culture world, it's always been in the background, but I've noticed in the past five years that it's become more of a hot topic. Businesses are definitely recognising that with diversity comes success. I could bore you with all the scientific models, but there is very solid evidence that having a diverse workforce is hugely beneficial. At Hydrogen, we operate across APAC, EMEA and the US, and I've been lucky to have travelled with my job and throughout my personal upbring, which has been a real eye-opener. I was raised in Saudi Arabia and moved to Cyprus when I was 10, so I'm quite culturally diverse and cultures have always interested me. Diversity is definitely the way forward for organisations, encouraging perspectives from people from different walks of life. In my job, there are very few days where I'll speak to someone new and not learn something new, so I think it’s an exciting time for organisations to be embracing diversity. My team is a relatively diverse team and it really does have benefits that I see on a daily basis. I've always been fascinated by different cultures coming together and seeing the positive results of that and that's probably why I enjoy my job so much.

Are there any other benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

I believe that different perspectives equal success. With the integration of different cultures comes education and a growth mindset; a way forward; acceptance; and tackling biases. Having varying perspectives from diversity within teams is one of the biggest benefits on a day-to-day basis, so I've always been a big advocate for it.

What advice do you have for young women looking to make a career either in recruitment or HR?

My ethos, which comes from the days when I was an intern, is that I always said to myself if I was ever in a position where I could offer someone the opportunity to learn, I would. So, I’ve always pushed to have an intern or someone wanting an opportunity in my teams, because it’s so rewarding, as is being able to give advice. So, my advice would be to stand tall and smash through any barriers in your way. Seek out mentors along the way, take advice, get different perspectives, and the world is your oyster. You won’t be handed opportunities on a plate, so be prepared to ask for and fight for what you want. The most important one from a personal point of view is to believe in yourself. I have historically suffered from imposter syndrome, questioning whether I belonged in a role or if I had really earned my success. I’m very proud to say that I work for a business now and have been surrounded by people that have helped me overcome that by making me realise that I do deserve a seat at the table and that the opportunities are there to grab if I want them.

You can also watch the full video interview here:

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Lu Sun

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 04:02:00 GMT

Lu Sun is the Head of Data Science for Visa Consulting and Analytics supporting Hong Kong and Macau. She leads a high-performance team to deliver effective data-driven solutions for clients from various industries covering banking, fintech, airlines and retail. Before joining Visa, she lived and worked in London for over a decade, building award-winning credit risk models and optimizing portfolio strategies for credit bureaus and banking clients. Lu is a proud mother to a beautiful 2-year-old boy. Aside from entertaining the energetic toddler, she loves eating sushi, drinking a good cup of coffee, binge watching Grey’s Anatomy and dreaming of the next travel destination after Covid.

What attracted you to work for Visa?

If things can be summarised in one word, then it would be Opportunities. Payment industry is evolving faster than ever with innovations happening on a daily basis. I would like to witness it in the front seat and for that there is no platform better than Visa. The amount of data Visa processes is so huge that it is like a gold mine for data scientists. So when the opportunity came up, I jumped on it straight away.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

What has really helped me throughout my career is continuous learning. As a data scientist, techniques, programming languages and methodologies are fast evolving, so you need to keep learning because that opens up new opportunities. It’s also important not to limit yourself once you have that learning – try everything. I used to be much more hesitant about making decisions and taking opportunities, thinking that maybe I wasn't good enough, whereas it's actually better to just go for it. You have to try before you can say you've failed.

How do you drive a data culture across a business?

For me, data is not the goal, data is the tool that helps you reach your goal. In order for data to be valuable, you have to closely align it with your business, know what you are trying to achieve, and use the data to get you there. You can't just hire the best data scientists for a business to be successful, they have to work in tandem with your business teams to understand your KPIs and processes so that they can use the data effectively. If you put data ahead of business, then it's the wrong way around. There’s a lot of hype about Big Data and AI and everyone wants the latest, cutting-edge solution. But it’s important to remember what you’re trying to do with the data. There’s no point chasing a deep learning solution when the actual outcome might be best served by a simple line chart.

Have you encountered any challenges of inequality in your career? How did you overcome them?

I've been very lucky because the few companies that I've worked with have been really good in terms of male/female representation and I have never personally felt that any opportunity was out of my reach because I'm female. However, in instances where there are barriers or challenges, women need to be more vocal and get their voices heard. It doesn’t matter how senior the other party is, don’t be scared to share your opinion. Typically, I think women can be hesitant to do that or to ask for help if they need it. It’s perfectly okay to take on a challenge and run into difficulties, but women are often reluctant to ask for help, in case it is seen as a sign of weakness, maybe even more so in our culture in Hong Kong. The onus shouldn’t be all on women either. We need men involved in this too. If you want to change the world, you can’t change just half of it! If women are not speaking up, men may see them as just not contributing, rather than the fact that there is a problem with an environment where they may not feel like they can. If men are consciously aware of the issue, then we can all work on creating a better workplace environment.

What are the benefits of having a diverse team or a diverse organisation?

When you have a diverse team, you have exposure to people with different backgrounds and ethnicities who all have different ideas and perspectives. This gives you a fresh angle to approach problems from. Financial Services in general is a very stable environment and if you never challenge what is already in place, then there will never be any innovation, and without innovation, there’s no growth. The second benefit of a diverse team is that you get to understand that everyone has different professional and personal goals, ambitions, and problems. Appreciating this helps you connect on a personal level, which in turn brings a team together and makes it more stable. You will also be more empathetic when you are emotionally connected with a colleague. Having diversity in the team, where you have to take the time to learn and understand other cultures or backgrounds, is an important dynamic.

Do you think the past year has had an impact from a diversity or equality point of view?

Covid has been devastating for many people when remote working is not an option. However, for places where remote working is possible, it can bring some positivity for women in terms of equality. Because every single company has had to shift to a flexible or remote working model, it means that people can work from home as well as manage their family responsibilities. It has also raised awareness among men, who are now at home and can see how much work is involved on the family side that they might not have seen before if they were in more typical roles. If we are to take any positives out of the global pandemic, it could be that businesses have become more accepting of family issues and have become more flexible, which will benefit women. Working from home used to be a luxury only offered by the large international companies, but now I believe that local organisations will see the benefits of a flexible workforce too.

What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

My advice would be don’t treat it as a slogan to shout about, just because it’s a hot topic right now. Do the simple things well instead. So, step one would be to understand your employees and their needs. By listening to them, you create an inclusive culture where people can grow and thrive together. You can’t fake it, or simply create that environment without taking those first steps, so start small and do it properly and you will get the inclusive culture you want.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Cindy Aw

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 04:07:00 GMT

Cindy Aw is the Associate HR Director of Durapower. She heads the Group Human Resources function covering APAC and Europe. Experienced across multiple industries including Oil & Gas, logistics, retail/distribution and high technology, she is a seasoned HR Business Partner and has been leading regional teams in HR operations, strategy and change management.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Clarity.

Having clarity about what matters most to me at the different stages of life has helped me make the most appropriate career decisions. A good mentor or a strong support system may help in our career pursuits, but if we are not conscious about what we want to pursue, even the most career-propelling opportunity will not necessarily bring us happiness or career fulfilment.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Be clear about what matters to you, what brings you happiness and fulfilment, and leverage your strengths to achieve your goals. Also, remember that no matter what you do, it is difficult to please everyone because everyone is shaped by different experiences, cultures and backgrounds. Therefore, do not let one’s judgement define your identity or your worth.

For example, someone that I currently mentor has been struggling to get past the shadows of her ex-boss’ poor assessment of her. While her work has been praised by others in the same organisation, she chose to focus on her perceived failures rather than her strengths and success, in turn hindering her performance and progression. As her mentor, it is my role to help her discover and acknowledge her strengths.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

As a working mom, I do not believe in sacrificing family for career or vice versa. Finding work-life balance might be tough in some careers, which is why working towards a work-life integration is important. With many of us working from home in the face of the pandemic, I would even go so far as to say that we are “homing from work”! To manage my work and personal life, I keep my personal priorities in clear view, maintaining clarity on what is important to me and the extent of their importance. Sometimes, we do not have enough time to meet our multiple priorities and we will have to maximise our limited time to achieve the most. For example, if I promised my daughter to watch a TV show with her but was running on a tight timeline to work on a proposal, I would strike a deal with her. I would watch the show, enjoy our snacks, and make silly comments on the programme, but during commercial breaks, I would brainstorm on my proposal without disturbance although I would still be sitting next to her. Apart from looking after my family, I make it a point to give myself some me-time. We need to take good care of ourselves in order to take care of others.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

The definition of “success” varies for different people, so organise your life according to your priorities and what success means to you. Understand that you are a human being and there is only so much you can do. If you ever get to the stage where you are questioning your actions, you will need to step back and reflect, whether that is what you want, at that point in time. What you wanted five years ago might not be what you want now, so be prepared to relook, reflect, and make changes to your life according to what is important to you right now.

It can get quite tough when you are holding a senior role in the organisation while being a mother to young children, and daughter to ageing parents. Many feel an obligation to be the perfect mom, wife, daughter, boss, and employee, but the more we try to be perfect in all our roles, the more imperfect we become. Superwoman is fictional and trying to become one would be a lost cause. Therefore, we should be kind to ourselves. It does not mean we have to stop doing our best, but much rather about being realistic around our limitations. That is why it is important to know our strengths and leverage them to achieve our goals. Also, get comfortable tapping into the support system around you, there is no need to feel bad about outsourcing some responsibilities by hiring helpers, part-time clears, tutors, etc.

Do you believe there is a glass ceiling for women in the workplace?

The glass ceiling is still there for women in many workplaces, with the height of the ceiling differing from organisation to organisation. Many women feel that they need to adopt a “masculine” leadership style or work approach to accelerate their career. It is sad when you have to become someone else to reach your career goals, so I am very grateful that there is no glass ceiling for women in Durapower!

The good news here is that we are seeing the world slowly evolving and progressing towards equal opportunities for women. This is made possible as more females are being educated and more people, men and women alike, are becoming more vocal in advocating for women’s rights.

What do you think are some common traits amongst today’s female leaders?

I would say bravery – a sense of bravery to make a difference. If you are one of three females in a room of 40 leaders, you may feel overwhelmed and want to take a backseat. I do not blame women for feeling like that because we are not culturally caught up in Asia where women are viewed side by side with men. Having bravery does not mean not feeling fearful to speak up, it means putting aside your fear and sharing your thoughts, even if someone is going to disagree with you.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

Perhaps not so much an emphasis on D&I, but rather the lack of it. In one of my earlier experiences where I sat in an interview with a hiring manager, the interview was going well until the interviewee shared that she would be getting married soon. The friendliness in the hiring manager fizzled out, followed by his question, ‘how soon do you plan to start a family?’ As a young graduate who just entered the workforce, bursting with hopes and enthusiasm, such encounters with gender discrimination in the workplace was a punch to my gut.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

One benefit of having diverse teams is the ability to harness innovation. Diversity is a powerful incubator of ideas and creativity. When people with different experiences, skills, perspectives and strengths come together to contribute to a common goal, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Organisations that embrace D&I generally have stronger employee engagement, which translates to stronger teams and better business performances. Employees would be happier to be associated with such an organisation, in turn helping with retention.

What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Start by being curious about what a diverse and inclusive culture can bring to the organisation as curiosity helps maintain an open mind. Cultures are shaped by mindsets; if you don’t have an open mind, how can you reshape your culture towards embracing differences? It is also important to remember that D&I is not just about gender, age, race or nationalities, but also perspectives. If leaders are not ready to agree to disagree, or not willing to listen to ideas and perspectives that are different from theirs, then no D&I programmes or initiatives will yield any powerful outcome.

Lastly, make sure you are doing it for the right purposes, not simply to create the illusion that you are championing D&I. If the top management believes in it and is sincere, then a top-down/inside-out approach would be the way to go.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Mei Yee Pang

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 04:02:00 GMT

Mei Yee Pang is the Head of Asia Pacific, Global Practice Lead for Supply Chain & Analytics Practice at DHL Consulting, currently based in Singapore.

Since you’re in a fairly new job, perhaps you can tell us a bit about your role and your background with DHL?

I have been with DHL in various capacities for the past 15 years, with the common theme of building teams, services and capabilities. My current role revolves around building the data science capability for DHL Consulting at a global level. This has been a very fragmented space so we are focused on supporting our clients to use technology such as machine learning and AI, create new ways to make sense of their data and use new IOT-enabled products to help create value across the end to end supply chain.

You have an Accountancy degree from NTU and an early career in Audit. How did you get on that journey and what prompted your move into consulting?

I was young and didn’t know what to do. I remember asking myself the question: what types of jobs can build a good foundation for my future career? Among the handful of options, I picked to move into professional services. Although I realised it was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my career, I did it for three years before taking my MBA. I was lucky enough to have met the right mentors early on and be given the exposure to start moving into leadership roles in very interesting domains.

What are some of the things you are particularly proud about in your career?

I am really happy that I have had the opportunity to make a difference in people’s careers and influence their ways of thinking. The most satisfying part of my job is seeing the development of people in becoming Supply Chain leaders in DHL and beyond. I also really enjoy how my role allows me to play a part in shaping business decisions. I am part of a sector that is changing so quickly, with the pressure to drive adaptation, the disruption of the e-Commerce business model, and of course the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chains are critical at this juncture where they are, for example, responsible for bringing essential services to people’s homes.

What does Diversity & Inclusion mean to you?

I firmly believe that diverse teams are more successful. Forming a team of people from different professional backgrounds offers a very unique position to be successful. I have team members all over the world who bring their cultural differences and have found that the D&I topic is more formalised in Europe. An equally important topic is equality, so we put a lot of focus on training our people in things like identifying unconscious bias.

The role of D&I is very central to innovation. I have often hired externally from broad backgrounds, not necessarily supply chain trained but those who have interesting ideas and will challenge the norm. It is about hiring a fresh mindset with the right level of enthusiasm and having the energy to create a solution that the industry has struggled with.

What has been your personal experience as a female climbing the career ladder?

I have been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time and always with high levels of support. I have never felt compromised as a woman and I think being a woman has a positive impact now if anything for career development. I have had experiences that made me feel uncomfortable, but you learn to adapt and they have never developed into a problem. For example, when I lived in Germany, as a female of Asian nationality who did not speak German, it was not easy. It did, however, give me the experience and skillset to return to Asia as a stronger leader.

What would your advice be to someone who is starting their career?

The first thing would be that it is okay to not know what your next steps are. Go with your heart, experience life, and experiment. I definitely made the right decision picking a safe profession to kickstart my career but don’t allow fear to prevent you from doing something different. Get comfortable with the unknown, maybe even take a sabbatical or reskill.

Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith. Take chances. It is so important to enjoy what you do, so it may not always be about taking a job that would directly move your career forward. A career trajectory is sometimes sideways or even backwards but this is perfectly acceptable.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

How being resilient has helped me become a better recruiter

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 07:07:26 GMT

Resilience is the ability to cope with adversity; crises; and negative or stressful events. Resilient people can adapt to changing, challenging situations and bounce back quicker than others when they suffer a setback. Furthermore, some of them learn from those experiences and even use them to their advantage.

We all have an element of emotional resilience that we use as a psychological tool to help us navigate our day-to-day life and protect us at difficult moments, but it often seems that some people have more than others. The good news is that resilience is a skill that can be developed and there are steps we can take to build our natural resources of it. If the past year has shown us anything, it’s that life can take a very sharp turn at any moment, making resilience not simply a great skill to have, but also the key to progressing in our careers.

Resilience in the workplac e

As a recruiter in Hong Kong, it would have been easy to throw in the towel at many points during 2020 and walk away. The recruitment sector, the economy and then the whole global dynamic all changed in a matter of months. However, as someone that has tried to work on my resilience, it was important to recognise that many of those things were out of our control and that with a revised focus, the team could stay strong, adapt accordingly and continue doing what we do best. In fact, our team remained strong and is still in a phase of growth with several internal openings.

You can probably see that it’s particularly important for leaders to maintain high levels of resilience so that they can motivate their teams and drive the business forward during stressful periods. Many factors help them sustain their mental strength, including strong self-belief, their emotional intelligence (EQ) and an openness to change via a positive outlook. Resilient leaders also look after themselves physically and mentally, understanding the importance of recharging the batteries, having a solid support network and following a healthy lifestyle where they can. So, how can we all build our resilience and not let outside factors become excuses?

How to build resilience

There are a number of things we can do, whatever our level at work, to build our resilience and help us deal better with setbacks.

Learn from mistakes – go easier on yourself, particularly when outside events are out of your control. Acknowledge the wins, be proud of those, but see the mistakes as part of your development.

Keep a positive attitude – the law of attraction states that positive thoughts bring positive results, so, if like attracts like, then banish any negative mindset whenever you can. Accept those elements that you cannot change, rather than fight against them.

Believe in yourself and be proactive – have confidence in your ability and take control of situations rather than remain passive.

Adapt and prepare – assess what’s coming and build your strategy, rather than just ride on other people’s coattails.

Develop your EQ – recognise what affects you most and develop coping strategies in advance. It’s not about being unaffected by things, but instead having the skills to deal with any negative emotions.

Resilience in recruitment

In people-facing industries and roles, like recruitment, it’s important that negative emotions and setbacks don’t bring about poor decisions. There will always be challenges, moving goalposts and adversity, most of which is out of our control. But as someone who has tried to develop my resilience in recent years, there have been plenty of events and situations where I have been able to call upon my reserves and strategize against something that might once have derailed me.

When the market was tough, I reassessed my situation, saw the potential in Fintech and made it my focus. I did my research, equipped myself with the latest knowledge, stayed on top of everything in the sector until I became the go-to recruiter in the space. I also deal with adverse events differently these days, such as counteroffers. Instead of calling it quits, I rise to the challenge and don’t give up until I’ve done everything I can to get the candidate to reconsider! While these are isolated examples in just my job, and there are plenty of people much more resilient than me, adopting some of the principles as best I can have changed my outlook on work, improved my mental wellbeing, and helped me solve problems more effectively. I hope they can help you too.

Has being resilient helped you progress in life or your career? How do you work on building your resilience? I’d love to hear from you.

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Why mentorship is critical in promoting better diversity & inclusion

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 07:15:21 GMT

There is no doubt that I would not be where I am today without the help of the different mentors I have had throughout my career. The informal relationship between mentor and mentee focuses on professional development through advice-giving and sharing of experience. The objective is to develop future leaders and help succession plan; and it also provides a way to develop diverse staff to remove barriers that hold them back. Good mentors come from a position of greater experience in their mentee’s field. You don't necessarily need to be a subject matter expert or have done their job, but you should have experience having been a leader, running a P&L or dealing with complex teams. Even now, as a COO, I get a huge amount from my mentoring sessions that still benefit my career, but I also get just as much out of being a mentor to others.

As a leader, I am a strong advocate of everyone getting the chance to experience the benefits and transformational nature of mentoring, and I further believe that it is an excellent tool to help drive recruitment, retention, growth and company culture. At Hydrogen Group, we have seen that it improves staff wellbeing by decreasing employee stress and anxiety, which in turn increases job satisfaction for both mentors and mentees. It also plays a vital role in our learning culture as we focus on the growth mindset of all our staff. There are countless other benefits too:

For the mentee:

It helps address immediate concerns or dilemmas with impartial advice

It improves self confidence

It affords exposure to and builds relationships with senior people in the organisation

This in turn increases the employee’s visibility and profile with others

It is a chance to be inspired by those who have followed the same career path and overcome the same obstacles

It’s quick and efficient and can transform performance

It opens up new ways of thinking or looking at career development

For the mentor:

It develops their management, interpersonal and leadership skills

It cultivates their personal brand as an expert in the company, gaining peer recognition

Helping others improves job satisfaction and make a positive impact is rewarding

It encourages other leaders to participate, which leads to best practice in the organisation

It helps to refocus their own career and goals as they get insight from the mentee

It broadens company knowledge from a big picture perspective

In relation to D&I programmes, mentoring is today being used to great effect. Recent research has suggested that mentoring is valued higher by women than men and by minority groups than the average sample . Diverse mentors become role models, able to discuss the same barriers to inclusion that mentees might be experiencing. Female leaders and individuals from minority groups in senior positions are able to inspire mentees to achieve their goals. Structured mentoring programmes can therefore help minority groups accelerate their careers, which in turn helps to diversify the talent pipeline for an organisation. Everyone else benefits from a D&I perspective too because a mentoring programme is another forum for a business to promote diversity and inclusion as part of its learning culture.

We have been running our mentorship programme at Hydrogen Group for over two years now. Regardless of position and level, within six months of joining us, we offer all our people the opportunity to be part of the programme. We assign a mentor from outside of their team who is at least one level above them. Having someone who doesn’t work with the mentee and isn’t involved in their day-to-day work is preferable as it allows the mentor to be more objective. After the first session, where goals are outlined, they meet every few weeks over the course of 9 to 12 months, covering a range of coaching, training and work review modules. Then the mentee takes a break and puts any plans into action, before getting a new mentor who brings a fresh perspective and new ideas for the next stage of their journey. The feedback from the programme has been nothing but positive, with mentees reporting that they have been able to overcome varying personal and professional challenges to take their career to the next level.

Are you a mentor or have you benefitted from advice as part of a mentorship programme? Or perhaps your company is looking to start a programme and would like some advice? I’d love to hear from you.

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How Technology is coming out of the pandemic stronger than before

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 04:14:00 GMT

While the global COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted economies and labour markets worldwide, it has also accelerated the adoption of digital technologies as organisations have moved their operations, processes and employees online. While many businesses have struggled to survive, the tech sector is flourishing, particularly in Singapore, and we expect to see the current high demand for the best tech talent continue well into 2021.

Even though the workforce in some sectors has started returning to the office, the “new normal” suggests that it won’t be for everyone, or even full-time for many, and that remote working is here to stay. The cost savings on real estate and travel are too hard for businesses to ignore and, particularly for those that have already invested heavily in technology to facilitate remote working, there seems little to be gained from a full-scale return to the office. The knock-on effect is that Information and Cybersecurity have moved up the corporate agenda as organisations seek to secure their processes and remain compliant.

Large corporates that had to change their operating models have also had to bolster their full stack, front and back end integration capabilities, so engineering skill sets have been and will continue to be much sought after. The good news for hiring managers is that the lifting of restrictions recently also seems to have given candidates in this area a renewed appetite to move and although competition for the top talent is fierce, we are seeing significant activity.

Singapore has more than 4,000 tech start-ups and is already the Asian regional headquarters for almost two thirds of multinational tech companies, including LinkedIn, Google and Visa, and Facebook is also building its first Asia-Pacific data centre here, scheduled to open in 2022. This drive to establish Singapore as the tech capital of Asia will see the new Tech.Pass visa programme launch in the new year, which will attract foreign tech experts to further scale up the sector. It should also help mitigate the departure of a number of senior professionals that we have seen move overseas to be with family during 2020, as well as kickstart any projects that might have stalled because of their exit. In what is already a dynamic, evolving sector, the 2021 technology market could be very exciting indeed.

If you’re curious to find out more about how the market is performing or if you need any support with your hiring, don’t hesitate to contact me at pison@argyllscott.sg .

Webinar recording: How Consulting Ruled Data Hiring in 2020

Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:13:00 GMT

Here at Argyll Scott, we bring together leading data professionals to discuss and debate a variety of relevant topics and market trends.

Watch the recording from our December Meetup where we discussed:

Host:

Paris Herard, Senior Executive - Technology, Argyll Scott Hong Kong

Guest panellists:

Paris Herard, Senior Executive - Technology, Argyll Scott Hong Kong

Guest panellists:

Chris Barford, Director, Data & Analytics Consulting, EY

Olivier Kuziner, General Manager APAC, Ekimetrics

Chris Mo, Partner, Risk Assurance, PwC

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Viksita Singh Menon

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 05:51:00 GMT

Viksita Singh Menon is the Regional Marketing Director- Luxury, APAC at Coty. With rich South Asia exposure straddling both Marketing and Sales, Viksita has spent 17+ years in the FMCG industry, managing an exhaustive portfolio of brands and categories (skincare, haircare, haircolor, makeup, female depilation, homecare) that cater to a diverse set of customers.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

One of my 1stassignments was that of being the 1stfemale Area Sales Manager at a top MNC in India. After a successful stint which saw me as one of top 3 Area Sales Managers, I transferred to the Marketing team to head their personal care portfolio, where I developed three new campaigns within two years, one of which was adjudged among the top 10 best communication campaigns worldwide.

Soon after, I joined L’Oréal in India, where I started on Garnier haircare before anchoring the biggest portfolio of Garnier skincare. In 2013, I moved to Singapore as part of the startup team for the South Asia region to lead L’Oréal Paris Female skincare and Makeup in the region and was subsequently promoted to head the complete brand. In late 2017, I took on the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) assignment for the Consumer Products Division in Singapore to head Marketing for L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, Garnier and NYX Professional Makeup.

And just five months back in March 2020, I joined COTY in the continued pursuit of my passion for envisioning Beauty in everything we do!

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped or hindered you in getting to where you are?

The genesis of me being a working mum came early in my life and is close to home and my heart. Having come from a family where both my mum and grandma were working women at a time when it was more of an exception than a norm, it became a way of life growing up as I didn’t know otherwise. I saw them balance their personal and professional lives with aplomb; dawning their work caps in the morning and smiling with equal ease when they returned home, only to find us kids whining and fighting over almost anything.

Not only did it help me understand the value of financial independence but also that of mental stimulation, creative satisfaction and the literal high one gets when they are making a difference in their own way.

Another thing would be the cases of “baptism by fire” that I faced at work. Whether it is the daunting task of being the 1stASM in a male-dominated sales system or the more recent move from looking after the India market to being a part of the nascent South Asia regional team in Singapore, these challenges were new and real, and through hard work and commitment, I realised that there is no mountain too high.

What are some key factors that have helped you the most throughout your career?

Self-belief and resilience.

I have worked through the ups and downs of a business, experiencing both good runs and tough situations where we needed to turnaround. Something that kept me going onwards and upwards through these journeys was the belief that I can do it and make a positive impact, and the resolve and attitude that this too shall pass. Being resilient during such times also helped me emerge as a stronger leader.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value of having a mentor or being a mentor?

Yes, I have been blessed to have mentors at different stages of my professional life, from both within and outside the organisation and across various functions.

The main value I seek from my mentors and something I try to embody for all my mentees is to be a sounding board, yet being transparent in providing honest feedback.

I’ve always enjoyed the candid, no holds barred conversations that I would have with my mentors or mentees that have been nothing short of enriching, positive and objective.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

No, personally I have not faced this. In fact, if anything, being part of the Beauty industry only paved the way for a woman’s insights and creativity to be harnessed even more.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

We women tend to be quite harsh on ourselves that we want to go that extra mile and do everything possible. With that being said, I am a strong believer that the balance isn’t about the quantity but much rather the quality of time you spend with your loved ones.

A few practical examples that I follow:

I try my best to return home during the weekdays at least an hour before my kid sleeps. That way we can have dinner as a family and I can tuck him in before I return to my calls or laptop.

My husband and I both have jobs that entail travelling, so we have a mutual understanding that we will try our best to plan our calendars in a manner that one of us is always home with our son.

Weekends are dedicated as “family time”, whether it is taking our son to his sports classes, going out for family dinners, or just completing homework, our family has that unwritten rule that during weekends, “us time” will be prioritised.

Singapore is also great for quick getaways that not only helps us disconnect from work but also acts as the perfect opportunity to have pristine family time – playing games, eating out, doing sightseeing or simply lazing around and sleeping.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

It started pretty early in my career, back when I applied to be a Key Account Manager at an MNC. After several rounds of interview, I finally got the job and was told I’ll be the 1stever female Sales Manager in their organisation. I was ecstatic yet apprehensive but took on the challenge regardless. It was not only to prove myself in the male-dominated sales organisation but also as a responsibility to do good in that role which I knew could pave way for other female Sales Managers. It took grit, determination and absolute resolve, and I am happy to say, within a year or two, we started seeing far more diversity and inclusion within the sales force.

It also made me realise that sometimes in the corporate world, life places a bet not only on you as an individual, but on a much bigger cause instead, which you could be lucky to be a part of.

Do you believe there's a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, and has it changed?

We have enough examples of successful women leaders to prove that if there is a glass ceiling, it exists for men and women alike. Be it Indra Nooyi, Sheryl Sandberg, Jacinda Arden or even COTY’s new Power CEO, Sue Nabi, all of them have successfully challenged the status quo and emerged on top of their game.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

The BIG advantage I see from being diversity-centric is the eclectic experience and different perspective that such myriad characteristics and backgrounds bring to the table.

From my experience, organisations that encourage diversity tend to be more creative, more inclusive in their approach, solve problems faster and are better at decision making.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

Firstly, there needs to be the acceptance and acknowledgement that gender diversity is indeed an issue, and then work towards building a plan and strategy to address that.

I have seen some organisations with a clear intent to enable more women to work and more importantly to succeed. Some examples I can think of will be having WFH policies or offering flexible hours (even pre-COVID), which is extremely important for working mums who are trying to balance their personal and professional lives. A few organisations are also going the extra mile by providing day-care facilities for returning and new mums, which from my personal experience is a huge comforting factor.

Lastly, having adequate representation in senior forums like management committees and leadership teams also helps show that the organisation is serious about the issue.

Have you noticed any specific challenges in terms of achieving better gender diversity within the Consumer industry?

The Beauty industry has far more diversity and inclusion, with women centricity and people with different ideologies and cultures. Personally, I came to Singapore to lead a team dominated by locals. That is the biggest entrustment an organisation can have for someone non-local/expat to lead a local market and work towards building a more profitable and sustainable business. That speaks volumes on the company’s effort in promoting diversity.

Whatare some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about them?

I feel it would be relatively easier for generations to come as we are witnessing an increase in awareness and acceptance nowadays. There are also visible efforts in making a difference which makes the task much easier.

The one piece of advice I would share is to create a sisterhood, a network where we support and empower each other, starting with our basic principles of who we are, our morals, values and integrity. Be humble, show togetherness, passion, excellence and enthusiasm towards laying the foundation for our progress through our work.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

As leaders, our words and actions have a great impact on workplace diversity. While there are things that I self-practice, I would like to see more people do the same, to help make our workplace more inclusive while also boosting morale and improving performance.

Foster open and candid conversations with your team members and colleagues because one of the keys to diversity is to embrace different opinions and POVs. These conversations may not always be easy and I have personally witnessed some awkward ones, but what one needs to remember is to be open, inquisitive and respective.

And always remember, listen to understand, not to reply!

On top of that, create an environment that encourages everyone in your team to challenge ideas and offer their own.

It is also important to lead by example, which means looking at your own privileges and acknowledging your responsibilities as a leader to make the space more welcoming for others. I encourage this in terms of my team compositions as well, for example not being biased to always have women working on the makeup category.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders within Coty or outside of Coty?

I like to practice what I preach. And hence outside of work, I have my coterie of young, emerging female leaders whom I have had the good fortune to work with, and together we are amidst creating our own ‘sisterhood’, where we guide, support and encourage each other and are always there for advice and counsel.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

From Diversity to Inclusion

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 07:28:44 GMT

It comes as no surprise that more companies are looking to invest in Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), following the increased global news coverage it has received this year. Yet, the conversation has now shifted from whether a company has any D&I efforts to how they are actually making progress. Having authentic representation and a genuine interest in promoting D&I within an organisation then becomes critical to avoid being suffocated by hallow initiatives that just won’t get you anywhere.

One of the most common misconceptions when it comes to D&I is to regard it as a single entity, in turn rendering it into a buzzword in the shadows. While “diversity” refers to having different types of things or people in the makeup of a group, “inclusion” refers to the intentional effort to make them feel involved and included. Having diversity without inclusion is like playing food Jenga at a buffet – you can keep piling onto your plate, but there is only so much it can hold before it starts tumbling down! While it is common to see organisations with only diversity measures face problems of retention, it is also possible for an inclusive workplace to lack diversity and find themselves engaging in narrow discussions that don’t reflect their customer base. Therefore, it’s important to address diversity and inclusion separately, understand their importance, and identify what you can do to improve each, so you won’t risk falling off the journey from diversity to inclusion.

Diversity is seemingly more straightforward. You can enforce measures, introduce initiatives and keep scores on your progress. Whether you are prioritising gender or race, there won’t be much ambiguity once it boils down to the numbers, and it won’t be long before you set off those confetti cannons and fireworks. While small victories are certainly worth celebrating, investing time and energy on inclusion is equally important, if not more. Compared to diversity, inclusion isn’t something you can achieve simply by setting up measures or campaigns – if that’s your approach, some would argue that you’ll have failed before you have truly begun. It also isn’t the responsibility of any team or individual; it requires input from everyone to make progress, which is what many organisations fail to achieve.

Inclusion emphasises an individual experience, where one would feel truly valued within a company. It’s about removing negative experiences and enforcing positive ones, whether that’s identifying and addressing discrimination, celebrating differences, or empowering individuals. It is about creating a safe space that allows people to voice their views and know that they’ll be heard, while being mindful not to force participation from those that aren’t keen to express themselves that way. It’s also about understanding the experiences of minority or historically marginalised groups and acknowledging that it can require extra strength from them and working on rectifying possible systemic problems that make their journey more challenging than others. Ultimately, it is showing people that you care and strive to make constant progress to create a more inclusive space.

There is no cookie-cutter solution when it comes to promoting inclusion but here are a few steps you can take, as an organisation or an individual, to begin that journey.

What organisations can do:

Conduct surveys on employee experience

Just like anything else, before you consider how to create a more inclusive environment, it’s crucial to have a good understanding of where you’re at. An easy way to do that is to survey employees on their experience. It is critical to make sure these are anonymous and that no one would be held accountable for their honesty as that is a common deterrence to people speaking their minds. This shouldn’t be hard if you’ve made clear your intent and showed genuine passion in striving for better inclusion.

Once you have consolidated the results, you will have a better understanding of where your organisation stands and what possible issues it might be facing. These will help you better formulate your next steps so you can focus your efforts to truly make an impact. Conducting these surveys regularly will also help form a good feedback loop, allowing you to review what has been working, what hasn’t and adjust accordingly.

Enable different voices to be heard

Having a voice and being heard are two different things, yet oftentimes organisations would stop after setting up communication channels and believe that would suffice. Unfortunately, just giving your people a voice without any additional support to ensure they’re heard will make the attempt futile.

Setting up discussions and focus groups could be a good lead-in to this as you begin the journey, as a way to empower the underrepresented while allowing others to better understand their experience and possible struggles. Creating the space that enables staff to arrive at this understanding is imperative to creating an inclusive workplace.

What individuals can do:

Be open-minded

Having an open mind is something many people talk about, but it’s much harder to achieve than it seems. I’ve come across a lot of self-proclaimed open-minded people who are simply “open to a certain extent”, and would hide inside their fortresses when exposed to anything outside of their comfort zone. Being open-minded is about having that willingness to understand things that are different from what you subscribe to, and not jumping to conclusions because of pretexts that you might have. Whether you agree with them or not isn’t important, showing respect and giving space is, so long as it’s not something unethical, immoral, etc.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes

When it comes to topics of D&I, it’s common for people to choose to remain silent to not risk saying the wrong thing. That’s alright when people’s intentions are good. However, a better approach would be to have those conversations instead, regardless of how difficult or uncomfortable they might be, as the alternative would be burdening yourself in tiptoeing around.

More often than not, people would be happy to have these conversations, to talk about their culture and experience, and share insights on what the appropriate vocabulary is. This will also show that you care and are making the effort to create a more welcoming space.

Take the time to identify your unconscious bias

Unconscious bias is not something that can be easily dealt with. First and foremost, we will have to acknowledge that we’re biased, just like anyone else.

Our upbringing, the social interactions we engage in, and the media we are exposed to all help shape our thoughts, which then affect our actions. When we meet someone for the first time, it’s not unusual for us to make assumptions about them. But why is that? It’s because our brain draws from its massive data pool and automatically makes connections between this person and what we’ve seen, heard, and experienced, possibly skewing our judgement without us noticing it. Therefore, taking the time to understand and identify any unconscious bias is key. If you’d like to learn more about this, I’d highly recommend Stacey A. Gordon’s LinkedIn course on Unconscious Bias here .

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is a diverse and inclusive workplace. If being more inclusive is indeed one of your goals, make sure to get your intentions right before taking any other actions. Because after all, just having a beautiful façade without any structural integrity won’t get you very far.

Do you have any D&I-related experience you’d like to share? Are there any other actions you would suggest for individuals or organisations who are looking to begin their journey on creating a more inclusive space? I’d love to know!

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Prita Choksy Shah

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 23:12:00 GMT

Prita Choksy Shah is the SEA Head of Digital Banking & Core Transformation at Finastra, a global financial services technology company. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering, Computers from the University of Mumbai and a Management degree from the prestigious Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.

What made you decide to study computer engineering and how was your experience being a woman in what has been a male-orientated degree?

I had quite a methodical approach when it comes to picking study paths and I remember being the only one among my friends to enrol in career profiling assessment. After assessing my skills, one route that was a match was engineering. It never occurred to me that it might be an unusual choice for a woman, it was just what I saw as a good fit. My parents were very supportive in giving me a lot of directions as well.

It did however hit me on my first day of school that I was in the minority, as only 20% of the students were women and the professors were all male. Despite that, the experience was actually quite pleasant in a way that some professors would even go out of their way to offer extra help and support to the female students. Later in my career, when I completed my MBA, I was surprised once again by the even larger gender gap with only 10% of students being women.

Seeing that, I realised I’d have to work harder and go further to get noticed in the corporate world. I used it as a driving factor to increase my performance and have found it very motivating.

Could you share with me the things you are most proud of about your career and why they are important to you?

Early in my career, I joined Tech Mahindra, a leading global technology company, which had a strong focus on programs for professional growth and career development. Women were a minority, a consequence of the gender representation pursuing engineering, but they believed in equal opportunity and gave me the opportunity to take a two-year sabbatical to pursue my management degree.

When I joined ITC, a large India headquartered conglomerate renowned for focusing on building strong leaders, I was five years out of college and was being recommended for their future of leadership programme. I found it incredibly motivating that my managers had trusted me, believed in me and allowed me to show that I could perform.

I hit a roadblock after two years at HDFC Bank. I had always wanted to work for a bank but it was a high-pressure environment and very cut-throat, so I took a month’s break for some personal downtime and reflection. It was then that I met the CEO of Polaris who invited me to join to set up a new venture from scratch – hiring, building solutions, identifying the story and the go-to-market strategy for building their Cloud business, which gave me a much more well-rounded experience.

What does the Professional Services or Sales industry offer as a career and what are some of the things someone should look out for?

The industry can be very rewarding and there is a significant amount of human interaction. I started my career coding as a Software Engineer but quickly realised I was more people-orientated, which aided my career progression to a Sales role.

There is also the opportunity to create new businesses and markets and drive change. For example, at Finastra, in addition to the more saturated markets, we saw a significant opportunity in Myanmar where we secured three of the top four banks as customers. The Myanmar market is actually very progressive and there was even an occasion where all fifteen people in a meeting between us and the client were women!

I have seen some resistance from customers when buying from a female salesperson; the industry is still very male-dominated at the leadership level so it is very much like being back at school where you need to work harder just to prove yourself – internally or to the customer.

I have always enjoyed creating new niches. Furthermore, there are ups and downs in Sales so it is important to seek a strong leader to work for and a mentor who will believe in you.

Success in Sales comes from building long term relationships, not just closing deals. Most importantly, you have to be yourself, open yourself up to feedback and engage collaboratively to be a successful leader.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

I had quite a methodical approach when it comes to picking study paths and I remember being the only one among my friends to enrol in career profiling assessment. After assessing my skills, one route that was a match was engineering. It never occurred to me that it might be an unusual choice for a woman, it was just what I saw as a good fit. My parents were very supportive in giving me a lot of directions as well.

It did however hit me on my first day of school that I was in the minority, as only 20% of the students were women and the professors were all male. Despite that, the experience was actually quite pleasant in a way that some professors would even go out of their way to offer extra help and support to the female students. Later in my career, when I completed my MBA, I was surprised once again by the even larger gender gap with only 10% of students being women.

Seeing that, I realised I’d have to work harder and go further to get noticed in the corporate world. I used it as a driving factor to increase my performance and have found it very motivating.

Could you share with me the things you are most proud of about your career and why they are important to you?

Early in my career, I joined Tech Mahindra, a leading global technology company, which had a strong focus on programs for professional growth and career development. Women were a minority, a consequence of the gender representation pursuing engineering, but they believed in equal opportunity and gave me the opportunity to take a two-year sabbatical to pursue my management degree.

When I joined ITC, a large India headquartered conglomerate renowned for focusing on building strong leaders, I was five years out of college and was being recommended for their future of leadership programme. I found it incredibly motivating that my managers had trusted me, believed in me and allowed me to show that I could perform.

I hit a roadblock after two years at HDFC Bank. I had always wanted to work for a bank but it was a high-pressure environment and very cut-throat, so I took a month’s break for some personal downtime and reflection. It was then that I met the CEO of Polaris who invited me to join to set up a new venture from scratch – hiring, building solutions, identifying the story and the go-to-market strategy for building their Cloud business, which gave me a much more well-rounded experience.

What does the Professional Services or Sales industry offer as a career and what are some of the things someone should look out for?

The industry can be very rewarding and there is a significant amount of human interaction. I started my career coding as a Software Engineer but quickly realised I was more people-orientated, which aided my career progression to a Sales role.

There is also the opportunity to create new businesses and markets and drive change. For example, at Finastra, in addition to the more saturated markets, we saw a significant opportunity in Myanmar where we secured three of the top four banks as customers. The Myanmar market is actually very progressive and there was even an occasion where all fifteen people in a meeting between us and the client were women!

I have seen some resistance from customers when buying from a female salesperson; the industry is still very male-dominated at the leadership level so it is very much like being back at school where you need to work harder just to prove yourself – internally or to the customer.

I have always enjoyed creating new niches. Furthermore, there are ups and downs in Sales so it is important to seek a strong leader to work for and a mentor who will believe in you.

Success in Sales comes from building long term relationships, not just closing deals. Most importantly, you have to be yourself, open yourself up to feedback and engage collaboratively to be a successful leader.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Normalis Mohd-Sharif

Thu, 29 Oct 2020 04:16:00 GMT

Normalis Mohd-Sharif is the Human Resources Director Integrator, India - South East Asia at Danone. As an experienced Human Resources Director with a demonstrated history of working across different industries, she has strong HR Business Partnering experience and has worked hand in hand with senior business leaders to shape the people agenda of the companies, in line with business strategies.

Could you share with us your career progression to date?

I graduated in International Relations and was supposed to be a diplomat. However, I decided to start my career as a management trainee in a conglomerate in Malaysia. I then decided to do a Master’s degree in HR and since then I have taken on different jobs with different challenges in HR. I have also been managing HR in different industries, namely Financial, Legal, Oil & Gas and FMCG industries. I joined Danone as the HR Director of Malaysia and then my role was expanded to oversee HR for Southeast Asia. In 2020, India was included in my portfolio.

Could you tell us about Danone's employer branding programme?

Danone has just launched our new EVP, “One Planet, One Health, By You”.

One Planet, One Health is our company’s vision, that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected. We would like to work with our society, consumers and other stakeholders at nurturing the adoption of healthier, more sustainable eating and drinking habits.

We are a very people-focus company and as such, “One Planet, One Health, By You” means that our people are the ones who make our vision live. We count on each and every one of our employees to bring this vision to reality, in their respective businesses and wherever they are. Hence, at Danone, we empower our employees to make an impact through our One Share One Voice programme, wherein our 100,000 Danoners around the world are consulted on the company’s global and local agenda, as true shareholders and co-owners of the company. We also create a collaborative and social workplace with a focus on well being, we encourage entrepreneurship and innovative ideas, and we provide many platforms for our employees to learn and grow.

Danone has just launched our new EVP, “One Planet, One Health, By You”.

One Planet, One Health is our company’s vision, that the health of people and the health of the planet are interconnected. We would like to work with our society, consumers and other stakeholders at nurturing the adoption of healthier, more sustainable eating and drinking habits.

We are a very people-focus company and as such, “One Planet, One Health, By You” means that our people are the ones who make our vision live. We count on each and every one of our employees to bring this vision to reality, in their respective businesses and wherever they are. Hence, at Danone, we empower our employees to make an impact through our One Share One Voice programme, wherein our 100,000 Danoners around the world are consulted on the company’s global and local agenda, as true shareholders and co-owners of the company. We also create a collaborative and social workplace with a focus on well being, we encourage entrepreneurship and innovative ideas, and we provide many platforms for our employees to learn and grow.

What factors do you think have helped you in your career?

Try. I always give things a try and never say something is too difficult without trying. I have been lucky that I have been given very interesting job opportunities. Every time I move to a new job, I know that there are parts that will be difficult, but I will always give it my best shot. A second factor that has helped me is my interest in coaching people and building good teams. The higher you go, there more that you would need good teams to work with you. You can't do it alone. I can say that I invest a lot of time in building good teams, coaching them, and empowering them.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

Try. I always give things a try and never say something is too difficult without trying. I have been lucky that I have been given very interesting job opportunities. Every time I move to a new job, I know that there are parts that will be difficult, but I will always give it my best shot. A second factor that has helped me is my interest in coaching people and building good teams. The higher you go, there more that you would need good teams to work with you. You can't do it alone. I can say that I invest a lot of time in building good teams, coaching them, and empowering them.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

As a working mom, this can be challenging at times, but I have been very fortunate that my family is very supportive and understanding. I have also come to understand what work/life balance doesn’t mean the same for everybody and it changes as your life evolves. Some people want to go to the gym daily, some people enjoy going on holidays, and some people may just want a bit of ‘me’ time every day. For me, I treasure my family time. I would like to get my work done on time so that there is no impact on my family time aside from when there are emergencies. I get up early to do some exercise in the morning and have breakfast with my family before our day begins. We also make it a point to have dinner together at night, which is something that my parents always practised with my siblings and I when we were growing up. If I'm travelling, which can be about 40% of the time before the COVID pandemic, I would call home at both of these meal times so that we are still connected, though digitally.

When did you first notice an emphasis on diversity and inclusion (D&I) in your career?

As a working mom, this can be challenging at times, but I have been very fortunate that my family is very supportive and understanding. I have also come to understand what work/life balance doesn’t mean the same for everybody and it changes as your life evolves. Some people want to go to the gym daily, some people enjoy going on holidays, and some people may just want a bit of ‘me’ time every day. For me, I treasure my family time. I would like to get my work done on time so that there is no impact on my family time aside from when there are emergencies. I get up early to do some exercise in the morning and have breakfast with my family before our day begins. We also make it a point to have dinner together at night, which is something that my parents always practised with my siblings and I when we were growing up. If I'm travelling, which can be about 40% of the time before the COVID pandemic, I would call home at both of these meal times so that we are still connected, though digitally.

When did you first notice an emphasis on diversity and inclusion (D&I) in your career?

D&I has been practised in the organizations I have worked in, but the emphasis and extend of the practices may differ. Some companies are more advanced in their D&I awareness and practices and make it an important agenda for them while some may be more at a developing stage in their D&I journey. What strikes me most when practising D&I is that diversity is actually the easy part: you can easily measure gender or nationalities. The difficult part is inclusion, as the more diverse your business becomes the more factors you have to understand and consider in being inclusive.

D&I has been practised in the organizations I have worked in, but the emphasis and extend of the practices may differ. Some companies are more advanced in their D&I awareness and practices and make it an important agenda for them while some may be more at a developing stage in their D&I journey. What strikes me most when practising D&I is that diversity is actually the easy part: you can easily measure gender or nationalities. The difficult part is inclusion, as the more diverse your business becomes the more factors you have to understand and consider in being inclusive.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams?

Diversity gives you exposure to different things. Whether it is culture, family backgrounds, languages, business knowledge, interests etc , the richer the diversity, the better the ideas and discussions that will be coming into your organisation.

Diversity gives you exposure to different things. Whether it is culture, family backgrounds, languages, business knowledge, interests etc , the richer the diversity, the better the ideas and discussions that will be coming into your organisation.

What advice can you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

You have to understand what it means in your context or environment. What is acceptable in one country or organization may not be acceptable in another. You also have to be open in accepting that other people and culture may be different than what you are used to. It's also important to walk the talk. If you would like others to embrace diversity, you have to lead by example because inclusion is a behaviour, rather than a skill.

What advice can you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

You have to understand what it means in your context or environment. What is acceptable in one country or organization may not be acceptable in another. You also have to be open in accepting that other people and culture may be different than what you are used to. It's also important to walk the talk. If you would like others to embrace diversity, you have to lead by example because inclusion is a behaviour, rather than a skill.

What initiatives does Danone have in place for diversity and inclusion?

We have a team at the global level who launch various global initiatives and work closely with the teams throughout the world. In India and Southeast Asia, while we implement initiatives launched by the global team, we also have programmes which are tailored to our local context and needs. For example, when we first integrated the businesses in this region under one leadership, we launched a campaign to introduce the culture, food, celebrations, language etc of each country to the rest of the region. We also have our Inclusive Diversity Roadmap which was designed to suit the India-South East Asia journey and is currently being implemented.

We have a team at the global level who launch various global initiatives and work closely with the teams throughout the world. In India and Southeast Asia, while we implement initiatives launched by the global team, we also have programmes which are tailored to our local context and needs. For example, when we first integrated the businesses in this region under one leadership, we launched a campaign to introduce the culture, food, celebrations, language etc of each country to the rest of the region. We also have our Inclusive Diversity Roadmap which was designed to suit the India-South East Asia journey and is currently being implemented.

How do you help emerging female leaders?

It depends on what support is required by the individual. Some require support in being more confident to present their ideas, some would benefit from being introduced and have more visibility to regional or global leaders, some require support in improving their leadership competencies etc. I would try my best to create opportunities that enable them to showcase their abilities. For example, some of our women are exceptional talents but are not able to move to other countries to take up higher-level or regional jobs due to family obligations. For this situation, we have established “work from where you are” where talents who are willing to travel can take on regional roles and not have to move to another country.

What advice would you give to young women looking to build a career in your industry?

How do you help emerging female leaders?

It depends on what support is required by the individual. Some require support in being more confident to present their ideas, some would benefit from being introduced and have more visibility to regional or global leaders, some require support in improving their leadership competencies etc. I would try my best to create opportunities that enable them to showcase their abilities. For example, some of our women are exceptional talents but are not able to move to other countries to take up higher-level or regional jobs due to family obligations. For this situation, we have established “work from where you are” where talents who are willing to travel can take on regional roles and not have to move to another country.

What advice would you give to young women looking to build a career in your industry?

Do not put a limit on yourself before you try. We are all humans, we make mistakes, we learn from our mistakes and we move on. Secondly, do your very best in your job and don't let people fault you for your work. Be recognised for doing your job well. Thirdly, especially for women, do not make excuses for non-performance because of your circumstances. Stand by the life choices you make, about getting married or having a family, and don't turn those choices into excuses. If you try your best and do an excellent job despite your circumstances, people will recognise your efforts and hold you in high respect.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Do not put a limit on yourself before you try. We are all humans, we make mistakes, we learn from our mistakes and we move on. Secondly, do your very best in your job and don't let people fault you for your work. Be recognised for doing your job well. Thirdly, especially for women, do not make excuses for non-performance because of your circumstances. Stand by the life choices you make, about getting married or having a family, and don't turn those choices into excuses. If you try your best and do an excellent job despite your circumstances, people will recognise your efforts and hold you in high respect.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Siew Choo Soh

Tue, 20 Oct 2020 04:09:00 GMT

Siew Choo Soh is the Managing Director, Group Head of Consumer Banking and Big Data/AI Technology at DBS Bank. In this role, she is responsible for driving technology transformation to reimagine banking via cloud-native architecture, Big Data, machine learning and Agile.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped you get to where you are?

The most important thing is the willingness to take on challenges and not being afraid of venturing into something you’re not entirely comfortable with. It is also important to take calculated risks and make sure that you move into a completely different domain every now and then so you don’t get stuck doing the same thing repeatedly. In my career, I have moved into different domains within banking, never staying in the same role for more than three to four years. Such moves help give you a different perspective on things and offer a much broader experience. Moving to different countries is another great example. I have worked in Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, and have always learnt the most when I moved to a place where the culture and preferences are different to what I am used to. Change is one of the keys that will help broaden your experience and equip you to take on the next challenge.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

At my previous company and here at DBS, we practice reverse mentoring, because it is a two-way street and both the mentor and mentee can learn from each other. For that, you should be very open and have the humility to know that you might not have all the answers. To have intellectual humility is to always have the doubt in your mind that things you believe are correct may not be correct anymore and you might be wrong. If you have this mentality, you will continue to learn and continue to stay relevant, regardless of how old you are.

How do you successfully balance long hours with your personal life?

For me, it’s more about work-life integration. You must love what you do, otherwise, it just becomes a chore. I don’t look at it as work or life because there’s no line in between. I’m a pretty systematic person, so I maintain a one-year, a six-months, a three-months, a two-weeks and a two-days outlook, which I review regularly. I would look at the things I want to achieve, consider their importance and prioritise accordingly. That way, I’ll know what to spend my time on and achieve my short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

The first time I noticed it was when I got hired into JP Morgan, where my team was only 10% female. I noticed it again when I got promoted to Managing Director there and the ratio of women being promoted at that time was a low single-digit percentage. That was a significant realisation because I often found myself as the only female during global meetings, so how to make myself and my voice heard required a lot more effort. I’d be drowned in the voices of dominant personalities sitting at the same table if I make extra effort to be heard.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Being a left-hander, I’ve always felt like a ‘misfit’ in the world. The world is not created for left-handers. The same goes for females. When you’re in the minority in your organisation, you can feel like a misfit.

However, being the ‘odd one out’ allows me to introduce better solutions to the team because I have a different perspective. And that goes beyond gender, to things like work experience, race, nationality, etc. Having a diverse team might be tough initially because of the differences you have, but once you get to know each other, it’ll help give you the best solution.

When you look at digital transformation today, experience is the one thing that differentiates superior products from the rest. The world is made up of 50/50 men and women, if your product isn’t designed and tested by the gender that represents half of the population, you’re not creating a great experience because it only caters to a particular audience. That’s why it’s important to have an equal representation so that the voice of your customer can be represented in your products or services.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

Having a high awareness of the importance of diversity & inclusion.

There is still a pervasive lack the awareness of unconscious bias. One might think that’s all one can do, that we have done our best when more could have been done if we are more open to accepting that we might be unconsciously biased. To shift the ratio, awareness has to be there, along with the right intervention in terms of creating the right environment and increasing the pool of people. When you try, you will get the results.

Last year, we decided to do things differently and added a curated women-focused programme to our annual hiring hackathon. As a result, we managed to increase the proportion of job offers to females by six times. If everyone is willing and believes that their efforts will get results, ratios will change pretty quickly.

A lot of people are aware of the importance but don’t know where to start. For example, when I go out to recruit allies, they could be quite hesitant because diversity, in general, is quite a sensitive topic. Learning about their concerns is very useful because that allows us to think of ways to address them, and look at creating a safe environment for people who want to begin this journey.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture

You have to be willing to hire people who are different from you. Don’t hire from the same ‘cliques’ but go for the people who may not agree with you on everything. That will be the starting point.

Is there anything you are doing to help emerging female leaders?

One of the key things people talk about is role models. We have to be willing to show the way to those who are coming up. I always encourage the females I interact with to be fearless because women are typically more self-aware and perhaps less self-confident than men. When I meet with females who are coming up the ranks, I’d urge them to be more confident and bolder in everything that they think they can do.

How do you foresee the future of the industry in terms of gender diversity?

It is quite disheartening that the representation of women is still progressing slowly. However, the fact that all industries view technology as an integral part and that digital is here to stay is good news. That should encourage more women to go into the STEM disciplines when deciding what to study. We will hopefully see a better representation of women in all industries, especially in Technology and Banking, which currently are still under-represented. I have big hopes because we’re seeing more women standing up for themselves and taking the leap to being a part of the banking and tech industries.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Larissa Tan

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 05:50:00 GMT

Larissa Tan is the CEO at Vanda Electrics. She is an experienced senior management executive with a demonstrated history of working in the strategic branding and marketing space for automotive, luxury, consumer and heavy industries. Skilled in Strategic Branding, Integrated Marketing, Advertising, Retail, and e-Commerce, she is a strong business development professional with a proven record of setting up distribution channels, dealing with backend and general management.

Could you tell us a little bit about your career?

I started in Banking in the late 1990s at the beginning of the first Asian financial crisis. It was a very traditional working environment, with a desk, a computer and a landline. Banking was a natural choice for me because I did Economics, and then Financial Management as my Master's, but I realised early on that it wasn’t the right path for me and that Marketing and Branding suited me more. Then, when I was at Royal Bank of Canada, I met someone who was less traditional in terms of management thinking and the way he hired talent. He compared finding talent to dating, where it's all about personality fit rather than skill sets, which wasn't the norm back then. He wanted a certain attitude for his company and even though I was in Finance, after six months of meeting for coffees, he asked me to work for him. It wasn't about a certain role, it was about working out what I could do for them, which was very empowering.

Do you think that would have happened with a larger, more traditional firm?

No. A lot of traditional firms have a very fixed mindset of who they want to hire, which I think is a big mistake. I'm not saying everyone should be offered positions to do whatever they want, because those coffees were actually informal interviews, but I do think firms should try to understand personalities more and take a chance on a person. That opportunity allowed me to move into Marketing and Branding, which I later took into jewellery, creating international brands for a Singapore company that wholesaled internationally. The interesting thing about jewellery, by the way, is that people assume it's a female industry, but it isn't. Majority of the clientele may be, but many of the owners and the diamond wholesalers are men. Then after jewellery, I moved to Wong Fong Industries as their CMO to work in heavy industry, which was very different again.

How have you made these career decisions along the way?

What interests me most is building a business – and it doesn't necessarily matter what industry it is. For example, Wong Fong Industries was a 50-year-old company that really needed to rebrand. It wasn't that I wanted to sell waste management trucks, but that they wanted to IPO and they needed a strategic rebrand in order for them to list. It also doesn't matter whether you have any experience in that industry. I have 20 years’ experience in Marketing and though the industries may change, the skillset doesn’t. It doesn't take long to learn about a product or an industry, but skillset, attitude and personality are different. 30 years’ experience in an industry doesn't automatically give you any creativity or the critical thinking required to make a difference.

How did you come to be at Vanda Electrics?

The opportunity came when the founder of Vanda Electrics, who had designed the electric supercar, decided that the time was right to build it after many years on the drawing board. Technology had finally caught up with the design ethos; manufacturing was also more affordable, so it became possible to start building. I was initially asked to help with the marketing and fundraising. Then in 2015, Williams Advanced Engineering came on board as a technical and engineering partner to build the concept car, so we incorporated the company and shortly after, they needed a CEO who could take the brand international and make inroads into the luxury consumer market.

Looking back on your career, what are some of the key moments that have either helped or hindered you in getting to where you are today?

There’s no one thing that has helped or hindered me. Attitude is a big plus and as for the other things that have helped me, I'm very grateful to the people who have given me a chance, especially at the more senior positions. In terms of the things that have probably hindered me, I imagine I was either oblivious to them or choose to ignore most of them. My career has been quite non-traditional in that I haven't been in a single industry for the majority of it and being industry-agnostic has possibly hindered me. A lot of hiring mindsets haven't changed and there is still that cookie-cutter approach of looking at how many years you have been in a certain industry, because it’s a safe bet from an HR point of view.

Do you have a role model or a mentor?

I don't have a specific mentor or role model. What I've done over the years is to observe certain people that have inspired me. There's no one person I have wanted to emulate, but it's more parts of different people that I look up to.

What advice might you give to a mentee?

That there is no right way to think and there is no wrong way to think. My very first boss was very traditional and authoritarian. He was really hard on you if you so much as questioned him, which I occasionally did, just as a client might, and the consequences were terrible. You might think things have changed over 20 years, but someone told me recently, "I would hire you, but I don't think I can control you." The delivery might be different there, but the message that you can’t have your own opinion is still the same. My advice would be to ignore these potential obstacles and stand by your own opinions.

Do you think that gender has ever hindered you?

I don't think so. If I start looking at gender as a hindrance, then that’s all I’ll see and everything I do, there will be constraints. I've worked in a lot of male-dominated industries, and if I look at them that way, they will always be "male-dominated". Instead, by looking at them as “not having enough women”, they become an opportunity. It's all about the right attitude. If you keep looking at a company or industry as not being diverse, that's all you’ll see.

How do you balance having a family with a successful caree r?

You have to put the idea of work/life balance out of your mind. I'm a mother first and a CEO second. If you understand what your responsibilities are and to whom and where they come in, you can then schedule yourself around that. Technology makes that easier with remote working, so I prefer to look at my life as a whole rather than work and personal, using the tools we have to make it all work as a whole. Every working mother has their own unique situation though, but this is what works for me.

Do you believe that there is still a glass ceiling for women in the workplace, or has it changed?

The term wasn't mentioned as much 20 years ago, but a glass ceiling did exist, and it probably is still there today, but again it's how you frame it. If you believe there's a ceiling, then it will be there. If you see there's no ceiling, then there's just sky. It's all about how you approach it.

What obstacles do you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything that we can start to do about them?

There are many things that we can start to do – firstly, we can stop talking about it so much. I didn't realise it was such an issue until a couple of years ago when diversity and inclusion become buzzwords. Maybe I had blinkers on, chasing my own career, but while I think it's good to raise awareness and have platforms for issues, I sometimes feel it can be a bit overdone. If we stop talking about it quite so much, it might make things easier for everybody: men won't have to be so overly cautious when speaking to women, for example, and women won't have any sense of self-entitlement that they should get a role because of their gender. There's a real danger that women on boards will start to be perceived as being there because they're women, rather than because they're capable or have worked hard to get there, which would be one step forward, two steps back. Equal opportunities are more important for me - both genders should be able to fight on an equal platform for the same opportunity, regardless of gender.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

It's important to remember that they are two different things. You can be diverse but not inclusive. Similarly, you can meet quotas on gender, race, minorities, but still not be truly diverse, because what you need to be successful is the diversity in thinking experience. If large companies only hire from the big banks or the Big Four, or those graduated from Harvard or Stanford, they’re only going to get people with a similar way of thinking and with similar backgrounds. Innovation doesn't happen if you keep hiring the same types of people. You need to start hiring people cross-industry who have different experiences.

What advice would you give to women looking to make a career in your industry?

Rather than thinking about standard career questions, think about the problems you are inspired to solve. Remember too that it doesn't matter what background or industry experience you have, if you're passionate about something, you will find the right skills and knowledge. Those are the sort of people you want in your company. I moved into industries and roles where I thought I could do something and add value, rather than only considering the next logical move that was one step up or lateral. If you're not passionate about what you do, you won't get anywhere.

Are there any things that you are doing to help emerging female leaders?

I've done lots of talks and summits on gender parity and diversity and inclusion, and while I realise it's not going to change the world or change every hiring manager's mind, I hope that it helps people look within themselves to change how they think. If it removes mental obstacles for some people, then that's great.

Is there anything else you'd like to add in terms of the benefits of diversity?

Every industry can benefit from having diverse and inclusive teams, but a lot of that falls onto HR, which as a function is still in a period of change. While HR functions may have evolved, I think it remains to be seen whether that evolution has been effective because I don't see significant changes happening yet and people are still hiring in the same way. We may have moved a lot of things around the table, but no one has actually shifted the table yet. If I have a role I need to fill and I know the type of individual I want, then HR should be able to find that person creatively rather than simply create a criteria checklist based on the job description and risk filtering out potentially perfect candidates. There needs to be a real change in the hiring process, moving the entire table in my analogy, for the full effects to be seen. Workplaces are changing dramatically right now, and a mindset shift on hiring, talent management and the role of HR has become imperative. It’s time to change.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Jihyun Lee

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 04:17:00 GMT

Jihyun Lee is a Managing Director and Head of IT at Bank Julius Baer based in Singapore. She has been working in technology leadership roles in financial service for over 20 years, based primarily in Singapore and New York.

Perhaps we could start with an overview of your career and why you decided to take the route you took after graduating?

I began my career in South Korea after graduating from Ewha Womans University with a BA in French Literature, a very different space to where I have found myself in my career. It was a female-only college so I never had any of the exposure that one might have with gender inequality at an academic level. Social stigma didn’t really exist at school, we were all equals. After graduation, I joined one of the largest employers in South Korea, a firm who hires thousands into their graduate cohort every year, yet only 1% were female. It was then when I had my first experience being socially defined.

I didn’t want to grow up confined within that narrative, so I relocated to New York at a young age to develop my career. I joined CitiGroup and then moved to Dell where I spent 5 years as a Project Manager consulting to clients.

Afterwards, I spent 17 years in Credit Suisse and was lucky enough to lead technology teams across a number of business units, from Private Equity and Prime Services to Client Trading and Private Banking.

I joined BJB in 2016 as the Head of IT where I am responsible for a team in Singapore, a small team in Hong Kong and also an offshore team. We take care of all things Run-The-Bank for the APAC region and I report into Zurich.

Have you had any positive experiences working as a female technology leader working in banks?

When I moved to the US, I was not being seen primarily as a female but simply a high potential talent, which definitely helped make the experience better. I have also had female role models very early in my career – at Citi I had a female mentor and then at Dell I had a female boss.

I have experienced quite a lot of internal mobility, which I attribute to the strong support my managers have given me, encouraging me to take on new challenges and get out of my comfort zone.

Moving to BJB, it gives me great confidence that such an organisation is willing to hire a female Head of IT and I have in turn hired other senior females for positions like COO. It is great to see that there is a career path in IT for females here.

At what point in your career was it the toughest and how did you overcome those periods of time?

I noticed signs of gender inequality again when I relocated to Singapore. I felt that there was still a strong social stigma on how to look and act as a female. In the banking industry, for example, roles like Relationship Managers have always been a role for females.

My biggest challenge though was leading an IT team that supported the Prime Services business in Hong Kong. This was the biggest role I had been given and I was still quite junior in terms of experience. I was supporting the front office but did not actually have the thick skin I do now to support my traders and stakeholders. I told my boss I couldn’t do the job and advised them to hire someone else. I overcame the challenge by being proactive and thinking about the greater good. At the time, it felt like a big step back but it actually allowed me to better reflect and reposition myself.

Do you think that any of the challenges that you faced were because of your gender?

I do think that as a female I had obstacles to overcome just because of the innate differences between male and female. For example, men by nature, in my experience, tend to have a bigger network in the bank and the wider industry. Women are not always natural networkers or, have home commitments that make it harder to network outside of working hours, where most networking is done in the industry. I have seen a fair share of what I would call strong male networks which females just don’t get invited to.

As a senior female figure in Financial Services IT, what advice would you give to other leaders, male or female, on how to attract, retain and develop diverse candidates?

As a leader, it is important to create an environment that allows females to develop. This involves encouraging them to continuously learn, be curious, take ownership and have a strong core. We must go one step further and actively encourage these behaviours so that females believe in themselves and have high self-esteem. In technology and operations functions, leaders should be delivery-focused as nothing else matters.

Giving them access to female role models is also very important, so is male support. For example, I ran the IT Women’s Council at Credit Suisse and helped set up the same at BJB when I joined.

We are going through a very unique experience right now with a focus on defining the new normal. In your opinion, how do we take into account diversity & inclusion in the new normal and use this as an opportunity to take a step forward with providing a platform for future female leaders?

Firstly, genuine diversity & inclusion is really based on trust and I think that being forced to work from home and manage our own time has really increased trust levels between teams. Telecommuting has been great at removing barriers such as gender, nationality and location, putting everyone on a level playing field.

The increased flexibility that comes with working remotely also brings great benefits to working mothers which may in turn attract and retain a higher number of females in the industry. However, we should be mindful that no single home environment is the same and some mothers may find it even harder to “switch off” while working from home.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Meng Choo Cheah

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 04:17:00 GMT

Meng Choo Cheah is the Director, Head of Legal at Sephora. She is a key legal strategist and innovator with 15+ years of legal, compliance and regulatory experience.

Can you tell us about your career journey as a Lawyer?

Growing up, if anyone asked me what I wanted to be, “a fashion designer” would always be my answer, I would not have imagined myself working as a lawyer at a fashion/ luxury group.

After completing my law degree and being admitted as a Barrister in England and Wales, I was all geared to be a litigator. But with a twist of fate, I found myself on the path of becoming an M&A lawyer instead. I remained working as a lawyer in the corporate world for six years before moving in-house into the Private Equity space focusing on transactions and investments across the Asia Pacific for another four and a half years. I then transitioned into the FMCG sector and eventually pioneered Sephora’s legal team in Asia (excluding China). Having been in the role for over four years, I am now leading a team looking after the legal and compliance affairs of Sephora’s omnichannel businesses.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Diversity is fundamental to the success of any team. When we have diversity, as Jimmy Carter so succinctly puts, “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” By keeping an open mind, we can innovate, we can imagine, and we can think outside the box. My experience working with diverse teams and diverse organisations to date has exposed me to new and different ways of working and taught me to not only embrace and celebrate our differences but also to the similarities that we share, this is something we can all leverage to further boost our own performance and that of our team.

How diverse is Sephora in terms of gender?

I am very proud to be part of an organisation which has 85% of the current workforce led by women. Sephora is in a unique position in that regard. That said, we need to ensure that we do not become complacent, as the fight is not over. We need to ensure we continue to support our female colleagues by leaning in and checking in.

One of our key focuses at Sephora is to take care of our people, we believe in investing in our people to ensure they have a fulfilling career path and development. Focus is also placed on developing talent and ensuring support for female and male employees alike.

Does Sephora have any gender diversity programs in place?

Sephora, as part of LVMH, has benefitted from a new digital platform and community that empowers LVMH women through videos, articles, podcasts and more. At the Asia level, Sephora has in the past few years established a Diversity & Inclusion committee, which has three key focus areas, one of which is gender. The focus for 2020 has been to create awareness amongst all Sephora employees. We are frequently engaged with Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, campaigns and activities, which include gender as a core pillar of conversation. Personally speaking, having access to this information and career stories of other successful women leaders within the community has certainly empowered and encouraged me to bring my career to the next level.

What is the main thing you've seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

The majority of our Sephora Asia leadership team is female. The recent advancement of two senior female leaders (Asia President and Managing Director in SEA) reflects the strength and importance of female empowerment in our organisation and Sephora’s ability to develop great talent. As a female in the workforce who is also balancing being a mother, I feel lucky to have had very supportive mentors who are extremely empathetic and have encouraged me to pursue my dreams and ambitions, while still being able to maintain a balanced work-life and spend time with my family.

Is there any other advice that you would give to women to help them succeed in the corporate world?

Be clear on your priorities in life and acknowledge that it may change over time. Ensure you have the necessary support to help you maintain a well-balanced professional and personal life. And most importantly, take the time to maintain your mental well-being as we are often the last to care for ourselves.

Have you had any mentors? If you do, how have they helped you in your career?

I am lucky to have had several mentors throughout my career, who have all given invaluable advice regarding both my professional and personal life. They have also been incredibly supportive in helping me grow as a young lawyer, for example imparting fundamental skills to help me grow in my role and realise my goals. Their trust and empowerment have given me the confidence to grow.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Do not be afraid to ask as there are no wrong (or stupid) questions. If you don’t understand, it is likely that someone is feeling the same. There is a certain level of hard work needed in those early years of your career and the foundation that you built will benefit you in the long run in creating a successful career. When the time comes, do not be afraid to take that leap of faith as well as calculated risks.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Veronica Lai

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 04:18:00 GMT

Veronica Lai is the Chief Corporate Officer at StarHub. In her current role, Veronica is responsible for StarHub’s Legal, Corporate Secretariat, Corporate Communications, Regulatory and Sustainability functions.

Why did you choose to pursue law and how did your career progress?

Back when I was in secondary school, I came across the book “The Trials of David Marshall” and was inspired by the sense of justice it portrayed. That was the catalyst that sparked my interest to go down the path in law. After finishing law school, I wanted to start my career at a boutique firm for more personable training. My professor suggested Rajah & Tann. While it was not as big as they are today, it had a good reputation as a litigation outfit with great mentors. I completed my pupillage there and started practice as a litigator. While I liked the challenge of it, I wasn’t sure if acrimonious work was something I wanted to pursue in the long run. I then gave conveyancing a try, but soon realised, that it too was not a suitable long-term career for me. My managing partner, VK Rajah then suggested I gave corporate practice a try, and that was where I finally found a really good fit. The training and insight into three different areas of law gave me a good foundation. After I became a mother, I prioritised a better work-life balance, which led to my decision to move in-house, and thus began my career at StarHub.

Do you think that balance can be achieved today in a private practice firm at mid-level or senior level?

Yes, it can be achieved, but it will depend on a combination of personal choice, the type of work, the support network and in large part, the level of ambition. The in-house role has also changed over the years – if I were to speak to my younger self today, I would tell her that working in-house does not necessarily mean shorter hours. Even at senior-level, negotiations can run till the wee hours of the morning for key transactions – the saving grace for an in-house counsel is that you can turn the drafting work over to your external counsel after the marathon face-to-face negotiation, go home and get some rest!

After joining StarHub, what kept you progressing within the organisation?

Frequent portfolio changes have kept the job interesting and helped me progress. I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. StarHub was a start-up when I joined, so the bulk of the work then was helping to set up the infrastructure, which allowed me to grow with the company. I was the in-house Counsel who supported the StarHub-SCV merger when it happened. The IPO came two years later; in fact, my first day on the job as General Counsel was the kick-off meeting for the IPO. After that, we raised funds that enabled us to expand rapidly into data centres, data analytics and cybersecurity. The cherry on top of the role is learning about all the different technologies, which is challenging but also rewarding. Technology is constantly evolving and there is a buzz to be at the forefront of the latest developments.

What is the main factor that helped with your progression and allowed you to keep learning?

Opportunities came because the company grew, but I also had good bosses who gave me space and time to learn as my responsibilities increased and expanded beyond a purely legal role. I was fortunate to engage directly with our Board of Directors because I am also the Company Secretary. It opened the window to the formulation of strategies and the direction for the group. This really helped not only to connect the dots, but also expanded my insights on commercial perspectives. Over the years, my portfolio has grown beyond Legal and Secretariat. Today it covers Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Regulatory, making up an interesting suite of Corporate Services.

Did you actively reach out for these extensions of your portfolio or were they offered to you?

It was a combination. Certain additions like the Regulatory portfolio is a natural increment, because it is similar to the Legal portfolio, albeit with a slightly different lens and stakeholders. Corporate Communications and Sustainability are a completely different kettle of fish though, requiring a brand-new set of skills. I inherited an award-winning team of PR professionals and Sustainability experts, and for a while it was a curious situation of learning on the job, whilst working collaboratively with my new team of subject matter experts. Because of the way my portfolio has expanded, I became, by necessity, a more consultative and open leader. I think we've grown and improved together as a team. I am very proud that today, the StarHub Corporate Services team can support a complex transaction end-to-end seamlessly.

Have you had mentors throughout your career at StarHub and how have they impacted you?

One of my mentors is our first CEO, who is now our chairman. He taught me a lot of the management tools in my toolkit. He also taught me the importance of having the self-confidence to hire the best people, and to empower and rely on the team, while giving them space to grow. I believe a truly good leader is seldom just a subject matter expert but also one who can inspire and bring out the best in the team. Some of my other mentors are board members who come from different industries, so their depth and breadth of knowledge and experience have also been very helpful.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered or blocked your progression?

Yes, but to a large extent, it is self-imposed. StarHub is generally gender-neutral – if you have the ability, capability and ambition, StarHub will give you the opportunities to grow regardless of gender. However, most of my colleagues on the senior leadership team are male, with the majority of them having stay-home spouses to support them. On the other hand, as a working mother, the playing field is not quite level. There is a lot more juggling to do to remain a good mother and hold down a career concurrently. Did I have to take a step back or make some career sacrifices because of my being a mother? For sure. But do I regret my decision? Definitely no. To me, it is a balance that needs to be adroitly managed.

How do you manage that work/life balance?

We moved to be nearer my parents and in-laws when my three boys were growing up and having that stable support network is what gave me the peace of mind to focus on my work. My husband is also very supportive. Being honest and transparent with my bosses on my priorities have also helped to build trust and credibility. My bosses and colleagues know if something was urgent, I would be there and readily contactable. Otherwise, they respected the after-hours and weekends as family time.

Do you think there is a glass ceiling for women within organisations?

It's not easy for a female executive to rise to the very top jobs. Some of that is due to the natural handbrakes of our own makeup and maternal instincts, but the levelling has been improving. I think it might take another one or two generations before we can see even greater levelling, but the push towards greater gender equality is certainly moving in the right direction. There has been definitely better representation at the Board and senior management level, which is encouraging.

What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse team ?

Diversity of ideas, age, expertise, experience, geography and gender brings different perspectives. Some people are financially driven by numbers; others can see the softer side; some can see the different stakeholder perspective of public or PR interest; and when we all come together, that's when you have higher quality decision-making.

What are some of StarHub’s effort in promoting diversity or helping women progress?

StarHub’s Sustainability Charter is something that we hold close to our hearts. If a position is open, gender is irrelevant; we only consider expertise, capability and track record. The StarHub Corporate Services team is a good example of an even mix of gender in roles.

What sort of advice would you give to aspiring leaders about work/life balance or taking risks?

When in doubt, give it a shot and try your best. If it turns out well, it would be a good outcome. And if turns out otherwise, do not be afraid to take a step back and say it's not working out, so that the situation can be tweaked or addressed. If you don't even give something a try, you might be doing yourself or the company a disservice.

What sort of advice can you give to other leaders who are struggling with diversity and inclusion?

Embracing the wider cause of diversity and inclusion needs to be driven from the top. For us, it’s on our Board’s agenda and part of our Sustainability policy. Promoting diversity and inclusion cannot be just a sound bite, it needs to be embedded in actionable HR policies so that it becomes a part of the hiring, performance management and promotion processes.

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Connie Leung

Mon, 21 Sep 2020 05:53:00 GMT

Connie Leung is the Senior Director, Financial Services Business Lead - Asia at Microsoft. She is currently leading Microsoft’s Financial Services business in the Asia region, looking after areas like banking, insurance, and capital markets. She is also a part of Microsoft’s global Financial Services leadership team.

Looking back on your career, what are some key moments that have helped you get to where you are toda y?

During the summer holidays when I was in high school, I started volunteering and joined an outreach service, where I organised activities for mentally disabled kids and coaching junior students on exploring their careers. Those are moments I keep with me till this very day and I still volunteer regularly because I find it very meaningful.

A second standout experience was when I did a summer internship at a computer software house while in Polytechnic, where I worked on coding maintenance on mainframe programs. I hated that because I was only given a section of the code without an opportunity to see the bigger picture. Being able to know what I was passionate about and what I was not, was, and continues to be instrumental in my progression.

Fast-forwarding to the beginning of my career, I joined a newly set up computer software house as its third employee and saw it grow to a 35 people company before it was acquired by an American company as a subsidiary. To my surprise, my new boss told me that there were no Senior VP positions in the company for a woman. While I was enjoying my work, that pretty much marked the end of my career there, and I had to think hard about what I wanted and had to make a decision. Ultimately, my decision to quit was truly a turning point of my career.

Another key moment was when Microsoft headhunted me while I was at SWIFT. When you’re not expecting to make a move and an opportunity presents itself, you really have to think twice. I ended up taking that leap and it has proven to be the best decision I have ever made. Joining a company that aligns with your own passion is exhilarating – we can meaningfully impact organisations and people together. I have been enjoying the journey so far, and the culmination of all these experiences have made me who I am today.

During the summer holidays when I was in high school, I started volunteering and joined an outreach service, where I organised activities for mentally disabled kids and coaching junior students on exploring their careers. Those are moments I keep with me till this very day and I still volunteer regularly because I find it very meaningful.

A second standout experience was when I did a summer internship at a computer software house while in Polytechnic, where I worked on coding maintenance on mainframe programs. I hated that because I was only given a section of the code without an opportunity to see the bigger picture. Being able to know what I was passionate about and what I was not, was, and continues to be instrumental in my progression.

Fast-forwarding to the beginning of my career, I joined a newly set up computer software house as its third employee and saw it grow to a 35 people company before it was acquired by an American company as a subsidiary. To my surprise, my new boss told me that there were no Senior VP positions in the company for a woman. While I was enjoying my work, that pretty much marked the end of my career there, and I had to think hard about what I wanted and had to make a decision. Ultimately, my decision to quit was truly a turning point of my career.

Another key moment was when Microsoft headhunted me while I was at SWIFT. When you’re not expecting to make a move and an opportunity presents itself, you really have to think twice. I ended up taking that leap and it has proven to be the best decision I have ever made. Joining a company that aligns with your own passion is exhilarating – we can meaningfully impact organisations and people together. I have been enjoying the journey so far, and the culmination of all these experiences have made me who I am today.

It seems like you have made a fair amount of tough decisions in your career, how do you prepare yourself to deal with all these changes?

Life itself is a challenging journey with change at its core. As someone who is generally not afraid of change, I still find it challenging from time to time to adapt to the sheer amount of changes I find myself in.

Having said that, change has led me to where I am, so I can’t complain. I think my adventurous spirit of “never say never” and curiosity enables me to see change in a positive light. It has made it easier for me to make these decisions. Also, with the perspective of seeing my cup as always half full versus half empty has helped me personally, because you won’t know what’s possible if you don’t give it a try.

It seems like you have made a fair amount of tough decisions in your career, how do you prepare yourself to deal with all these changes?

Life itself is a challenging journey with change at its core. As someone who is generally not afraid of change, I still find it challenging from time to time to adapt to the sheer amount of changes I find myself in.

Having said that, change has led me to where I am, so I can’t complain. I think my adventurous spirit of “never say never” and curiosity enables me to see change in a positive light. It has made it easier for me to make these decisions. Also, with the perspective of seeing my cup as always half full versus half empty has helped me personally, because you won’t know what’s possible if you don’t give it a try.

Have you had any mentors in your career, and have you been a mentor yourself?

I do and I am quite lucky to have found mentors in both my personal and professional lives. I have two mentors within Microsoft, both females from our Seattle headquarters.

My first mentor actually lived in Asia before, so she understands my culture and is the perfect mentor. She is also the one who interviewed me, and this has made it easy for me to connect with Microsoft’s corporate perspective. She also gave me a lot of tips and advice on how to be a successful female leader. My other mentor isn’t from my team but was involved in Asia strategy, which provides a different perspective that I have often found to be quite useful.

On the other hand, I am also a mentor myself. At Microsoft, I have taken part in the mentorship program, where people can come to me and ask me anything, from public speaking and presentation skills to tips on how to sign and close deals. In my personal time, I’m an Alumni mentor at my high school, and mentored a Form 4 student. I’ve always enjoyed talking to teenagers, to coach them with exploring their careers and sharing our experiences.

When our mentorship finished, my mentee gave me a book on how to talk to teenagers; it was really useful because that was when my kids were becoming teenagers, and it offered me a lot of valuable insights. People may think that mentorship is all about the mentor helping the mentee but it’s actually a two-way street.

I do and I am quite lucky to have found mentors in both my personal and professional lives. I have two mentors within Microsoft, both females from our Seattle headquarters.

My first mentor actually lived in Asia before, so she understands my culture and is the perfect mentor. She is also the one who interviewed me, and this has made it easy for me to connect with Microsoft’s corporate perspective. She also gave me a lot of tips and advice on how to be a successful female leader. My other mentor isn’t from my team but was involved in Asia strategy, which provides a different perspective that I have often found to be quite useful.

On the other hand, I am also a mentor myself. At Microsoft, I have taken part in the mentorship program, where people can come to me and ask me anything, from public speaking and presentation skills to tips on how to sign and close deals. In my personal time, I’m an Alumni mentor at my high school, and mentored a Form 4 student. I’ve always enjoyed talking to teenagers, to coach them with exploring their careers and sharing our experiences.

When our mentorship finished, my mentee gave me a book on how to talk to teenagers; it was really useful because that was when my kids were becoming teenagers, and it offered me a lot of valuable insights. People may think that mentorship is all about the mentor helping the mentee but it’s actually a two-way street.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Microsoft’s vision is to empower every person and organisation to achieve more, and having a diverse workforce allows us to better understand the community that we serve. With diversity, you will have fewer silos and more views and ideas to help you better create and innovate. Having diverse and inclusive teams also means that people’s voices are heard, and cultures are respected, allowing everyone to bring their A-game to work.

At the Singapore FinTech festival two years ago, our keynote speaker, who was visually impaired, was on stage talking about how Seeing AI helps the blind community better their lives with technology. He talked about technology as an equaliser, and I could not agree more. When it comes to D&I, it’s not just about ensuring we have a diverse workforce, but also about creating technology that embraces and supports our diverse community, so being diverse ourselves is just a first step in that journey.

Having to manage such culturally diverse teams, does it affect your management style?

Microsoft’s vision is to empower every person and organisation to achieve more, and having a diverse workforce allows us to better understand the community that we serve. With diversity, you will have fewer silos and more views and ideas to help you better create and innovate. Having diverse and inclusive teams also means that people’s voices are heard, and cultures are respected, allowing everyone to bring their A-game to work.

At the Singapore FinTech festival two years ago, our keynote speaker, who was visually impaired, was on stage talking about how Seeing AI helps the blind community better their lives with technology. He talked about technology as an equaliser, and I could not agree more. When it comes to D&I, it’s not just about ensuring we have a diverse workforce, but also about creating technology that embraces and supports our diverse community, so being diverse ourselves is just a first step in that journey.

Having to manage such culturally diverse teams, does it affect your management style?

Because I work with all types of people, I always ensure I have an open mind and visualise each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and embrace that. It is also important to have an understanding that different cultures value things differently. For example, in Asia, we have a more relationship-based culture that values respect and seniority. Therefore, when it comes to making decisions or deciding who to approach, all these factors need to be considered. At the same time, we need to make sure we’re all collaborating, that we have our priorities and objectives aligned so everyone can work in harmony and not be in conflict.

Because I work with all types of people, I always ensure I have an open mind and visualise each individual’s strengths and weaknesses and embrace that. It is also important to have an understanding that different cultures value things differently. For example, in Asia, we have a more relationship-based culture that values respect and seniority. Therefore, when it comes to making decisions or deciding who to approach, all these factors need to be considered. At the same time, we need to make sure we’re all collaborating, that we have our priorities and objectives aligned so everyone can work in harmony and not be in conflict.

–

Do you think the new way of working (remote working) opened up any new challenges?

Yes and no. Remote working in a way facilitates interaction because it puts everyone on an equal, virtual playing field, where most new challenges can be addressed using different technology tools. For example, it might be challenging to find a spot to speak when you have 10+ people in a Teams meeting but having the “raise hand” button allows people to speak without having to fight for the spot.

Of course, working remotely also removes the physical interaction element, which is why we need to be mindful about connecting more often. Personally, I have adjusted my monthly meetings to bi-weekly, each with a slightly shorter time. The increased frequency is going to help bridge the physical gap.

Do you have any advice in maintaining a work-life balance while working from home?

Yes and no. Remote working in a way facilitates interaction because it puts everyone on an equal, virtual playing field, where most new challenges can be addressed using different technology tools. For example, it might be challenging to find a spot to speak when you have 10+ people in a Teams meeting but having the “raise hand” button allows people to speak without having to fight for the spot.

Of course, working remotely also removes the physical interaction element, which is why we need to be mindful about connecting more often. Personally, I have adjusted my monthly meetings to bi-weekly, each with a slightly shorter time. The increased frequency is going to help bridge the physical gap.

Do you have any advice in maintaining a work-life balance while working from home?

Rather than work-life balance, to me, it has been more about having a balanced life. It starts with our mindset - having clear priorities and staying focused on what’s important. I have two kids and a demanding job, so I know I’d need help. No one is perfect and we all have our limitations, so it’s important to know what we can do and what we can’t and ask for help. I’ve been working remotely even before COVID because of my long hours, so this is not a particularly huge change for me.

What’s changed is that I am no longer the only one working from home, as my daughters are also working from home. That’s something a lot of us go through, so what we can do is to control what we can and leave the rest. For example, I converted my rooftop from a storeroom into a study room and bought an extra WIFI to ensure coverage in every corner of the house. On the other hand, my daughters have regular lunch breaks from school, but I don’t as my lunch time is dependent on my schedule of the day. We don’t always get to have lunch together and that’s alright, we just have to work out that balance.

There was one time where I worked 17 hours non-stop in a day, which made me realise that it wasn’t working. After a moment of self-reflection, I decided to take some time off. So while I was at home, I avoided taking any calls or responding to emails. A lot of people think that because you are working from home you don’t have to take time off since you can’t go anywhere, but it is important to take some breaks. I also look at my work analytics (another Microsoft tool) which tells me how much downtime I have each week. Taking care of our own mental health is something we need to be doing constantly.

Rather than work-life balance, to me, it has been more about having a balanced life. It starts with our mindset - having clear priorities and staying focused on what’s important. I have two kids and a demanding job, so I know I’d need help. No one is perfect and we all have our limitations, so it’s important to know what we can do and what we can’t and ask for help. I’ve been working remotely even before COVID because of my long hours, so this is not a particularly huge change for me.

What’s changed is that I am no longer the only one working from home, as my daughters are also working from home. That’s something a lot of us go through, so what we can do is to control what we can and leave the rest. For example, I converted my rooftop from a storeroom into a study room and bought an extra WIFI to ensure coverage in every corner of the house. On the other hand, my daughters have regular lunch breaks from school, but I don’t as my lunch time is dependent on my schedule of the day. We don’t always get to have lunch together and that’s alright, we just have to work out that balance.

There was one time where I worked 17 hours non-stop in a day, which made me realise that it wasn’t working. After a moment of self-reflection, I decided to take some time off. So while I was at home, I avoided taking any calls or responding to emails. A lot of people think that because you are working from home you don’t have to take time off since you can’t go anywhere, but it is important to take some breaks. I also look at my work analytics (another Microsoft tool) which tells me how much downtime I have each week. Taking care of our own mental health is something we need to be doing constantly.

–

Do you have any particular advice for young women looking to make a career in your industry?

Don’t be afraid to change the status quo, challenge yourself and live outside your comfort zone. If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t know what you are capable of. Choose a job that you are passionate about, work hard, and always give your best. Leave behind the things you cannot control, and you’ll find your life’s balance.

It’s also important to look up to good leaders and learn from them. Make sure to network and associate yourself with people who can give you good advice and positive energy. Join a company that matches with your vision would allow you to grow and be exposed to diversity – this will expand your network and help you learn from your peers. Lastly, constantly self-reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and stay focused.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Don’t be afraid to change the status quo, challenge yourself and live outside your comfort zone. If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t know what you are capable of. Choose a job that you are passionate about, work hard, and always give your best. Leave behind the things you cannot control, and you’ll find your life’s balance.

It’s also important to look up to good leaders and learn from them. Make sure to network and associate yourself with people who can give you good advice and positive energy. Join a company that matches with your vision would allow you to grow and be exposed to diversity – this will expand your network and help you learn from your peers. Lastly, constantly self-reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and stay focused.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

We have always said “disrupt or be disrupted” – we weren’t expecting this level of disruption!

wow@shazamme.com (Default Author) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 08:38:51 GMT

How do you lead your people with integrity through a crisis?

“Disrupt or be disrupted” is a common refrain at Hydrogen Group, but I don’t think any of us were quite ready for the events of 2020. From the financial crash of 2008 to the plummeting of oil and gas prices in 2014, I thought we’d weathered just about every kind of storm we could!

The first few months of the pandemic were a blur of risk assessment, Microsoft Teams calls, and serious conversations. Now, as we appear to be falling into a new way of life, I have a little more time to ruminate on everything we’ve learned – and am keen to speak to others in the industry about their experiences. Here I am interviewed by LinkedIn’s Adam Hawkins around what we did at Hydrogen Group, what we’ve learned, and where we’re going next.

To start, can you share a brief overview of your business and some of your priorities?

We’re a global business, with thirteen offices around the world - across Europe, Asia, Australia, and our youngest in the US. We specialise in niches where there’s an imbalance in supply and demand, where we think we can really make a difference. At the start, our strategy was to target newly-qualified accountants, letting our clients know we had top talent available. Very quickly, we became a top three supplier in that market, which led to other professional services like legal and business transformation – particularly tech. We grew quickly – after the financial crash hit in 2008, we moved into different markets like oil and gas and life sciences – our biggest growth area globally, and particularly interesting in light of the pandemic.

You were leading the business during the last financial crisis, but the global pandemic is a different challenge. As CEO, how have you dealt with that?

There are parallels, but it’s also quite different. Our conversion ratios haven’t changed much, whereas in the financial crash we had to do twice as much work to get the same number of placements. To be practical, you have to focus on what you can change and influence, and ensure you’re communicating with your people. At the start of the pandemic, we quickly came up with three core principles:

Keep as many roles as possible.
Make decisions that would help the business to bounce back in a strong position.
Act as fairly and humanely as possible in all of our dealings – both internally and with our contractor population.

Reputation matters; people will judge us on the decisions made at times like these. These principles allowed us to get our heads around what we were doing and why we were doing it.

Many CEOs I’ve spoken to say the strength of their culture and the ability to communicate actively has carried them through. Has your culture helped or hindered you?

Our culture has become stronger because our people have rallied around and supported each other. Through regular CEO updates, our previously regional business has started to feel much more global. Before the pandemic, we ran a trial initiative in Europe called ‘I Own My Time’, allowing people to manage their hours and work when they wanted to – a very different story to when I first got into recruitment! It was met with some scepticism from managers, but having more transparency, freedom, and accountability had a big impact.

The principle of people ‘owning their time’ is about trust and empowerment. Many companies are fearful that their culture is built on presenteeism; it’s ironic now that people are seeing each other less but feel more connected. What do you think your business will look like moving forward in terms of how people will be working?

It’s interesting, when I came into the office for the first-time after lockdown I felt really re-energised from doing something different and seeing people – I think we need a balance of the two. Most people in this industry thrive on being around others, so it’s about catering to that as well. There were years where we judged ourselves for how many people were in the office. Now it’s about what we’re achieving and doing for our clients and candidates, and how they rate their experience of working with us through our Net Promoter Score.

One of the first things you said was about conversion so I’m going to assume you’re a leader that likes metrics and detail?

My background many years ago is in accounting, but the magic in recruitment is when you get the people side right and the metrics right. Most businesses want to be one or the other, but we want to be both and that’s our challenge. I use the analogy of going to the gym – you want to set yourself goals and targets for what you want to achieve, and your manager is there to tell you what you need to do to get there.

From what you’ve seen on the metric side, what’s your feeling on whether recruiters can perform from home – are they productive?

The evidence we’ve got so far is that people can be productive if you have the right conversations and the right information. We found it easier to have the right information by having people working from home showing what they’re doing; it has helped them understand their own pipeline a lot better – what’s important and what’s not. There’s no doubt that some people have been more productive and more focused – whether it continues post-lockdown will be interesting. Ultimately, you can set your own level of success and achievement and learn about yourself during this crisis.

Do you think businesses need to become more data literate and tech-savvy in order to track performance?

Definitely. We’ve spent time and money over the last year trying to get better at it. Obviously, it starts with capturing data effectively and we try to learn from what’s around us – LinkedIn for example! Ours is pretty good compared to others, but we’re just at the start of what we will see over the next five to ten years in terms of what data will do for people.

Changing focus now, recent events have triggered everyone – individually and as a business – to reflect on diversity, inclusion and belonging. How’s that been for you and your business?

We know that if we aren’t careful in these moments, our voice won’t be powerful. But with different issues and different legal and political frameworks in many of the countries in which we operate, saying something powerful and thoughtful becomes complicated. We have run campaigns around the world on different areas of diversity over the last few years and what I’ve learnt is that talking about it and providing resources so others can learn is the most sensible thing. It’s raised our awareness and I do see us as being on the frontline of the diversity and selection challenge. For our clients, they really care about their diversity so to do a good job for them is really important. Now we’re thinking about what we can do over the next few years that’s tangible and measurable, something that will really make a difference rather than a quick response.

It’s refreshing to hear you have focused on these important conversations. As a business, you can’t begin to positively impact diversity, inclusion and belonging until it becomes an open and transparent subject.

You’re right, and actually we did a call across Europe and the US to discuss how it’s treated differently – the best thing is that we were all talking about it, the organisation has normalised talking about it and I underestimated the importance of that, particularly in the States.

The recruitment industry is still challenged with women in leadership; this is my ninth executive interview and we’ve only had one woman so far. How does the industry look to change that?

We have developed a lot of senior women over the years, but we still have a long way to go. Is it about the equality of opportunity or the equality of outcome? Why have we ended up with an outcome where we’ve got more male leaders? We’re still challenging ourselves heavily on that. As an industry, I’m surprised we haven’t progressed more by now. Paternity leave, shared parental leave, and these things help but it still feels like there’s a long way to go. To get to the next level, we want different people with different views, experiences, behaviours and skills. Decision making is so much more powerful when it is based on a wider range of views.

Finally, Ian, what’s been your biggest takeaway going through this economic shock and how will your business look as a result of that?

It just speeds up change, doesn’t it? Our last business plan went up to 2022, entitled ‘Disrupt or be disrupted’ – although we didn’t expect this level of disruption! It’s forced us to really consider what’s important and where we’re going next. Although it’s really unpleasant, so many of us will learn and develop from this – it’s an unbelievable experience to live through. As a business, it’s made us realise it is even more important to be agile. We know now that certainty doesn’t exist, and the world isn’t going to stand still for you. Keep learning, keep developing and be honest about where you are so you can move yourself forward.

Do you share my view on the importance of data literacy in organisations? Are we progressing fast enough on diversity within our industry? What comes next?

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Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Hanane Sabri

Mon, 14 Sep 2020 05:52:00 GMT

Hanane Sabri is an experienced Marketing Director, with strong capabilities and managerial skills in omni-channel strategies, Digital Marketing, Sports and Fashion events, Finance and market analysis.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

As a former international runner competing for the French national team in 1500m & 800m, I would say that racing for excellence is definitely the most important factor in my professional career - I am always determined to reach my goals and try to push my limits at work. Why? Because making achievements brings me happiness, pride and satisfaction. Just like every athlete, we need to strive to be the best in anything that we do; whether it is through day-to-day training, diet, watching old races to understand our competitors' strategy or exchanging tactics with your coach and teammates. Sports and work are quite similar to me, so I like to think that through hard work, resilience and perseverance, we can reach peak performance in any job function.

When I first started working in Finance, which was actually my education (with 2 masters in Finance/Banking), my determination, curiosity and pursuit of excellence allowed me to better understand consumer insights and needs. This is how my interest in Marketing started.

Today, I am proud and honoured to be the APAC Marketing Director for Kipling VF. It means a lot to me as this is definitely the fruit of my constant search for excellence. It also means that nothing is impossible if we really want it and work hard for it.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

With my Sports background, I always set up rules in things that I do, which is a great habit. The workplace is like a giant game with specific rules within your field or industry function, whether it is Fashion, Medical, Politics or Sports. If you set up rules based on your observations, management profile and consumer or audience insights, it will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of my personal rules with you.

My first advice is to always take the time to set up clear goals and have a vision in mind of what the end result would be, that way you can convince your audience to adopt your strategy and follow your leadership as well. Secondly, I recommend establishing your work ethic and having a work-hard mindset. This won’t be easy, but no one has ever succeeded without showing these two values. When we look at female politicians like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (the first female president elected in Africa), Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile) or Sonia Gandhi (President of Indian National Congress), and businesswomen like Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook), Indra Nooyi (CEO Pepsi), Oprah Winfrey (TV producer) or Robin Roberts (my favourite broadcaster), one thing they all share is that they are all exceptional hard-workers. They all have an outstanding sense of ethics, which undoubtedly led to their success, so following these women has inspired me to do the same.

My second advice would be to try and be consistent in what you say and do. Discipline your way of working from the beginning of your career to set an example to your (future) teams through your actions and words. I would also suggest to my mentees to be on the continuous pursuit of new skills and knowledge. I personally read a lot, especially around things happening in the world (Economics, Sports, Politics, fashion trends, sustainability, etc.) Being curious and informed on what is happening in the world will give you a better ability in listening to those around you, in turn giving you an advantage during discussions, whether it’s at work or outside of the workplace. And finally, it’s also important to have a “never give up” attitude, to push your limits and have a clear purpose in your life. At the end of the day, work remains work and we all die eventually no matter who we are, so we might as well try to leave something positive and useful behind for the future generations.

Do you have any advice for working Moms on how to progress and succeed?

This is quite tricky and I am not sure I am the best person to give advice on this, but I am happy to share my own experience. I divorced my ex-husband 10 years ago, as I was not able to be both a leader and a mom. Why? Because I put work as my priority at the early stage, and I was wrong. Eventually, I learnt that balance is key to being a good mom and business leader. To find the balance should be our first goal in everything in life. My husband today is this balance, and everything is about the moment and knowing when to say stop and put the phone down and have a real moment with your beloved to recharge your batteries and be an even better leader. I think I am still growing and learning every day through my family and this amazing new professional experience in VF corporation. Be willing to acknowledge and learn, this would be my advice. As a believer, I am blessed to have been given a second chance to try again to get that balance. It is a tough job, but it is also powerful and insightful. This is why I believe in women, particularly strong mothers, who don’t feel guilty each time we don’t drive our kids to school and activities because we need to deal with an important and strategic meeting; it is up to us to find the balance that makes us and those around us happy because we love them.

Having worked in many different markets (France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Morocco, Spain), have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and how did it affect your management style?

As a former international runner competing for the French national team in 1500m & 800m, I would say that racing for excellence is definitely the most important factor in my professional career - I am always determined to reach my goals and try to push my limits at work. Why? Because making achievements brings me happiness, pride and satisfaction. Just like every athlete, we need to strive to be the best in anything that we do; whether it is through day-to-day training, diet, watching old races to understand our competitors' strategy or exchanging tactics with your coach and teammates. Sports and work are quite similar to me, so I like to think that through hard work, resilience and perseverance, we can reach peak performance in any job function.

When I first started working in Finance, which was actually my education (with 2 masters in Finance/Banking), my determination, curiosity and pursuit of excellence allowed me to better understand consumer insights and needs. This is how my interest in Marketing started.

Today, I am proud and honoured to be the APAC Marketing Director for Kipling VF. It means a lot to me as this is definitely the fruit of my constant search for excellence. It also means that nothing is impossible if we really want it and work hard for it.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

With my Sports background, I always set up rules in things that I do, which is a great habit. The workplace is like a giant game with specific rules within your field or industry function, whether it is Fashion, Medical, Politics or Sports. If you set up rules based on your observations, management profile and consumer or audience insights, it will go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. I’d like to take this opportunity to share some of my personal rules with you.

My first advice is to always take the time to set up clear goals and have a vision in mind of what the end result would be, that way you can convince your audience to adopt your strategy and follow your leadership as well. Secondly, I recommend establishing your work ethic and having a work-hard mindset. This won’t be easy, but no one has ever succeeded without showing these two values. When we look at female politicians like Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (the first female president elected in Africa), Michelle Bachelet (President of Chile) or Sonia Gandhi (President of Indian National Congress), and businesswomen like Sheryl Sandberg (COO Facebook), Indra Nooyi (CEO Pepsi), Oprah Winfrey (TV producer) or Robin Roberts (my favourite broadcaster), one thing they all share is that they are all exceptional hard-workers. They all have an outstanding sense of ethics, which undoubtedly led to their success, so following these women has inspired me to do the same.

My second advice would be to try and be consistent in what you say and do. Discipline your way of working from the beginning of your career to set an example to your (future) teams through your actions and words. I would also suggest to my mentees to be on the continuous pursuit of new skills and knowledge. I personally read a lot, especially around things happening in the world (Economics, Sports, Politics, fashion trends, sustainability, etc.) Being curious and informed on what is happening in the world will give you a better ability in listening to those around you, in turn giving you an advantage during discussions, whether it’s at work or outside of the workplace. And finally, it’s also important to have a “never give up” attitude, to push your limits and have a clear purpose in your life. At the end of the day, work remains work and we all die eventually no matter who we are, so we might as well try to leave something positive and useful behind for the future generations.

Do you have any advice for working Moms on how to progress and succeed?

This is quite tricky and I am not sure I am the best person to give advice on this, but I am happy to share my own experience. I divorced my ex-husband 10 years ago, as I was not able to be both a leader and a mom. Why? Because I put work as my priority at the early stage, and I was wrong. Eventually, I learnt that balance is key to being a good mom and business leader. To find the balance should be our first goal in everything in life. My husband today is this balance, and everything is about the moment and knowing when to say stop and put the phone down and have a real moment with your beloved to recharge your batteries and be an even better leader. I think I am still growing and learning every day through my family and this amazing new professional experience in VF corporation. Be willing to acknowledge and learn, this would be my advice. As a believer, I am blessed to have been given a second chance to try again to get that balance. It is a tough job, but it is also powerful and insightful. This is why I believe in women, particularly strong mothers, who don’t feel guilty each time we don’t drive our kids to school and activities because we need to deal with an important and strategic meeting; it is up to us to find the balance that makes us and those around us happy because we love them.

Having worked in many different markets (France, Germany, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Greece, Morocco, Spain), have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and how did it affect your management style?

Looking at my own background, which is a North African from Morocco with my dad being a Bedouin Berber and my mum a modern Muslim lady from Casablanca, I can assure you that cultural differences have affected me since the very beginning of my life.

I learnt to adapt to my parents' cultural differences and habits from a young age. My dad’s family, or the Berber community, have their own dialect, are very resourceful, great hosts, down to earth, humble, and discrete. Whereas my mum’s family is more modern, extravagant, loud and opinion-minded. If we add that on top of the fact that I was born in a small town in the north of France, that would give you an idea of how navigating through cultural differences has been a part of my life. I always believe that as humans we are born to adapt to our environment and that nothing should stop us adjusting ourselves and being self-aware of our history and that of others. I do have to say, I am lucky because my parents educated me with profound values such as respect and empathy. They instructed me that adapting and having people agility will be key elements to acceptance and trust.

Looking back at my professional career, one of the most insightful and inspirational experience I had working at adidas was to work in the Sport Marketing department. I was in charge of 300 athletes, a diverse group with different origins, religions, skin colours, genders and 26 French Olympic federations. I had to travel the world to support adidas athletes during their European/world championships and the Olympic Games. What I learnt through this amazing job is that culture, beliefs and traditions matter and we need to take the time to understand them, respect them and adapt.

When I first came to VF Corporation to work as the APAC Marketing Director at Kipling, I was directly handling 16 different markets including China, Korea and Japan, and the culture and behaviour of my team members and consumers from each location were totally different. To build up a local team and know a foreign market, you need to show full respect and trust. As a leader, it is important to acknowledge the cultural differences and habits, and have a consistent agile attitude and behaviour in order to effectively handle cultural diversity.

Looking at my own background, which is a North African from Morocco with my dad being a Bedouin Berber and my mum a modern Muslim lady from Casablanca, I can assure you that cultural differences have affected me since the very beginning of my life.

I learnt to adapt to my parents' cultural differences and habits from a young age. My dad’s family, or the Berber community, have their own dialect, are very resourceful, great hosts, down to earth, humble, and discrete. Whereas my mum’s family is more modern, extravagant, loud and opinion-minded. If we add that on top of the fact that I was born in a small town in the north of France, that would give you an idea of how navigating through cultural differences has been a part of my life. I always believe that as humans we are born to adapt to our environment and that nothing should stop us adjusting ourselves and being self-aware of our history and that of others. I do have to say, I am lucky because my parents educated me with profound values such as respect and empathy. They instructed me that adapting and having people agility will be key elements to acceptance and trust.

Looking back at my professional career, one of the most insightful and inspirational experience I had working at adidas was to work in the Sport Marketing department. I was in charge of 300 athletes, a diverse group with different origins, religions, skin colours, genders and 26 French Olympic federations. I had to travel the world to support adidas athletes during their European/world championships and the Olympic Games. What I learnt through this amazing job is that culture, beliefs and traditions matter and we need to take the time to understand them, respect them and adapt.

When I first came to VF Corporation to work as the APAC Marketing Director at Kipling, I was directly handling 16 different markets including China, Korea and Japan, and the culture and behaviour of my team members and consumers from each location were totally different. To build up a local team and know a foreign market, you need to show full respect and trust. As a leader, it is important to acknowledge the cultural differences and habits, and have a consistent agile attitude and behaviour in order to effectively handle cultural diversity.

Do you have any advice for young women who are looking to go down the same career path as you?

Before I start any new opportunity, I always prepare myself by reading the available financial information, product offering, strategy and brand positioning of the company I will be joining. In the first 3 months, I won’t take on any strategic or structural decision making but instead put myself on observation mode, listening to the key players and focusing on understanding the challenges of the business. Besides, I will also search for information around the values and culture of the company before I say “Yes” to a new opportunity, so I can make sure it is in line with what I stand for and that it would be a good cultural fit.

To better illustrate my point, I love sports and I like working for sports/ lifestyle/fashion brands. Why? Because it goes well with my values and I know I would be committed to my role with great job satisfaction. Life is short, so it makes sense to work for a company that we feel we can belong to, one that shares the same values and stands for the rights that you believe in. Therefore it is important to make sure that you find somewhere you would be happy to work at. Every day, when I wake up, I am happy to be part of the Kipling Team and VF corporation, I cohere with my company guidance principles and I relay our values to my team and try to build team spirit and create a safe workplace.

Another advice would be to always believe in yourself and listen to your female instincts. As I said earlier, if you set up clear goals, if you are ready to take risks, if you are agile, if you work hard and if you listen to your heart, you will have all the tools you need to become a great leader in any field or industry. One important thing to remind ourselves is that emotions is always going to be a constant in the fast-moving world. So, always aim to build an emotional connection with your consumers, this is how we win their interest, consideration and ultimately, loyalty.

Lastly, make sure to match your marketing strategy with the actual situation of your company, so you can build credibility in your new role. To do so, a good marketing leader needs to plan marketing actions in order to engage, whether it is with your boss, teammates or customers. When you start in a new role, it is also important to have “early win projects” that will give you confidence and build trust with your team and your top management. As a woman, it is crucial to get these early wins as you are stepping up in a management role, as people around us will be always tougher, more judgmental, exigent and results-driven when this is a woman who leads. That is why I believe that engagement is the main goal we all need to aim for, which will in turn reflect your capabilities to answer to a real demand.

No matter what you want to achieve in life, you need to write your own story. Have a clear vision and goals in your career and achieve it step by step through hard work, principles and agility, and always be kind to yourself because it takes time and it is normal.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here.

Do you have any advice for young women who are looking to go down the same career path as you?

Before I start any new opportunity, I always prepare myself by reading the available financial information, product offering, strategy and brand positioning of the company I will be joining. In the first 3 months, I won’t take on any strategic or structural decision making but instead put myself on observation mode, listening to the key players and focusing on understanding the challenges of the business. Besides, I will also search for information around the values and culture of the company before I say “Yes” to a new opportunity, so I can make sure it is in line with what I stand for and that it would be a good cultural fit.

To better illustrate my point, I love sports and I like working for sports/ lifestyle/fashion brands. Why? Because it goes well with my values and I know I would be committed to my role with great job satisfaction. Life is short, so it makes sense to work for a company that we feel we can belong to, one that shares the same values and stands for the rights that you believe in. Therefore it is important to make sure that you find somewhere you would be happy to work at. Every day, when I wake up, I am happy to be part of the Kipling Team and VF corporation, I cohere with my company guidance principles and I relay our values to my team and try to build team spirit and create a safe workplace.

Another advice would be to always believe in yourself and listen to your female instincts. As I said earlier, if you set up clear goals, if you are ready to take risks, if you are agile, if you work hard and if you listen to your heart, you will have all the tools you need to become a great leader in any field or industry. One important thing to remind ourselves is that emotions is always going to be a constant in the fast-moving world. So, always aim to build an emotional connection with your consumers, this is how we win their interest, consideration and ultimately, loyalty.

Lastly, make sure to match your marketing strategy with the actual situation of your company, so you can build credibility in your new role. To do so, a good marketing leader needs to plan marketing actions in order to engage, whether it is with your boss, teammates or customers. When you start in a new role, it is also important to have “early win projects” that will give you confidence and build trust with your team and your top management. As a woman, it is crucial to get these early wins as you are stepping up in a management role, as people around us will be always tougher, more judgmental, exigent and results-driven when this is a woman who leads. That is why I believe that engagement is the main goal we all need to aim for, which will in turn reflect your capabilities to answer to a real demand.

No matter what you want to achieve in life, you need to write your own story. Have a clear vision and goals in your career and achieve it step by step through hard work, principles and agility, and always be kind to yourself because it takes time and it is normal.

For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Renee Lo

Thu, 27 Aug 2020 05:54:00 GMT

Renee Lo is a General Manager of Data and AI at Microsoft. She thrives on optimizing products, businesses and experiences to maximize impact on the end-users, partners and the bottom line. She is also a true believer in providing equal opportunities within her team.

Let us begin this interview by an introduction – can you tell me about your current role?

I am currently a General Manager covering Data and AI for Asia. My team of specialists sits anywhere between India and Australia; focusing on applications of data and AI for digital transformation at Microsoft’s most strategic customers. Every day holds a different challenge, that’s a part of the excitement and appeal of the role.

Can you share with me your path and your influences growing up?

I was born and raised in a middle-class, traditional Chinese family in Canada. Simply put, my parents love me to death, but are unable to allow themselves to be proud of me. While I struggled without parental validation, I was blessed with others that helped me find balance. Specifically, two people really influenced me.

First was my maternal grandmother who moved to Canada to take care of me. She’s a tiny lady, just under 5 feet, but a real force to be reckoned with. In her eyes, everything I did was amazing. She believed, and as a result, I believed that I could do anything with hard work. When I messed up, she pretended she didn’t see it. When I excelled, she shared it with the world. She created a space where it was safe to succeed and where we could be proud of my achievements.

Later, I attended a high school with an electronics department. My electronics teacher, Mr Gilbert, introduced me to a world where the boundaries between the physical and digital blurred. I spent four years with him where I learnt to build circuit boards, code in Hex and assembly, and got started in ham radio; even building antennas on the school roof. He used to open the classroom at 6 am so I could compete, across time zones, in international ham radio contests! He gave me the skillset and tools to unleash my creative energy. By the time I left high school, I was designing, building, and programming my own robots and machines. Imagine the advantage I walked into college with.

There are people in our lives that believe in us and that’s a huge part of how I got to where I am today. The ability to continuously belief that I can stretch and grow – unless it breaks the law of physics, it is, by definition, possible. Not easy. Not simple. But possible.

For Mr Gilbert, what do you think made him such a big influence on you? Was it his positive reinforcement or much rather the opportunities he provided?

His positive reinforcement came in the form of action. Because he believed in me, he created opportunities for me to grow. When we didn’t have the right equipment, he would go out of his way to secure the funding and make that happen. Of course, he did this for other students as well, but it meant a lot to me.

When you began your career in Technology, did you have any concerns that being a female might make things more challenging for you?

It was not something I was aware of in the beginning. I was blessed to have gone through school where it was purely merit-based. Early in my career, I also worked for managers that, I would say, are gender blind. As opposed to looking at my gender or work style, they looked at my final business impact. The beginning of my career was smooth because there were individuals that made it smooth.

As my career progressed, I realised that I hit the jackpot in the beginning. It was not the same for others. The more I hear from others, the more I learn about their struggles. Having those struggles early on in your career can really change your perspective on the industry. One of my goals, in my current position, is to create an environment that supports diversity: both in thought and working styles. I want to create a place where it’s ok to bring your full self and your best self to work.

Have you encountered any specific challenges because of your gender? How did you overcome them?

I would say unconscious bias. Let me give you an example of a business trip to Japan many years ago. I was the sole female in the group, and I found myself assigned seating at the back of the meeting room to take notes. While I was still confused, one of my male colleagues explained that not only was I the most senior in the group, I was also presenting and could not access the projector from my position. The other party apologised profusely and called a recess to reorganise the seating plan.

There are two things that I learned from this situation. Firstly, if my colleague did not speak up, I would eventually overcome my shock and would’ve said something myself. Having confidence in yourself to speak up at the right time is a powerful thing. Secondly, it’s important to accept and appreciate others’ help. You’re not alone, and fighting as a one person army is exhausting. Gender bias is an issue that women and men are addressing today. Allow others to participate.

Have you found any major differences between working in North America compared to Asia?

One thing I’ve learnt is that there are too many cultures, intricacies, and history to classify Asia as a singular entity. North America is a lot more homogenous in language, media, education, and history. Once I stopped trying to classify Asia and began to sincerely learn about the challenges and opportunities here, I was able to be a lot more effective at my job. I walked in with my own biases on Asia, but I found that once you get past introductions, it really comes back to competency and trust; two pillars that are gender agnostic. Now, there are societal expectations and that is something that women need to break through. I’m glad that in most of the customers and industries I’ve worked with here, there are examples of local women who have moved into leadership positions. They serve as sources of encouragement, generously giving their time to inspire others.

Have you ever felt the need to put in extra efforts compared to your male competitors just to get recognition?

I did feel the need to over-compensate. The difference becomes more obvious during times like pregnancy when the fact that you are female is emphasised and opportunities are taken away without consultation. Because I was hit pretty hard during my first pregnancy, it is something I care deeply about and I want to ensure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. From an organisation perspective, there are measures that HR put in place to protect women during times such as pregnancy, but it’s still up to the leadership team to implement. It is critically important to recognise that whether a woman wants to take on more or less work due to her physical condition is her choice. Leaving that decision up to the woman is important.

What advice would you give to career-driven women who also want to build a family?

When it comes to investing in work or family, I view it as multiple work streams. These sometimes will conflict, so prioritisation is key. I have friends who regret not having kids early on in their career as they struggle with the lack of energy to keep up with their children. Others regret having kids early because they miss that hockey stick trajectory in their career. At the end of the day, starting a family has an impact on all aspects on the individual’s life – just like launching a new product will impact the whole organisation.

There will be trade-offs, but you need to decide and own what that trade-offs will be. When I made the decision to have children, I knew that my career will be affected. I am blessed with a husband who is supportive and can financially support our family. I had to decide “do I stay at home?”. After discussing with him, we realised that I would be a better mother if I had work as an outlet for my energy. As a result, at 6 months old, we placed our child into childcare so I can resume my career. Do I feel guilty for putting my child into childcare? For sure. Do I regret it? No.

This is not a trade-off that females need to make alone. I have made sacrifices and my husband has made sacrifices. He is an equal parent. Sometimes we only think about the female as we are the ones carrying the child, but I have been fortunate enough to have an equal partner who is a key part of the equation.

Having worked in two of the biggest tech companies in the world (Amazon and Microsoft), what has it been like for you in terms of culture and career progression?

I have seen people work 16 hours a day and I have seen others work six. We are all under pressure whether we are working for large or small organisations. The key is to prioritise what your career and success look to you. For me, I make it a priority to see my children in the evening and spend quality time with them. The balance, therefore, is very much driven by the individual. I have given up on jobs that would upset this balance.

Therefore, whether it be large companies or small companies, it is down to the individual and their style. I chose very large organisations because they are places where strong talent congregates. You can find the best of the best in some niche skills that you may not encounter elsewhere. I have learnt a ton on comms, financial modelling, and sales approaches. When I was at Microsoft, I never stayed put. I went from engineering to marketing, business strategy, ops, sales strategy, and partner-facing roles. I did everything because it was a perfect training ground. It was a fantastic learning experience.

When you go to an organisation like Amazon, it is different. Those that have the skillset are empowered to reimagine customer experiences and products, break all the boundaries, drive reform according to your vision, and run after it in a super agile manner. Agility is key.

I’ve always wanted to own a P&L and be a General Manager, so I need to have a certain level of understanding across the business. Therefore, it comes down to the individual taking control of what they want to do and ensuring they are in an environment that is supportive.

Within these companies, have you seen a change in the diversity or an effort to change the diversity structure within them?

Yes, there has been a focus on ensuring we have diversity, especially within the leadership teams because it drives the future of the organisation. If we want to serve the world, we must represent the world. We are careful about how we staff. Everyone has heard of the horrible term “diversity hire”, where individuals are hired based on certain attributes, but not necessarily their competency. That hurts even more, leading to possible reinforcement of biases while the individual is not actually set up to succeed.

Luckily, both companies have a strong brand and can attract all sorts of talent. What we need to do is to ensure we have diversity in the interview process, and then help the best candidate through an unbiased process.

What advice or ideas could you give business leaders reading this around promoting of females and diversity within their organisations?

From my experience, the most successful efforts are ones led by a grassroots group with executive support. These are the most sincere and honest, as opposed to ones led as a diversity or HR effort, which might come off a little forced and unnatural. Executives can show support by creating room for the grassroots conversations to take place, by showing up, giving talks and encouraging the business to support these groups as a definition of its culture as opposed to an afterthought.

The second thing is understanding the different working styles within the business. This certainly impacts a lot of women but also some other groups too. Women are often less vocal about their accomplishments. Therefore, when looking at individuals across the organisation, let’s not just focus on those who toot their own horn and have all the connections, which is probably part of their success, but also look at those who are a little quieter, who get the job done and develop success differently. We need to be balanced in the type of success stories shared.

Finally, is there anything else that you would like to add to this article?

When I look at Women in Tech, I would say the following 3 things:

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Nureen Shariff

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:56:00 GMT

Nureen Shariff is the Lead Counsel - Toll Global Forwarding at Toll Group. She is a strategic business partner with global experience in the logistics and FMCG industries.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I started my legal career in Canada, practising personal injury law. It wasn’t an area that particularly interested me, but it gave me opportunities to appear before courts and tribunals on my own, from which I learnt a lot about my own capabilities. I then landed my dream job at a leading environmental law firm in Toronto before my husband and I decided to move and start a new adventure in Singapore.

We moved to Singapore during the global recession, and I struggled to find work with my limited and niche experience. While searching for the right role, I decided not to sit idle. I used the time to obtain my legal qualifications in the UK and to pursue a Masters in Public Policy and Management through distance learning (which I guess you could call the precursor to today’s “home-schooling”).

I then landed a consulting position with Diageo, a multinational drinks company, which allowed me to gain the necessary experience under a UK qualified lawyer to complete my UK qualifications. I ended up staying with Diageo for another couple of years, supporting their regional Supply Chain division, before moving to FedEx. At FedEx, I started in a general commercial role but then transitioned to covering employment, litigation and compliance, allowing me to gain some really broad experience.

A couple of years ago, I was approached about my current role at Toll, leading the Legal team for the Global Forwarding business. The rest, as they say, is history.

What have been the biggest challenges over your career and did you ever feel that your gender played a part in those?

I have been fortunate in that I haven’t really found gender to be a challenge I have had to overcome in the course of my career.

Instead, the greatest challenge that I have had came from within. I am very introverted and often feel uncomfortable entering a room with more than a couple of people. Networking and other skills that one may need to be an effective in-house counsel just don’t come naturally to me. Over time, I have found ways to overcome this. I find that being authentic is one very effective way of dealing with this – authenticity helps me build meaningful relationships, which makes me more comfortable when speaking up. In turn, it helps me build credibility with my peers and stakeholders, so that I have no hesitation saying, “I don’t have an answer for you right now, but if you give me a couple of hours to think about it, I’ll get back to you with my thoughts” - they know I will.

How diverse is Toll Singapore, in terms of gender?

For Toll, and for me, diversity is a broader issue than that of gender. It’s about embracing the unique differences our world today has to offer and including them in what we do.

Toll, as an organisation, operates globally. We work in 50 countries and cater to a diverse customer base. As such, we need diverse leadership. Our executive leadership team is ethnically diverse and is based across Asia and Australia.

In terms of gender equality, 26% of our leaders across Toll are female. Toll’s own global graduate program has achieved gender parity.

In Singapore, across the various Toll businesses based here, we have approximately 30% female vs 70% male team members. In the ‘corporate/office’ roles, like Legal, HR or Finance, it tends to be roughly 50% vs 50%.

At Toll Global Forwarding, the division whose Legal team I lead, the overall percentage is higher at 54% female vs 46% male. We also have a number of female leaders in operations, which is very exciting and a trend we hope will continue.

Are there any gender diversity programmes in place in Toll?

Freight forwarding and logistics has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, and at Toll, we are working hard to change that. The numbers I spoke about are an improvement on previous years, but we acknowledge that there’s more work to be done. One of our greatest challenges has been attracting female candidates to logistics. Therefore, it is our long-term focus to improve our performance in this area. For this, we have partnered with organisations such as Deakin University to support programs which encourage females to pursue career paths in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Have you ever felt that gender has either positively or negatively impacted your progression?

No, I don’t feel that my gender has been a factor in my career progression. Instead, my career path has been about facing up to whatever situation I am in and pushing myself to go outside my comfort zone. Moving to Singapore with no job lined up and very little post qualification experience under my belt was always going to be a huge hurdle. I told my husband many times that we would have to go back home if nothing was to change in the next month. If I had chosen to stay in my comfort zone, that’s probably where we’d be right now. Instead, I chose to get qualified in the UK and re-brand as an in-house lawyer, which really felt like I was starting over. My current role also felt like a huge leap for me – not only was freight forwarding an industry I had no prior experience in, but I was also expected to lead a team and sit on the leadership team advising a global business! If I had chosen to stay within my comfort zone, I wouldn’t be where I am, in a role that I find truly fascinating and rewarding.

Having been exposed to different cultures and people, how has this affected your management style?

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work, study and live in a number of exciting places like Kenya, the Netherlands, Canada and now Singapore. These experiences have made me very sensitive to the differences between people and taught me to look carefully at what each person can bring to the table.

First and foremost, I look for diversity within my own team. For example, diversity in terms of personality, legal background (we have team members from the IT, commodities trading, banking industries) and language capabilities (between us we can communicate in around 12 - 13 languages). I think this really helps when working in a global business, where we support people of different backgrounds to work through complex legal requirements.

Secondly, I am a huge believer in collaboration. I often seek advice from my team members, and I encourage my team to do so too. Having come from different backgrounds, they may have dealt with something I haven’t yet and would be able to provide me with valuable insights.

Finally, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to management. I take the time to understand what makes each of my team members tick and where their comfort zones are so that I can try and create opportunities to help them shine without making them too uncomfortable.

Is there any advice you would give to working mums to help them succeed in their careers?

What have been the biggest challenges over your career and did you ever feel that your gender played a part in those?

I have been fortunate in that I haven’t really found gender to be a challenge I have had to overcome in the course of my career.

Instead, the greatest challenge that I have had came from within. I am very introverted and often feel uncomfortable entering a room with more than a couple of people. Networking and other skills that one may need to be an effective in-house counsel just don’t come naturally to me. Over time, I have found ways to overcome this. I find that being authentic is one very effective way of dealing with this – authenticity helps me build meaningful relationships, which makes me more comfortable when speaking up. In turn, it helps me build credibility with my peers and stakeholders, so that I have no hesitation saying, “I don’t have an answer for you right now, but if you give me a couple of hours to think about it, I’ll get back to you with my thoughts” - they know I will.

How diverse is Toll Singapore, in terms of gender?

For Toll, and for me, diversity is a broader issue than that of gender. It’s about embracing the unique differences our world today has to offer and including them in what we do.

Toll, as an organisation, operates globally. We work in 50 countries and cater to a diverse customer base. As such, we need diverse leadership. Our executive leadership team is ethnically diverse and is based across Asia and Australia.

In terms of gender equality, 26% of our leaders across Toll are female. Toll’s own global graduate program has achieved gender parity.

In Singapore, across the various Toll businesses based here, we have approximately 30% female vs 70% male team members. In the ‘corporate/office’ roles, like Legal, HR or Finance, it tends to be roughly 50% vs 50%.

At Toll Global Forwarding, the division whose Legal team I lead, the overall percentage is higher at 54% female vs 46% male. We also have a number of female leaders in operations, which is very exciting and a trend we hope will continue.

Are there any gender diversity programmes in place in Toll?

Freight forwarding and logistics has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, and at Toll, we are working hard to change that. The numbers I spoke about are an improvement on previous years, but we acknowledge that there’s more work to be done. One of our greatest challenges has been attracting female candidates to logistics. Therefore, it is our long-term focus to improve our performance in this area. For this, we have partnered with organisations such as Deakin University to support programs which encourage females to pursue career paths in traditionally male-dominated industries.

Have you ever felt that gender has either positively or negatively impacted your progression?

No, I don’t feel that my gender has been a factor in my career progression. Instead, my career path has been about facing up to whatever situation I am in and pushing myself to go outside my comfort zone. Moving to Singapore with no job lined up and very little post qualification experience under my belt was always going to be a huge hurdle. I told my husband many times that we would have to go back home if nothing was to change in the next month. If I had chosen to stay in my comfort zone, that’s probably where we’d be right now. Instead, I chose to get qualified in the UK and re-brand as an in-house lawyer, which really felt like I was starting over. My current role also felt like a huge leap for me – not only was freight forwarding an industry I had no prior experience in, but I was also expected to lead a team and sit on the leadership team advising a global business! If I had chosen to stay within my comfort zone, I wouldn’t be where I am, in a role that I find truly fascinating and rewarding.

Having been exposed to different cultures and people, how has this affected your management style?

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work, study and live in a number of exciting places like Kenya, the Netherlands, Canada and now Singapore. These experiences have made me very sensitive to the differences between people and taught me to look carefully at what each person can bring to the table.

First and foremost, I look for diversity within my own team. For example, diversity in terms of personality, legal background (we have team members from the IT, commodities trading, banking industries) and language capabilities (between us we can communicate in around 12 - 13 languages). I think this really helps when working in a global business, where we support people of different backgrounds to work through complex legal requirements.

Secondly, I am a huge believer in collaboration. I often seek advice from my team members, and I encourage my team to do so too. Having come from different backgrounds, they may have dealt with something I haven’t yet and would be able to provide me with valuable insights.

Finally, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to management. I take the time to understand what makes each of my team members tick and where their comfort zones are so that I can try and create opportunities to help them shine without making them too uncomfortable.

Is there any advice you would give to working mums to help them succeed in their careers?

Everyone’s situation is different, so there isn’t a ‘model answer’, but I’m happy to share what works for me.

We may not be able to spend as much time as we like with our kids, but we can make sure that we make up for the shortfall in hours with quality.

I like to talk to my kids about why Mummy works and use my experiences as learning opportunities for them. I like to teach them about time management and prioritisation, safety when travelling, how to use mindfulness techniques when you feel you can’t take anymore and also about the importance of people skills and using them effectively. The most important thing for me is teaching them about being present and ensuring that the time we do have together is quality time.

The other thing is appreciating the phrase “it takes a village”. We’ve talked about diversity and how different people have different things to offer, and it’s the same with children. They will learn different things and gain different insights from spending time with different people, whether that is the helper, another parent, grandparents or friends. It’s therefore okay, if not better, that they also spend time with the proverbial village.

Have you had any mentors during your career? How have they helped you in your career?

I had a couple of managers early on in my career who ultimately became like mentors to me, even though we never really formalised a mentor-mentee relationship. The first was my manager when I was in private practice. She taught me about perseverance – when I moved to Singapore and couldn’t catch a break, she encouraged and drove me to press on. She worked her network to try and help me, gave me pep talks when I was truly down and some tough love when I needed it. I am who I am in large part because she didn’t let me feel sorry for myself!

The second was a manager I had when I first moved in-house. She was, and remains, one of my greatest cheerleaders. Whenever I need to make a decision about my career, I’d go to her for advice because I know she’ll help me make a balanced decision. She also taught me about humility and how collaboration across all levels is key to success.

I have not had a mentor, in the strict sense of the word, since then. However, I am a big believer in constantly learning, whether that is through academia or on the job. I observe and try to learn from everyone that I work with, irrespective of their role – whether it is to identify a behaviour or characteristic that I admire and find effective and therefore want to emulate, or one that leaves much to be desired and want to ensure I avoid. I wouldn’t be the lawyer or leader that I am without the lessons I learnt from people I worked with along the way.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Embrace your uniqueness. Each of us has had a different journey, and that journey is what makes us stand out above the rest. I once had a very senior person tell me that my CV was not focused and that this would hold me back in my career. However, my varied background was my selling point for my current role – it showed that I’m adaptable, a quick learner, won’t give up easily and am up for a challenge. A unique background is in turn what I look for in my team too.

The other piece of advice is to take control of your destiny. You will get the unexpected curveball – a redundancy or being overlooked for a promotion, for example. Those are decisions that are outside your control, and as cliché as it sounds, what you can control is how you respond. You can let that affect your self-worth, or you can use it as fuel to get on to the next great thing.

Finally, there’s no place for negativity. Time spent dwelling on the negatives means time in inaction. Take a few minutes to see the learnings from the situation and then move on.

Everyone’s situation is different, so there isn’t a ‘model answer’, but I’m happy to share what works for me.

We may not be able to spend as much time as we like with our kids, but we can make sure that we make up for the shortfall in hours with quality.

I like to talk to my kids about why Mummy works and use my experiences as learning opportunities for them. I like to teach them about time management and prioritisation, safety when travelling, how to use mindfulness techniques when you feel you can’t take anymore and also about the importance of people skills and using them effectively. The most important thing for me is teaching them about being present and ensuring that the time we do have together is quality time.

The other thing is appreciating the phrase “it takes a village”. We’ve talked about diversity and how different people have different things to offer, and it’s the same with children. They will learn different things and gain different insights from spending time with different people, whether that is the helper, another parent, grandparents or friends. It’s therefore okay, if not better, that they also spend time with the proverbial village.

Have you had any mentors during your career? How have they helped you in your career?

I had a couple of managers early on in my career who ultimately became like mentors to me, even though we never really formalised a mentor-mentee relationship. The first was my manager when I was in private practice. She taught me about perseverance – when I moved to Singapore and couldn’t catch a break, she encouraged and drove me to press on. She worked her network to try and help me, gave me pep talks when I was truly down and some tough love when I needed it. I am who I am in large part because she didn’t let me feel sorry for myself!

The second was a manager I had when I first moved in-house. She was, and remains, one of my greatest cheerleaders. Whenever I need to make a decision about my career, I’d go to her for advice because I know she’ll help me make a balanced decision. She also taught me about humility and how collaboration across all levels is key to success.

I have not had a mentor, in the strict sense of the word, since then. However, I am a big believer in constantly learning, whether that is through academia or on the job. I observe and try to learn from everyone that I work with, irrespective of their role – whether it is to identify a behaviour or characteristic that I admire and find effective and therefore want to emulate, or one that leaves much to be desired and want to ensure I avoid. I wouldn’t be the lawyer or leader that I am without the lessons I learnt from people I worked with along the way.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Embrace your uniqueness. Each of us has had a different journey, and that journey is what makes us stand out above the rest. I once had a very senior person tell me that my CV was not focused and that this would hold me back in my career. However, my varied background was my selling point for my current role – it showed that I’m adaptable, a quick learner, won’t give up easily and am up for a challenge. A unique background is in turn what I look for in my team too.

The other piece of advice is to take control of your destiny. You will get the unexpected curveball – a redundancy or being overlooked for a promotion, for example. Those are decisions that are outside your control, and as cliché as it sounds, what you can control is how you respond. You can let that affect your self-worth, or you can use it as fuel to get on to the next great thing.

Finally, there’s no place for negativity. Time spent dwelling on the negatives means time in inaction. Take a few minutes to see the learnings from the situation and then move on.

Change or Die – A Recruiter’s Story

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 04:12:00 GMT

“Change or Die.” these words are often uttered in a business context and given such weight due to their deliberate provocative nature:

“Move with the demands of your customers and innovate your business, or you will become obsolete.”

Never have these words been truer than in the world we currently live in. As the world has been affected by COVID-19 and political unrest with the Black Lives Matter movement, changing or adapting is quite literally life or death for so many around the world. It’s time we acknowledged our shortcomings and champion new ways of elevating our society to make a better world.

We have a very tricky resurrection period ahead of us which needs to be managed by governments, companies and individuals alike to ensure we can maintain prosperity and continue to create opportunities for everyone to grow and achieve their ambitions.

Naturally most of usresistchange, it’s in our nature to feellossinstead of focusing onopportunity– the fear and survival instincts take over.

That’s why I want to share a brief summary of my experience when it comes to embracing change, and the process I went through to change the focus in my career to survive.

The Beginning

Given my eight years’ experience in the Insurance sector, it made sense to focus on this niche specialisation when I moved into recruitment. I could use my understanding of the products and my network to help my clients find the right technical skills and culture fit – bringing a depth of knowledge to create a competitive advantage.

This worked well and so I started to use my sales and relationship skills to build our Insurance niche from scratch (zero clients or candidates) to a team of five, focusing on marketing, change management, underwriting and actuarial.

We worked hard to build our networks and became a good competitor within the Insurance market. Having the Argyll Scott brand recognised by our clients as a brand with a strong insurance niche and by others in the industry as a competitor was a great achievement.

Overall, it took two to three years to achieve this feat, with of course a lot of help from my team. (Shout out to Kenneth, Hafsah, Jess, Canice and Sebastian!)

The Change Moment

After a few years, a number of my team moved on to try different avenues in their career and it afforded me the opportunity to look at what I saw as the future of the business/Singapore and really how my Insurance niche was aligned with this.

Firstly, I looked at our proposition from a candidate and client’s perspective – we had several functions and our core discipline was an industry. Is this really the best way to give candidates and clients the most choice?

This led us to study the market and refine our proposition to really focus on our strengths, which were primarily in the digital arena. (Think Mobile, Marketing, Customer Experience, CRM and Product.)

This was a tough switch, as it involved stopping hiring in some of the areas we had built and supported our clients on – however, it allowed us to focus and really deliver for them in other areas due to the depth in our niche and availability of options and market knowledge.

New Beginnings

Proposition is at the core of everything we do – our DNA – its where we start when looking at viable niches to build at Argyll Scott. Additionally, we look at three other “P’s” to define and shape our business:

Thinking in these terms has really helped give me clarity and take steps forward to improve the niche and proposition we are operating in. As expected, it’s not perfect and there are many challenges along the way! However, starting with this approach has helped me focus on moving forward instead of fearing the loss of what has been and to look at the art of the possible.

I hope this will help at least one person who is facing big changes, and as always if you need a fresh set of eyes or someone to bounce ideas with, please do reach out to me.

Celebrating 4 years: From an ex-lawyer to a Legal recruiter

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 05:57:00 GMT

Earlier this year, I celebrated my 4th anniversary working as a Legal recruitment specialist at Argyll Scott Singapore (part of Hydrogen Group). And looking back, it certainly has been a journey.

Unbeknownst to most, I began my career working as a lawyer in India, then Singapore. Back then, I was a trailing spouse with an infant, so I’ve had my fair share of “scrambling” days! Having said that, Singapore has been internationally recognised as a hub for legal services, which also offers a perfectly safe and progressive environment for women at work. As such, finding inspiration to pursue a legal career here was natural.

After a while, I started exploring alternative career options within the Legal industry, which is when the opportunity to work as a Legal recruiter at Hydrogen Group came along. Having developed my interpersonal skills and passion for people and their stories, it’s only natural to venture further into the “people industry”. Every candidate has a unique life story and career trajectory and being passionate about it has helped me better connect with each individual. Being an ex-lawyer also makes it easier to establish credibility with my clients as my knowledge of legal vocabulary enables me to easily understand requirements for different roles and identify the best-suited candidates for each one.

With that being said, just like any transitions, the early days presented a steep learning curve. For example, I could barely remember the candidates’ names, but my colleagues could easily recall candidates that would match the job description they just received. I was in awe. Luckily, with the guidance by industry veterans and tailored training sessions at Argyll Scott, along with persistence effort and patience, I’ve now mastered this unique skill!

My four years (and counting) with Argyll Scott has been nothing but wonderful, especially when it comes to its people and culture. While staying humble, we take great pride in our work and celebrate our people and their successes. It has been great working with like-minded people in an environment that is not heavily driven by KPIs but deliverables. I also enjoyed brainstorming on critical issues with team leads and colleagues to get their different perspectives that I’ve applied to day-to-day matters as well. For this, I must express my gratitude to Adam Solomons and Cassie Williams for bringing me on board and for Tom Swain for being such a great manager and mentor. I must also thank Argyll Scott for being a great platform that enables me to grow in my role, to serve the legal requirements of the business community in Singapore and to help lawyers find their dream roles.

While there have been many beautiful memories, there is one that is particularly touching. While interviewing a good candidate who was out of a job, he told me that he left his job to attend to his ailing father. His long working hours as a lawyer restricted him from taking care of his father, and hence, the decision to leave. Now that his father had recovered, the candidate wanted to be back in the industry. He was uncertain if he could find a good job and burst into tears while explaining his financial situation. Listening to him made me realise how much he valued his family and inspired me equally. Soon, he landed a good role and we’re still keeping in touch.

By telling my story, I would like to tell all the women, especially trailing spouses, “Do not give up!” Be flexible and don’t be scared to explore alternate career options. Go for supplementary courses, advance your skills and build a career out of it. Learn from examples, stay committed and stay inspired. When you are positive, good things will come your way.

If you would like to learn more about a career in recruitment, or a career in the legal industry, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. I’d be glad to share my advice and market insights.

Digital Disruption Series: Adam Wielowieyski

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 06:00:00 GMT

Adam Wielowieyski is the Head of Collaborative Intelligence & Analytics at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX). Adam leads HKEX’s data strategy and is responsible for data adoption and analytics, as well as managing the infrastructure, governance and data science teams.

Can you tell us about your career path to date?

I studied computer science for my degree, and while studying worked with a travel agency to build one of the first air travel booking websites in Europe. After graduation, I established a consulting company that specialised in transactional database systems, and entered the banking industry, first with Morgan Stanley, then with Goldman Sachs - where I was a quantitative strategist on the Credit desk.

I moved to Hong Kong in 2007 and since then have been involved in a number of ventures – I ran a Portuguese real estate fund, and saw an opportunity to adopt Blockchain technology to improve relationships among fund investors. I advised HKEX on a Blockchain initiative, and soon ended up staying full-time in HKEX’s Group Strategy team, looking at strategic initiatives and M&A.

Data has now become a key driver of the Group’s strategic objectives, and I established the Collaborative Intelligence and Analytics team last year to drive and execute the data strategy for the firm. This team spans across the business and technology functions and drives the infrastructure, management and adoption of data and statistical analysis for the Group.

What does HKEX do?

HKEX is Hong Kong's core market operator, running cash equity and derivatives exchanges and associated clearing houses.

We are regularly the No.1 venue for IPOs globally, and have more than 2,400 listed companies with a combined market capitalisation of HK$34 trillion.

We also created the world’s most unique cross-border mutual market scheme – the Stock Connect in 2014. It enables international investors and Mainland Chinese investors to trade securities in each other's markets through the trading and clearing facilities of their home exchange. The Connect scheme then expanded to bond markets with the launch of Bond Connect in 2017.

Apart from our operations in Asia, we also own the London Metal Exchange in the UK, the global centre for industrial metals trading.

How is your company utilising data and machine learning and what kind of problems are you solving?

In many ways, I think all companies are technology companies these days, and we're all data-driven. Ultimately, data is information, and information gives you competitive advantage.

We use data in lots of different ways: we use it internally to provide colour to our business initiatives, for instance enhancements to our market microstructure help us decide what we should do and how it will affect our clients. We save costs by using data to drive digitalisation, and we’re using artificial intelligence to help validate and categorise unstructured document submissions into machine-usable data.

We also use data as a value generator - we sell our historical and real-time market data and other datasets that can provide insight into the market. But we have to be very careful, and take privacy and security issues as our top considerations.

What is the hardest challenge you have faced in terms of data within Financial Services?

Ensuring privacy. Broad availability of data spurs market innovation, but we must balance our clients' privacy requirements and ensure we are fully comfortable that data about our market is being used in a legitimate way.

Data can reveal a lot without you even realising it. Even if you have data that doesn't contain any personally identifiable information, you could glean trading behaviour or understand someone's trading algorithm. One must be very careful about accidental or involuntary disclosure.

One of the hardest challenges is balancing that need for data openness with the requirement for privacy and security. It’s key to ensure that you understand and know where your data is coming from; who owns it exactly; what's in that data; and that the quality of the data is controlled. That gives you the confidence not just to be able to open the data for use internally, but also to trust it.

That level of data governance can't be easy.

It's difficult. One thing that most companies have historically had is data silos, and we were no different. However, now that we operate quite an integrated business and create so many different forms of data, good decision making is critical to ensuring that we can share and access data efficiently across silos.

As you expand data availability, you do face the challenge of getting staff to really think about their roles and responsibilities for their data, because otherwise, any value you generate from your data is quickly going to be overwhelmed by the risk you’ve added to your business.

Do you see technology being more accepted in Financial Services and Hong Kong in particular?

In the last couple of years, it's been heartening to see how much things have exploded in financial technology and innovation here. There was a concern that innovation in Hong Kong was falling behind. But that's certainly not true anymore. Technology is starting to become much more visible, particularly in the retail segment, where banks and brokerages are competing on their technology offerings. But where technology often has the most impact is where it’s invisible – the automation of the likes of settlement and allocation work that we do, for example.

At HKEX, we've also embraced technological innovation in a big way. We set up the Innovation Lab in 2018 to experiment with new and emerging technologies, and we’ve taken some big steps in adopting many of the ideas generated inside there, not just for us as a business, but to benefit our markets broadly.

Is data access in the cloud a big topic for financial services in Hong Kong in 2020?

The cloud has been one of the biggest topics for the last couple of years, and there's no question that for data it's going to be more important as time goes on.

The main concern is the balancing of your data security with the convenience of cloud infrastructure. In the last few years, many of the cloud services providers have started to look at data privacy, security and encryption key management as being critical business value drivers. This has made the use of public cloud storage not only possible but also cost-effective, and we have been adopting cloud for our data storage and analytics in a big way.

This comes with challenges – it takes time to build expertise in cloud systems and learn how to best leverage the multiple providers that are now available; but nowadays it’s no longer a question of whether to adopt cloud technology, but rather to what degree you are doing so.

Are you seeing a shift from businesses towards the cloud?

It depends on the company and what they do. To benefit, you really need to think about where utilising cloud technologies will best solve your business needs.

The services available evolve very quickly and platforms differ in many ways. One must build knowledge across cloud platforms, and that can hold many companies back from adopting cloud services.

Across finance, there are some companies that have adopted cloud for the bulk of their systems, but that is still the minority. However, I would say that most are now using the cloud in some way. Anyone with a dependency on data is certainly very likely to be using cloud for their research and development and model training arms, though I think we’re still a way from seeing cloud adoption for trading and execution.

What successes have you had with AI?

A lot of the quick wins that come from effective data usage actually bring a surprising amount of tangible benefit, like the elimination of manual processes.

For example, it used to require us huge amounts of effort to read through, check everything and log information of the regulatory announcement of the listed issuers. We experimented in our Innovation Lab and subsequently deployed a couple of AI machine learning tools to read those documents, saving significant manual effort with 95% accuracy. Both have made our ability to monitor and respond to the market much more efficiently.

It doesn't make sense to hire more and more people as we grow our markets; we have to be able to scale effectively as we grow. But if you keep having unstructured data coming in, you've got to have some way of making sense of it and it’s here that machine learning/AI is really helping us.

What advice would you give to companies looking to invest in AI and data?

The biggest challenge that companies face is to demonstrate success and value from the use of data. You need users from across your business to understand the value of data as a corporate asset for them to maximise its utilisation and hence extract that value.

You will need to have a data governance policy to comply with the data privacy and security related issues. If you want to build a data business plan or strategy around your data, you will need to be confident in your data quality and that you are not going to fall foul of any compliance problems internally. A data governance foundation is also critical because that helps with the adoption within the business.

After the infrastructure and policies, it's about building a data-driven culture. You need to work on the talent, find the right people, and build a small centre of excellence who can help extract quick wins. You also need to train some of the key stakeholders across the business to learn how to utilise data effectively.

Have you struggled to find the right kind of talent for your team?

Yes. It's a minority of people who have that unique skill set spanning technology and business drivers and it's ever more valuable as time goes on. Good talent really is the key.

My view is that you don't necessarily need to have a background in financial services. The business of buying and selling stocks is intuitive. What is difficult is finding people who think logically and can explain quantitative aspects in layman terms. As we use computers to discover patterns more, it becomes more critical for people to provide logical thinking skills to understand why patterns are being identified.

At HKEX, we often have to think about, and understand the businesses and sectors our issuers are in, not just the smaller world of financial services. So, we look for people with not only great logical thinking skills, but who are generalists and interested in a range of topics.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Belinda Tumbers

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 05:58:00 GMT

Belinda Tumbers is the Managing Director AMEA Snacks at Kellogg Company. Her key strengths include commercial strategy development and execution, leadership and team effectiveness including driving strong employee engagement, building effective and long term internal cross-functional relationships as well as external customer relationships, solid P&L and fiscal management.

What attracted you to join Kellogg and how would you say your career has evolved with the company over time?

I joined Kellogg nearly 23 years ago, attracted to the fact that it was a multinational with strong brands and it presented an opportunity to move across functions and even countries. It is also a diverse company that celebrates differences and has a strong purpose, where giving back is as important as the results that we deliver. Never did I imagine, back in 1998, that I would be sitting here today running a business that spans the AMEA region. I have been very fortunate in that I have had the opportunity to live and work in Australia, USA, New Zealand and now Singapore, learning from new experiences and different roles. I started in Marketing, but I spent the bulk of my career in Sales, then the last five years in a general management position, which I have thoroughly enjoyed.

With your various geographical relocations and experiences, you must have encountered many cultural differences in the workplace?

Every culture is very different and as a result you need to adjust your style to be effective in your role. When I first moved from Australia to the US, despite both being developed markets with English as the primary language, there were countless differences in culture that I had to navigate. Being part of such a diverse region now is what I love about my current role because no two cultures are the same. One day I might be talking to Japan and the next to our team in South Africa. It is so important that you learn to influence and also to flex your style so you can be effective in dealing with these different markets and cultural nuances. Living and working in Singapore is also great as it is a melting pot of cultures and with that comes fantastic diversity.

How has the D&I ethos at Kellogg supported your growth within the company?

I found the FMCG industry to be very male-dominated when I started out and at times it was hard being a female working your way up. Whilst there has been progress, which is pleasing to see, there are still areas where improvement needs to continue, such as sales, supply chain and general management. I am lucky to work for Kellogg where diversity and inclusion is a top priority and we are recognised for it. We have a number of programs that support diversity, including our Women of Kellogg program, which develops initiatives to attract, promote and retain women in our organisation. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Kellogg appreciating the role that women can play and what they can bring to the table. I have been fortunate to have a strong support network and sponsors that have helped me advance in my career.

Tell me a bit about the Women of Kellogg program and how are you involved in that?

It's a global initiative, one of many diversity and inclusion initiatives that we have as an organisation across the world. The Women of Kellogg program includes things like supporting International Women's Day; mentoring and reverse mentoring of women in our organisation; ensuring we have robust succession planning and good career paths for our female talent so they can see good career progression. We also have female leaders from across our global organisation share their stories so we have role models for others to learn from and be inspired by. As an organisation, we're also very aware of what it means to be a working parent and we want to create a flexible environment for everyone to flourish. We've also got retention, attraction and promotion metrics for diversity to make sure that we are hitting targets in the AMEA region over the next three years.

Have you seen any differences in how the programs are executed across the different continents that you've worked in?

No, because it's so entrenched in our organisation and so the focus remains pretty consistent across all markets. There is a difference in the diversity metrics across markets though for a variety of very good reasons. Obviously, there are markets as well as functions with a much higher percentage of females to males in the organisation. As an example, when I was in ANZ, we had a 50/50 leadership team and females occupied most of the key roles such as marketing director and sales director. In my Snacks role today, we are largely a 60/40 male/female split in the leadership team and we're pretty close to gender equality across salaried employees. In some markets where there may be cultural barriers the numbers may look different to this. Kellogg is very overt in their focus in supporting, promoting and retaining women in the workforce.

Tell me about your involvement in the FIA.

The FIA is the Food Industry Association, the not-for-profit governing body that looks after the interests of food manufacturers and various associations across Singapore. I'm sitting on that operating council for an interim period, alongside companies like PepsiCo, Nestlé and Danone, and we basically represent the industry. The FIA’s role is to bring together the food industry to champion initiatives that promote sustainable growth and support regional policies. I also sat on a similar board in Australia, the Australian Food and Grocery Council.

What can you tell me about your leadership style and how it empowers women?

As a leader, I'm pretty clear on what I stand for. I like to drive accountability down into the organisation; empower people to challenge the status quo; and having a solution-oriented mindset where people come to you with answers rather than relying on direction from senior leadership. I believe that it's really important to help people to succeed. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than having people get promoted into roles that they've really wanted. Generally, I see myself as very open, very transparent and non-hierarchal – I have an open-door policy and love chatting with people right across the organisation. It's very much a case that I'm accessible to anyone because we're all working towards a common objective and it's important that we do that in a collaborative way.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Building a strong network within Kellogg at different levels across the organisation and having sponsors at senior levels, both regionally and globally. It is so important that females have this to draw on. We often think that we don’t need it, but in reality, to advance we probably need it more than our male counterparts do.

Is there any particular advice you would give for women who are trying to progress in their careers while also managing family responsibilities?

I am often asked about work/life balance and managing career with family, but for me, there is no such thing as work/life balance – there is only life. You need to make choices in life that make you happy. When you get to 80 and reflect back, you want to be able to say you have lived the best life possible, driven by the choices you have made along the way. If that means having a career and managing a family, then it is absolutely possible, and you will find a way to navigate both. I don’t think there needs to be a trade-off between one or the other. Managing a career and family is a balancing act, but that’s true for both men and women. For me, it comes down to prioritising, having joint responsibility for your family with your partner, and working for an organisation that recognises the importance of the family unit as much as they do employees.

What obstacles do you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about it?

It is terrific to see progress in terms of more women advancing into more senior roles and taking CEO positions, but it is slower than I would like. For me, obstacles are there to be overcome. We need men around us to support the diversity agenda and the advancement of women in the workplace. We need women to take control of their own careers more and ask for things that they often don’t. We need workplaces to offer flexibility so that people can live their best life. I feel optimistic that a lot of the barriers that women have faced will be minimised in the future. I have two young daughters and it is important that they are learning independence, learning how to have a voice and learning how to be strong and resilient without losing sight of who they are. We need future generations of girls that know what they want and then we need to clear the path for them to go out and get it!

Is there anything that you could suggest to organisations to improve their diversity and inclusion?

I believe it is important for organisations to have a clear diversity and inclusion agenda, one that is communicated to all levels of the organisation and brought to life via meaningful initiatives. Employees are looking for organisations that have this – they want to work for companies that celebrate diversity and promote an inclusive workplace. They want companies that are purpose-driven, where they feel accepted no matter their preferences; organisations that support the right causes and do the right thing by their people. It's really important to have an agenda that addresses that for people, both to attract them to your organisation and also retain them within it.

The new normal in Retail offices

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 05:59:00 GMT

It has been some weeks since Retail resumed in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, but every day has been an expectation-vs-reality for brands and businesses in terms of sales targets and the actual sales figures. Recovery in Singapore and Malaysia is also considerably slower compared to their Chinese counterparts, which are mostly back on track in achieving their forecast/budget-to-date.

Abiding by the government’s safety measures, Retail is balancing the art and science of optimising fixed cost, speed and margin to liquidate the accumulated inventories over the last few months while working with restricted customer capacity in-store. Promotions aiming to drive up Units-Per-Transaction (UPT) and shortened operating hours are also commonly observed.

As telecommuting remains the default option for office functions in both Singapore and Malaysia some companies are reintroducing A/B team arrangement and/or staggered hours for their staff to be in the office. This provides the opportunity for companies to review their real estate amongst other fixed-cost investments in the new normal – a subject to be discussed later.

Hiring is gradually resuming across Retail and FMCG at the break of (Phase 2) dawn. Notably, mid and senior roles in omnichannel and commercial functions (e.g. head of sales, merchandising directors) have reconvened hiring conversations, alongside Digital and e-Commerce roles. Beyond Retail, there are new talent demands in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Online/e-Learning as well.

With the COVID quarantine over the last few months likely to continue for some, mental wellness has become the new hot topic underscored by many. HR departments usually take lead on this – from sending welfare kits (fruits, food, flowers) to introducing virtual workouts, luncheons, cooking or even cocktail mixology sessions over collaboration platforms like Teams or Zoom. The challenge now is to figure out a way to do this in the longer term, as the novelty begins to wear off and when half the team is back in the office and the other is still working from home.

For us at Argyll Scott, Annie has been the health and wellness champion for APAC, coordinating and conducting different activities across our regional offices, canvassing directors and consultants to lead different programmes – from HIIT boot camp (Directors from our Singapore office, Tom & Mani ) and yoga ( Wing & I) to culinary (Legal Recruitment Specialist in Singapore, Rinku ) and even in-house DJ sessions (Industrial Recruitment Specialist in Thailand, Paul ).

Do you have a cross-functional committee championing mental well-being, with both a top-down and bottom-up approach? In the new normal, this subject ripples into employee engagement and commitment, employer branding, and ultimately, individual and group performance. If you would like to have a conversation on this, we are happy to share our insights and ideas with you.

As always, we are just a virtual meeting or call away to support your current needs or pipeline plans.

Stay safe and healthy!

Inspiring Female Leaders: Tiffany Tang

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 04:18:00 GMT

Tiffany Tang has worked across local, regional and global roles on commercial and innovation development. She has considerable experience in leading strategic brand development on 3 to 5 years brand planning, insights mining, complex portfolio strategy, portfolio investment strategy, regional launch reco and multi countries communications /activation development. In her current role, Tiffany leads the innovation pipeline globally working closely with the global R&D and technical team.

Tell me about your career progression into your current role.

I started my career in FMCG as a Sales Management Trainee in Colgate Palmolive, literally going into traditional trade stores doing sales. On trainee program, we would be rotated to different departments and I subsequently went into Marketing and Product Development roles. I joined RB very early on in my career as a Brand Manager and stayed with the company, moving up to Marketing Manager and eventually Marketing Director of the Malaysia-Singapore cluster looking after the health and hygiene portfolios, before progressing into my current global role. This is my 14th year with RB overall, as I did leave for about three years working for GSK and SC Johnson, but RB is where I have best cultural fit which is why I came back. RB people are very passionate, entrepreneurial and non-political. RB has biasness for action and a can-do attitude, which I enjoy very much. I am currently responsible for moving into new spaces of Maternal and Infant/Children Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements, as well as exploring new technology spaces as it is a huge opportunity and evolving at a rapid pace especially spur by the recent pandemic.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

If you live in Asia, from a very young age, we embrace different cultures, different races, so I would say that diversity is something that is very common. At RB, we don't work in silos, we are instead encouraged to reach out to different teams across different countries. Regarding gender diversity, when I started at RB as a Brand Manager, I had two very strong female role models. One was my local GM and the other was a local female Finance Director, they were not just great role models for me, but throughout the organisation and they owned the diversity and inclusion agenda at senior level. They were not only highly disciplined, dedicated and committed, yet very approachable at the same time. They showed that you can excel professionally, as well as have a personal life and a family.

What one factor has helped you most through your career?

Change is challenging, and changes are becoming more rapid in recent times because of market dynamics and consumer dynamics, so I would say that the first thing is having resilience and perseverance as the key to keep moving. When you're pushed back by obstacles, you need to go back to your baseline, you must have resilience to recover. When you have a lot of challenges in front of you, you have to have the perseverance to keep pushing forward. That's not just in your professional life, but your personal life as well because both worlds will collide. We need to keep developing our resilience and perseverance muscles over time. It's not easy to manage these kinds of emotions, but often I refer to motivational talks or speak to other people and try to build that internal muscle. I always tell myself, "Calm seas never make skilled sailors."

What are your thoughts on mentorship, both being a mentor and a mentee?

I don't have a formal mentor, but I have a lot of good role models that I look up to. They’ve advised me throughout my career, whether that’s me observing their behaviour or via a formal sit-down coffee session. With role modelling, it can be a direct manager, senior leadership team member that you look up to or even peers who have different skill sets which you can learn from. When I observe positive behaviours, I use that not just professionally, but personally as well. One very important piece of advice given to me was to be my authentic self, and that for me, is being passionate in my work. If you're passionate in your work and you are being given the opportunity to speak up and contribute, you feel that you have a sense of belonging. The best mentors are those who push you out of your comfort zone and people at RB are very good at that. As soon as you are getting complacent in your role, they challenge you out of your comfort zone, and help you believe that you can take on new challenges.

It sounds like you have instigated and approached your own mentors too?

Definitely. I wouldn't formalise them as mentors because in your professional life you meet multiple people with different skills, experience and expertise. I seek out people with technical expertise and ask them questions openly and honestly. Sometimes you observe positive leadership traits from the senior leadership team, or you might have a conversation with your boss or peers about leadership skills and find out the areas you can work on. Developing self-awareness is crucial because you're going to have some very honest conversations and you must be able to take constructive feedback.

As a mentor, what advice do you give to your mentees?

I have managed big teams before and I never look at myself as a formal mentor, but they can always come to me for advice. Going back to my resilience and perseverance muscle idea again, what I do is give them strength. People often have self-doubt. Sometimes they will feel overwhelmed. They may face personal problems that impact their productivity professionally. I will empathise and give them the confidence to believe in themselves, that they can overcome challenges or their self-doubt. That is the kind of advice or relationship I have with them.

What are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

A diverse organisation with diverse teams means a very open culture. And when you have an open culture, you encourage creativity, which leads to an increase in productivity because people would generally feel happier coming to work. They feel that they have a sense of belonging and feel appreciated when their points of views are taken into consideration. When everybody feels connected and there is a strong sense of belonging, they feel that they are able to make an impact either to the company or even to the broader society. Now, it's very difficult for diverse teams like ours where we are all from different countries. Many of us have moved to be nearer to our families during lockdown and it can be hard to find that work/life balance especially with different time zones.

Do you have any advice on dealing with that in the current situation?

I would say that it's normal to feel overwhelmed because all of us do. It's important to recognise that it's going to be like this for a while and carry on. Sometimes work hours may be extended due to this complexity. So, it's important to try and find a balance.

FaceTime or face-to-face? What does the future of work look like?

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 06:02:00 GMT

I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say that January feels like a lifetime ago. We first felt the creeping threat of COVID-19 in Asia. With no precedent to show us how to proceed, at board level we had to act fast – taking appropriate, positive action without making rash, uninformed decisions. When things get desperate, it’s easy to focus on short-term solutions. We were fortunate to be able to frame these short-term decisions within a longer-term view.

One of the first steps we took was to form a COVID-19 steering group. In an industry built around people, we want to do right by ours, going the extra mile to protect our relationships with our people, candidates and clients as much as possible right from the start.

Our guiding principles

To maintain fairness and consistency and make appropriate short-term decisions, we decided early on to adhere to three key principles to navigate our way through this crisis.

Principle 1: Preserve as many jobs as possible.

Principle 2: Make decisions that can help the business emerge from this in the strongest possible position to bounce back.

Principle 3: Act with fairness and compassion – being conscious of the differences in people’s personal circumstances. Different markets have different challenges; in Asia, for example, we have lots of staff living in apartments, often with other family members.

New ways to connect

As a medium sized global recruitment business, in many ways we were already set up to handle a situation like this. We have always needed to stay flexible to connect with candidates and international colleagues out of hours. As a result, the systems we have in place have allowed us to adapt surprisingly quickly.

I like to think of platforms like MS Teams as a great leveller. In the past, our team meetings would involve many of us sat around a boardroom in our London flagship office, with our global colleagues peering at us through a screen. Now we’re all in the same boat. No one is at an advantage or disadvantage; we’re all equally set up and contactable.

Our people’s agility hasn’t surprised me. But what has surprised me is how our relationships have evolved. Against the odds, we’re actually having better quality interactions, and – as a direct consequence – have become stronger as a business. There are so many more connections happening at all levels across the global business.

To some extent, this progression has been orchestrated. From the beginning, it was important to me to be totally transparent with colleagues about all the decisions we were making. Communicating with them via a daily CEO update has ensured no one feels left out of the loop – after all, there’s enough uncertainty right now.

People are the lifeblood of the recruitment industry. With people all around the world suddenly connected, we have taken the opportunity to step up our training and mentorship programmes to the benefit of everyone. This means our people can benefit from the expertise of the best person globally, rather than the person who is geographically closest.

For example, one of our US colleagues hosted an online training session recently to teach his unique approach to business development. Our people are now able to share their knowledge more easily, thus bringing value to the company we’d not experienced before.

All of our training channels have also been made available to furloughed staff in the UK; it’s so important to preserve that unit and make sure everyone has access to on-going career development.

But it would be doing our people a disservice to imply that we have been responsible for how they have adjusted. Of course, in many ways working from home is a sign of privilege – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. As noted by Forbes , we’re not working from home, we’re at our homes during a crisis trying to work. The article notes that 19% are struggling with loneliness, and 17% are having difficulty with collaboration and communication. From taking turns hosting wellness sessions featuring yoga, cocktail-making and cook-alongs to name a few, to furloughed team members arranging a fun virtual quiz for their still-working colleagues, so many of our employees have gone out of their way to help each other stay connected and sane.

Getting it right

Last year’s I Own My Time trial in our EMEA region saw employees encouraged to work from home and with more flexibility, with different challenges in different locations. Though we didn’t know it, this was a trial run for the beginning of 2020, and in fact, it helped many to prepare for lockdown work arrangements.

To meet the goal of our first principle, we decided relatively early that we would need to reduce pay by 20% across the board. It was vital that people understood why we had had to make this difficult decision – which is why transparency via our daily CEO updates has been prioritised from the start.

Reputation is everything. Now, more than ever, we are working hard to protect our employer brand and promote those of the great clients' we work with. Getting it right means being authentic, treating your people right and being the kind of organisation people want to work for.

In terms of client relationships, some ask, “Why are you contacting me? We don’t have any jobs.” But we want to show clients and candidates that we’re here to support them in the long term, rather than simply protect our own bottom line.

This strategy is paying off. As of April, our Net Promoter Score is healthier than it has ever been and way above the industry average. I attribute this success to simply being available to people, being in touch and having conversations in the right way.

Is there still a place for face-to-face?

It’s impossible to know what the economic recovery from COVID will look like. We’re fortunate to be players in a very big global market. The global recruitment market is valued at about $500bn annually – even if that were to halve, it would still be a $250bn market. Some markets are sure to bounce back faster than others, as businesses reassess and move around their supply chains.

I read a McKinsey report the other day that said the situation we’re all in will speed up digitisation by five years. While the pandemic – and everything to do with it – is undoubtedly terrible, in some ways it has propelled the world forward. Face-to-face meetings have become video calls, making things more convenient for everyone and allow a lot more people to effectively interact more regularly.

On a personal level, I don’t miss the jet lag that comes with travelling for the business, but I do miss seeing people in real life, and I know others who are missing interaction and office culture. I think the world of work will change going forward with more people working flexibly and from home, but for me, there will always be a place for face-to-face interaction. Most significantly, I believe our relationships will be stronger as the result of our shared experience.

For now, control what you can. Work with what you know. And keep communication clear and candid.

FaceTime or face-to-face – what do you think works better? Share your thoughts and experiences with the #TalentVoices hashtag.

Why you shouldn’t be put off by 200+ applicants

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 06:01:00 GMT

I am sure there are many people reading this article who might wonder what happens to their online job applications. We’ve all seen job ads on LinkedIn that have well over 250+ applications – do all of those applications really get reviewed?

Here’s how we tackle your applications at Argyll Scott…

There are a couple of main reasons why we post a job advert. Firstly, it’s to get our brand name out there. Let people know who we are and give them a way to access our website or our LinkedIn pages. Secondly, and most importantly, we do it to try and uncover someone who we may not already know in the market.

In the first 10 minutes of posting the job, we would normally receive half a dozen (if not more) applicants who have our job title on their alerts. Reviewing these candidates, it is more than likely they will not be relevant to the role as they applied without actually reading the job description.

Then as you settle into the evening (perhaps you’re enjoying a glass of wine with your family or friends), applicants from across the globe are starting to see the job on their portals and they too begin to apply for the role. Your phone buzzes with email notification after email notification, letting you know you have more job applications.

By the first morning, you could have anywhere from 20 to 50 or 60 applicants for the role, so you’re excited to read through these applicants.

In your advert you may have specified that candidates must have two certain things – business proficient mandarin and experience as a Resident Manager in a Trust Company. Both essential requirements for the role. Both of which cannot be compromised.

A job I posted in the past had this exact criterion yet the responses I got were very surprising. I received many applications ranging from fresh graduates who could speak mandarin but had never worked in Trust, to lawyers based in Europe or the US who want to move to Singapore for a fresh chance. I received out of date LinkedIn profiles or resumes, contact numbers that did not work and email addresses that bounced. In the first 48hrs of my job advert going live, there was only ONE credible candidate worth having a conversation with and that was someone I already knew. The other 30+ candidates were mostly not relevant at all and the odd one or two were uncontactable.

So why am I writing this article for you?

Well, my advice to anyone who reads this is to not be put off by a job advert that reads 200+ applicants applied. There is a good possibility that a majority of those applicants are not as suitable for the role as YOU may be. From someone who posts jobs on portals regularly, here are my top tips to help you in your application for a new job;

I know the above may sound basic, but sometimes we need to go back to basics to bring out our best selves. These little tips will hopefully help you land opportunities you would otherwise be put off by jobs with 200+ applicants.

Good luck in your job search and feel free to reach out to me or any of my colleagues at Argyll Scott and Hydrogen Group for a chat.

Adapting to the new normal

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 06:03:00 GMT

With the government’s plan to exit the “circuit breaker” in phases, most retail stores will still have to wait a little bit longer before returning to business.

While most, if not all, luxury brands have stayed relatively intact throughout the crisis, department stores and fast fashion brands have implemented further cost reduction measures across many levels. Nonetheless, the Singapore government’s aid has provided a cushioned landing for all.

The new norm of Clienteling and Operations

With the recent lockdown and social distancing restrictions, companies must be inventive when it comes to store operations, client engagement and clienteling to stay afloat. Luxury brands for one have introduced a myriad of innovative and creative solutions like virtual boutiques and taken a social (applications, gamification) and lifestyle (culinary, gifting) approach. However, remote and social selling have not quite taken off yet as compared to the North Asia counterparts, as it continues to be dominated by the “See Now, Buy Now” consumer culture here.

There are discussions within the Luxury sector in implementing stricter measures on physical products when it comes to client engagements – touched items may have to be set aside for over twenty-four hours in the holding area before being physically presented to the next client. Previously during the pre-Circuit-Breaker period, the Beauty sector has already designed and implemented a ‘No-Touch’ policy on the display and tester products.

Fast fashion retailers are reducing their physical display fixtures to allow enough safe distancing between customers. At the same time, display SKUs are also reduced alongside restricted use of fitting rooms. In exchange, some will provide longer time frame for returns and exchanges.

A list of store operations items would also remain on the new norm checklist: temperature screening, contact tracing, safe distancing between clients, limiting maximum shoppers, foot flow direction, sanitising routines and resources, as well as personal protective equipment. And above all, meticulous training to help the retail teams adapt to this new norm.

e-Commerce Capabilities and Talent

The challenging climate has revealed a varied degree of e-Commerce and digital competencies amongst individual fashion retailers. This provided an opportunity to focus on the omni-channel agenda – some are setting up their first e-Commerce capabilities now while others are going in deeper to optimise online operations and supply chain management.

If you are also looking to ramp up your e-Commerce capabilities and are on the look for qualified talent in this field, just let me know and I’ll be happy to share some profiles with you.

A silver lining learnt from markets which have resumed: foot traffic recovers faster than expected.

(As a shopper myself, I am yearning for sensory experiences of products; there are just things which technology cannot replace.)

If you have any current or upcoming recruitment needs or are curious to learn more market insights, I’d love to meet you virtually, for now.

I’m just a phone call or WhatsApp message away: +65 9663 1274.

The Benefits of being a Chameleon

Wed, 10 Jun 2020 06:01:00 GMT

chameleon –noun, often attributive
: a person who often changes his or her beliefs or behaviour to please others or to succeed
: one that is subject to quick or frequent change, especially in appearance.

When I was working in the UK, my former manager once used the term above to describe me. When you read this particular dictionary definition, as well as descriptions from other sources, words such as “fickle” or “inconsistent” are referenced, which sound pretty negative, but I beg to differ. Being a chameleon, particularly in a sales role, is an art form that can give you a huge advantage.

To be a chameleon you must be able to quickly adapt to changing situations, people and environments. The “one size fits all” approach doesn’t work; the rules change depending on geography, to whom you’re talking, and what the challenge is, and so it takes a well-rounded individual with varied experience to be a chameleon. My father works for an airline, so I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled the world from the moment I was born, experiencing cultural differences and meeting a vast range of characters throughout my formative years. Since then, I have lived and worked in London, Beijing, Hong Kong and now Singapore, and over time, have identified three key skills that us chameleons have, which enable us to survive and thrive.

1. Transparency

Being upfront with people and stating clear intentions and purpose has always served me well. Transparent communication, especially if the message isn’t wholly positive, is essential. I have quickly learnt new markets, job disciplines, industries, and have launched desks from scratch, by honestly communicating my desire to learn from people, telling them that I am new to the space. Similarly, in BD, doors have opened when I have been frank and not exaggerated my capabilities.

Example: Despite having never worked with the company in the past, a new client came to me with three exclusive roles, solely based on the hiring manager’s experience with me as a candidate. I had been honest with her at that time and given her advice on how to approach the market, which led to her securing her first role in Singapore. It was the fact that I’d been open and transparent that impressed her the most, and why she came back to partner with me on these exclusive roles.

2. Empathy

Adapting to your environment with a certain cultural sensitivity is vital. Understanding Cockney in London, Mandarin in Beijing, Cantonese in Hong Kong or Singlish in Singapore is only the first step to being able to communicate, especially in markets where English isn’t the first language. You also need to modify your working practices to incorporate local cultural ways.

Example:When I first moved to Hong Kong, I got increasingly frustrated with candidates not committing to things we had discussed during briefing phone calls. I was advised to put those same points into an email and ask the candidate to reply with their commitment and see what happened. I immediately saw a commitment change among these same candidates, who were more devoted to their job search and kept to their word.

3. Agility

Like an actual chameleon changing its colour, agility enables you to quickly change focus without diluting your proposition. Throughout my career, I’ve adjusted my focus in response to shifts in the market or global changes. I took a step back during the collapse of Lehman Brothers; the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong; and now COVID-19, to align to a market that would (in theory) perform well, remaining a consistent and top biller for my firm.

Example: In the face of adversity, certain markets will thrive. During the Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, people still needed daily provisions, and 7/11 stores couldn’t stock their shelves fast enough – they had opposite issues to declining sales! Whilst not specific to any short-term market conditions, here at Argyll Scott, Jason and Hazel both pivoted (from their previous focus) into the Digital market to take advantage of the tech boom caused by lockdowns as well as shifting trends towards digitisation.

These three key chameleon skills, of course, need to be complemented by (non-chameleon) traits and workplace skills, but they have helped me to develop my sales skills and transition them across different market propositions when the opportunity or need has arisen.

So, if your manager ever uses the C-word about you, take it as a compliment!

Argyll Scott turns 10!

Thu, 28 May 2020 06:04:00 GMT

WE'RE CELEBRATING ARGYLL SCOTT’S 10TH BIRTHDAY!

We always had great ambitions for our business, so it’s fantastic that we can celebrate this milestone as a specialist recruitment agency with over 150 employees across 5 countries!

Given the tough situation that we all currently face, it's even more important that we recognise this huge milestone! This isn't just a celebration of our company, but of every individual who has helped make this possible. Of course, this includes our clients and candidates, but this is also a massive testament to all of our of staff, whose hard work and dedication have made this possible, and without whom we wouldn't be where we are today!

As we continue to celebrate this massive milestone in the coming months, be sure to check out our LinkedIn page and follow along as we venture into our next 10 years!

Digital Disruption Series: Anna Choi

Wed, 20 May 2020 06:05:00 GMT

Anna Choi is the Head of Digitalisation, Asia Pacific at Schindler Group. Having driven digital transformation for multinationals, she is experienced in setting digital strategy, and harnessing the power of IoT and AI to define future of business with a focus on customer experience. She has also been recognised with several leadership awards in the digital field and featured in TED talk, startup events and various global tech conferences.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I was trained as a scientist, then I started off working as a business generalist across different functions and gradually developed my domain know-hows on Smart City Technology, in particular automation and digitalisation for smart infrastructure, integrated mobility, energy efficiency and smart healthcare. I am currently the Head of Digitalisation for Asia Pacific at Schindler Group, looking after 16 markets across APAC.

Can you tell us a bit more about Schindler Group and your particular role?

Schindler Group is one of the world’s leading providers of elevators, escalators, and moving walks, alongside maintenance and modernisation services for these products. The Group has over 1,000 branch offices in more than 100 countries, with production sites and R&D facilities in the US, Brazil, Europe, China and India.

As the Head of Digitalisation, my responsibilities include digitalising our services, bringing in innovative digital products and leveraging technology to advance the whole value chain of installation, maintenance, repair and modernisation. I also look into business processes and cross-functional operations and bring in new technologies to add value and increase employee engagement.

How is your company utilising Artificial Intelligence and what real-world problems is it solving?

One of the use cases is to connect assets (elevators and escalators) with IoT devices, define different parameters, monitor them and apply AI for predictive maintenance - bringing tangible values to customers.

Let’s say if we could collect forty million messages per day with more than ten thousand symptoms, such data from a globally connected portfolio would be a good basis for our data scientists to focus on. They can build algorithms to look into patterns and insights, and together with our inhouse knowledge and technical expertise, help us detect and predict anomalies, in turn making traditional services adaptive and enabling predictive maintenance.

By doing so, we’re reducing downtime and allowing data-driven decisions to be made, ultimately enhancing customer experience and overall satisfaction.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced with data in your current role?

We are very fortunate to have started looking into data many years ago and have created different systems and platforms to enable data to flow from one source of origin into the big data lake.

The biggest challenge is racing against time, more specifically how we can leverage the data we have and apply it to different use cases at speed. The data pool we have is enormous, so identifying our priorities and what use cases to focus on then becomes a big challenge. With plenty of exciting times ahead, we’ll have to be fast enough to adapt and make use of our data to create impacts.

Working across 16 different markets, have you noticed any similarities or differences between them in terms of understanding the value of data and data readiness?

Many markets in Asia Pacific understand the value of data, most likely because our customers are also undergoing digital transformation themselves – be it automating their ERP systems, or synchronising, harmonising and neutralising their platforms to centralise data from data warehouses into data lakes and apply in various business scenarios.

Singapore and Hong Kong markets are particularly advanced in this aspect. Many organisations see it as a necessity to review their long-term data strategy, reconsidering what it means by data collection, storage and advanced analytics, as well as figuring out how data can be utilised in different corporate functions and business scenarios. Not to mention, some key areas like cybersecurity and data protection are imperative when growing data pools and adopting advanced analytics.

What do you think would be the next frontier for digital transformation in IoT/Smart City projects?

This is constantly discussed, and industries already reached a certain level of maturity on the product side, with embedded systems, wireless sensor networks, home & building automation, etc.

What’s next would be the move from planning to implementation, from piloting to scaling up for multiple sites, cities and countries. It is the time to realise the business impacts it can bring in terms of productivity, efficiency and new values creation.

Organisations will have to consider the qualitative (customer satisfaction, customer/user engagement, new value creation) and quantitative (productivity, efficiency, ROI) business impacts at scale, which us technology providers will have to evaluate and demonstrate.

What advice would you give to companies looking to invest in Artificial Intelligence and data?

Having helped three multinational companies drive digital transformation, I’ve noticed it’s not always about the tech, but much rather the people. Having people who are passionate and who can communicate the ideas across to stakeholders truly makes all the difference. It’s also important to have the right mindset, to stay open-minded and allow the team to innovate and collaborate and for the culture to thrive. Last but not least, having engagement and commitment from the top management will help drive AI and data implementation within companies.

Looking to the future, how do you see Artificial Intelligence/digital disruption realised in cities?

It’s a topic close to my heart and I’d love to see different technologies play a role in connecting communities and cities. There’s a lot of technology out there already, what it comes down to is how we can connect all these modular technologies to create a bigger impact. I envision that cities would be well-connected in the future when AI adoption matures.

It’s forecasted that 68% of the population will be living in urban areas by 2050, a likely result from digitalisation with AI playing a significant role in:

FROM IBANK TO RECRUITMENT

Thu, 14 May 2020 06:04:00 GMT

Thinking about switching fields and becoming a recruitment consultant? Read our interview with Sze Sze on why she moved from iBank to recruitment and how rewarding her journey with Argyll Scott has been.

1. What made you decide to leave your job at an investment bank and join the recruitment industry?

I've always been an entrepreneurial person and you can't find a more entrepreneurial job than being a recruiter! As a 360-degree recruiter, you’re the business development manager, the client relationship manager, researcher, and operations manager all wrapped into one.

Whereas if you're in a large investment bank, it’s very difficult to own your desk/space unless you're a trader, but even then, you would probably need to move to buy side at some point in order to have your own book to trade for your P&L. You’d likely get paid a lot but you don't see your true value add. You'll be a tiny piece in a huge machine.

2. Why did you choose to recruit for Insurance? Did your background in iBank help at all?

Plain and simple – insurance was a very hot market three to four years ago and it’s still a healthily growing market. It is probably and will continue to be the healthiest and a stably growing sector within the financial services industry.

Insurance and iBank are 2 fairly different sectors, but there is a growing trend of people moving from iBank to insurance companies as they see the same pattern I see, and with my background, I can help candidates better understand the pros and cons of switching sectors.

Furthermore, the two sectors are both parts of the financial services industry which are basically abstract services that significantly affect your monetary situation. My experience in iBank made it easier for me to understand the technical side of things than other recruiters and puts me in a position where I can help my clients find the best candidates, and to help candidates find the most suitable roles.

3. What was it like when you first made the switch to recruitment?

I didn’t face any major challenges, except perhaps for the different working style. Coming from an iBank where all responsibilities were clearly divided and had plenty of resources, to a recruitment business where you are in a 360-degree position where you have to do business development, client and candidate management as well as admin work on my own certainly took me some time to get used to. But once I’d adapted to the working style and started gaining control of my own desk, results started to come in and I could see myself starting to build a successful desk within the business, which was so exciting!

4. What do you like about working for Argyll Scott?

The first thing comes to mind is definitely the fact that we have a true team culture here, where everyone helps everyone. It’s by far one of the best working cultures I've experienced! People spend most of their lives at work and we see our colleagues more often than our family and friends so you want to work with people you like. And I like my colleagues here. I enjoy working with them and laughing with them!

Apart from that, unlike many recruitment companies, we also truly believe in building long-term relationships with clients and candidates. Therefore, I'm proud to say that we have a great brand image in the market. Many client and candidates enjoy working with us too!

Click here to find out more about what it’s like to work at Argyll Scott.

Recent opportunities & challenges for Singapore’s Retail & Consumer industries

Thu, 07 May 2020 21:10:00 GMT

Despite retail stores being temporarily closed, it's not all doom and gloom for the FMCG and P&C industries. While they are experiencing even greater declines in their usual retail channels under the “circuit breaker”, e-Commerce channels can be seen to be taking off, whether this is through marketplaces or their dot com offering.

When it comes to Skincare, repeat purchases have spiked while cosmetics and new products have failed to gain much traction. This isn’t surprising as online shopping takes away the ability for customers to test out a product. Without knowing its texture and consistency or how different colours would blend with one’s skin tone, it’s unlikely for customers to opt for new products, something companies will undoubtedly have to look into.

On the other hand, home appliances and electronics are performing well as people transition to a work from home lifestyle and look into raising their QOL within that space. The challenge for these companies then becomes maintaining a good e-Commerce platform and providing quality customer services.

Supermarkets and F&B are also performing very well, especially in snacks, core food groups and beverages. The snacks industry is exceeding in sales as they don’t just appeal to children but also adults who are working from home! For these companies, the challenges may not be in their supply chains but the quarantine period of imported goods. This, in turn, means a much longer timeframe before reaching consumers and might even lead to issues of freshness, depending on the nature of the product.

Hiring

Hiring has slowed down but companies are still very busy as it is the budgeting week/month for most and it is tough projecting into the unknown. While organisations with hiring capabilities have pushed start dates for most roles to Q2, essential roles are still being hired with immediate start dates, so don't give up or fear for those who are looking out.

Wellness

Wellness has become an even bigger buzzword in the current climate. At Argyll Scott, we are holding region-wide fitness sessions, around yoga, bodyweight workouts, etc. We also encourage our staff to stay connected online and take regular breaks away from the screens to allow our bodies and minds to refresh, as maintaining a healthy balance and friendly human touchpoints are crucial.

If you’re curious to find out more about how the market is performing or if you need any support with your hiring, don’t hesitate to contact me at annie.chan@argyllscott.sg .

Inspiring Female Leaders: Suzanne Yee

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 06:07:00 GMT

Suzanne Yee is the Global Brand Marketing Director: Enfa, Infant & Child Nutrition at RB. She has worked across local, regional and global marketing roles in pursuit of healthcare marketing excellence. She is currently responsible for developing global strategy and driving innovation for child nutrition.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I began my career at a market research company, which sparked my interest in the trade marketing and category development space. That’s what led me to RB, with a trade marketing role. Over time, I switched into general marketing to broaden my experience and get better exposure to more business opportunities. I started with a local role in the New Zealand business and worked my way up the ranks, eventually heading marketing and trade marketing for the Health business unit, which encompassed our OTC and Personal Care brands. I then moved into a regional marketing role for Europe, which also included Russia and ANZ. Based in the UK, that role focused on innovation and equity for one of the key healthcare brands. It was very much about achieving innovation scale, commercialising best practice opportunities and developing consumer communications for the region. This was all before I moved to Singapore for my current global marketing role for Enfa, Infant & Child Nutrition.

Having worked in RB for 13 years (and with seven promotions under your belt in that time!), how did you go about growing your profile within the business?

While I’m very career-focused and have always wanted that progression for myself, it was more about focusing on the job in hand and learning as much as I could, so that my contributions could get bigger over time. Healthcare is a knowledge-based industry which requires time to develop. When I entered this industry, I understood the long-term value you need to bring to the table and so I focused on building my knowledge and expertise. And as the company grew, I was there at the right time for those opportunities.

I’d gotten to the most senior marketing level possible in my local role. Therefore, I was very lucky to have sponsorship from not just the General Manager at the time, but also the HR team in the broader region, to be exported for the role in the UK which was also a healthcare-driven market. I was transitioning from a local business in New Zealand to a power market in the UK and being in the UK market helped to get me to progress. I think my progression came down to a combination of working hard, being open to those opportunities and having the aspiration to keep improving, even if I didn’t know exactly what my next role would be.

When I look back, I did always want to do a global marketing role. While it might not have been a conscious articulation, it was definitely a subconscious one. And sometimes, that’s the most powerful thing to propel you into the next level and open up opportunities.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

In all the companies I’ve worked for, there’s always been diversity, so I’ve never really noticed it. What I’ve noticed is the conscious emphasis in the last four to five years, particularly around gender diversity. I’ve noticed more programs that aim to support women and more articulated targets in our development plans to help progress the diversity agenda. All of those have been very positive and powerful. For me, it’s not just about looking around and seeing that diversity, but also looking up and seeing some of those intentions and targets being reflected in the senior leadership boards. It’s a continual evolution that needs to keep happening and gathering momentum.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

In terms of a personal attribute – resilience. Being in one company for 13 years, I’ve experienced a lot of changes and tough situations, and resilience is the one thing that has kept me going, despite the many challenges.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

It’s never been easy as a working mom, so there are two things I consciously try to do.

First, I try to compartmentalise my time as much as possible, so I can concentrate on my work when I’m in the office and with my family when I’m at home. I don’t always do that successfully and it’s something I have to work on. It’s especially tough in a global role where you have to make very early or late work calls due to time zone differences, so I have to have a lot of discipline in diary management, to block out time and make sure I’m present for the time that’s needed, as opposed to being mentally fragmented.

The other thing is that I’m much more conscious of my priorities and what I value. Overall, I know that I want to be a working mom and I am vested in making it work because I do get fulfilment from both work and home. I do control how I manage the time and the priorities within that.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Especially for first time moms returning to the workforce, it’s important to acknowledge that your values and lifestyle may have changed, and it’s important to identify your priorities based on that. Sometimes there’s an expectation that you can still work in the same style as you did before, so having that self-awareness is important. Another thing is to be open regarding where the challenges are and the type of support you need to do your job well. It’s important not to forget about your career goals, even if they’ve changed or if you want to achieve them at a different pace. Tell the business about them as much as possible – communication is key! I think these are the areas I wish I had leveraged sooner when I went back to work.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

No, it hasn’t. I’ve had a very steady career progression, particularly within RB. With that being said, I do think it’s made the journey much harder, heightening certain tension points just because of my gender. There are questions around whether to have a child, when to have a child, how much maternity leave to take and the impact of that on the role that you return to, etc. Therefore, I wouldn’t say it blocked any progression, but it definitely made things harder because there are a lot more considerations for working women.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Diversity brings an element of dynamism, freshness and new points of view that you won’t get otherwise. We need this for counteracting stagnation or becoming obsolete. Diversity has now become a necessity in this global economy where things are moving so quickly.

Are there any other pieces of advice you’d like to pass on?

Acknowledge that achieving a work-life balance isn’t easy, so be kind to yourself. If you can prioritize your own mental wellbeing, this is a really good start.

Looking for opportunity during times of uncertainty

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 06:06:00 GMT

The worldwide coronavirus outbreak is having an enormous impact on the global economy on a daily basis, and Singapore is no exception. From reduced air freight leaving China hampering supply chains to a dramatic decline in tourism affecting retail and hospitality, Singapore, like many other countries, is being forced to adapt day by day. However, the outlook isn’t all negative for Singapore.

Coronavirus

Although one of the first Asian countries to be affected by COVID-19, the Singapore authorities acted fast and thanks to the intensive contact tracing processes initiated, they have managed to limit the spread as much as possible. Many news portals are now championing Singapore’s methodology as a shining example of how to deal with the virus at a national level. Last month’s Budget also announced an S$800 million package of additional healthcare funding to help contain coronavirus.

Economy

Despite its growth forecasts being revised downwards this year, Singapore’s historical stability and importance as an innovative, financial hub to the region presents an interesting opportunity for its economy in the light of the current financial climate. We have already seen some banking and finance relocation from Hong Kong, and it is estimated that other countries could also turn to Singapore for strategic relocation. The enforced severing of supply chains from China could reposition Singapore positively in the long term too. As well as its healthcare package, the recent Budget also addressed the impact of the coronavirus on the employment market with a new Jobs Support Scheme to help companies offset part of employees' pay to help businesses retain local staff during the economic slowdown.

Contract/Interim focus

Challenging markets and uncertainty forces firms to re-evaluate their business models including talent management. This has resulted in a decline or even a freeze in permanent hiring in many industry sectors, presenting opportunities for contract workers to step in. Organisations are acknowledging that a flexible workforce is the way forward to navigate these troubled times and this mentality shift is creating a real demand for interim professionals. The current climate has also highlighted the importance of digital transformation across industries as they look to adapt and reinvent themselves. This has resulted in a spike in demand for contract change management and transformation specialists. More employers are also introducing flexible working as a way to remain an attractive proposition to candidates, meaning that the opportunities and work/life balance options are improved for sought-after interims.

Sector impact

Despite the cancellation of some industry events and conferences due to coronavirus, the tech sector marches on, opening up opportunities for specialists, as well as widening the remit of HR in terms of reskilling. Twitter is increasing its presence in Singapore, recently announcing its first Asia-Pacific engineering centre, and putting the spotlight firmly on data science talent in the region. Singapore’s increased focus on tech in the workplace has resulted in its SkillsFuture initiative, which supports Singaporeans retraining, with L&D among HR professionals coming to the fore. The government is also aiming to train and mentor the business leaders of its SME’s under a new Enterprise Leadership for Transformation programme, to encourage and facilitate business transformation, which is likely to see demand for talent in that area.

Interestingly, there are certain industries that are thriving right now, namely e-Commerce and Delivery businesses as well as video conferencing and remote working software companies. These types of businesses are booming because of the way coronavirus is drastically changing to our lives and work, as we increasingly rely on technology to help keep us connected and to purchase and deliver our goods.

Would you like to find out more about Argyll Scott’s interim workforce solutions? Contact me at jmurueta@argyllscott.sg .

Adapting to the challenging conditions: Flexible working and more

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 06:07:00 GMT

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has not only led to decreased mobility worldwide due to travel bans, but also a general downturn in global and local economies alike.

Within the Luxury sector in Singapore, most companies are experiencing 20-70% decrease in sales, while those with a well-integrated omnichannel can be seen to be better cushioned against this drop. In terms of operations, both frontline and office functions have taken escalated and quick measures in response to the COVID-19 situation. Operating hours of boutiques remain shortened to single shifts with staff being separated into different teams and asked to put on masks while on duty. Office teams are in a similar A/B teams working arrangement alternating either by weeks or by days. Recently, most companies have implemented 100% WFH all times, in line with the stronger and enforceable message from the MOM . On the business side of things, the current situation has driven brands to look harder at harnessing stronger relationships through client engagement, as it is no longer about bringing clients to the boutiques, but how to bring the brand to the clients.

Working from home (WFH) arrangements – Productivity and Relationships

A common theme I noticed when discussing WFH policies with my network is the tendency for them to wander off, either physically or mentally – that sudden urge to organise the house, the unintentional snoozes that turn into naps, or the thoughts of making yourself a hearty meal that lead to trips to the supermarket. Of course, some people end up doing a lot more and working much longer hours than they would’ve in the office, but more often than not, working from home promises way too many distractions that threaten to lower our productivity.

Therefore, the ability to stay focused and having proper time management are the two keys to success for those of us who are working from home. Check out this blog I found for some extra tips on how you can boost productivity in the comfort of your own home.

Underneath the numbers and tangibles, it is crucial for team members to stay connected amidst this interim WFH arrangement. NCBC highlighted this concern and shared ways on how to maintain workplace relationship online while being offsite.

Recruitment – Pace and Care

In the face of the current challenging market conditions, some hiring needs have been understandably put on hold. But as a recruitment specialist, my advice would be to keep your hiring process going, even if it’s at a much slower pace.

There are several benefits to this. First and foremost, it’s the easiest way to keep good talent warm and active. Secondly, it will help establish a stronger employer brand and show potential employees how you manage during times of uncertainty. And lastly, it will save you a lot of hassle when hiring resumes and everyone starts looking for talent again as you already have strong profiles in the pipeline.

If you have any current or upcoming recruitment needs or are curious to learn more market insights, I’d love to meet you over coffee or for lunch, don’t hesitate to contact me at fliew@argyllscott.sg .

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Liana Radu

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 06:09:00 GMT

Liana Radu is the Head of Compliance at Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A. Hong Kong Branch and Generali Life (Hong Kong) Limited. She has comprehensive compliance experiences and her career has moved up in Generali, while working in Italy, Hong Kong, Thailand as well as in other countries across Asia in a previous regional role.

Tell us about your career progression to date

Many years ago, I decided to do a Masters in Insurance and Risk Management, which was sponsored by a pool of insurers, one of whom hired me, which is how I joined Generali. I did a brief internship in HR before I was offered an opportunity in Compliance. My profile looked suitable because I had studied law and risk management, and that was proved right as my career has moved up in Compliance ever since. I started in the head office in Italy and some years later I decided that I was open to an experience abroad and so, when the opening in Hong Kong came about, I accepted it and came here. I’ve travelled across Asia with my role and am now the Head of Compliance, based in Hong Kong.

What are some of your proudest moments or achievements in your career journey?

What has given me the most professional satisfaction is when I’ve been given opportunities to take on roles or projects that came with a lot of responsibility or aspects that were new to me. It always makes me feel recognised and trusted. Almost every time, I’ve taken an opportunity like that right away. Many people worry or wonder whether they will be able to do it, even the most confident people, but I’ve always taken those risks and it’s satisfying when you prove yourself right that you could do it.

Have you had any mentors in your career or people that have influenced you?

My influences have mainly been my managers and I’ve been blessed to have had exposure to some high-level management figures during my career. Most of the time I have worked in small teams with access to very senior managers, from whom I learned a lot. They also gave me a lot of autonomy and space to apply my own ideas, which was very important to me as I could experience, grow and learn, and then express my vision of how I wanted to manage things. At Generali, we always have an open-door policy, so I believe everyone feels encouraged to speak up or share their ideas with very senior people, which is a great opportunity when you are junior as you can gain a lot of insight. The opportunity to travel and work abroad has been an extraordinary source of learning. I have met people from across the world who have shared their own success stories and that has been a source of inspiration to improve different skill sets.

In terms of gender equality, how diverse would you say Generali is?

Generali has been investing for many years in D&I initiatives in all of its locations and has KPIs in place to ensure that we keep working on diversity and inclusion all the time. In the Hong Kong, companies where I work, we have an excellent balance of around 50:50 and we are proud of that because it’s also at executive level. Although we’re working on our diversity in other areas, in terms of gender we reached that balance naturally in Hong Kong. Even though 50:50 looks like it was planned, it wasn’t: the best candidates got the jobs!

Has your gender ever hindered your career progression anywhere?

No, fortunately I have never experienced that. I think my experience has been a little different because I was born in Romania and moved to Italy before I went to university, so there I was already diverse in terms of nationality. Wherever I have worked I have never been a local, so I’ve never even spoken my native language at work. I can’t say that I faced any challenges related to gender or diversity in any way. When I moved to Asia, there were cultural challenges to adapt to because it’s quite different to Europe, but never any problem from a gender angle. I am now part of a management team together with a number of female colleagues.

Having been exposed to different cultures and people, has this affected your management style?

Yes, absolutely. There are many differences in culture and working practices whenever you move abroad, but one thing I think is applicable wherever you go is when you lead a team, they need to trust you. Trust is never automatic, it needs to be built. I think you need to do your best for them to understand that you are there to help, to work together and that you are bringing your knowledge and skills to that team. When trust is built, you will be truly recognised as a leader. The way of leading a team, especially when you come from another region or country, is not to impose yourself, but to show how much value you will bring in the humblest way. Remember, there is a process of learning from each other too, so you need to listen, be open and understand what motivates your new team. It’s also important to understand their challenges too because they will be different from where you have come from.

Is there any advice you would give to women to help them succeed in their careers?

Never be afraid to share your point of view. Managers, male and female, do appreciate hearing a different opinion or having a constructive debate, so it’s important to bring your ideas to the table. Not many people like a yes-man or woman these days. Managers are supposed to understand their team’s work, but each individual has their own specialisation, so giving your own point of view based on your expertise is welcomed.

Secondly, never hesitate to take a challenge. When you’re given the opportunity to do something challenging, take it, don’t be afraid that you can’t do it. Most of the time, this is what helps you grow. And if anyone tells you that you can’t do it, just go for it and prove them wrong. Trust yourself.

Last but not least, I think that passion and commitment for your work will always pay off. These should be coupled with a strong set of values, such as being honest and respectful to others. These are not the only ingredients, but I think they do lead to success on a long-term basis.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Elaine Chan

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 06:08:00 GMT

Elaine Chan is the Head of Data Science of AXA Hong Kong. In this role, Elaine leads the various data science initiatives including Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning, and A.I. innovation for AXA Hong Kong to deliver cutting-edge data science technology for bringing high values to customer experience as well as top-notch technology support to insurance agents’ business growth.

What attracted you to join AXA and how has your journey been with them so far?

Most companies out there are either pioneers in data science adoption or have a sizeable market share, rarely both. As an industry leader who has high demands in data, both in acquiring the data and in turning them into valuable actions, AXA is one of the few exceptions, and I’m happy to work for them as there’s a lot that I can do.

We began as the customer and business analytics team. As we improved and evolved, we recruited new talent in fields like machine learning and NLP and became the more technical data science team that we are today. For everything that we do, we don’t do it for the technology glamour but instead think about how we can translate it into something commercial and meaningful to the customers and the company. That’s why we try a lot of different things and have been awarded for some of our innovations, which I am very proud of.

Can you talk a bit more about the journey of the data science team as a whole?

It’s been an evolution for everyone. We work and we learn, to keep ourselves up-to-date and to find the most advanced algorithm out there and see how our programs fare up.

Nowadays, most things data science are open source, it’s almost like we have an explosion of resources on the internet. Take NLP as an example, with many open source libraries available out there, how you decide what would best fit your use case then becomes a long process of trial and error, one where experience comes in handy. Experienced NLP developers would be able to tell which algorithm is better based on their experience and save a lot of time. With new libraries and updates coming almost every day, selecting the ones that are most suitable for your case has now become a form of art, to be able to analyse the situation and find the best match, not just in terms of accuracy, but also in consideration of time, quality of data on hand, etc. I’m happy that our team members can do this kind of assessment for us, leveraging their experience and finding the best solutions to our problems.

Having worked in both Korea and Hong Kong, have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and how it’s affected your management style?

In Korea, especially the more traditional companies, they’re more hierarchical and tend to put females in supportive roles rather than leading ones. I also find in them a strong sense of solidarity, where everyone would quickly band together when problems arise and focus on getting them fixed. As for Hong Kong, diversity is generally valued where people are more comfortable expressing their individual opinions. People have more acceptance of unique differences as compared to the united spirit I witnessed in Korea. While there are pros and cons to each side, I don’t see one being better than the other.

When I manage a team, I prefer to use a hybrid model, one that incorporates the best of both worlds. For example, I would like my teams in Hong Kong to retain the creativity and freedom to speak up, but also to adopt the close bonding which I experienced in Korea. In some sense, that means fostering communications and facilitating team bonding outside of the work environment, so that it feels more like a family than just a team of colleagues. This is what I’m trying to do, to strike a balance between the two.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

I’d say self-reflection. Every day, I take some time to reflect on the things I did that day and ask myself if I’d do it differently if given the chance. If so, that’d be the first thing I focus on when I wake up, to improve on my mistakes from the day before. I’ve always believed in making the best out of my days, so even if I just make one small step each day, it would contribute to a much bigger one in the future.

Self-reflection has also helped me stay humble in learning from others. It helped me understand that while I’m good at data, I’m not as knowledgeable in other things like branding, among other key functions of the business. When working with other teams, it’s important to not just consider things from your perspective but the others’ as well, and suggest possible solutions in consideration of both sides. I’m very happy to have received positive feedback from my previous colleagues, which further validated my actions and my belief in the importance of self-reflection.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

In general, I’m a mentor to my team. I also act as a mentor during events like the AI hackathon co-organised by AXA and Microsoft. The one piece of advice I always give is to stay curious . If someone isn’t curious about things, they will be stuck in their comfort zone forever. I remember this one time when I was having my vacation in Japan, I was curious as to why the Japanese language has some Chinese characters, so I did a little digging and found out the historical reasons behind it. My point is, you need to stay curious because that curiosity would prompt you to find out more, which are opportunities to learn something new. With today’s technology, you can simply Google everything instead of having to go through the encyclopaedia or old newspapers like in the old days! Especially for youngsters, it’s important to be passionate about learning while also rightfully challenging the information that you get, as there’s a lot of false information out there. Therefore, when being presented with information, you’ll need to have a clear mind on how to differentiate the right source from the incorrect ones and seek further validation if needed.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at your organisation?

We are very supportive to the Women in Leadership agenda and have organised different events as part of our diversity & inclusion program. We have recently invited a guest speaker, who is an author, TEDx speaker and former Financial Times Executive, to talk about reassessing priorities and striking a balance between being a 10/10 parent and a star employee. Apart from that, we have also launched the AXA HK Maternity Info Toolkit for soon-to-be parents and their managers.

I’d say self-reflection. Every day, I take some time to reflect on the things I did that day and ask myself if I’d do it differently if given the chance. If so, that’d be the first thing I focus on when I wake up, to improve on my mistakes from the day before. I’ve always believed in making the best out of my days, so even if I just make one small step each day, it would contribute to a much bigger one in the future.

Self-reflection has also helped me stay humble in learning from others. It helped me understand that while I’m good at data, I’m not as knowledgeable in other things like branding, among other key functions of the business. When working with other teams, it’s important to not just consider things from your perspective but the others’ as well, and suggest possible solutions in consideration of both sides. I’m very happy to have received positive feedback from my previous colleagues, which further validated my actions and my belief in the importance of self-reflection.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

In general, I’m a mentor to my team. I also act as a mentor during events like the AI hackathon co-organised by AXA and Microsoft. The one piece of advice I always give is to stay curious . If someone isn’t curious about things, they will be stuck in their comfort zone forever. I remember this one time when I was having my vacation in Japan, I was curious as to why the Japanese language has some Chinese characters, so I did a little digging and found out the historical reasons behind it. My point is, you need to stay curious because that curiosity would prompt you to find out more, which are opportunities to learn something new. With today’s technology, you can simply Google everything instead of having to go through the encyclopaedia or old newspapers like in the old days! Especially for youngsters, it’s important to be passionate about learning while also rightfully challenging the information that you get, as there’s a lot of false information out there. Therefore, when being presented with information, you’ll need to have a clear mind on how to differentiate the right source from the incorrect ones and seek further validation if needed.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at your organisation?

We are very supportive to the Women in Leadership agenda and have organised different events as part of our diversity & inclusion program. We have recently invited a guest speaker, who is an author, TEDx speaker and former Financial Times Executive, to talk about reassessing priorities and striking a balance between being a 10/10 parent and a star employee. Apart from that, we have also launched the AXA HK Maternity Info Toolkit for soon-to-be parents and their managers.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

People generally believe that they’re right, so if your team is made up of similar people, what you’ll have is everyone agreeing with each other. But what if there are blind spots to that one view shared by everyone? If you have a diverse team with people who have a different mindset than yours, you’ll be able to identify blind spots you weren’t originally aware of. A diverse team can bring different perspectives, expertise, experience, views, and values, so we can create meaningful solutions.

And sometimes we’ll have disagreements, which means one side would have to convince and persuade the other on their belief. It’s a good chance to help you review your arguments and views, to further improve them and present them in a clear way that other people can easily understand. On the flip side, if your approach is good, the validation process will begin and it’ll reinforce your stance and show that you’ve made the right decision.

I’m happy to see that my current team has such a high level of diversity, with people of different backgrounds coming from countries like New Zealand, South Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, the US and India; when we have discussions, we’ll have to persuade each other, consolidate our thinking and make a sensible decision.

What advice would you give leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders need to talk about it openly with the whole company. This is an important message that needs a human touch, so I’d suggest discussing it in real conversations with real stories instead of doing it through emails or posters.

It’s also important to walk the talk: setting up environments which allow staff to better understand and participate. For example, you can have a diversity & inclusion fair day, where you invite speakers to talk about different themes, why we should have them, and what are the benefits of having them. It’s also important to bear in mind that diversity & inclusion isn’t just about gender, but also things like disability, LGBT, race, etc. Some might not be familiar with this concept because they weren’t surrounded by this environment; if they were surrounded by this environment, the experience would be more memorable and embraceable.

To sum it up, as leaders you should openly talk about it, create the environment, walk the talk, encourage your staff to participate and experience it, then they will understand why you’re doing it.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

People generally believe that they’re right, so if your team is made up of similar people, what you’ll have is everyone agreeing with each other. But what if there are blind spots to that one view shared by everyone? If you have a diverse team with people who have a different mindset than yours, you’ll be able to identify blind spots you weren’t originally aware of. A diverse team can bring different perspectives, expertise, experience, views, and values, so we can create meaningful solutions.

And sometimes we’ll have disagreements, which means one side would have to convince and persuade the other on their belief. It’s a good chance to help you review your arguments and views, to further improve them and present them in a clear way that other people can easily understand. On the flip side, if your approach is good, the validation process will begin and it’ll reinforce your stance and show that you’ve made the right decision.

I’m happy to see that my current team has such a high level of diversity, with people of different backgrounds coming from countries like New Zealand, South Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, the US and India; when we have discussions, we’ll have to persuade each other, consolidate our thinking and make a sensible decision.

What advice would you give leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders need to talk about it openly with the whole company. This is an important message that needs a human touch, so I’d suggest discussing it in real conversations with real stories instead of doing it through emails or posters.

It’s also important to walk the talk: setting up environments which allow staff to better understand and participate. For example, you can have a diversity & inclusion fair day, where you invite speakers to talk about different themes, why we should have them, and what are the benefits of having them. It’s also important to bear in mind that diversity & inclusion isn’t just about gender, but also things like disability, LGBT, race, etc. Some might not be familiar with this concept because they weren’t surrounded by this environment; if they were surrounded by this environment, the experience would be more memorable and embraceable.

To sum it up, as leaders you should openly talk about it, create the environment, walk the talk, encourage your staff to participate and experience it, then they will understand why you’re doing it.

Exciting changes for Hydrogen Asia

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 06:11:00 GMT

This week marks 10 years since I moved to Singapore with Hydrogen Group!

The start of any new year is always a time for reflection and having looked back over the last decade, I am incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.

I have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic colleagues, learning from a wide variety of leadership styles and seen the positive impact that our talent solutions have had on our clients’ transformation agenda.

As we move into 2020 it is really exciting to continue to see a shift in the Asia market for Interim talent from transactional to strategic.

Looking to the future

We’re now entering an exciting new phase for our business as we have officially rebranded to Argyll Scott (effective from 1st January 2020).

Operating as a single brand across Asia allows us to provide a more consistent and effective experience across our clients’ perm and interim hiring. We remain part of the Hydrogen Group, but in Asia will now be operating under the ‘Argyll Scott’ name.

Whilst we’re taking on a new identity, our team remains exactly the same, and there are no changes to our service offering. Our focus and expertise lie in resourcing senior-level interim talent for transformation projects and we continue to hold true to our values, providing you with exceptional delivery.

Are you a contractor in Asia, looking to line up your next opportunity in 2020? Or, would you like to learn more about how interim talent can enhance your business? Get in touch – I’d love to catch-up over a coffee.

We’re here to change the way you think about recruitment. Discover more about what we do >>

We’re now entering an exciting new phase for our business as we have officially rebranded to Argyll Scott (effective from 1st January 2020).

Operating as a single brand across Asia allows us to provide a more consistent and effective experience across our clients’ perm and interim hiring. We remain part of the Hydrogen Group, but in Asia will now be operating under the ‘Argyll Scott’ name.

Whilst we’re taking on a new identity, our team remains exactly the same, and there are no changes to our service offering. Our focus and expertise lie in resourcing senior-level interim talent for transformation projects and we continue to hold true to our values, providing you with exceptional delivery.

Are you a contractor in Asia, looking to line up your next opportunity in 2020? Or, would you like to learn more about how interim talent can enhance your business? Get in touch – I’d love to catch-up over a coffee.

We’re here to change the way you think about recruitment. Discover more about what we do >>

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Margaret Manning OBE

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:10:00 GMT

Margaret Manning OBE is a Partner at Ernst & Young with a focus on digital transformation across ASEAN. She is also Non-Executive Chair of the UK – ASEAN Business Council audit committee. UKABC is responsible for promoting trade and investment between the UK and ASEAN.

Can you tell us where you started your career and why you chose that career path?

My career began as an Accountant with PwC which was a very conscious decision as I felt, and still believe, an early career in professional services is a fantastic start in business life. It involves so much variety, opens many opportunities and teaches great skills to become a future leader.

However, it was my exposure to Artificial Intelligence as part of my undergraduate degree that started an interest in what has become my career and my passion – all things digital and the fascinating way it has changed the way businesses and individuals operate.

I spent some time in industry but always knew I wanted to start my own business and in 1996 I set up Reading Room with my then business partner, now husband of over 20 years.

Why is female entrepreneurship one of your passions and what has been your own experience?

My father was a successful entrepreneur so I think I was always destined to follow in his footsteps. He remains my biggest inspiration and I learnt a lot from him.

I went very much against the grain by setting up a business at age 36 with two young children which in itself was a challenging but exciting experience.

We have often described running our business as the roller coaster ride from hell; a huge amount of fun and incredibly rewarding but often a psychological battle with two children and a society where being the mother should take priority. For me, a part of being a great mother is being a great role model.

Being an entrepreneur means you need to have a strong appetite for risk. I am lucky enough to have made more good decisions than bad ones and that comes from truly knowing your business and its metrics. I learnt the hard way many times early on in our business venture and learnt that you must move on from bad decisions quickly.

We sold the UK part of Reading Room in 2015 to focus more extensively on APAC, growing a regional business from Singapore which more recently resulted in selling the business to Ernst & Young in 2018.

Have you ever felt that gender has either positively or negatively impacted your progression?

As an entrepreneur you have full control of your destiny, but it was definitely obvious to me that there was no gender parity either then or now. The big difference to me was back then, there was optimism that there would be change and that my daughters would not face the same challenges, that they would not be in the minority sitting at the table. What is key is both females and males feeling like it is their problem to solve.

In which areas have you seen employers fail to attract, develop and retain high potential females?

I can certainly talk about what has worked for us. Firstly, understanding that when we talk about diversity & inclusion, we are talking about more than just gender equality.

Secondly, creating an environment where everyone has a fair chance of being successful and a level playing field. We would often take a chance on people when hiring and give them a fair shot but with high expectations. These expectations have to be communicated which comes from having transparent conversations and high levels of trust. Trust, reward and promotions based purely on ability are deeply important in creating an inclusive culture.

Many hiring managers focus on things that just don’t matter to me when hiring, such as years of experience. You may be looking for a talent pool that you just can’t get, in which case you should focus on the intrinsic qualities then teach the rest as this will greatly open up your options.

What are your top tips for other aspiring female leaders to overcome the challenge of work-life balance in demanding industries like management consulting?

As an entrepreneur you have full control of your destiny, but it was definitely obvious to me that there was no gender parity either then or now. The big difference to me was back then, there was optimism that there would be change and that my daughters would not face the same challenges, that they would not be in the minority sitting at the table. What is key is both females and males feeling like it is their problem to solve.

In which areas have you seen employers fail to attract, develop and retain high potential females?

I can certainly talk about what has worked for us. Firstly, understanding that when we talk about diversity & inclusion, we are talking about more than just gender equality.

Secondly, creating an environment where everyone has a fair chance of being successful and a level playing field. We would often take a chance on people when hiring and give them a fair shot but with high expectations. These expectations have to be communicated which comes from having transparent conversations and high levels of trust. Trust, reward and promotions based purely on ability are deeply important in creating an inclusive culture.

Many hiring managers focus on things that just don’t matter to me when hiring, such as years of experience. You may be looking for a talent pool that you just can’t get, in which case you should focus on the intrinsic qualities then teach the rest as this will greatly open up your options.

What are your top tips for other aspiring female leaders to overcome the challenge of work-life balance in demanding industries like management consulting?

Being an entrepreneur is challenging so you have to really want it, especially when the voice inside your head reminds you of the other things you are compromising on. Resilience is one very important competency for an entrepreneur.

You also have to have a clear story. Create a story. In just 6 words, create your personal brand that means something to you. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room but you do need to find who you are and your own style. Chuck away the rule book and just really think about what makes your business work.

You have to get comfortable taking risks and making decisions. Get comfortable with the fact that there is no science to this, you just need to make more good decisions than bad ones.

Lastly, create a support network. Even if you are early in your career, actively seek out a mentor or two. These should ideally be people who see the world differently to you to give you a different perspective. I have been lucky enough to have some fantastic mentors over the years. If you are a business leader, get yourself a chairperson who is an independent 3rdparty. A good one will challenge you and keep you real.

Being an entrepreneur is challenging so you have to really want it, especially when the voice inside your head reminds you of the other things you are compromising on. Resilience is one very important competency for an entrepreneur.

You also have to have a clear story. Create a story. In just 6 words, create your personal brand that means something to you. You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room but you do need to find who you are and your own style. Chuck away the rule book and just really think about what makes your business work.

You have to get comfortable taking risks and making decisions. Get comfortable with the fact that there is no science to this, you just need to make more good decisions than bad ones.

Lastly, create a support network. Even if you are early in your career, actively seek out a mentor or two. These should ideally be people who see the world differently to you to give you a different perspective. I have been lucky enough to have some fantastic mentors over the years. If you are a business leader, get yourself a chairperson who is an independent 3rdparty. A good one will challenge you and keep you real.

Becoming a recruiter in Luxury Retail

Mon, 13 Jan 2020 04:10:00 GMT

11 months ago, I started a second career – recruitment.

I knew I wanted to do something with real people and have control on my results.

The first three months were a journey of breaking self-limitations and stepping out of my comfort zone. I could remember that first uneasy conversation on asking candidates for their remuneration details. The first little jittery day that I spoke with several General Managers. It turns out that none of the people bite! In fact, they are some of the best meetings I have had.

Self-induced pressure started to build up as fellow new colleagues started to secure role placements. There are several parts of the equation, I just have to make sure I have done the best for each of the process. That means, understanding what is the right fit, identifying and speaking with the right-fit hopefuls, and assisting them to nail each interview.

Once the first achievement is unlocked, that immense sense of accomplishment is just incredible. And I did!

My past life of nine years (being a buyer and retail ops lead) in the luxury fashion maisons has given me that intimate industry knowledge of brands, people and business locally and internationally. Harnessing this competitive edge, I am on my way to building my desk niche specialisation - I focus on general management, store management, merchandising, VM, marcom, clientelling roles in the luxury fashion, retail and hospitality industry.

And I've placed Retail Directors, Retail Managers, Sales Directors, Merchandising Managers, VM Managers, Marcom Managers and Training Directors.

Looking at the past 11 months, no two days are the same. It is a very real and dynamic environment. I work on real career opportunities, meet with real people, and support candidates to start their new work.

I am loving the great culture and team vibes at Argyll Scott Singapore. It is fun, collaborative and supportive. We've got each other's back. I’m super thankful to directors Mani , Tom , Tristan , Rae (who referred me in) and everyone.

I’m especially thankful to Annie Chan , my manager, who is always selfless in guiding and sharing her wealth of recruitment expertise at any time (usually before 6pm.) She created a safe learning zone while I was learning to walk. And now, I can run free out and about but always know that I will come back accounted for and accomplished.

In Argyll Scott Singapore, we are set up for success right from day one. There are continual training sessions to build and upgrade competencies – soft and technical skills. We have plenty of (paid) tools like Salesforce on mobile and individual LinkedIn Recruiter licenses, amongst others. We celebrate both big and small wins. We work hard and we play hard ;) (Watch this space - this will be another blog post!)

So, you’ll understand why I’m looking forward to achieving my first-year milestone here.

Happy New Year everyone! Let's catch up over lunch or coffee, shan't we?

Why data professionals are increasingly difficult to recruit in Singapore

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 06:30:00 GMT

At Argyll Scott, we understand the importance of data and how quality data can positively affect businesses. A recently published whitepaper on data readiness placed 52% of surveyed organisations from Singapore in the leading band, landing Singapore in second place when it comes to data readiness, just behind Australia. As the market continues to develop, many companies are looking to invest in data, to build their own databases as a cost-effective way to better their products and customer service.

Apart from building the infrastructure, organisations across Singapore are focused on sourcing the right expertise to support their data goals. Having created more positions than there are qualified professionals to fill, the effort needed to attract and retain these elusive data professionals increases. Having an exciting data project would definitely help set the opportunity apart, but without that, it can often simply come down to the size of the pay check! This is because many companies are ready to pay a higher price for talent in this field, leading to a continuous rise in salary over the last two years.

As the war for talent intensifies, we have seen the average tenure reduce to as little as 9 to 12 months, meaning that employers are often only getting short to mid-term security. Retaining data professionals in the longer term remains a constant challenge.

Allow Argyll Scott to help

Our Singapore-based Data team consists of Peter Ison , Ashley Lim and Simon Ackland . With over 30 years’ recruitment experience combined, we understand the frustrations in reviewing countless resumes and the time and effort needed to locate the right candidate. We are here to that take that pressure away from you.

Let us know if you would like to arrange a call or a meeting. We are happy to share our insights and market intelligence and make data recruitment easier for you.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Poranee D'Alelio

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:20:00 GMT

Poranee D'Alelio is the CFO at Brand’s Suntory International. She has over 25 years of working experience in various senior finance roles, in both a regional and international capacity, and has experience working in Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia and Switzerland.
Can you tell me about your career progression to date?
What led me to my current position was my experience working with different business models, cultures and authentic leadership over the last 25 years. I have been blessed with such great opportunities and exposure, which helped me become more flexible and open-minded towards things outside of my comfort zone, like my decision to work in Cambodia during the 90s where I experienced a lot of diversity.
Can you pinpoint when you first started to notice an emphasis on diversity and inclusion?
I don’t think diversity and inclusion came on my radar during my early years in Thailand because it’s already predominantly female within the finance workforce. I started experiencing a lot more diversity and inclusion when Nestle sent me to Cambodia in 1998 to help build their local finance team, where I worked with people of different nationalities, including Swiss, Pakistani, Singaporean, Thai and Cambodian. We had some challenges with the local talent gap and way of working, which is why we had to show them the new way of working while remaining mindful and respectful of their culture and tradition. With that in mind, we managed to maintain Nestle’s world-class standard and meet the targeted deadline in time. And within three years, I had built a strong team which remains one of the most successful in the industry to date.
Having worked in regional roles, as well as in Thailand and abroad, did the differences in culture affect your management style?
Absolutely, culture plays a big role. Both the culture of the country and cultures of the people of different races help shape the corporate culture. Therefore, managing a team in different countries requires varied approaches. In terms of leadership skills, I have my core skills and ways of working which will contribute to around 80%, with the remaining 20% being things which I’ll alter and adapt to make it more effective to each country.
What is one factor that has helped you the most throughout your career?
Respect is a value which I have very high regards for. If you have respect, you tend to treat people fairly and are more willing to listen and be less judgemental. This will help build a more collaborative culture in the organisation, which will help make your work more effective no matter where you go and what role you take.
Have you ever had a role model or mentor?
While I do have quite a lot of people who I look up to and ones I’d reach out for consultation and advice, I don’t really have formal mentors or role models. With that being said, I always look at my peers and superiors, at their good and bad, to learn and reflect on my leadership style.
What advice would you give to the up-and-coming generation in terms of them looking for a mentor?
Young people are very energetic and eager to learn, so being open-minded would be a good start. While experience from the older generations is good input, they shouldn’t feel the need to do things in the exact same way, instead they should try and find new ways to do things more effectively.
How do you balance long hours and personal life?
The technology nowadays really helps a lot, with devices to carry around, we can work anytime and anywhere, making it a lot easier to manage. Another thing would be to have a capable team, which will help you work more effectively.
Some organisations are still asking their staff to work long hours every day, do you have any advice to help them turn things around?
I’d encourage everyone to press pause and take a moment to look at how we can work differently. At Brand’s Suntory, we are implementing the finance transformation, encouraging people to change the way we work, to look at the concept of ECRS (Eliminate, Combine, Rearrange and Simplify). Every single level within the company needs to embrace that culture and be open to change.
What advice would you give for women who are trying to progress in their careers while also managing family responsibilities?
Although we’d like to be equally treated, the fact remains that we’re the ones who’ll be giving birth and taking maternity leave. It’s a bit harder than it sounds to have a good career and build a family, which would require someone who is strong and clear about what they want. Apart from that, having an understanding and supportive manager and team would also help.
In this day and age, do you think we are moving in the right direction regarding this type of issues?
I think we are moving in the right direction but can be faster in some places. Often at times, it’s easier said than done and it really needs strong and genuine efforts to create a diverse and inclusive organisation. Our company, for example, has taken the initiative to promote internal movement by transferring our talent to different offices across the world, from short-term assignments to permanent transfers. The management’s encouragement and support are also integral in tackling this type of issues.
Do you think it is advantageous for organisations to have diversity and inclusion?
D&I is not only advantageous but imperative to an organisation’s success. Diversity in the workplace means having people with different characteristics, backgrounds, skills and experiences, which will give a variety of perspectives. These differences can foster creativity and drive innovation, faster problem-solving and better decision making, in turn generating more profit and increasing shareholder values. Employees would also feel more engaged in organisations that embrace D&I, reducing the turnover rate and hiring cost in the long run.
In terms of diversity and inclusion, what is one thing you have seen that works?
Once again, I would say being open-minded and having respect. As you have a more diverse workforce with people of different race and gender, and with different skills and experiences, being open-minded would welcome them, while having respect will allow you to treat them properly.
What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?
It needs to come from the top and they need to be sincere about wanting to drive D&I. If they only do it for the sake of doing it, it’s unlikely that it’ll happen.
What obstacles do you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about it?
Changes are happening faster than anticipated, therefore diversity and inclusion in the future is likely to be more than just gender and race. Young people have many interests and are very diversified, therefore we’ll need to understand them and what’s motivating them better.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I like having a diverse and inclusive culture and am passionate to promote it. Diversity and inclusion can happen at any level within any organisation or team, I hope people will truly embrace its spirit instead of just doing it because it’s one of the corporate values.

Robert Gray
Senior Managing Executive
Argyll Scott Thailand
Robert began his career in Finance at ANZ Bank in Australia and later moved to an asset management firm before relocating to Bangkok. Specialising in Legal, Insurance and Accounting & Finance, Rob's industry background and knowledge has enabled him to find the most suitable professionals for his clients.
For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Sandra Kloprogge

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:19:00 GMT

Sandra Kloprogge is the Area General Manager of Singapore at IHG. Throughout her 29 years with IHG, she has taken up various roles and has worked in Australia, Thailand and Singapore.

As an Area General Manager, what does your role entail?

It’s about building relationships. As a General Manager, you build relationships with a lot of people, including your team, your guests, your suppliers, independent owners of hotels we manage, as well as IHG, to make sure we have enough focus on our brand.

Another focus is to lead and develop my team and build leaders for the future. We have General Managers in each of the hotels, who are all highly capable individuals; as an Area General Manager, I’m their sounding board and their support network. There are times when more complex challenges come their way so it’s important to have someone they can pick up the phone to, on top of a support network to help them build relationships with their stakeholders.

Can you tell me about your career journey with IHG?

My first job after immigrating from the Netherlands to Australia was at an international hotel, I knew a number of languages which was a useful skill in Hospitality and one that not many people had at the time. So, I fell into it by default. I love spending time and interacting with people, so I knew I found my niche and soon after I joined IHG.

I started in operations and the General Manager at the time saw my potential and pushed me out of my comfort zone into Sales & Marketing, which allowed me to look at the business from a different perspective and learn how to build relationships from a sales point of view. Around 16 years ago, I was given the opportunity to become a General Manager, making me the only female General Manager in Australia, for IHG at the time, which was a massive learning curve.

IHG is a great company that really believes in developing their people and supporting them through opportunities. With my time at IHG I have had great mentors. Having worked in several properties within Australia, I made the bold move to work at two resorts in Thailand, which was a totally different environment and learning curve. It was a more multicultural environment with a whole different set of challenges, and I got to learn a lot about myself.

You mentioned you’re the only female General Manager at the time in Australia for IHG, how was that experience?

There is no handbook on the shelf to tell you what to or not to do. I really had to draw from my experience, get on with it and be myself. As I mentioned I was fortunate to have great mentors that I could reach out to.

My male counterparts at the time didn’t know what to do with me because all of a sudden there’s a female around the table, and my way to navigate that was to let my results do the talking. I felt back then, as a woman, I had to try twice as hard to be considered an equal. We have come a long way since then.

At the General Manager level, the gender balance has improved greatly, but when you get to the next levels, looking at area, regional and beyond, there’s still some journey to travel.

Would you regard hospitality as a male-dominated industry?

I would. Back when I first became a General Manager, it was assumed that position would be held by a man. I did have, on several occasions, guests who’d come to the front desk and ask for the General Manager. I would introduce myself, give them my business card and they would say, “but I want to see the General Manager”.

As I have mentioned, we have come a very long way, but I also think that we are still a pretty male-dominated industry. However, that will continue to change in the years to come.

Having worked in Australia, Thailand and Singapore, how does your experience managing in these countries differ?

The one thing I’ve learnt on my journey working in these countries is that they all have similar issues but for different reasons. If you look at recruitment, there is a war for talent and it is tough no matter where you are.

When I left Australia almost 10 years ago, we were struggling to hire for front line roles because working in hospitality wasn’t seen as sexy or as remunerating as others. We had predominately university students which was good because we had a lot of smart people, but they weren’t necessarily invested to remain in the business as they’d go off to pursue a career in other fields.

Thailand, on the other hand, was very different as people didn’t tend to move, even if there were great opportunities to grow in another location. That presented its own challenges.

In Singapore it is difficult to attract locals for front line roles. As we work with a quota system, while it’s been working so far, it’s becoming more and more challenging in the future as quota’s for foreign workers will be reduced in the service industry.

It’s critical for us to advocate for the industry more because you can build an incredible career if you have the passion for it.

As someone who has moved a lot in their career, how do you achieve a work-life balance?

I had my daughter when I joined IHG, so having a work-life balance wasn’t easy when she was young. I had to consciously put off moving because I wanted stability for her up until a certain age. I also knew that offers for great opportunities wouldn’t keep coming, so I had to make a move. It wasn’t easy at the time, but in hindsight, it’s was the right move as it allowed her to grow and develop into the person that she is. It also helped make me the person I am today, developing my skills with the opportunities I have had and learning. What I am most passionate about is giving back to the industry, share my knowledge and developing the team around me to grow within the industry.

In order to balance between being a parent and having a career, I believed and had the passion and drive to do it all. I was very fortunate to have a great support network. We certainly have come a long way and made great progress as there are now opportunities for flexible working hours, however, there is still more that can be done.

Are there any programs at IHG that aim at promoting diversity and inclusion?

Diversity and Inclusion is incredibly important, and we have a global diversity and inclusion board as well as a great leadership team.

We have a program called RISE, which I have been asked to join as a mentor/coach. This program aims to support high-profile women within the organisation who aspire to become General Managers. Being able to be coached and mentored by another female creates a safe space for conversations and acts as a support network for their journey. The program started in Australia two years ago and has since been implemented globally. We’re putting a lot of emphasis on this as we know business will thrive as a result of diversity and more opportunities will arise.

Have these efforts paid off yet?

Very much so. It’s a journey, we can always do more and that’s something we’re focused on. It’s about ensuring we not only address gender, but also embrace and grow the diversity of our team in all facets. It’s a critical part of our culture and something I strongly support and believe in.

Who are some of your influences?

When I started with IHG, I was working with an amazing female leader, who was instrumental in shaping my early career. She really encouraged me to apply for my first department head role, which at the time I thought I wasn’t even qualified to do. I got the role, it was the biggest learning curve I’ve had in my career, but it undoubtedly made my journey a lot easier as I progressed.

Another of my influences was a Regional General Manager I worked with in Australia. What I loved about working with him was that he was all about developing people, giving opportunities to try different things so you could learn and grow. He also provided a safe space where it was fine to make a mistake as that’s your best learning.

This has been instrumental not only in my journey but how I give back to the industry and team – to offer that support and a safe space that enables growth.

What advice would you give to future leaders?

Don’t be afraid of change because change is the only constant. It’s important to remain curious, remain focused on self-development and learning, have great mentors and pay it forward, no matter what your role is.

In addition, you need to be true to yourself, be authentic and not what you think other people expect you to be. The sky’s the limit, if you believe in yourself, there’s nothing you can’t achieve.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Suda Hualgasin

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 06:15:00 GMT

Suda Hualgasin has over 20 years of HR experience and is well-qualified as an individual contributor as well as a people manager. Having played the significant role of a change agent in various transformation projects throughout her professional career, Suda is currently the HR Director at Diageo Thailand.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

My career has always been in HR, just different industries and roles.

In the late 90s, I worked as the HR Country Head at Honeywell, an electronics manufacturing company from the US, where I repositioned HR as a Business Partner by adopting the Shared Service and Expertise model, pioneering such transition in Thailand. I later joined one of the biggest FMCG companies - Unilever as a Service Delivery Lead. Working there over 5 years, I had managed 10 countries in Asia as “in-source HR” while working together with countries running the “out-source” model. Afterwards, I ventured into the Hospitality industry working for Rentokil in Singapore before moving back to a country role as HR Director when Diageo Thailand approached me. Johnnie Walker has always been my favourite whisky, and that on top of my admiration for Diageo’s Purpose made the offer one I couldn’t refuse. Till now, I still live by Diageo’s Purpose every day – “Celebrating Life Every day, Everywhere.”

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

As far as I’m concerned, every global company has been massively driving this agenda, but I’m particularly proud of Diageo’s focus and boldness in terms of its actions. We recently announced the “Family Policy”, which provides 26 weeks of leave to all employees regardless of gender because treating everyone equally is important to us. Our commitment to championing diversity and inclusion to drive and empower female leadership with tangible targets is amazing.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Having mentors is key. Normally, your supervisor would double up as your coach and you will get a buddy when you first join the company, but what’s critical to success is having a mentor as a sounding board who you can bounce ideas off, whether that is your supervisor or external senior friends.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value of having a mentor?

I do have both formal and informal mentors in my career. Having a mentor is extremely valuable because they can act as a sounding board where they’ll listen and provide a different point of view, they’ll help shape the thinking and are usually sincere in wanting to see you succeed.

Do you have any advice for family women on how to progress and succeed?

Having the support from family is very important, in order to have that, you’ll have to share with them the stages of your career, your expectations and the support you need from them. That is the basics. At the same time, you will also need to prioritise your work using the Pareto rule, utilise technology and not shy away from asking for help when you need it.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

You would need different skill sets when you create a football team and it’s the same when it comes to a successful organisation, you would want diverse talent who can give you varying perspectives. Men come from Mars and Women from Venus, but together they can complement each other. One of the benefits of having a diverse team is that you will get more ideas which would help balance our decision making and lower the risks of having insensitive or aggressive outcomes. Having diverse organisations will also lead to a better culture, one that is more fluid, agile and resilient.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

When you look at organisations that promote diversity and enable women to progress, you’ll see empowerment. That really attracts talent. Think about the world population and the growing female workforce, promoting gender diversity will definitely attract more female talent to join.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

The first step is to have a clear direction, be bold when setting goals and having an open mind when it comes to change. Start empowering the female workforce and stop defining whether roles should be filled by a man or woman because roles aren’t gendered. Make sure to include and engage with the female workforce when making decisions and celebrate female leaders’ success by sharing their stories. Cultures are co-created by leaders and people in the organisations, while it takes time and the right behaviour, having role models in leaders will help create that.

Are there any specific challenges in terms of achieving better gender diversity within the alcohol industry?

Yes and No.

“Yes” in the sense that the industry is being perceived as more male-oriented here in Thailand and there tends to be more opportunities for men to join.

However, I’d also say “no” because we have achieved a 48%:52% female-male ratio in our workforce. Perception differs between generations and we need to create new beliefs through our work for the community and how we value diversity and inclusion. Our active involvement in the community in promoting positive drinking and reducing harmful use of alcohol according to WHO mission, as well as advocating for life-long learning and family leave policy are all things we do holistically to help us break through the obstacles and challenges.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Catalina Cadavid, Di Mu and Belle Png

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 06:17:00 GMT

For this Inspiring Business Women interview, 3 female EXCO members from Lloyds Banking Group (Singapore) talk about their diversity programmes, and share their experiences with diversity having worked in different parts of the bank.

The interviewees are: Catalina Cadavid – Chief Operating Officer & Branch Manager; Di Mu – Head of Corporate Coverage, APAC; Belle Png – Head of Legal Asia.

Having studied or worked abroad, have you noticed any differences in terms of culture and do they affect your working/management style?

Di: Having lived in China, America, the UK and Singapore, there are definitely recognisable cultural differences and some of these may have led to different management styles. Being in a client facing role, I’m required to interact with many different kinds of external clients across the globe. The ability to recognise the cultural subtleties in the various parts of the world can help you become better connected with your clients and therefore more successful at your job. Recognising and adjusting your management style accordingly can also help you become a more effective leader of your teams internally.

And have you noticed any differences between the different countries in terms of diversity?

Di: Speaking from my experience working in Banking and Finance in the US and the UK, in the past it has been more male-dominated, especially within the Front Office functions and roles that may have required extensive travel or long working hours. Interestingly, I’ve seen Asian countries such as China, Singapore, Thailand, etc. do well in terms of gender equality in Banking, even among the very senior roles.

Catalina: I think it’s also because working mothers here seem to have access to a wider support system, something that may be less common in the US or UK. Outside of your family network it’s costly and more difficult to find someone you can trust with such an important responsibility. Also, I’ve seen that it’s more common for families to remain together here in Singapore, it’s very common to have grandparents, uncles and aunts living in the same city and everyone chipping in to support parents with the kids. This is a lot less common in the US, where people often move to other cities for professional opportunities away from their immediate family network.

In your experience, what are the benefits of having diverse teams and organisations?

Catalina: Having diverse points of view generates better ideas. If you walk into a room where everyone has the same background, same life and professional experiences, it’s very likely that the ideas generated are going to be pretty much in line with the predisposed biased background. In my experience, breakthrough initiatives usually come from members of a team viewing things from different angles. When you bring together a diverse group of people, you are able to look at the same problem from completely different perspectives and the discussions and results can be truly fascinating. It might take a while to balance the way people work and differences will have to be calibrated in order for the organisation to operate effectively, but once you achieve that, it’s amazing to see the results.

Di: Being in a client facing role, my team meets a wide range of people externally. Having a diverse team then becomes important as it helps us become more flexible, adaptable and more well-rounded. Among the team of relationship managers in Singapore, we have nationalities from Asia, Europe and the Americas all sitting and working closely together. With their unique backgrounds, they bring to the table different life experiences, allowing us to learn from one another while enriching everyone’s experience.

Belle: I think diversity makes both the team and organisation much richer, culturally and in other ways as well. When you have a diverse team, you have a diversity of ideas, get different angles to solutions and it enhances the dynamism and success of an organisation. If you look at the Legal function, a lot of it is about great collaboration with other teams and stakeholders. By having a diverse team, you’ll find that you can have different people working together to achieve the most effective outcome, leading to greater success of the organisation as a whole.

In your opinion, what’s important in helping women progress and is there anything you’re doing to help these emerging leaders?

Di: Building up self-confidence and overcoming that Imposter Syndrome is so important. Imposter Syndrome is truly affecting women, especially ones that are progressing into senior positions, as we tend to spend a lot more time over-analysing and preparing ourselves because we want to feel confident about all the little aspects of thing we try to manage. However, that isn’t always necessary. As you get to a more senior level, you need to learn to delegate and develop a team with capabilities that can support you in the relevant function, instead of learning about every aspect of the job.

Catalina: And as a leader you have the responsibility of helping them build that self-confidence. I do this with my team by opening doors, by creating opportunities for them to demonstrate their value, by making sure they know I trust them, by pushing them to be brave and go outside of their comfort zone…and more importantly, by supporting them to get back on track when things don’t go as expected.

Belle: I think it’s also about sponsorship. What a lot of people need in their career is to meet the right sponsor. Finding and having someone who gives you the right opportunities to build your experience and confidence is also important. Hence, we actively sponsor talented colleagues, and profile and mentor them to senior stakeholders to help accelerate their careers and achieve their best.

Di: Less formally, we as female ExCo members would also reach out to junior staff on a regular basis to offer support when we see people feeling down. We would take them to lunch or coffee, either simply to hear them out or offer our help.

Where do you see Lloyds Banking Group Singapore in terms of gender diversity?

Catalina: Five years ago, our CEO announced that the Bank was going to focus on increasing the participation of women in leadership positions. Now, we’ve gone from 18% to around 37% globally! The progress has been amazing and I believe we are above most of our industry peers on this metric which is very encouraging; we still have much more work to do though. I will be very happy when I see 50-50 metrics across all seniority levels and geographies.

Di: If we look at females across the branch, for director level and above, it’s currently 50% female, which is quite a significant achievement.

Are there any flexible working arrangements at Lloyds?

Catalina: We have a very good policy on flexible working arrangements, and even though the line managers play an important role in its individual implementation, we strongly encourage arrangements across the board that aim to support work-life responsibilities. I am a strong supporter of this initiative; however, I personally think that working remotely 100% of the time makes it more difficult for a team to operate and deliver consistently and effectively through time. Each team leader needs to be able to find the right balance between face to face and remote working that benefits the individuals and the team as a whole. There is not such a thing as a “one size fits all” approach.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at Lloyds?

Catalina: Yes, it’s the Breakthrough network. It was founded in the UK years ago and is now one of the biggest and most important networks in the Bank. We recently launched the network in Singapore, with a focus on the professional and personal development of women in the branch, including working together to remove obstacles that could hinder such development. So far, we have only had a couple of events and it’s already making a difference. For many, it’s their first time sitting around the table to have honest discussions with other women at different seniority levels on the challenges of balancing their career progression with their personal responsibilities. Being able to develop a support network around these challenges is of extreme importance to bringing down the barriers that some women encounter in their careers and we are keen on taking this initiative further.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Belle: Be supportive and walk the talk. Everyone experiences different challenges in life, and it is important to let colleagues know that it’s okay to take time off or adjust their working hours. Supporting colleagues at work and in life during such phases, and giving them the flexibility to organise work according to the way that suits them without having to take a step back in their careers is paramount. We’ve had junior colleagues tell us that they’re confident having the flexibility knowing it won’t derail their careers, and they are willing and want to stay here longer.

Di: In the first few years, you can set quotas, but the system would only sustain when you’ve created the environment where people can succeed in their job while meeting their other requirements and this is true for both women and men. Family flexibility needs to be accommodated under a sustainable framework. That’s the only way you’ll see a more gender-balanced workforce. Otherwise you’d find yourself setting quotas year after year and that’s certainly not the ultimate objective we are trying to meet here. By trusting your people with flexible work arrangement, they would be empowered to own their career and not just come in to clock a time.

As some of you are working mums, what do you think are the major differences between their generation and yours?

Catalina: I have a daughter who is starting her career. There is so much going on for young women right now in terms of support, opportunities and resources - a lot of these were not there when I started my career. I know she will still have to face some of the same challenges but I’m hopeful she’ll have a better shot of overcoming these. The enhanced awareness of the impact of gender inequality in the professional world is shifting everything in the right direction. It has been a slow turn and we are still far from being where we need to be, but I think the outlook is bright for new generations of women. I’m an optimist!

Di: My daughter is only three. I’m not certain what her generation will be like yet but one thing for sure is that they’ll be so much more in control of their own career while they will demand flexibility as well as higher social responsibility commitment from their employers.

Di: Building up self-confidence and overcoming that Imposter Syndrome is so important. Imposter Syndrome is truly affecting women, especially ones that are progressing into senior positions, as we tend to spend a lot more time over-analysing and preparing ourselves because we want to feel confident about all the little aspects of thing we try to manage. However, that isn’t always necessary. As you get to a more senior level, you need to learn to delegate and develop a team with capabilities that can support you in the relevant function, instead of learning about every aspect of the job.

Catalina: And as a leader you have the responsibility of helping them build that self-confidence. I do this with my team by opening doors, by creating opportunities for them to demonstrate their value, by making sure they know I trust them, by pushing them to be brave and go outside of their comfort zone…and more importantly, by supporting them to get back on track when things don’t go as expected.

Belle: I think it’s also about sponsorship. What a lot of people need in their career is to meet the right sponsor. Finding and having someone who gives you the right opportunities to build your experience and confidence is also important. Hence, we actively sponsor talented colleagues, and profile and mentor them to senior stakeholders to help accelerate their careers and achieve their best.

Di: Less formally, we as female ExCo members would also reach out to junior staff on a regular basis to offer support when we see people feeling down. We would take them to lunch or coffee, either simply to hear them out or offer our help.

Where do you see Lloyds Banking Group Singapore in terms of gender diversity?

Catalina: Five years ago, our CEO announced that the Bank was going to focus on increasing the participation of women in leadership positions. Now, we’ve gone from 18% to around 37% globally! The progress has been amazing and I believe we are above most of our industry peers on this metric which is very encouraging; we still have much more work to do though. I will be very happy when I see 50-50 metrics across all seniority levels and geographies.

Di: If we look at females across the branch, for director level and above, it’s currently 50% female, which is quite a significant achievement.

Are there any flexible working arrangements at Lloyds?

Catalina: We have a very good policy on flexible working arrangements, and even though the line managers play an important role in its individual implementation, we strongly encourage arrangements across the board that aim to support work-life responsibilities. I am a strong supporter of this initiative; however, I personally think that working remotely 100% of the time makes it more difficult for a team to operate and deliver consistently and effectively through time. Each team leader needs to be able to find the right balance between face to face and remote working that benefits the individuals and the team as a whole. There is not such a thing as a “one size fits all” approach.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at Lloyds?

Catalina: Yes, it’s the Breakthrough network. It was founded in the UK years ago and is now one of the biggest and most important networks in the Bank. We recently launched the network in Singapore, with a focus on the professional and personal development of women in the branch, including working together to remove obstacles that could hinder such development. So far, we have only had a couple of events and it’s already making a difference. For many, it’s their first time sitting around the table to have honest discussions with other women at different seniority levels on the challenges of balancing their career progression with their personal responsibilities. Being able to develop a support network around these challenges is of extreme importance to bringing down the barriers that some women encounter in their careers and we are keen on taking this initiative further.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Belle: Be supportive and walk the talk. Everyone experiences different challenges in life, and it is important to let colleagues know that it’s okay to take time off or adjust their working hours. Supporting colleagues at work and in life during such phases, and giving them the flexibility to organise work according to the way that suits them without having to take a step back in their careers is paramount. We’ve had junior colleagues tell us that they’re confident having the flexibility knowing it won’t derail their careers, and they are willing and want to stay here longer.

Di: In the first few years, you can set quotas, but the system would only sustain when you’ve created the environment where people can succeed in their job while meeting their other requirements and this is true for both women and men. Family flexibility needs to be accommodated under a sustainable framework. That’s the only way you’ll see a more gender-balanced workforce. Otherwise you’d find yourself setting quotas year after year and that’s certainly not the ultimate objective we are trying to meet here. By trusting your people with flexible work arrangement, they would be empowered to own their career and not just come in to clock a time.

As some of you are working mums, what do you think are the major differences between their generation and yours?

Catalina: I have a daughter who is starting her career. There is so much going on for young women right now in terms of support, opportunities and resources - a lot of these were not there when I started my career. I know she will still have to face some of the same challenges but I’m hopeful she’ll have a better shot of overcoming these. The enhanced awareness of the impact of gender inequality in the professional world is shifting everything in the right direction. It has been a slow turn and we are still far from being where we need to be, but I think the outlook is bright for new generations of women. I’m an optimist!

Di: My daughter is only three. I’m not certain what her generation will be like yet but one thing for sure is that they’ll be so much more in control of their own career while they will demand flexibility as well as higher social responsibility commitment from their employers.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Irene Wamakau

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 06:18:00 GMT

Irene Wamakau is the Global Head, Conduct, Financial Crime, Compliance Advisory, Wealth Management at Standard Chartered Bank. She is a legal and compliance practitioner with experience in wealth management, retail and corporate banking segments as well as HR processes, pension governance and structures.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

After obtaining my bachelor’s degree in Law, I started working for the Kenyan government in the environmental services industry, before taking the opportunity to join a management trainee program at a multinational. My journey with Standard Chartered started with my role as the Head of Legal and Compliance for their retail business in Kenya and later moved on to cover the whole Africa market. In 2015, I moved over fully to Compliance, looking after the Africa and Middle East regions for the bank’s retail and wealth business. Then in 2018, I started to take on the role of Global Head of Compliance for the wealth business, which expanded to include conduct and financial crime at the beginning of this year.

Having worked in many countries, have you noticed any differences in terms of culture, and did that affect your management style?

All the countries I’ve worked in are quite different in terms of culture; whether it is how people interact with each other socially or the dynamics from an age or gender perspective. When you’re in the workplace, those cultural aspects play a part in how you relate with people and how you deal with them, and how you present yourself in front of different people then becomes materially different. Another thing would be that people in Kenya knew about my career progression so when I came in there’s credibility, as for everywhere else I’d have to start fresh, winning people over and showing them that they’ve got to trust me. Obviously, relationships also play a big role, having worked in the same company across three jurisdictions means I’ve got relationships so I don’t have to always start from scratch. But ultimately, culture plays a big part in terms of how I manage depending on the jurisdiction I’m in.

What one factor has helped you the most during your career?

Deliberately choosing to have a brand and having something that I am known for. What I’ve always said is that if I’m given an assignment, I’d want to be known as someone who gets stuff done to the right quality. That for me has been a critical factor. However, that’s not the only factor when you go up the ranks, as how you go about getting things done would also become materially important. And sometimes, it’s not about you getting stuff done yourself, but instead influencing other people to help you get it done – whether you do it in a manner that leaves people feeling good about themselves or leave a wreckage behind. And that’s where the growth is, as you learn to work with people and collaborate through different cultures and in new environments, getting things done jointly and successfully.

Have you ever had a mentor or role model in your career? What do you see as the value of having one?

I do and I’ve found that with every step in my career, I’ve reflected to see if my mentor is still relevant to what I’m doing or if I need to get somebody else to help me get to the next level. In taking up my global role, I have both a mentor and two coaches, one bank-provided and one personal. I’ve found that I could bounce things off any of them to help me better navigate through the challenges, and sometimes just to get the encouragement and conviction that I can do it. The importance of having a mentor is that you get a different perspective from the one that you see. While sometimes getting a mentor in your universe is helpful, I tend to go for ones who are not in my universe, partly because they can see the bigger picture much easier, and partly because they won’t get caught up in the politics. At the same time, I don’t think you should have only 1 mentor, instead you can have multiple mentors depending on the stuff that you’re doing. I personally have mentors from a career perspective, for my contribution to the society, as well as for my leadership journey, so that I have people who I can lean on for support for the 3 aspects of life.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Everybody has a value proposition and it’s very important for you to know yours. As with the nature of the workplace, you have good times and bad times, and you’ll always question your value during those bad times. If you’re clear about your value proposition, you’ll remember what you bring to the table and survive those hard times. You’ll also be able to reflect upon whether the way you’re behaving is demonstrating your values or if you’re blinding everyone to them, thus disabling them to help you overcome that scenario. Having value propositions and being clear about them will also give you options in life. The options might not always be clear or apparent, but if you step back and have a think, you’ll always have options, in terms of how you think, respond to situations, speak to people, etc.

Do you have any specific advice for working moms to advance and progress?

When you are a mom and choose to pursue your career, learn to ask for stuff. In a way, we tend to feel guilty for choosing to have the best of both worlds. If I want to be there for my son’s event at school and for some reason there’s a conflict with work, I’ll choose to go and I’ll explain, because invariably you always make up for that time. I also don’t believe that we should take work home because you won’t be present when you need to be. What you can do instead is choose when you stop feeling guilty. For me, it’s when I get home. From the moment that I’ve chosen to be at home with my family, I’ll stop feeling guilty and pick that guilt back up the next day, otherwise you’d be eaten by guilt and never get to enjoy it.

Being a career person and a mom, you’ll also have to learn to say no and begin to think of alternatives if you’re not able to. Also, be transparent with your current struggles because then you’ll find a lot of sympathy. Oftentimes, the person on the other side is a dad, so they’ll fully understand and can relate to what you’ve got to do and let you do it without feeling that guilt. All in all, it’s about remembering your value proposition and never having to feel guilty for wanting the best of both worlds.

Has your gender ever hindered or blocked any personal progression?

I haven’t experienced that, but I do know there are people from different organisations that have struggled to progress from the fact that they are of a specific gender. I’m lucky that it has never been a consideration for me, where people would say I don’t deserve certain opportunities for being a female or a mom. Gender parity is quite complex to achieve, but Standard Chartered is very deliberate in its effort towards it, especially in ensuring that females progress and get equal opportunities as their male counterparts.

In your experience, what are the benefits of having diverse teams and organisations?

People are brought up differently with different prejudices, and when you bring that together it should give you a superior product because all you do is to enhance your view based on other people’s views. By bringing different experiences and perspectives together, you are simply getting the best of all worlds.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive environment?

Understand the environment you’re working in and what the different cultures are. When you are in an environment where the culture is homogenous compared to one that is cosmopolitan with diverse nationalities and age groups, the dynamics would be maturely different and you’ve got to understand that. One of the books I read recently was “The Culture Map”, it talks about how it’ll be a lot easier for you to make the environment inclusive once you understand people’s backgrounds. If you don’t understand the culture, you might think you’re making the environment inclusive but the other person would be receding as that’s not how they’d like to be included. Therefore, if you understand cultures, you’ll understand how people want to be included. For example, some people are happy to be called out while others prefer you engage with them in private.

Is there anything you’re doing right now to help emerging female leaders?

I’m involved in the mentorship program at the bank, both formally and in my personal capacity, helping up and coming female leaders in their journey towards leadership. Apart from that, with the support of my line manager and the compliance function, we also get groups of women within the function together and find senior leaders in the bank to come and speak to them. We’ve been fortunate to have the group’s management team and a lot of leaders come in and have sessions with them, open candid sessions, to share their experiences and get feedback from the females. Such a level of exposure is a fantastic experience for these emerging leaders, as it shows them that it is possible to get to the top. These forums that we’ve continuously hosted every month are popular, and have contributed significantly to how people enjoy engaging in the bank. Of course, I also help in supporting the Compliance leadership in the diversity agenda of the function.

Are there any specific challenges in terms of achieving gender diversity within the Financial Services industry?

There has been this perceived complexity regarding certain areas of Financial Services where only males can survive. Unless such prejudices and stereotypes are challenged and changed, they’ll continue to act as a hindrance to women’s progression.

Another challenge would be the long working hours. For females who have families, they’d want to spend time at home, but Financial Services moves so quickly that having to take time off to build a family raises concerns on whether their careers will be stalled, and if they’ll be able to come back and pick up from where they were. Fortunately, there’ve been steps to help make it better for working moms, for example holding workshops before they go on maternity leave and telling them that they can come back, allowing flexible working and opportunities to work from home, etc., all these contribute to making it easier for women who want a career and a family. While there are still certain infrastructural issues and stereotypes that will continue to make it a bit of a complex battle, the Financial Services has come a long way as an industry to make it easier for women to succeed.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Anneliese Schulz

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 06:20:00 GMT

Having been with Software AG since 2011, Anneliese Schulz was recently promoted to be the youngest ever President of Asia Pacific and Japan. Based in Singapore, she is responsible for spearheading Software AG’s business operations and growth across the region.

Could you talk me through your career journey?

I began my career working in Marketing at Siemens Enterprise Communications and then at SAP in Germany. At this stage, I didn’t quite understand the Software world and just how many opportunities it would create across the many industries. I was convinced to move into Sales early in my career by someone who saw the potential in me but had a challenging transition; I couldn’t relate to being a salesperson and felt the function had somewhat of a negative image, therefore I was cautious in the beginning and had to take the time to really understand what Sales is.

What have been the biggest challenges over your career and did you ever feel that your gender played a part in those?

We have grown and are continuing to grow quickly, which brings about multiple challenges to my role as President, one of which is to maintain sustainable growth while bringing the organisation to the next level. By leaning on different sources to create great concepts, my core focus is to implement a strong sales cadence in the organisation and ensure that we have a strong culture, something I am very passionate about. While the role is demanding and requires frequent travelling, seeing the direct impact our organisation has on our staff and customers gives me much satisfaction.

In my opinion, my gender has never stood in my way, although sometimes my age is being considered too young. I think my curiosity and drive to push myself have overcome potential challenges linked to me being female. I had all the same challenges that most have when they are starting out their careers – trying to find my place in a changing world and a role that challenged me.

How did you go about overcoming these challenges?

I am quite impatient when it comes to learning as I’m always curious on how to grow and how things work. This created a drive for me to be more open to trying things, even ones that most people wouldn’t want to do, and it’s that drive which saw me move across different functions within software companies and gave me a broad understanding of how to deliver to a customer.

On top of that, I also try my best to balance between work and rest, working hard on the weekdays and making sure I rest and exercise during the weekends, so I can prepare myself for the next week.

What do you look for when hiring leaders? Anything in particular when it comes to female leaders?

First of all, I always look for traits rather than skills. The ability to learn fast and to be adaptable are two things I look for in any hire. Leaders need to be able to grow sustainably and create an inclusive culture. I think being a female leader helps to attract other females and we have some really great female role models in Software AG.

What would your advice be to a potential future female leader on how to be successful?

Be ready to try different things and don’t worry too much about not knowing what you want from your career, experiment a bit to find out what works for you. Also, keep an open mind when it comes to things you don’t know and be comfortable asking questions or for help, people won’t value you less for showing vulnerability. Lastly, find a networking style that works for you and put some time into it.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Maggie Ng

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 06:14:00 GMT

With more than 20 years of experience in Risk Management and Consumer Lending Business Management, Maggie Ng co-founded FinEX Asia in 2017, the first global fintech wealth management platform that uses AI risk model and blockchain technology to help qualified investors optimise fixed income/monthly dividend return.

Have you had any major career changes that led you to your current role at FinEX?

I’ve had two and they’re both equally nerve-racking and invigorating.

The first one happened when I was at Citibank. At that time, I was an all-rounded risk expert with an in-depth understanding of the bank’s business, operation and portfolio characteristics. However, I felt that something’s missing. I wanted to be behind the steering wheel but being a risk expert did not allow that. Therefore, I moved on to manage the Credit Card and Unsecured Lending business; and with a healthy mix of creativity, vision and determination, my team and I grew the Credit Card business to among the market’s top 3 and propelled the Unsecured Lending business to be Hong Kong’s market leader.

Unlike the first one, my second career change was not just for me, but for my family as well. The internet of things disrupted traditional businesses and the behavioural shift of millennials urged businesses to come up with new approaches, all playing a part in moving the definition of success away from the age-old formula of going to top schools and getting to that corner office. As a mother of three, I’ve found it important to stay relevant to the new norms to keep up with my kids while also setting an example for them. Our kids grew up comfortably in a typical dual-income household, but that’s just one of many possibilities. I want to encourage them to try no matter what they want to be and the best way to do that is to lead by example.

What advice would you give to women who are keen to start their own Fintech/business?

My advice would be to find a good partner. It is challenging to run a new business and there will be many ups and downs, so what makes or breaks the business is not how smart you are but how resilient you are. Therefore, having a partner to weather through the ups and downs and bounce ideas off would be invaluable.

How are you leveraging digital innovations to help achieve a better diversity?

At FinEX Asia our purpose is to provide everyone the equal chance and accessibility to good quality fixed income assets. Leveraged on technology to minimise infrastructure and operation costs, we are able to lower our investment threshold to USD 10,000. There have been many challenges along the way, but knowing that what we’re doing will benefit the majority, it keeps us going.

What do you think are the benefits of having diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

Diversity is not just limited to gender but also covers things like sexual preference, age and race. Companies that embrace diversity have happier and more productive employees, and are likely to attract more talent. On the flip side, if you’re limiting yourself to focus on promoting the male workforce, you are turning yourself away from 50% of the total workforce and will surely miss out on good talent.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

First of all, start with a caring attitude. Every employee’s situation is unique, regardless of their gender, race or age. If you care for them, you will slowly develop caring employees as well.

In terms of helping women progress, I’ve found flexible working hours to be quite effective and easy to implement. In many families, women tend to be the caregivers, which often lead to a conflict of schedules. I once had a very competent risk manager hand in her resignation because she wanted more time to care for her newborn, instead we offered her the flexibility to work half day every day and she agreed to stay. As it turned out, she worked even more hours than before and completed all tasks with great quality. Eventually, she went on and became my successor.

What are some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about them?

As we enter a tech-driven era, one potential obstacle for women would be being excluded from this very male-dominated industry. In order to prevent that, we should start with education. Some ways to achieve that would be to encourage girls and spike their interest in technology at an early age, and to build tech courses tailored to girls.

For those who are already in the workforce, upskilling to keep up with the latest technology development is critical. The advantage for women here is that we aren’t generally expected to be experts in the field, which entitles us to ask more questions.

What do you think of women leading the way in Technology and Digital Transformation?

I think women can easily head up Technology or Digital Transformation in any business, it’s no different than leading a traditional business. The head of the organisation generally doesn’t need to be an expert in the field but a strong leader who inspires and drives the team towards a set of common goals. Women are natural people managers and would do a good job cultivating strong teamwork in an organisation.

When it comes to tech and digital transformation, a lot of focus is put on enhancing customer experience. Women have the slight advantage that they are generally more sensitive to how the process and product make them “feel”, an instinct that can help shape world-class customer experience.

What would you say is the most difficult part of implementing a diversity program?

While it is generally accepted that diversity and women equality is good for a company, not everyone in the company will be on board at the same level. Like instilling any change programs, the key to instilling a coherent diversity program is patience and empathy. Personalising the employee experience while being consistent and fair to all will encourage more adoption, also remember to have a mindset to try new things and be prepared to learn from failures.

I’ve had two and they’re both equally nerve-racking and invigorating.

The first one happened when I was at Citibank. At that time, I was an all-rounded risk expert with an in-depth understanding of the bank’s business, operation and portfolio characteristics. However, I felt that something’s missing. I wanted to be behind the steering wheel but being a risk expert did not allow that. Therefore, I moved on to manage the Credit Card and Unsecured Lending business; and with a healthy mix of creativity, vision and determination, my team and I grew the Credit Card business to among the market’s top 3 and propelled the Unsecured Lending business to be Hong Kong’s market leader.

Unlike the first one, my second career change was not just for me, but for my family as well. The internet of things disrupted traditional businesses and the behavioural shift of millennials urged businesses to come up with new approaches, all playing a part in moving the definition of success away from the age-old formula of going to top schools and getting to that corner office. As a mother of three, I’ve found it important to stay relevant to the new norms to keep up with my kids while also setting an example for them. Our kids grew up comfortably in a typical dual-income household, but that’s just one of many possibilities. I want to encourage them to try no matter what they want to be and the best way to do that is to lead by example.

What advice would you give to women who are keen to start their own Fintech/business?

My advice would be to find a good partner. It is challenging to run a new business and there will be many ups and downs, so what makes or breaks the business is not how smart you are but how resilient you are. Therefore, having a partner to weather through the ups and downs and bounce ideas off would be invaluable.

How are you leveraging digital innovations to help achieve a better diversity?

At FinEX Asia our purpose is to provide everyone the equal chance and accessibility to good quality fixed income assets. Leveraged on technology to minimise infrastructure and operation costs, we are able to lower our investment threshold to USD 10,000. There have been many challenges along the way, but knowing that what we’re doing will benefit the majority, it keeps us going.

What do you think are the benefits of having diversity and inclusion in the workplace?

Diversity is not just limited to gender but also covers things like sexual preference, age and race. Companies that embrace diversity have happier and more productive employees, and are likely to attract more talent. On the flip side, if you’re limiting yourself to focus on promoting the male workforce, you are turning yourself away from 50% of the total workforce and will surely miss out on good talent.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

First of all, start with a caring attitude. Every employee’s situation is unique, regardless of their gender, race or age. If you care for them, you will slowly develop caring employees as well.

In terms of helping women progress, I’ve found flexible working hours to be quite effective and easy to implement. In many families, women tend to be the caregivers, which often lead to a conflict of schedules. I once had a very competent risk manager hand in her resignation because she wanted more time to care for her newborn, instead we offered her the flexibility to work half day every day and she agreed to stay. As it turned out, she worked even more hours than before and completed all tasks with great quality. Eventually, she went on and became my successor.

What are some of the obstacles you foresee for future generations of women and is there anything we can do about them?

As we enter a tech-driven era, one potential obstacle for women would be being excluded from this very male-dominated industry. In order to prevent that, we should start with education. Some ways to achieve that would be to encourage girls and spike their interest in technology at an early age, and to build tech courses tailored to girls.

For those who are already in the workforce, upskilling to keep up with the latest technology development is critical. The advantage for women here is that we aren’t generally expected to be experts in the field, which entitles us to ask more questions.

What do you think of women leading the way in Technology and Digital Transformation?

I think women can easily head up Technology or Digital Transformation in any business, it’s no different than leading a traditional business. The head of the organisation generally doesn’t need to be an expert in the field but a strong leader who inspires and drives the team towards a set of common goals. Women are natural people managers and would do a good job cultivating strong teamwork in an organisation.

When it comes to tech and digital transformation, a lot of focus is put on enhancing customer experience. Women have the slight advantage that they are generally more sensitive to how the process and product make them “feel”, an instinct that can help shape world-class customer experience.

What would you say is the most difficult part of implementing a diversity program?

While it is generally accepted that diversity and women equality is good for a company, not everyone in the company will be on board at the same level. Like instilling any change programs, the key to instilling a coherent diversity program is patience and empathy. Personalising the employee experience while being consistent and fair to all will encourage more adoption, also remember to have a mindset to try new things and be prepared to learn from failures.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Chutima Ping Kamonsirinunt

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 06:16:00 GMT

Chutima Ping Kamonsirinunt is the Head of Finance at ASICS. With over 18 years of experience in the finance industry in a regional and global capacity, she is well-experienced in all aspects of accounting, strategic planning, budgeting and business acumen.

Can you tell me about your career progression into your current role?

For the first six years, I worked as an auditor and a tax consultant within the consulting world. At that time, I was curious to learn more about how business works, especially the commercial side, so I did my first Master’s degree in accounting and took on my first role in the commercial world.

Not long after, I entered the sporting goods industry by joining Adidas, which was an eye-opener for me as I started working with people from around the world. That spiked my interest to explore other parts of finance besides accounting and to take up regional responsibilities. Being in a big company unfortunately does not give many opportunities, therefore I moved into a regional position at a smaller company instead, where I stayed for around four years before joining Oriflame for bigger regional exposure. What impressed me about them was that they really promoted female leadership and had it in their agenda, they also valued employee’s growth as they relocated me to Poland after I expressed my desire to work aboard. After returning to Thailand, I worked in other industries for a while and is now back in the sporting goods industry with ASICS.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

That would be when I worked in a regional finance role at Callaway. At that time, we were just establishing the subsidiary in Thailand so I had to travel to many countries and go to the US for meetings. That was the time when I started to notice diversity and inclusion, that it’s not just about race or gender; I’ve also found the experience working with people from different parts of the world really beautiful.

Having worked both in Thailand and abroad, how did you navigate through the cultural differences?

Luckily, before I moved to Poland, I had been working at an international company so I had seen different forms of diversity for quite some time. Of course, I was still a little scared and worried about the cultural differences I might face, therefore I just tried to be open, to understand the other side and not to take things personally. Sometimes, Europeans and Americans can be very direct, if I were to take it personally, I wouldn’t have been able to survive.

When I was in Poland, one thing that helped was that we had an expat community, not just at work but outside of work as well. Being involved in the expat community allowed me to get to know people from different parts of the world and having that understanding of the different cultures actually made life a lot more beautiful. For example, I didn’t use to have any Iranian friends, but I do now after working at Poland.

The key here is to be open-minded, to talk to more people and to understand them.

Do you think cultural differences play a part in the relationship between genders?

In a way, I believe men in Asia have stronger voices than women, but that doesn’t mean they don’t respect each other. The reason for this is most probably due to seniority, as most people in senior positions in Asia are men and culturally we respect people by their seniority. If we look at the European or American culture, equality is quite important and they respect people based on their opinions and not seniority. Their way of working treats everyone as equals – no matter if you’re a senior or a junior, everyone can freely express their views.

What is one factor that has helped you the most in your career ?

I think it’s all about attitude. A lot of people have similar backgrounds of going to good schools, either local or aboard, and what it boils down to is having the right attitude, whether it is passionate, open-minded or just a simply can-do.

In terms of attitude, what would your emphasis be on?

First and foremost, it’s important to love what you do; if you have passion, you’ll be able to get through it no matter how much workload you have. Being open is also important because you are not just working on your computer or within your team, you have to work with other departments and people from around the world. If you’re not open and take things personally, you’ll be the one who ends up suffering.

Have you had any mentors in your career?

I had my first mentor when I was at Adidas, the CFO at the time was a powerful woman and she taught me a lot. She didn’t teach me verbally but she led by example, showing me how to deal with certain situations and how to talk to people. When I was a young manager, I didn’t know how to manage people and she showed me how to work with others and be part of the team. She’s the one who taught me to think bigger, to think about the business instead of just being a bookkeeper.

What do you think is the value of having a mentor?

Having a mentor is not just to have a good sample or role model for yourself, it’s also about having someone who would give you direct feedback, which would help you reflect and improve. It’s really valuable to have someone giving you direct feedback because we don’t always see the whole picture when we look at ourselves, and others will be able to look at things from the outside.

What advice would you give to your mentees?

The key things in my career are attitude and being open, and I give my mentees the same thing. I learnt from my mentor that things don’t always have to be taught verbally, which is what I have adopted myself. While I talk a lot with my staff, I don’t coach them by telling them what not to say or do because that’s micromanaging and people might take it personally. Instead, I show them how to work with other teams, how to talk to people outside of our department and how by being open we can progress as a team and as a company. I also coach them indirectly by providing different perspectives to help them think. Obviously, just telling them what to do would be much easier, but sometimes they’ll just end up doing things without understanding them, so I prefer to lead by example instead, even if it’s going to take a much longer time.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

It’s important to plan your time well, so you can balance between family and work. It’s also important to manage the expectations from your family and boss, so your family understands why you have to work longer hours some days and your boss understand that you want to take some time to spend with your family. And above all things, I love what I am doing, so work never drains all my energy, which is important.

What is the main thing you see that works in terms of diversity and inclusion, or in empowering women?

I’ve seen companies that understand and celebrate differences. Everyone is different and that’s beautiful. Once companies accept that they’ll realise that these differences can actually complement each other, and being able to utilise this can help lift the company to reach its goals.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

First of all, you’ll need to let your staff know where you want to go while also listening and respecting everyone’s opinion. Once you have established that culture at the top, it will spread out to everyone and help build a company culture where people respect others based on their opinions and not gender or tenure. It will take some time, but once people understand and appreciate the differences, they can complement each other better and progress together as a team.

Are there any obstacles you foresee in terms of diversity and inclusion for future generations?

Maybe I’m optimistic, but I don’t think we will have any issues. It may be a little harder for occupations that require a lot of work in the field, but I’m confident we will find places for everyone. We aren’t where we want to be yet, but in the next generation, the results will be there.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Anamika Talwar

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 06:23:00 GMT

Anamika Talwar is the Managing Director at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. She is an accomplished business leader with over 20 years of global experience encompassing building new businesses, running country operations as well as regional (multi-country) leadership in the Americas and Asia Pacific. She has a strong foundation in digital transformation, strategy, sales & marketing as well as business development and P&L leadership, and a proven ability to find successful solutions to complex business challenges across different functions and industries.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I’ve now been with Daimler for 14 years after deciding to move from a strategy consulting firm into the corporate world. I joined the company as the Head of Strategy, responsible for North and South America and then moved on to become the Head of Insurance for the Americas Region. I started as a one-person team and built the Daimler US insurance business from the grounds up running both an insurance company and an agency. It was a start-up experience within the corporate environment which was intense and rewarding. I then ran Business Development for a year helping Brazil prepare for the upcoming growth and the US operations optimise their processes.

Then the opportunity came for me to move to Singapore as the Head of Sales & Marketing for Africa and Asia Pacific, managing a hugely varied geographical spread and getting to know how the diverse markets work while also setting up new territories. This was a great opportunity to foster the growth of the business in the region through new product launches, innovative campaigns and upskilling through an all new sales and marketing academy. Over time, the role expanded to include digital transformation of the customer journey across the region where we launched online shopping tools and 24 apps across 12 markets as well as a Fintech accelerator to foster co-creation with start-ups. A couple of years ago I transitioned to my role as Managing Director of the Singapore business, taking on a broader set of responsibilities in overseeing all the functions while continuing to foster digital innovation with the industry-first fully paperless and all digital lending model.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career?

I do have quite a few mentors and the mentoring relationships have proven invaluable for me throughout my career. Some of the advice you get from mentors become the guiding principles that you use throughout your career.

Mentoring started for me back at business school when I was working with the director of the Information Networking Institute who was my boss and also a great mentor. He gave me some great insights about work-life balance early on in my career and his words have stayed with me since then, “No matter how stressful my day is, once I go home, I leave the work behind me.” This practice helped me create both a physical and mental separation between work and my personal life. I will work late, but never bring work home, which allows me to give 100% to both worlds and completely unwind as soon as I leave work.

Every mentor I have had since then has also given me valuable guidance and it has been great to have that support network. Why learn everything the hard way when you can get these pearls of wisdom from people that are more experienced?

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Follow your passion. It’s really important to love what you do because life is short. If you enjoy what you do then success is a natural outcome and each day is full of joy.

I also believe that you can achieve your professional goals faster if you are proactive about your development. Have discussions with your supervisor and senior leaders regarding your aspirations and be as specific as you can so they can support you the best they can. If you think you deserve a raise or a promotion don’t be shy to discuss it with your supervisor and get their feedback. Also, raise your hands and go for opportunities even though you may not have all the prerequisites for the job, you will be amazed how much you can pick up very quickly while you are on the job. Each role I’ve had has been really different from the previous one and most of my learning has happened though that experience of taking on new challenges in areas that were new to me.

Finally, be visible in your organisation. It helps if your superiors are aware of your capabilities and your contributions. Many of us grew up with values that teach us to be humble, but that should not keep you from shining your light. Take opportunities to present to leaders or get their input on your work. Get involved in activities and communities that give you broader exposure within the organisation. Exposure to senior leadership will only help you further your goals.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I have managed to sustain a physical separation between work and personal life and make sure I carve out adequate time for both. Work can expand to fill time, so if I set a tighter schedule for myself I seem to be more productive. Also, I schedule my personal commitments on my calendar in advance and treat them as seriously as my work commitments.

Having multiple commitments means having a lot of demands on your time, so it is important to refuel, and do things that energise me. I am well aware of my energy sources and deflators and outsource most of the things that I don’t find exciting so I can free up more time for things I enjoy. I have relied heavily on a strong support network for childcare (nannies, helpers and family) in order to ensure a good balance for me.

It’s easy to lose yourself between work and family commitments so it really helps to schedule “me” time. I schedule at least an hour for myself daily and try to start each day on a positive note by being grateful and spending time outdoors in nature. A brisk walk followed by meditation keeps me energised and grounded. On weekends I schedule both family time as well as “me” time when I can pursue my own interests. I’m a foodie with a passion for performing arts so I devote a day of the weekend to these activities.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Firstly, if you want to sustain a career while having children, believe me it’s possible to do so. You need to build the right kind of support network and take all the help that you can get. When I was in the US, I spent a lot of my net income on childcare with multiple nannies which enabled me to balance career and family successfully. I took 6 months of maternity leave where I had my family around to help and subsequently I chose to work from home for a year until my daughter was 18 months old and could go to Montessori school.

In Asia, employers are getting better at flexible working policies, and even though there is still a lot of stigma around it, as long as your contribution and output at work are the same if not better, then you should go for it, especially when you really need it. I’ve done it and it was great, so don’t feel shy about making use of these policies if it helps you in the long run.

Also, it’s important to have your own definition of success. Being the super-employee and super-mom at the same time is probably not going to work. For me, it was important to recognise that I wouldn’t be able to attend every event at my daughter’s school, but I would be there for the important ones. Don’t compare yourself to other moms otherwise you might feel frustrated and disappointed. Find out the balance that works for you and learn to be happy with it.

What are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Diversity has a big contribution when it comes to the bottom line of a business. Research shows that companies with diverse leadership at board level have 95% better ROE compared to those that don’t. A diverse organisation is much better at decision making because the various perspectives help examine each issue from different angles to reach a well thought through outcome. Even more importantly, diversity is what propels creativity and innovation as people with different backgrounds think differently and can bring many more creative solutions to business problems. Also, in today’s customer-centric world, the customer base is becoming more diverse, so having a diverse workforce helps us relate to customers, understand their needs and serve them better. So overall, diversity is really a key driver of success.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that you think works, from a diversity point of view, or that enables women to progress?

It really helps to have a multi-dimensional approach and build the right ecosystem to support a diverse workforce. In terms of gender diversity, it starts with the tone from the top. I know that quotas and targets are often seen as controversial, but they do create transparency and help move the needle. If the senior management supports diversity by setting clear objectives, then the right initiatives will follow.

In terms of recruiting, for example, it helps to ensure the right kind of pipeline, with a diverse talent pool. Then once the right mix of talent is coming in, you need to look at retention, especially around the key milestones for women at the mid-management level when they might take a break to start a family. Working mothers tend to leave the workforce when companies don’t provide the support that they need to sustain their career while having a family. Practices like job sharing, flexible hours, part-time work, working from home, etc. help ease the transition of new moms back to the workforce.

Finally, it helps to create the right kind of culture in the organisation that enables and supports diversity. Having diversity as part of the organisation’s values with formal mentoring programs and events that celebrate diversity help in talent attraction and retention.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Luzanne Chong

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 06:21:00 GMT

Luzanne Chong is the Head of Customer Experience at FWD, in this role, she is responsible for building and sustaining a customer-led organisational culture. She also manages customer experience across multi-disciplinary functions such as UX/ UI, design, research, insights and analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, customer communications, and the call centre.

Can you tell us about your career journey thus far?

15 years ago, I began my career in the Financial Services industry, as a Customer Service Officer at DBS. Recession was kicking in and the Lehman Brothers incident happened shortly after. 3 years later, I began taking on various leadership roles in the Consumer Banking operations space, from leading my own team in the call centre to leading 10 different teams across unsecured lending and consumer banking operations.

After 6 years, I decided to broaden my perspective and moved into a regional function, leveraging lean methodology to create standardisation of processes across our regional operations. 2 years later, my role evolved into CX & Innovation where we leveraged Human Centered Design to create better experiences across operations, self-service banking services delivering several successful innovations like a new ATM interface design, a new cheque deposit machine and more. That’s where I fell in love with Digital CX.

DBS is a great company and I learnt so much through my rotations around the bank. At this point I wondered if I would remain effective and my skills remain relevant in a different environment. I wanted to join an industry where my skills would be useful, to deliver change that enhanced people’s lives. Therefore when Jason from Argyll Scott introduced FWD insurance to me, I knew right away that it’d be a perfect next step in my career, since the company’s vision is to “Change the way people feel about insurance”.

Can you share with us some of the things that you’ve built at FWD?

Joining FWD in October 2016, the insure-tech start-up had only launched the business for one month. Having met both our CEO and CMO, it was clear that Customer Experience was a firm priority for this business. I was charged with the mandate to nurture our Customer Experience across the end-to-end customer journey, from purchasing insurance online to getting a claim. I was intrigued by the fact that I could begin my mission on a blank slate and develop strategies that would support this grand vision.

Other than setting the foundations of CX metrics and voice of customer (VOC) measurements across our touchpoints, my role evolved quickly and expanded into customer research & insights, user experience & interfaces (UX/UI), customer communications as well as chatbot AI. The opportunity to leverage technology to create better experiences and empower our customers to do what they need to do was refreshing and very fulfiling.

As a working mom, how do you balance between your work and family?

I have a seven-year-old daughter, therefore whatever time I have, I would make the most of it and spend it with her. We would read together, talk about her day and reflect on the incidents that might have happened. This enables me to solidify her values and also prepare her for different social situations. Sometimes, I will also share my day at work with her, what I do and how my work improves people’s lives. I hope to be a role model for her, so she can confidently pursue her interests and purpose as she grows and takes on multiple roles in life.

I’d be honest that I struggle emotionally at times as well, balancing work demands and the demands of raising a child. As both my husband and I are full-time professionals, we’re extremely grateful that we have help at home, giving us support and peace of mind.

What are some of your proudest moments?

Reflecting on my career, I’ve realised that the moments which made me the happiest or shaped me were not the things I’ve built or the achievements I’ve had at work.

Instead, it was moments where the people I’ve worked with came forth and shared their story on how I’ve influenced their development or careers, through our past encounters. I didn’t realise that the advice I had provided to others had such a positive and lasting impact on their lives. Many of them went on to be leaders who then exert the same positive influence on others.

Being able to make a difference in other people’s lives will always be my proudest moments.

What would you say are your biggest influences?

Recently, I’ve been doing a leadership course which promotes self-reflection, and as I looked back in the past, I realised it was leaders I’ve worked with both directly and indirectly who’ve had the biggest influence on me.

Through sharing their principles on what was a priority in life and at work, reasons behind the choices they made and the advice they’ve given, these leaders influenced my priorities and work ethics.

Do you think you’ve ever been held back in your career for being a woman?

Growing up in Singapore, equality is what we pledge to uphold. I’ve never felt disadvantaged, in school or when entering the workplace. In a nation where meritocracy is valued, I’ve always felt that by excelling in my work, I was given equal opportunity to progress in my roles.

However, I was conscious of the fact that I am a woman and might therefore at some point encounter certain stereotypes. At work, I was conscious of the typical assumptions people may have of a female leader and openly addressed these with my hires so they have a clear understanding of my leadership style.

During my pregnancy and the year after however, my career became stagnant while my peers progressed. Later, I realised that people assumed my priority was solely on my child and not my work, despite the fact that I was working extra hours while tending to my child at home after office hours. A woman’s effort should never be discounted because of maternity leave and companies need to support women’s efforts to better integrate work and life after having a child.

What do you think companies can do to further promote diversity and inclusion?

Many corporations today openly support diversity and inclusion. They put in place structural practices like defining their hiring processes, promotion criterion and other policies which support these initiatives. However, we also see a disconnect in terms of execution. Managers play a crucial role in this as they communicate frequently with candidates and employees, and not everyone understands the intricacies of how to manage in a way that respects diversity and inclusion. I believe more work needs to be done to support managers in this journey.

Lastly, any advice for up-and-coming leaders on how to be successful?

Always try to stay relevant – be relevant to your market, your customers, and your role. With technology, our workplace will keep evolving and new skills would be needed. The ability to learn and adapt is now more important than having just technical skills. Organisations will benefit from those who educate themselves and add shareholder value.

It’s also important to trust your own ability. Research has shown that men would say yes to opportunities even if they’re not really ready, but women would want to make sure that they’re ready first. As a woman and as an Asian, we tend to be more reserved and less vocal about opportunities, and more cautious when it comes to taking on something new. Sometimes, we just need to step up and say, “let me try, let me prove myself” and take the bold step ahead. It might also be useful to ask yourself whether you might regret it years later if you didn’t seize the opportunity.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Caroline Kong

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 06:22:00 GMT

Caroline Kong is the Managing Director Asia Pacific at Fenix Outdoor Asia Ltd. She is an expert in international brand development and sales within the Asia Pacific, and has extensive experience in supply chain management, production and sourcing with the fashion, lifestyle and sporting goods sectors.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I’d say it’s partially timing and partially by luck. I went to business school in France and have a double Master’s from Canada. I did an internship at the end of my studies and joined an MNC retailer afterwards, working in the apparel department. It was at that time when I realised the big demand for talent with Chinese language skills. After working in the apparel sector for several years, I found myself drawn to the sporting goods and lifestyle brands, which is why I joined Intersports as the Head of Buying, sourcing for private labels while also deepening my understanding on the Asia markets. As someone who likes to explore and be challenged, I moved to Hong Kong 8 years ago and joined the wholesale department at Lafuma, handling all the distribution channels within Asia. I am currently the Managing Director at Fenix, responsible for setting up the whole Asia operations, carrying a total of 6 sports brands across APAC.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

I think it has been there since I joined the industry because sporting goods is pretty male-dominated. The ratio is pretty balanced if you look at the lower levels, but when it comes to top management, it’d be mostly men. An example would be my experience at the global management meeting last year, with me being the only female there. With that being said, I wouldn’t say I feel neglected or discriminated against, I instead see it as an advantage as they’d be more open to listening, understanding that they would also need input from a female’s perspective to help the business grow.

You have worked in both France and Hong Kong; any differences in terms of culture and how did it affect your management style?

I would say Hong Kong people tend to work harder, like to follow instructions and seem less encouraged to be creative, but I think it all depends on what kind of culture the company wants to create. At Fenix, I aim to create a high trust level relationship where people feel they own the business and are driven by passion rather than sales. Everyone is a manager here who is accountable for something and they are trained to be good problem solvers who provide options for solutions. I also give them flexibilities to suit their personal and lifestyle needs.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

I would say my skills in managing relationships as I naturally bring people together and create comfortable environments that foster bonding. As a strong believer that everything is based on the people involved, it was after I undertook my EMBA when I discovered my ability. Back then, I was surrounded by classmates who were engineers, lawyers, bankers, etc., who all had strong financial and technical skills, which made me feel stressed as I didn’t seem to be smart enough to contribute. However, during one of the team projects, one of my fellows informed me of this natural ability I have, to bring everyone together, build a strong team spirit and encourage people to get out of their comfort zones. I attribute it to my background in the sports industry where people are all driven by passion, and that is something I see as my strength.

As a mentor, what advice would you give to your mentees?

Be humble, work hard, start building your network as early as you can and work on maintaining meaningful relationships. You’ll also have to be curious about people, events and ideas, and be open to know about different industries because you can learn a lot from each individual. I met different people via my EMBA and also the Fjällräven trekking event (with 600 participants spanning across over 31 nationalities). Putting yourself out there and meeting different people really helps expand your mind and knowledge, which eventually will help you grow in different aspects.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

Working in my industry, being a female sometimes comes off as a weakness or disadvantage in the beginning, but as soon as you deliver both in work and in sports, people will start to change their mind and respect you as you are. Therefore, you just need to embrace yourself as a female, know your strengths and be confident about it.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

I think it should be a natural and fair selection in terms of both talent acquisition and retention. While some companies put in more effort to include female, I wouldn’t say that’s always the best approach. By giving them more benefits and advantages, you may make them feel inferior or they might just take these perks for granted. With that being said, I do believe that male and female should get paid equally for the same role and companies should consider providing additional services in their CSR programmes, for example babysitting services, partnering with schools to help women out on their workload, etc.

What do you think can be done to help remove some obstacles for future generations of women?

I think it will be down to education and the society at large, more specifically how we bring people up. Starting at schools, females are told that they should be a good wife and mom, getting married and having kids at a certain age, and to take good care of the family. These kinds of mindset really put a lot of pressure on females, especially career-driven females, and would need to change.

Inspiring Female Leaders: Michelle Turner

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 06:18:00 GMT

Michelle Turner is a Regional HR Director ASEAN, Japan & Korea at RB. She is an experienced, commercially-focused senior Human Resources professional with a demonstrated history of success and impact working in the healthcare and consumer goods industry.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I joined RB 2 years ago, but I’d only been with the company for 3 months when they asked me to move to Singapore into my current role. I’m very motivated to have an international career, but that was particularly fast! One of the reasons I joined RB was because I knew I would get the career stretch I was looking for and my move to Asia was the perfect example of that.

Looking back at my time before RB, my most enriching career experiences have been through moving into different roles within HR across commercial, global functions and manufacturing, which is where I started. Those kinds of roles, combined with moving internationally, have given me a commerciality and a holistic view of how a business operates, as well as the diversity of experience that you need to grow your career quickly.

It’s a great advert for RB that you mobilise talent internally.

Our ambition is to grow our internal pipeline for our senior management roles. As an HR leader, I get to help people move on in their careers internationally. The amount of internationally mobile talent we have in RB is amazing; the commitment our people have to move overseas with RB is phenomenal, because they know they’ll get the right support, sponsorship and development. The support the company gives makes that possible, which is pretty special.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion?

Working in HR, there’s always been D&I on the agenda at every business I’ve worked for, but I think for many businesses it’s a checkbox exercise. I found it very refreshing when I came to RB to see how alive the D&I agenda has been. We have a program called DARE – developing, attracting, retaining, engaging talented women in RB. We plan to increase the number of women in senior leadership and have a target of getting to at least 40% women in senior leadership roles by 2022, from about 25% today. Within the DARE community, we have an Accelerate program to develop and sponsor our female leadership potential, where those with high potential are partnered with mentors; we also have a strong maternity and paternity policy; and a DARE network that fuel the women in work agenda. In Singapore, we have a DARE council run by people from other functions, who are all passionate about supporting women at work; this team is currently working on normalising flexible working within RB. I’m very proud that as a business it’s not just HR coming up with policies, but that others are active as well.

Can you expand upon the Women in Leadership program?

Accelerate is a global program aimed at our up and coming female workforce. It’s a 3-day bespoke program we run with an external provider to support women through their leadership journey. Senior female leaders come in and share their stories of their careers, we teach core skills and techniques to use every day plus we have one-on-one coaching follow ups. Those I know who have done it have found it very empowering. The one piece of feedback we’ve had is how do we also make sure that men in the organisation are learning about how to enable female leaders, which will be our next step and we are currently trialling a dual program. If we fully engage our male leaders in our efforts, more progress will be made than when efforts were driven exclusively by women or ethnically diverse talent. To drive cultural change, we believe in moving beyond just creating initiatives to being proactive in our leadership actions.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders need to be open-minded to new ways of working and able to share with their teams how they operate and what their expectation is of their team members. A transparent and honest relationship means that there are no surprises for anyone. For example, I don’t expect anyone to ask for permission to work from home, but I do expect that they tell their manager up front that that is what they are doing. That’s the kind of frank relationship that needs to be forged to foster a good relationship. Secondly, leaders need to lead by example. I firmly believe in being authentic as a leader and doing what you say you’ll do. If you’re going to support a specific approach or allow things to be done differently, you need to demonstrate the flexibility to make it happen. If you commit to something, like our 40% target in RB, then you must do something really targeted to reach it. It’s great to make those commitments, but it means everyone must do things differently, including leaders.

When you have senior women as new starters, do you get feedback on these initiatives?

Not really in any such formal manner– things like Accelerate are for people who are further into their RB careers rather than new starters. But for senior women who join, we get them involved in lots of our activities from day one. For example, our relatively new Finance Director for the region, within 4 months of her joining, was sponsoring one of our Accelerate programs. I think most senior women are impressed by what we do and want to be involved.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

This is something we talk about on the Accelerate program. Throughout my career, I’ve often felt that because I’m not a mother, I don’t have a reason to leave the office at a reasonable time. Many of the delegates on Accelerate don’t have kids yet, so I do stress that you shouldn’t feel like you need permission to leave the office at a reasonable hour or before others. Many businesses have a presenteeism culture, but when I came to RB, I decided that I would overcome this old habit. It’s about managing the peaks and troughs, and taking a blended approach to life and work. Until you make a decision to leave before other people with no embarrassment, then I don’t think you’ll get that work/life balance right. If someone gets their job done, is talented and delivers great results, it doesn’t matter what hours they keep. Who cares!? This is one of the agile ways we need to work differently these days. So, I consciously made that decision to get my balance in check when I moved to Singapore because our time zone does often create unusual work hours, and flexible hours is the way to achieve that.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Yang Yu

Mon, 09 Sep 2019 06:13:00 GMT

Yang Yu is the President, Asia Pacific at Monica Vinader Ltd, a leading British Luxury Jewellery brand. In this role, she is responsible for the overall business and performance of the Monica Vinader brand in the Asia Pacific region, building growth and strong footprints across multiple markets from China, Hong Kong, Singapore to Korea and other ASEAN countries. She previously worked in the EMEA region for 10 years, focusing on driving business performance and sustainable growth in multiple markets within Europe and Middle East.

Having worked in both Europe and Asia, are there any differences that you’ve noticed between the talent in the two regions?

Having lived and worked in both regions has given me the opportunity to understand the different cultures and also allow me to appreciate that there are different ways of doing business in different markets.

I’ve been very fortunate to have met and worked with some very inspiring individuals in both Europe and Asia. There are some fundamental qualities they share that holds true regardless where they are from: they are all extremely smart, driven and brave, whether they are entrepreneurs or leaders in a large organisation, their vision and passion in what they do is what’s driving them to success.

What differences in diversity, if any, have you noticed between European and Asian work cultures?

I feel that the work culture in Europe is relatively more diverse, which might be due to the multi-cultural nature of their societies. With that being said, certain markets in APAC for example Singapore and Hong Kong also have very diverse talents, they come from different cultures and backgrounds, offering a variety of skill sets and experiences, having these people in the workplace will ultimately lead to increased creativity, higher innovation, and allow more informed and improved decision making to happen.

Can you tell us more about your move between finance and retail functions?

Moving from looking at numbers and managing investments to building a regional business, focused on strategising growth plans and making sure we can deliver on those long-term visions and objectives has been a real game-changer for my career, and I’m loving every minute of it.

This move has pushed me so much further. It requires me to be more forward thinking, to share visions and take charge in focusing on the bigger objectives of the business, and at the same time to ensure that these bigger goals are realistic and can be well executed. Having a finance background definitely gives me some key advantages, my habit naturally prompts me to check on the health of our Asia business and ensure each of the building blocks for growth we set is realistic and sustainable.

What do you think was the biggest challenge with that transition?

For me, the biggest challenge would be managing, coaching, and developing a diverse team. The business side is the easy part, whereas managing people from different cultures, backgrounds, ages, and genders while trying to get the best out of them is not easy.

Over the years, I’ve learnt and developed my own leadership style through what I do. I believe leadership is not about walking in front of your people, but it’s sharing visions and inspiring people so that they’d walk with you towards the same goal.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Being passionate about what I do is definitely the key that keeps me moving forward. I always say this to my team, if you have passion in what you do, nothing could stop you from getting to where you want to be. I also think It’s very important to stay resilient throughout, to take on challenges with the right attitude and commitment.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

It was probably around 4-5 years ago and I’ve been seeing the growing awareness of the business case for diversity and inclusion since. Companies are definitely becoming more aware and conscious of D&I as many regards them as a competitive advantage or even a key enabler of growth. I feel this is a natural progression as our world moves towards becoming a more diverse, accepting, and inclusive society; and companies are slowly but surely following suit.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

Not at all, I’m very fortunate to be living in a time where opportunities are open to us regardless of gender. Of course, there are still issues to address and things to improve on, but I feel the world and career opportunities have become a lot more balanced today.

I guess the reality is that any women in a leadership role will come to a point where we’ll have to choose between family and career, some continue with their careers while others might choose to put theirs on hold and start a family. Both options are equally respected in this day and age. I’ve met women who chose work and others who chose family, some that excel in both at the same time. There are many different stories and they are all very inspirational.

Working directly with Monica and her sister Gabriela in this business, I found them incredibly brave and inspirational, they are the perfect example of women in leadership roles. They are visionary, driven and resilient, they saw a gap in the market between fine and custom jewellery 10 years ago, and just went for it with huge passion and determination, and created this incredibly successful business we’re seeing today.

At Monica Vinader, we have a culture of supporting female (and male) employees, for instance, we have a generous and supportive maternity leave policy for female employees (paternity leave policy for male employees), to make sure they get time off to spend with their new families.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards either female or male leaders, and have there been any points of inspiration that you have adopted and share yourself now?

There are so many inspirational business leaders I work with or I know of, I don’t find myself labelling them based on their gender, I think that’s quite an immature way to look at the world today. Of course, I would like to see more female professionals taking on leadership roles, which I think is already happening nowadays.

Both male and female leaders have equal importance in our society, businesses, and the world we live in, contributing to drive excellence at workplaces and generate growth. They lead businesses forward with the same passion, determination, and integrity. I truly believe that companies that have a more balanced leadership team, not just in terms of gender, but also race and age, would have more competitive advantages when it comes to performance and driving growth.

Have you ever hired or promoted people based on gender?

I hire people based on their attitude, whether they are a good cultural fit, and if they possess the right skill sets for the position, not because of their gender. Equally, I promote people for their achievements and the excellence they demonstrate at work because I want to make sure they can grow professionally with the company as we grow our business.

Where do you see Monica Vinader at in terms of diversity and inclusion?

We are definitely at the forefront of this movement; we value diversity highly and have a very inclusive culture. Founded by a strong and inspirational woman, Monica herself, our business has a diverse and balanced senior leadership team, for which people of different cultural backgrounds lead different areas and functions within the business. Our teams in APAC are very diverse as well, in terms of cultural and educational backgrounds, as well as life experiences.

What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

I think leaders need to be open-minded these days when looking for talent, appreciate that different people from different cultures and backgrounds can offer huge benefits to the overall business performance. There’s a need to invest time and money, sometimes even looking further afield just to find the right people.

Having the right people is critical for success. You’d want to make sure that everyone in the team is on the same boat with you, rowing together for the very same goal.

We are definitely at the forefront of this movement; we value diversity highly and have a very inclusive culture. Founded by a strong and inspirational woman, Monica herself, our business has a diverse and balanced senior leadership team, for which people of different cultural backgrounds lead different areas and functions within the business. Our teams in APAC are very diverse as well, in terms of cultural and educational backgrounds, as well as life experiences.

What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

I think leaders need to be open-minded these days when looking for talent, appreciate that different people from different cultures and backgrounds can offer huge benefits to the overall business performance. There’s a need to invest time and money, sometimes even looking further afield just to find the right people.

Having the right people is critical for success. You’d want to make sure that everyone in the team is on the same boat with you, rowing together for the very same goal.

Digital Disruption Series: Amit Gupta

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 06:28:00 GMT

Amit Gupta is the CTO at Canopy. He has 17+ years of experience in software engineering, product development & digital transformation, he has also co-founded three technology start-ups and has proven expertise in building for scale.

What are your thoughts on the digital transformation landscape?

Digital transformation started from the day technology started as technology is dynamic at its core. As the great philosopher, Heraclitus said, change is the only constant. It’s just that in the digital world, it’s happening at a very fast pace, one that is dramatically different than what it was a few years ago. The way in which we’ve adopted technology has changed who we are, down to our inert behaviors. The way we behave – eat, relax or whatever we do, is affected by technology, to a point where we need technology to move away from technology.

If you look at the obstacles in starting a business, they have come down massively. Very established businesses are getting disrupted by somebody who nobody knew. Technology advancements like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality coupled with gig economy people who are working for themselves, as open-source contributors, and as researchers, all contributed to the digital transformation landscape.

If you look at the example of Lambda School, it’s a new education concept where you learn to code without paying anything upfront, but abide by an ISA (Income Share Agreement) which kicks in when you are employed and have a defined repaying capacity, then you’ll have to pay a certain percentage of your monthly income for a fixed period of time. We humans have always been thinking in a linear way where everything is designed as a step-by-step process, and that’s how all businesses have been thinking. Colleges and universities have always thought that classroom education is something essential and never thought about disruptions. Lambda, on the other hand, is a digital transformation initiative that is changing the education business model and how we look at the industry.

How is your company utilising Artificial Intelligence and what real-world problems are they solving?

If you look primarily at what Canopy does, we are a technology-enabled data company that provides account aggregation, portfolio analytics, and client reporting solutions. For a typical case with a high net worth individual, they would invest across geographies to hedge risks, which will, in turn, create the problem of it being hard to track. In the absence of standardisation across banks, it would be virtually impossible to run analytics and figure out what’s happening with their combined wealth. That’s where Canopy comes in, we bring all that data together in one place and allow you to run analytics, compare across data and infer actionable insights. To do this, we connect to various data formats – structured and unstructured.

As every bank speaks a different language, we employ a lot of machine learning and intelligence to help convert those into a common language which investors can look at and understand. Having to touch around 100+ banks’ data continuously, we use an AI solution to process the PDF bank statements to extract, identify, tag, transform, enrich, escalate (on need basis) and insert the data into our database where our clients can look at in a matter of minutes. The solution has massively helped define who we are, helping us reach more clients and serve them at a faster speed.

We did this without any efforts from our banking partners, which would’ve otherwise taken them 2 to 3 years and a lot of money to achieve. Apart from using it to better keep track of their wealth, we also see our clients using Canopy for financial reporting such as income tax filing and regulatory reporting, and those would be some of the problems that we’ve helped solve.

Have you encountered any challenges in recruiting the best talent in Canopy?

Both yes and no. I’d say yes because it is difficult to find and retain talent. Being a start-up there are limited resources, that coupled with the limited talent pool in Singapore may pose as a challenge because we might not be able to offer as much as what other companies do. On the other hand, I’d say no because we have cracked the magic sauce of maintaining a healthy balance of remote with in-house. We have successfully hired great remote developers, spread across different geographies, who are able to produce the same consistent output as our regular developers. It did take us some effort to reach there but we are here and content with the situation.

Can candidates upskill for machine enabled programming?

Absolutely. For me, the most important thing is always the attitude and whether you are respectful. It’s not rocket science to learn anything, so if you have the right attitude and really want to learn, it’d just be a matter of time. We’ve had someone who joined not knowing anything about cloud or machine learning went on and became an expert in the matter one and a half years later. We care about our employees and focus on upskilling them, helping them become who they want to be and realise their full potential.

What qualities and skillsets would your ideal candidates have?

The right attitude, respect, and good communication skills. Having the ability to listen to someone, to focus, strive towards finding a solution and get something out of conversations are very crucial skills.

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Any success stories in Artificial Intelligence/Digital Disruption that you can share with us?

Banks have two kinds of data - transactions and holdings. We are a transactions booking system and use transactions to arrive at holdings, which requires a lot of heavy lifting to reach and match. The data provided by the bank is not categorised in a clear and concise manner and the calculation formulas also vary across banks; we use machine learning abilities to help us match it to the cent.

What advice would you give to companies looking to invest in artificial intelligence?

First of all, figure out if you really need artificial intelligence, is there a real application for it or are you simply looking to employ a buzzword. If you do have an application, setting the right expectation throughout the organisation would be crucial, because often at times people have unrealistic expectations from them. While machines can learn and not risk forgetting, their learning depends on the data you give them. Figuring out the data definition layer across the organisation is crucial. Therefore, finding the right talent, setting the right expectations, setting up realistic timelines, having an understanding of data and finding the right methods would be instrumental to successful implementations. Such decision-making requires experience, if you don’t have it, ask for help or find other ways to acquire that knowledge.

What do you think would be the next frontier for Artificial Intelligence/digital transformation?

Just as the world is constantly changing, possibilities for AI and digital transformation would be endless. One example would be my shoulder injury, where the recovery process is a rigorous physiotherapist regime. In this day and age, not everyone can afford such a regime, primarily because of time and money concerns. I went beyond the brief and made a small mobile app, it records all the exercise I do at home and tells me in real time the rights and wrongs, and measures joint movements and restrictions. It has brought unparalleled clarity in my impairment.

These are the kind of possibilities which are waiting in the next frontier. If you want to learn dancing, you may not have to go anywhere and someone can teach you remotely and offer insights that are far greater than what’s possible in-person, because a machine would be able to look at and analyse your movements more thoroughly than what a person can normally do.

Machine-based solutions that focus on solving specific problems will soon become the order of the day. It will not be limited by physical presence, disabilities or class, because technology will then be omnipresent.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Michelle Leung

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 06:17:00 GMT

Michelle Leung is the Asia Pacific HR Director for Abbott’s medicines business. She joined Abbott in April 2015 in Singapore as a strategic HR business partner with achievements in multiple geographies, diverse industries and life experience from a number of global cities. She has a track record of working closely with talented teams to grow business results and generate energy. What Abbott’s medicines business includes is end-to-end: from development, product supply, manufacturing to sales and marketing, and supporting functions such as finance, regulatory, quality assurance and medical affairs.

Could you give me a bit of background on your career to date?

I completed university in Australia and began my career selling loan products at a bank. It was evident that sales were not going to be a strength, so I took an opportunity to move into HR (which had been my ambition) and held multiple HR roles with ANZ. Later, ANZ set to embark on establishing a new bank in Cambodia, and having travelled there and been blown away by the people and place, I immediately applied and landed the role. That remains my most challenging role, to help set up a banking organisation with international standards in a country still formulating its banking regulations. A year in, the Head of Asia HR role came up, so I moved to Singapore and later to Hong Kong to grow their North Asia presence. Later, there was an opportunity to transition to FMCG when the financial crisis happened, and I subsequently joined Abbott to relocate again to Singapore.

What is your role at Abbott?

My role is HR Director for Asia Pacific in Abbott’s medicine’s business, where we provide high quality medicines in emerging markets. The focus is on off-patent medicines which we seek to innovate, to make medicines better or easier to take. Our business covers the end to end process of supply chain, manufacturing to marketing and sales of medicine. The role works as a close partner with the leadership team for the region, and the HR teams in each country. My role is without direct reports in Singapore, so my work is more project and strategy based, and requires considerable influencing skills.

Do you change your management style depending on the country or people you’re dealing with?

There’s an element of style adjustment depending on the country or the person, but the underlying message is the same because I’ll consistently communicate the same values and priorities. The adaptation is more situational. For instance, coaching a business leader versus delivering a presentation to an unfamiliar audience, or recruiting solicited talent all requires a slightly different approach for each scenario. HR is a support function and my role is very much about influencing and adapting to the people I am interacting with.

Have you had any mentors in your career?

Yes, I’ve had the good fortune to have my career sponsored by senior leaders and supported by external mentors. Having advocates assist my career progression reminds me of how important it is to understand how everyone shines with their own superpower. It’s important to help people find and leverage their superpower, and also raise this to the awareness of others. This is perhaps why I am drawn to issues related to talent management and building a culture.

Do you ever seek their advice on your career as a whole?

I sometimes think that my career should have been better planned. I still have personal effects in a storage unit in Australia because I thought I would be back after a couple of years. My career has come about as a result of taking opportunities that I could see would fit with my ‘career story’. And this is when I would consult with a mentor, to seek input on a ‘career story’ to validate the relevance of a potential next role. Having encouragement from a trusted mentor to take a role in a country outside my home country (of Australia) was highly valuable career advice and whilst emotionally challenging at times, I haven’t looked back since.

Can you remember when diversity first became a topic at any of the companies you’ve worked for?

In working with different multinationals, gender diversity has always rated high on the senior leadership agenda. Diversity is a topic that leaders consistently show strong support for but needs to be managed subtly to ensure the balance between diversity advocacy and avoiding positive discrimination. My earliest recollection of diversity as an agenda would have been 15 years ago.

What do you think the advantages are of having a diverse team or business?

The research is irrefutable about the importance of diverse thinking from diverse members of a team. Our leadership team is from different cultural backgrounds, with different areas of expertise, at different stages of their career and representing a good gender balance. The different points of view lead to interesting debate and discussion, which is how to gain value.

With diversity in the team, research consistently shows organisations are more successful – in terms of the decisions that are made, the strength of the employment branding, and the financial performance. Our business decisions need to reflect the diversity of our customers, and diversity within our team contributes to this.

Is there any advice you would give to leaders who want to improve diversity in their business?

The most successful leaders I’ve seen get it right with the ability to search every corner of the business to uncover talent. They talk with people, understand their background, their interests and their strengths, and find high potential people wherever they sit in the organisation. Then when opportunities come up, they match the opportunity with that high potential person. The most successful leaders in finding high potential always attract diversity to their team. They constantly talk with a variety of people – whether by formal arrangement or impromptu at a casual event. This helps the flow of internal talent and improves diversity by drawing atypical candidates for roles. What’s also important is for talent to be aware that leaders place value on diversity.

Do any of the different industries you’ve worked in - FMCG, Banking, Pharma - do better when it comes to diversity?

I reflect on my experience as being organisation specific rather than by sector in terms of being stronger with diversity. Regardless of the industry, there has been a commonality that senior leaders view diversity as being beneficial for customers and the business, and are supportive of improving this. The supporting evidence from research could not be disputed. The best candidates come from diverse backgrounds and they will check the diversity of the senior leadership team, to validate their decision to join the company and the team.

Do you feel that gender has ever hindered you in your career?

I’m not aware that being female has hindered my career, although there have been many an occasion when I would find myself the only user of the ladies’ bathroom – now that’s a luxury! HR roles are often filled by women, so not sure that I would stand out in any way. The companies and the leaders I have worked for have always been supportive of meritocracy. When I have worked hard, delivered what I said I would and on occasion exceeded expectations, career opportunities have presented themselves. I’ve managed to cover a lot of ground in terms of geography, companies and roles so perhaps being female has its advantages!

Has balancing your time gotten easier or worse as you’ve gotten to a more senior level?

In more senior roles, working hours increase, but having said that there is also more flexibility. My hours are longer now, so I aim to be physically active to stay sane and schedule exercise to make sure this isn’t overlooked. Travel makes exercise and nutrition harder, and timelines are sometimes not negotiable, but there is control over the timing of meetings which helps to manage workday planning. Even when out of the office, we’re all online remotely, so it’s possible to check on project milestones and maintain exchanges even without being in the office. Remote access starts to blur start and finish times for work, and this is further complicated when following a global clock. It becomes my own responsibility to manage my own working hours, and actively prioritise.

What sort of leader or manager do you think you are?

With the last HR team that I directly managed I was fortunate to be surrounded by very talented people, and this is in the context of having high expectations of how the HR function is represented. Without a doubt the biggest reward from managing this team was their progression in their professional development.

As a leader I like to think I work hard for the benefit of the team and also work hard on my own. My inclination is to look for innovation as a path to greater efficiency, productivity and sometimes just to add an element of fun. This might mean trying new processes or technologies, or just introducing new topics to create a higher benchmark and leave people and things a little better than when we first started.

Do you think that collaborative style sometimes hinders things getting done?

A collaborative style gives the best result because this means many people contribute their brainpower. Then there reaches a time when a single decision/recommendation needs to be made. Sometimes the decision can come from a democratic process, and other times just one person needs to decide, it really depends on the circumstances. When faced with a difficult challenge or brainstorming, I’ve found a collaborative style to be helpful especially when the team size is a manageable number, at 6 or less. If I speak with half a dozen people for their input, it’s likely that the result isn’t better than if I had tried to wing it going solo.

Do you have any advice for women to progress in more male-dominated organisations?

At the early stages of your career, regardless of gender, it’s important to understand your own USP (unique selling point) and market a point of differentiation about the value you bring. How you are contributing to the broader business is always more important than your gender.

Do the things that scare you a little, ones that either give you goosebumps or make your heart beat a little faster, because these are signs of getting outside of your comfort zone and offer the opportunities to learn. This advice didn’t occur to me early on in my career, being the only female in the room didn’t really register with me then, so it would also be advice to my younger self.

What else can an organisation do to help foster diversity?

Fostering diversity comes as a result of lots of different things. From an HR perspective, there are processes including recruitment practices, mentoring, learning and development opportunities, networks and rewards that support diversity. But most importantly, the organisation’s culture needs to support and value differences in thinking and ensure people will be heard. Having clear communication about the desired culture and behaviours sets the benchmark and expectation for what is considered acceptable. This mindset of encouraging and appreciating diversity in all parts of the organisation helps a business succeed in the context of a diverse and challenging world.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Miriam Andrews

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 06:27:00 GMT

Miriam Andrews is a Partner in Buddle Findlay's Banking and Finance team. In this role, she specialises in banking and finance, with a focus on leveraged and acquisition finance, agri-business, syndicated lending, asset sale and purchase and restructuring. She also advises lenders on cross-border lending and property finance transactions.

Does your firm tackle gender diversity with any programs or flexible conditions?

At our law firm, I think gender is considered the easiest diversity element to tackle. I don’t think this is necessarily true - but maybe it’s the easiest and more obvious thing to measure. In saying that, we don’t have a Women in Leadership program or any programs or groups specifically for women – our diversity initiatives are broader and try to cover all elements of diversity. Within the profession, there are many groups targeted at women (that we as a firm are involved with) – including the Auckland Women Lawyers' Association and Women in Insolvency and Restructuring. Our firm does offer flexible working - I work from home one day a week, and we’re replicating that with the male partners in our group too, which they have bought into. Men in our industry have just as much of a role to play in this. Men today want more responsibility for the domestic side of life and the sooner that happens, the more change we will see for women in the industry.

Do you find in New Zealand that the male/female representation issue is more pronounced at certain levels?

It’s hugely pronounced at Partner level (74% of our partnership is male). In New Zealand, we have had more women than men coming out of law school since the early 1990s – this year, our firm didn’t have any male graduates in Auckland (our biggest office) and over the past seven years, our graduate recruits, on average, have been at least 70% women. We see that majority represented up to about Senior Associate level (over 65% of our Senior Associates are women), but it’s that next step up to Partner where we see the numbers change. Most law firms in NZ have around 20%-30% female partners, and though that is increasing, it’s still a big discrepancy. The drop-off rates must be interesting because at Senior Partner level, it’s almost all male.

There seems to be an increasing trend for young Partners now and that those in their 50s and 60s might be seen as too old?

I have real concerns about the fact that we are starting to stop valuing people when they are at the top of their game. It’s potentially even worse for women who may have had a career break to raise a family. If they come back to face a cap or a mandatory retirement age, which at law firms can be very young, then you’re creating a system where women are never going to get to the top in time or be the boss for very long.

Have you noticed any differences around progressive workplace attitudes between geographies or between companies like law firms and corporates?

I think the UK has better employee benefits than New Zealand, such as the amount of holiday you get, and significantly better maternity leave terms, but I think we are ahead in terms of not having that hierarchical class structure. We are much more informal, which can make things easier. I think banks have been more progressive than law firms over time. For example, when I was at Lehman Brothers back in 2005, I had a female reporting line, there were groups supporting women in leadership and everyone had mandatory unconscious bias training. It seems that investment banks, particularly American ones, have been ahead of the curve for a while.

Have you had any mentors in your career? And do you think all female leaders are supportive in the same way?

My boss at Lehman Brothers was an amazing, supportive mentor and role model who wanted to make things easier for the next generation. However, I have seen both sides of the coin – her boss for example, was definitely “closing the door behind her”, but she was from a very different generational perspective. The women in the generation above me seem to believe that they got to where they were by acting like a man and so their advice would be to do that. My mentor’s boss didn’t even stop work to have her children, they really were polar opposites! My generation is much more supportive and collaborative, though some people believe that the supportive stance can actually be detrimental to your own career progression in some areas. For example, if you become seen as a mother-figure role model in the organisation, then that can hinder your progression or hold you back in other areas.

In TV and film, senior law professionals are always portrayed as having male characteristics. Has that ever been a problem for you?

Yes, I’ve seen a lot of unconscious bias because of that. I’ve had private equity clients, for example, who are very aggressive professionally, and that’s what they are looking for in a lawyer. When I take that approach I find that I'm tarred with a negative brush in a way that my male colleagues taking the same approach are not. I also find that the drinking culture can exacerbate the 'old boys club' to the detriment of female lawyers.

Is there anything formal in place at your firm to position themselves as leading the way in diversity?

We have a national Diversity & Inclusion committee who drive various initiatives in this space. For example we recently gained the Rainbow Tick, ran a series of fora on safety, wellbeing and culture, and undertook at national culture survey. We also have local sub-committees that feed into our national committee in order to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute to our D&I strategy.

We are also establishing relationships within the Maori and Pacific Island students’ associations at the Universities. We met with them in 2018 to understand why we were not receiving many applications through our graduate recruitment process. They talked about some of the reasons and barriers and we’re working to strengthen current relationships and build new ones through support of these associations by way of sponsorship and discussion.

We are looking at masking information on CV’s to eliminate bias. One of the difficulties we have is that New Zealand is very small, and we know most of the women in the sector, so from a gender point of view, that’s not very helpful. Similarly, at Senior Associate level, we will usually already know the person. At the moment, there is a really strong demand for Senior Associates, so I don’t think there is bias when it comes to hiring. Aside from gender, we’ve also looked at blanking out details such as prestigious schools in the interests of fairness.

So, socio-economic diversity?

In the last 20 years in New Zealand, there’s been a real divide between the haves and the have-nots, and we’ve become much more aware of income inequality, so it’s going to become an important driver. When you realise all your colleagues are from the same prestigious schools, then it’s time to look at the diversity of people representing different economic backgrounds. Those students are held back from getting into the system by not having friends whose dads are partners in law firms giving them a hand. Furthermore, people from the prestigious schools and backgrounds have often had things come easier to them in life, which actually is a negative, compared to someone who has had to fight to get to law school. We’re also trying to think outside the box around applications, considering ideas such as bypassing the written application system with the chance to answer a question on video, for example. Late last year, because of our relationship with the Halberg Foundation, we found out that members of their Youth Council, mostly university students, find it difficult to get work experience so, with the Foundation, we created the Buddle Findlay & Halberg Career Experience programme. Our main objective is to assist the university students from the Council, who all have physical disabilities, to gain practical work experience. The work experience will take place at Buddle Findlay’s three offices in June and July and if it is a success, we may also roll out the program to our clients too because obviously not everyone wants an opportunity in law.

What’s next in terms of change?

I think that law firms have been successful recently with flexibility and technology has been an important part of that. There is more recognition that you don’t need to be sitting in the office to do legal work, and face-to-face meetings happen less frequently. I think the next step will be looking at how we bill clients in terms of value rather than just in terms of hours. Law firms are very bad at presenteeism, so we need to grow the culture of visible leavers from the top. ‘Leaving loudly’ needs everyone to buy into it, it can’t just be the female partners leaving to deal with family, it needs to be across the board, and I can see this being adopted in the near future.

My boss at Lehman Brothers was an amazing, supportive mentor and role model who wanted to make things easier for the next generation. However, I have seen both sides of the coin – her boss for example, was definitely “closing the door behind her”, but she was from a very different generational perspective. The women in the generation above me seem to believe that they got to where they were by acting like a man and so their advice would be to do that. My mentor’s boss didn’t even stop work to have her children, they really were polar opposites! My generation is much more supportive and collaborative, though some people believe that the supportive stance can actually be detrimental to your own career progression in some areas. For example, if you become seen as a mother-figure role model in the organisation, then that can hinder your progression or hold you back in other areas.

In TV and film, senior law professionals are always portrayed as having male characteristics. Has that ever been a problem for you?

Yes, I’ve seen a lot of unconscious bias because of that. I’ve had private equity clients, for example, who are very aggressive professionally, and that’s what they are looking for in a lawyer. When I take that approach I find that I'm tarred with a negative brush in a way that my male colleagues taking the same approach are not. I also find that the drinking culture can exacerbate the 'old boys club' to the detriment of female lawyers.

Is there anything formal in place at your firm to position themselves as leading the way in diversity?

We have a national Diversity & Inclusion committee who drive various initiatives in this space. For example we recently gained the Rainbow Tick, ran a series of fora on safety, wellbeing and culture, and undertook at national culture survey. We also have local sub-committees that feed into our national committee in order to ensure everyone has an opportunity to contribute to our D&I strategy.

We are also establishing relationships within the Maori and Pacific Island students’ associations at the Universities. We met with them in 2018 to understand why we were not receiving many applications through our graduate recruitment process. They talked about some of the reasons and barriers and we’re working to strengthen current relationships and build new ones through support of these associations by way of sponsorship and discussion.

We are looking at masking information on CV’s to eliminate bias. One of the difficulties we have is that New Zealand is very small, and we know most of the women in the sector, so from a gender point of view, that’s not very helpful. Similarly, at Senior Associate level, we will usually already know the person. At the moment, there is a really strong demand for Senior Associates, so I don’t think there is bias when it comes to hiring. Aside from gender, we’ve also looked at blanking out details such as prestigious schools in the interests of fairness.

So, socio-economic diversity?

In the last 20 years in New Zealand, there’s been a real divide between the haves and the have-nots, and we’ve become much more aware of income inequality, so it’s going to become an important driver. When you realise all your colleagues are from the same prestigious schools, then it’s time to look at the diversity of people representing different economic backgrounds. Those students are held back from getting into the system by not having friends whose dads are partners in law firms giving them a hand. Furthermore, people from the prestigious schools and backgrounds have often had things come easier to them in life, which actually is a negative, compared to someone who has had to fight to get to law school. We’re also trying to think outside the box around applications, considering ideas such as bypassing the written application system with the chance to answer a question on video, for example. Late last year, because of our relationship with the Halberg Foundation, we found out that members of their Youth Council, mostly university students, find it difficult to get work experience so, with the Foundation, we created the Buddle Findlay & Halberg Career Experience programme. Our main objective is to assist the university students from the Council, who all have physical disabilities, to gain practical work experience. The work experience will take place at Buddle Findlay’s three offices in June and July and if it is a success, we may also roll out the program to our clients too because obviously not everyone wants an opportunity in law.

What’s next in terms of change?

I think that law firms have been successful recently with flexibility and technology has been an important part of that. There is more recognition that you don’t need to be sitting in the office to do legal work, and face-to-face meetings happen less frequently. I think the next step will be looking at how we bill clients in terms of value rather than just in terms of hours. Law firms are very bad at presenteeism, so we need to grow the culture of visible leavers from the top. ‘Leaving loudly’ needs everyone to buy into it, it can’t just be the female partners leaving to deal with family, it needs to be across the board, and I can see this being adopted in the near future.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Betsy Westcott

Tue, 20 Aug 2019 06:25:00 GMT

Betsy Westcott is the Director of Retail Banking at Xinja Bank, an independent Australian digital bank that enables customers to make intuitive, optimised, rapid & better money decisions without the angst.

Looking at your career to date, have you encountered any unnecessary obstacles because of your gender?

Certainly not in the early stages of my career as the gender split amongst entry level roles were basically even - I think the statistic was around 44% female in entry level roles. At that point in my career, I felt very confident that my performance would be rewarded according to merit.

It’s a well-documented fact that as role seniority increases the percentage of women who hold those roles decreases. This has certainly been my observation too. In saying that, I have had an exciting career and don’t feel that my gender has ever stopped me from progressing or taking on more responsibility.

What I have personally experienced in a handful of environments is that I needed to be extra prepared and thorough with my work, because on face value I was assumed to be less competent than other colleagues, and that was frustrating at times. Sometimes you see that through interactions as well. When you say something but it’s not heard until someone else says it, or when you put forth an idea and must have had every scenario mitigated for it to be deemed well thought out. I don’t think this is purely due to gender, I think it’s a combination of gender, age and my own challenges in overcoming ‘imposter syndrome’.

I’m actually grateful for the experience because it’s made me more resilient, fostered great habits such as being thorough and diligent, and increased my own confidence in my abilities.

Having worked in different industries/sectors, what have your experience been like in terms of diversity?

My observation of both hospitality and finance is that the level of diversity is increasing. The challenge to have more women represented in senior position remains. The fintech industry is definitely male-dominated, however, companies like Xinja are bucking the trend by deliberately focusing on building diverse teams. It’s literally rule number 9 of the Xinja’s 10 golden rules.

I think as organisations and society as a whole we have much work to do to enable parents, particularly mothers, to continue to participate in the workforce after starting a family, if they want to. For my cohort of friends and I, the conversation about starting a family circulates around the question of can we afford to, what will it do to my career, how and when could I return to work, how do you juggle it all and so on. The greatest underutilised resource in our economy is mothers in their childbearing years. According to the Grattan Institute, if Australia had the same level of working mothers as Canada, there would be a $20 million boost to our economy. I don’t have all the answers but I know that enabling both parents to partake in child rearing activities through better policies, improving the affordability of childcare and making our workplaces more accommodating to family responsibilities would help.

Is there a point in time when you noticed an emphasis on diversity?

I think it happened at once in both my private and professional life, when conversations around gender, relationships, and workplaces arose. That was around 6 years ago, when I really started to notice programmes aiming to sponsor women to get to those leadership positions.

How do you balance between your work and personal life?

I set myself clear priorities each day and stick to them. I focus on output over hours worked. In a lot of workplaces people confuse working long hours with being productive. Presenteeism does not equal productivity. I’ve learnt to work efficiently during the day, so that I can leave work at a reasonable hour and make sure I get to the gym, have a home cooked meal, see my friends, and check in with my husband, before coming back on the next day and doing it again. To be innovative, creative and happy, you need to be well rested.

Having clear priorities helps me to know what to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to. This allows me to create the time and space needed to get the important things done. You’ll never get everything done so it’s important to prioritise getting what matters done.

What do you think might be the problem with some companies’ approaches and why is D&I important?

My belief is that organisations should be reflective of the society that they serve. When half of the population is female, why wouldn’t your organisation reflect that? Diversity (in all of its forms - gender, age, race, religion, experience) and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but it leads to better business outcomes. Boston Consulting group did a study that found that diverse companies actually produce 19% more revenue due to better risk management and innovation. What this tells us is that diversity is not something to simply be strived for, it’s an integral part of a successful revenue generating business.

Are there any initiatives at Xinja that aims to promote diversity and inclusion?

We place a heavy focus on diversity and inclusion here at Xinja. Currently two of the six Xinja board members (including the Chair) are women. Three of the seven Xinja Executive are women. And of the 39 full time employees, 21 are women. This is a great start, the challenge is in maintaining the balance as we scale. We are looking to extend that to other forms of diversity like cultural and sexual orientation.

In terms of practices, we remove names or any other identifiers from CVs that might cause unconscious bias. As an organisation, we also try to set ourselves up to work cross-functionally, to have people from different disciplines and backgrounds giving varying perspectives on how to achieve particular business outcomes. That way, we can work towards creating a robust and energetic environment, making sure that we’re validating our assumptions and also getting to the right answers.

Where do you think we are in the journey?

We’ve come a long way but there is still a lot more to do, especially around unconscious bias in terms of gender and cultural backgrounds. Currently there are societal changes taking place, where we see gender roles at home changing. Having the option to choose is great for everyone, as women are no longer shamed for choosing to work and men are no longer patronised for choosing to take a more active role in parenting.

And what do you think would be next?

Over and above promoting diversity and inclusion, I think organisations need to change their expectations of their staff always being on and available 24/7. This expectation leaves them no time to play or rest, and it’s really hurting us as the human race. Personally, I appreciate that getting the balance between work and life takes conscious effort. It’s a daily practice for me. As a leader I encourage my team to work smart and efficiently, I don’t support presenteeism or working long hours when it’s not productive. We work to live and not vice versa.

As the business continues to evolve, do you foresee diversity and inclusion staying as a part of the DNA of the business?

Yes, we are very committed to it. Obviously, there would be more governance and framework as we scale-up, but we are very deliberate in maintaining the practices we started in the beginning, and have been clear about the kind of workplace we want to create – flat hierarchy, lots of diversity in terms of skills, gender, background, and thought. We want a diverse team that’s united by a shared ‘why’. As in “why” we’re all here. It’s something that has always united us at Xinja in building a bank that’s here to help customers get ahead and do more with their money by understanding it better.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Vara Lakshmi P

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 06:26:00 GMT

Vara Lakshmi P is heading the QA Operations for APAC region at Global Blue, headquartered in Switzerland best known for tax-free shopping and a leader in all of its global markets. In this role she is responsible for delivering quality software for around 300,000 GB clients. Prior to joining GB, Vara worked in various industries such as Telecom, Financial Services, Medical Tourism and Retail.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I have about 14+ years’ experience in testing and quality assurance. I started with Microsoft as a contractor from HCL, and even though it was a welcoming company, I felt very small in such a huge space. This gave me the mindset to challenge myself, which saw me move to the US and then later Singapore. Whenever I change jobs, it’s always been to upskill or challenge myself with a new learning curve. I have also made some drastic decisions such as joining a start-up when I had a two-year-old, but it’s those decisions which really helped my career progress.

You’ve worked in different locations, what cultural differences have you noticed, and have they affected your management style?

I have worked in America, Europe, Singapore and India; whilst the focus on the hours spent at work verses the quality of time spent at work vary in each country and company, I have found that these differences have not impacted my management style.

Anyone can tell people what to do but listening and understanding people is a real skill. Once you can do that, you can align your own expectations with theirs, which is a much healthier bond to have with a team. I also don’t micromanage people, I give them the freedom to get the work done, which works regardless of cultural differences.

Have you had a mentor or role model in your career and what value do you see in having one?

I don’t have one specific mentor because I think the more knowledge and input I receive from a range of people, the better I can synthesise and develop my own approach. When I want to learn a new technical skill, I talk to at least 5 or 6 people about it, to learn as much as I can, listening to ideas from all of them. Having a mentor can definitely help but finding the right one is tough. I did reach out earlier in my career to a few people, but mentoring doesn’t suit everyone, so I developed my micro mentoring approach, to ensure I had meaningful input and discussions without taking too much of their time.

In terms of role models, I do have two. One is from the industry, the former CEO of HCL, Vineet Nayar, because his technique is employee first, rather than customer first, which I think is very impactful and which I have tried to adopt for my teams. The second is a politician, CBN (Chandrababu Naidu – we call him CEO of Andhra Pradesh State) who I admire because he always talks about the bigger picture and the future and also what you need to get there. Again, it’s a model that we can take into business projects.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

Family, particularly after becoming a mother, helps to balance me emotionally and de-stress me from work. Lots of the questions and problems from work that you take home with you can be resolved or improved by talking with your family, so their support really helps me achieve a better work-life balance. I do take work home with me that I can do after everyone is asleep. I know this is not a style suited for everyone but I see the benefits so I encourage flexible working hours with in my team.

Looking back on your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

The first thing that comes to mind when we talk about diversity is definitely gender, followed by ethnicity, and now there is an increasing awareness to be inclusive of disabilities in the work place. In the last 7 or 8 years, I’ve seen a lot of women in IT, but before that it was at a 70/30 or even 80/20 men to women ratio within IT teams. If you further break it down into software and hardware, you wouldn’t find many women in the hardware side, this is still an area requiring focus and rebalancing. I have been hiring for 7 or 8 years now and the first thing I look at is how balanced the team I am hiring for is, in terms of gender, nationality, and if there is an opportunity for qualified individuals with disabilities. It’s really valuable to get the different thought processes from cultural diversity, which is why I tell this to my managers when they are hiring. Diversity in understanding, approach and challenges in life help teams develop solutions for the whole community.

Are there any Women in Leadership programmes at Global Blue?

We do have women in leadership roles and also a programme that promotes it. The interesting thing about Global Blue is our 50/50 gender diversity split, which is rare in the IT industry. We have lots of leadership skills sharing sessions internally for women, something that we’ve started to share with our European counterpart as well.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and organisations?

If you only hire people of the same nationality, a lot of their thinking processes will be the same. As I mentioned before, few nationalities might see hard work as the answer, whereas few others might look for a smarter option to solve a problem. So, in a diverse working environment, there will be people looking for a faster solution, quality and for stability, etc. You may have a lot of debates, but you get a better balance because of the multiple perspectives and in turn a steadier performance. There will always be a need for compromise when there are different opinions, which the manager has to handle, but the benefits of diversity are worth it.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Embrace your inner strength and value diversity of thoughts and actions. Instil an open mindset in your team. It’s easy to hire a diverse team but keeping that open mindset once you are leading a diverse team is the key to leveraging creativity and encouraging relentless questioning of the status quo, to ensure maximum benefit from your hiring decisions. There is no book of rules on how to do this because every team and individual is different, but you need to listen to your teams to make sure integration is happening and nurture that diverse environment.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Soledad Muné

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 06:25:00 GMT

Soledad Muné is the Regional Head of International Personal Lines of Chubb in the Asia Pacific. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the Personal Lines business across Asia Pacific as well as formulating and executing strategies for the region.

Having to move from the US to Singapore, did you find the relocation challenging?

I didn’t find the transition challenging. First I moved from Argentina to the US back in 1999. I believe any place can become a home, and it’s up to us to make the best of it. I don’t dwell on what was better in Argentina or the US. Each place is different and forms part of who I am.

While living in Asia is quite different from living in a Western country, Singapore has a nice mix of East and West and you can find anything you want here. Singapore has a lot to offer - if you want something familiar, you can find it. You can also venture to more local places and enjoy Singapore’s rich cultural heritage. This has made the transition easier for me.

However, I have found it challenging to meet people and make friends outside of work. It’s always nice to be able to branch out and form a social circle aside from work. Singapore is a very transient place with people coming and going all the time; however, everyone I met has been very friendly and I believe it is a matter of time before I build a social circle here.

What would you say are some factors that have helped you progress in your career?

Being dependable and resilient are two of the most important factors that helped my career progression. No matter the task, the hour of the day, or day of the week, when we need to get something done, I would be there and have my team’s back, so we can deliver whatever is needed. I think that dependability is very important; the company puts you there for a reason and they’d expect you to deliver.

Resilience helps with dependability as well. Being able to respond to pressure, adversity and uncertainty and “bouncing back” without much support from your boss is key. Our bosses are busier than we are, if they can depend on us, we are making their job easier. That does not go unnoticed.

Another key factor would be risk-taking. I never said no to career opportunities that were put in front of me. Sometimes, I wondered if an opportunity was a step backwards or not as great an option compared to other opportunities; but risk-taking has always paid off for me and I’ve learnt that it pays to be patient. Opportunities are always bigger than they seem, and each opportunity I took has helped me get to where I am today.

Giving that you’re working such long hours, how do you balance your work and personal life?

There’s no universal formula for work-life balance, we all have to find what works for us. Both my husband and I work, so we always try to find time for each other and our social lives. To me, it’s not so much about balancing but integrating work with my personal life. For instance, when we’re on vacation I might have to step out and take a call or wake up earlier just to go through some emails. So it’s not really one thing or the other, but more about finding the best way to mix them together instead.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered or blocked any personal progression?

It’s not something that I’ve experienced directly as a challenge to my progression, but it certainly would not be true to say there are no implicit biases. People observe what women in leadership positions do more closely. They observe what we say, how we say it, what we wear, and what we do with our hair. I pay attention to that, but I am not insecure or self-conscious about it. I believe women need to stop asking ourselves whether we belong or not. Confidence is key to overcoming those implicit biases.

I work in a male dominant industry, though that is changing. Sometimes I see how male colleagues interact with each other and how things change whenever I enter the picture. That means I have to find my voice. I can’t be shy about raising my opinion or being a part of the conversation.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards male or female leaders?

For me, it’s more about what leaders bring to the table rather than their genders. I don’t connect with women by virtue of us sharing a gender. But these questions you are asking me are not frequently asked of men. For that reason, I believe women should help each other.

Are there any leaders or public figures who have inspired you?

I can think of the US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She came from a humble background, grew up in public housing, had to deal with juvenile diabetes, and went to high school in one of the toughest neighbourhoods in New York City at the time. Through her resilience, she exceled at school and got through Princeton and Yale and made it all the way to the top of her field. She wrote in her memoir that she had to teach herself to do things because there’s no one there to teach her. I admire that. I believe it’s important to remember you are all you have regardless of where you come from. Sometimes we get help from others and that is nice, but the hours, the dedication, and the work that you put in are all yours.

How would you describe yourself as a leader?

I like to empower people so they can make their own decisions and learn from experience. Instead of giving instructions to follow and execute, I prefer to guide by giving ideas and suggestions. For this form of guidance to work, I have a clear understanding of my team members’ capabilities and experience so I can provide the right level of guidance to correct and redirect in time before we go too far down the wrong path.

I also value team spirit. No one is an expert at everything, and we have to be willing to give and accept help. It’s not about who did it or who gets the credit. I think it’s very important for the team to understand that we’re all in it together.

Would you say that you have a diverse team? Is there anything that you’ve done to further promote this?

Chubb is a very diverse company. We operate in 54 countries and territories, and there’s a lot of global mobility. My regional team has 12 members and only 2 are from the same country, and I would say that diversity happens organically for us. But it’s diversity of thought which matters more when I consider who I want on my team. For example, I am open to hiring a person without the perfect resume. I may look for people who are subject matter experts but lack experience in the exact role as I believe they can be stretched to perform in the new role, and bring a different perspective to the table.

Having diversity of thought would mean having individuals who think or see things differently, how do you get them to agree on that one strategy to deliver?

It starts with having clear objectives. We have a plan and everyone in the team is involved in the planning process. That way, we are aligned from the beginning, and this applies to other departments we work with too. There are initiatives where support is needed from other teams, and when they are involved in the process from the start, there is stronger impetus to own and deliver on the project.

What advice would you give to someone who’d want to get into your position in the future?

Business acumen is very important - understanding how the company functions internally, managing the P&L, and what contributes to the P&L are all important and fundamental parts of the business.

It is also critical to develop in-depth knowledge of our products, including their coverage and terms and conditions, especially during discussions with potential partners or when we’re trying to identify new business opportunities.

You’ll also have to learn about the business continuously and go beyond your job scope. Offering help on areas outside of my job description has helped me gain a better understanding of the business as a whole. Though it doesn’t make me an expert in the other functional areas, I am familiar with how they function and how we all come together to deliver our strategy, which also enables me to communicate better with the different teams.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Juliana Chua

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 06:32:00 GMT

Juliana Chua is the Head of Digital Transformation at NTUC Income. In this role, she is responsible for heading the programme to digitise core businesses through design thinking, agile methodology and change management.

What made you decide to do your degree in Computer Science?

Growing up I didn’t really have the hobbies a typical girl would, instead I enjoyed basketball, taekwondo and gaming, and it’s that love for gaming which piqued my interest in studying Computer Science. I opted for a degree in Computer Science because I wanted to do something that would allow my interest to speak for itself. It also gave me the opportunity to be involved in future trends like AI which I have studied and have since become technological trends.

When I did my degree in Loughborough, UK, I was one of only four females in my Computer Science cohort of over 100 students, so it was definitely a male dominated area. While that caught me by surprise at first, I never felt my gender held me back as everyone in the course was receptive towards the diversity.

Can you tell us about your career progression to date?

The first role I had was as a Patent Analyst at IBM in the UK, which was where my curiosity in emerging technologies began. With IBM being the highest generator of intellectual property (patents) worldwide to date, my experience there has helped me get a better understanding about protecting inventions, which I later learnt that only five to ten percent of patented inventions actually make it to the market. Coming back to Singapore, I joined an Australian-based IP law firm before going over to A*STAR on a EDB funded programme and eventually entered the start-up world.

What does your current role entail and why did you join Income?

In my current role I lead a number of core digital transformation projects. A recent successful core project would be our launch in making our top selling life insurance products available online, designed with customer experience in mind. Over the last 2 years, we have been busy building a highly talented collaborative team of digital minds, and adopting an agile way of working to bring ideas in our launch pipeline.

While insurance may seem quite different from my background, that was also a pull factor that intrigued me, as I wanted to be involved in the digitisation of insurance and be a part of Income’s journey of digital transformation. The ability to take upon a different perspective and with a customer lens also gave rise to our approach in design thinking.

What factors have enabled you to be successful in your career?

Curiosity, resiliency and a passion in venturing into the new. Every time I move into a new role I have felt the need to prove myself, not because of my gender but because I am new to that situation. What I’ve learnt is the importance to stay humble, have that hunger to learn and be able to handle ambiguity, which are all skills I look for when I’m hiring for my team.

What initiatives have you seen work well to encourage diversity and inclusion and what advice would you give to leaders wanting to promote it?

We can promote equality and diversity by creating an inclusive culture, ensuring equal access to opportunities, and enabling all staff to develop to their full potential. I think having awards that recognise and celebrate diversity is also helpful, for one, I was very lucky to have won the “Digital Leader of the Year” award at the 2019 Women in IT Awards Asia.

Fundamentally, in terms of advice for leaders, providing an open culture is critical. Ideas should be encouraged and I often find myself impressed by ideas from my team/project members. As leaders, we should foster transparency, be reflective of our own actions, and be upfront with our feedback. And lastly, be okay with not knowing everything.

Who benefits most from the end of the ‘job for life’?

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 04:14:00 GMT

Job-to-job moves are on the up , and over the last ten years have given rise to talk of ‘job hoppers’ and ‘career nomads’. While job hopping triggers thoughts of dissatisfied employees haphazardly moving from one employer to the next, ‘career nomads’ are seen to be more planned in seeking out new opportunity.

Both, however, have come under fire from HR teams who find that creating a strategic people plan populated by nomads is a challenging task! There’s a common frustration associated with short tenure employees who are seen to compromise resources, increase training costs, and erode business continuity - and who do not fit into the conventional organisational structure.

But in a world where change is a constant, are career nomads in fact forward-thinking individuals who have learned to make the most of uncertainty and fluidity? And who will therefore thrive in a world of work where agility is a highly desired characteristic?

Turn back the clock

If we turn the clock back 40 years, employees got a job for life. They had security and (perhaps limited) progression but often got stuck doing something for which they had no passion. And at the end of it, they retired.

But then, organisations started to transform every few years. Mass redundancy programmes become more commonplace and could mean the end of employment for older workers who struggled to find employers that would recruit them.

That change broke the bond between employee and employer and changed the relationship with work forever.

Employers, not individuals, were the trigger for this shift (we can’t pin it all on an unprompted change in employee mindset), but individuals have learned to embrace it. In response, forward-thinking organisations are rethinking the way they attract the best.

When constant change is the norm

People (in developed markets at least) now have more choice than ever on how and where they are employed. Recruiting in this climate needs a re-think:

As organisations, we need to reinvigorate our people strategies to fit an environment where transformation and change are the norm. Are you open to contract and gig workers? Is it easier for people to find a new opportunity within or outside your business? Do you know who you’d welcome back? Do you treat your people as you do your customers, (after all, they treat their careers as consumers)? Do your employees have the chance to move roles and get promoted regularly?

Some of the obstacles faced by organisations in dealing with the point above are exacerbated by the UK Government’s position on flexible working practices. The 2017 Taylor Review called out many poor practices but we are not moving quickly enough to support organisations that want to use more flexible ways of working to attract the best.

Where next?

Many leaders we work with at Argyll Scott embrace the fact that their business is going through ongoing transformation. Attracting people who want to work on short tenures or contracts can afford scalability and flexibility that traditional structures cannot.

New models such as gig working, contract working and the human cloud have encouraged workforce participation from a broader population including females, older people and those with a disability. Although these models are not without criticism, one of the great benefits is improved diversity in the workforce.

For organisations that are responsive, innovative, employers of choice, welcoming more ‘nomadic’ employees and maintaining positive relationships when they leave, will enable them to attract the best - and allow them to shine.

I’m interested in your thoughts on this topic. Do you immediately avoid a candidate whose CV screams ‘job hopper’? Or, alternatively, are you a ‘job hopper’ who is progressing faster by switching jobs more frequently? Leave your comments on my LinkedIn profile here – I’d love to hear what you think.

If we turn the clock back 40 years, employees got a job for life. They had security and (perhaps limited) progression but often got stuck doing something for which they had no passion. And at the end of it, they retired.

But then, organisations started to transform every few years. Mass redundancy programmes become more commonplace and could mean the end of employment for older workers who struggled to find employers that would recruit them.

That change broke the bond between employee and employer and changed the relationship with work forever.

Employers, not individuals, were the trigger for this shift (we can’t pin it all on an unprompted change in employee mindset), but individuals have learned to embrace it. In response, forward-thinking organisations are rethinking the way they attract the best.

When constant change is the norm

People (in developed markets at least) now have more choice than ever on how and where they are employed. Recruiting in this climate needs a re-think:

Where next?

Many leaders we work with at Argyll Scott embrace the fact that their business is going through ongoing transformation. Attracting people who want to work on short tenures or contracts can afford scalability and flexibility that traditional structures cannot.

New models such as gig working, contract working and the human cloud have encouraged workforce participation from a broader population including females, older people and those with a disability. Although these models are not without criticism, one of the great benefits is improved diversity in the workforce.

For organisations that are responsive, innovative, employers of choice, welcoming more ‘nomadic’ employees and maintaining positive relationships when they leave, will enable them to attract the best - and allow them to shine.

I’m interested in your thoughts on this topic. Do you immediately avoid a candidate whose CV screams ‘job hopper’? Or, alternatively, are you a ‘job hopper’ who is progressing faster by switching jobs more frequently? Leave your comments on my LinkedIn profile here – I’d love to hear what you think.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Cora Cheung

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 06:32:00 GMT

Cora Cheung is the Executive Director, Head of Consumer Banking Operations at DBS. Having worked in both multi-national and local retail banks and financial institutions, she has extensive experience in the management and execution of daily operations within digital payment, contactless card payment, credit card and call centre, among other large-scale projects.
Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?
After graduation, I joined the Banking and Financial Services industry and began working in marketing. Then opportunities arose for me to move into operations and business analytics roles, which allowed me to further brush up my knowledge on banking products and processes, paving the way for my future progression within operations.
Do you think that gender ever hinders one’s personal progression?

Maybe, especially when you consider how senior managements and c-suites are still pretty male dominant in general. However, I do see that the status of females is on the rise, with more women taking office in countries around the world, e.g. the UK, Germany. Therefore, I am hopeful about what the next chapter in the business and political world holds.
In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?
There are lots, for example increased flexibility in terms of strategy and operating models, higher adaptability when coping with changing environments, and the attraction of talents who like challenging and fast-paced environments.
You have served in multiple capacities throughout your career; do you feel that diversity and inclusion is a feature of only certain industry sectors or job function?
I do. While diversity and inclusion are very important, some sectors are evidently lagging behind in this regard, one of which would be operations. Therefore, it is important to see them as catalysts of progress, where diversity helps bring about new ideas and help us break away from the traditional approaches, and continue to work on improving diversity and inclusion.
Can you share with us some personal experience you’ve had in terms of diversity and inclusion?
When I was in credit card marketing, the majority of the team was female, whereas the credit collection team was mostly male. Working at a multi-national bank, it was interesting seeing the diversity in terms of people’s backgrounds; I became more inclusive and worked on offering them the support needed to adapt to the local culture. Nowadays, fintech and technology & data-driven businesses are no longer just considering people’s skillsets but also putting more of an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?
My willingness to learn. The business environment is constantly changing, therefore it is important to keep learning in order to stay on top of industry trends. After working in the Banking industry for years, I decided to take up contactless payment operations at a non-banking firm, and that experience gave me the chance to learn things like reputational risk management and stakeholder management, which I wouldn’t come across otherwise.
Have you ever had a mentor or role model in your career?
When I was working at a multi-national bank, I had one who helped me understand that there’s no golden rule where someone must win, and subsequently taught me how to balance between my business and working partners, and find solutions that would benefit everyone.
Do you feel that you gravitate towards either female or male leaders?
I wouldn’t say that gender is something I look at when it comes to leaders, but I do recognise the differences in terms of attributes that each side represents. For one, male leaders often take a higher stance and have trust in their people, whereas female leaders tend to pay more attention to details and focus more on people management.
How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?
Through exercise, something that I make sure to do even if I’m really busy to help lift my spirits and relax. As an open water swimmer, I sometimes participate in open water races, I also swim during the weekends as it is a bit difficult to do so on weekdays. Besides, I also do some stretching and yoga at home to keep my body flexible.
Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?
As working moms, we need to balance our work and personal lives, therefore having advance planning on both schedules is very important. Personally, I would plan my schedules two weeks ahead, so that I would know how to reshuffle my time if needed. On the other hand, I would always reserve weekends and holidays as family time and dedicate all my time to my kids.
Taking a much broader view, are there any industries that you think have fostered a better environment in helping women progress?
I’d say the internet industry. Tech giants like Google, Alibaba and Facebook all have the experimental mindset. As they diversify their businesses into different industries, they don’t just focus on one area but many potential ones. If something doesn’t work out, they would close it down and start to look into new areas to try out. And it is such a mentality that has allowed talents regardless of gender to progress and succeed, there is Marissa Mayer (former CEO of Yahoo), Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook), Susan Wojcicki (CEO of Youtube), just to name a few.
What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?
Have patience and listen to the feedback from your colleagues. And when it comes to hiring, don’t just look for a resume that is a perfect match to the job description, but also think about how you can bring in more diversity that way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wanny Soh
Principal
Argyll Scott Hong Kong
A graduate from the Universityof Queensland, Wanny is currently a Principal for the Financial Services team at Argyll Scott recruiting mid-to-senior level Business Transformation professionals for clients from various financial institutions. Prior to joining Argyll Scott, she worked at another recruitment firm in Hong Kong, working in the Operations and Retail Banking space. Wanny also spent a few years in Singapore and worked in account management and business development in professional services firms such as EY and Protiviti in Singapore.
For more Inspiring Business Women in APAC interviews, please click here .

INSPIRING BUSINESS WOMEN IN APAC: SIOBHAN HAYDEN

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 06:29:00 GMT

Siobhan Hayden was most recently the Board Adviser and the COO of HashChing, a progressive and innovative fintech start-up and Australia’s first online marketplace for customers to access verified mortgage brokers. She has 20 years’ experience within the finance and logistics sectors developing operational and people strategies to ensure business success and is passionate about leadership.

What does diversity mean to you?

There’s a great analogy by Holly Kramer: “Diversity is being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance.” As a leader in a consumer-facing business, it is critical that our team reflects the community which we serve, and so diversity means age, ethnicity, capability, gender, and sexual or political orientation. I need a mix of conversations around the table because that’s the mix of people that will be using our platform. As for inclusion, it’s important to have everyone feel comfortable enough to contribute. At HashChing, we held weekly team meetings to discuss challenges in the business that we couldn’t individually solve, and it was my goal to get everyone’s opinions – if you only listen to people just like yourself, you’re never going to learn anything.

Do you think you’ve had to develop certain qualities to be successful in those environments?

I’m not sure. It’s a chicken and egg thing – do I have those qualities and as a result I’m successful, or have I formed those qualities that make me successful? I’d argue it’s the former. I grew up in a suburb without many girls and I played all the traditional boys’ games rather than with dolls. I studied martial arts and I learnt that the only way to advance was through the demonstration of the required skills for the next belt. In martial arts, everyone wears a Gi and this symbolises equality. There is no boy or girl, no ethnicity, nor wealth. Everyone is even and the only differentiator is the belt you are wearing. This gave me a good lens on how to move forward in life and my career and this approach helped me pinpoint my next move and what I had to achieve to make that move. I’ve always been very clear about where I want to go with my career and have gone after it.

Are you an advocate of equality of outcome or equality of opportunity?

I don’t think they’re mutually exclusive – you need to be prepared for opportunities as they come. I spoke about Imposter Syndrome on a panel for IWD – people think that I’ve never felt like an imposter, but I’ve stretched myself so significantly in my career that I’ve often felt like an imposter! From leading a team at 24 to the first time presenting to a board, if you stretch yourself, of course you will feel like that. It’s nothing to do with being a woman. Male or female, the safe career route won’t make you feel that way.

Some of our interviewees attribute their success to a mentor, some to an attitude of fighting against the tide. What’s your perspective?

I think I’ve been successful in male-dominated industries because I simply focused on getting things done. I was passionate about demonstrating my impact through performance. Although I am decisive, all my decisions are underpinned by compassion and my respect for colleagues. I saw my parents work in terrible conditions as factory employees when I was young, and this fuelled me to always strive and focus on respect within the workplace. The treatment of others showcases your own character and I feel that my working style has been critical to my success. In respect of mentors, I was offered one earlier in my career, but I was surprised when they assumed that I would only want a female mentor. I remember challenging the assumption: it’s the strong mentorship I was looking for, nothing to do with them being a woman. My requirements were someone who looked after their health, their work/life balance, their mental wellbeing and their family in a positive way, male or female. It ended up being a man who ticked all those boxes, and he is still a friend and mentor today.

Large corporates have made some progress on their journey in diversity and equality in recent times. Do you agree?

In an earlier role, I was included in a working group of women for nearly nine months – worrying straight away that there were no men involved – who were analysing why so few female executives in their mid-30s continued with the business after starting a family. After a significant amount of time, research and collaboration it was announced that the business would offer an additional 6 months of flexible work time after the initial 12 months maternity leave. I was so confused! I was curious how we would attract female executives that chose not to have children, but who might not want to work full time, that was simply not an option. I remember thinking how strange this approach was, given that competitors in different sectors held a completely different standpoint and they were enjoying nearly 50% female leadership because of it. Unfortunately, the business couldn’t see it.

How do we move the dialogue along, beyond some companies’ tokenistic gestures on IWD, so that it’s not business as usual after that date has passed?

I believe it starts at the top. If the Board doesn’t believe that diversity is an important component of the business, then it’s never going to happen, however much it is pushed or discussed in other levels of the business. At HashChing, I had the pleasure of working with nine different cultures in a team of 12, learning about people’s religions, national identities and cultures every day. It would seem very strange in today’s society to work for a company that lacked diversity. Consumers and CX are becoming the key focus in all consumer-facing businesses and the tech firms that have thrived have embraced that view – your business must reflect that customer base and you can only really achieve this through a diverse team behind you.

How have your approach and values been received at HashChing, in terms of diversity?

It was just part of our DNA. We don’t have a policy as such, it’s just our viewpoint. One of the advantages of being a start-up is the clean slate – so many institutions either have a very outdated culture or aren’t driven from the right standpoint from the top. I dislike it when I see people treated differently in a hierarchy. I treat everyone, regardless of role or age or sexual or political orientation, with the same level of collaboration, engagement and respect. I am a firm advocate that you can learn something from everybody.

Companies value D&I initiatives differently, what advice would you give job seekers in regard of this?

I would challenge the talent out there to not consider working in businesses that don’t have it as a passion point if it’s part of their own value system. Find somewhere that supports your values and is reflective of the community.

Why you should work overseas at least once in your lifetime

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 07:10:00 GMT

Living abroad as an expatriate might sound like a scary option to many, but to some, it is an exciting thought for many reasons. Living abroad has been challenging as it pushed me beyond my comfort zone both physically and mentally – but equally has been immensely rewarding!

A leap of faith

This is exactly how I felt in 2005, when I embarked upon my first assignment overseas to Beijing, China – in what started as a ‘dare’ to impress my friends.

Fortunately, my father has always worked in the airline industry, so we were fortunate enough to have travelled a lot – what could go wrong?

The reality hit me 6 hours into the flight from London, where I broke into a cold-sweat with fear about moving to a country very foreign to me – with no command of the language, very little knowledge of the country, no friends or family and couldn’t even use chopsticks! Ignorance is bliss!

Settling in

Thankfully my initial onboarding in Shanghai and Beijing quickly helped me settle and I very quickly mastered the art of using chopsticks!

The next 18 months were some of the best in my life and I was fortunate enough to have experienced so many different things and met so many new people – Banquet Dinner at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese Opera, Acrobatics, camping at the Great Wall, trips to the Summer Palace and even owned my first motorbike!

Joining Argyll Scott

I left Beijing in the summer of 2006 and returned to the UK and stepped into my first role in Recruitment – which came about through one of the contacts I met whilst in China.

A former mentor / manager of mine through my first recruitment role in London, led me out to Hong Kong in 2010 to join a boutique privately owned start-up firm aka Argyll Scott – and I once again jumped headfirst and took the leap of faith to jump on that plane!

This is where my journey and career catapulted from being a single contributor as part of a team to leading multiple teams in both Hong Kong and Singapore since 2017.

Once again, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been part of the shaping and building of Argyll Scott, as well as being rewarded with self-development both personally and professionally.

Here are some of the take-aways and benefits I’ve experienced along the way…

Professional Development

I’ve truly been pushed out of my comfort zone on many occasions, having developed from a single contributor to a people manager; managed and grown one P&L to handling three; had a better understanding of the different cultures in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore, just to list a few.

Improved communication skills

Living and working overseas has undoubtedly improved and developed my communications skills – again both at a personal and professional level. My ability to engage with individuals at all levels and drive conversations in a more productive manner has developed considerably.

Cultural Insights

Once you understand the nuances behind a culture, you begin to understand its significance to the people who come from there. You may read or hear about another country but learning to interact successfully is key.

Entrepreneurialism

Moving abroad absolutely increased my self-determination and motivation. As well as encouraging a need to take more initiative, independence, maturity and adaptability to my surroundings.

Connected

The world is increasingly interconnected, we see this daily through our 1stand 2nddegree connections on LinkedIn and ‘Mutual Friends’ on Facebook! Working abroad has given me the opportunity to build relationships with people on an international level which seem deeper rooted.

Travel Bug

A bonus of working abroad is that I’ve had the opportunity to travel further afield. For example, this year alone I’ve been to Thailand twice, Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and back to the UK twice – and we have 6 months to go!

Not to be under-estimated. As a result of living abroad, you will grow as a person. This is because the perspectives and values that you have inherited from your homeland will be upgraded for a more holistic perspective that encompasses different viewpoints.

I would love to have the opportunity to meet anyone personally who would be keen to hear my story and see how a career at Argyll Scott can support their own journey to an overseas land…get in touch!

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Julia Murueta

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 06:33:00 GMT

Julia Murueta is the Head of FP&A at PropertyGuru Group, Asia’s go-to property tech company and a leader in all of its markets. It is currently in the phase of transforming into a high-growth technology company and FP&A is helping to shape that path. It prides itself on its continuous technological innovation and leverages Artificial Intelligence to personalise the experience for property seekers. Prior to joining PropertyGuru, Julia worked in Finance and Consulting roles across various industries such as Media and Financial Services.

Can you tell us about your career journey thus far?

I’d heard about the amount of training and personal development that the Big 4 provides and thought it suited me, which was why I applied for a placement year at KPMG. They really do invest in their people so it was a great place to start. During my time there, I focused on Financial Services and stayed for over 6 years before transitioning to an FP&A role at a digital marketing agency. In 2018, I joined PG as Head of FP&A and have been leading the team for nearly 9 months now. I love the pace of change and energy everyone has here, and I really enjoy the commercial aspect that FP&A brings to Finance.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

KPMG was the first place where I experienced real diversity in the workplace. While it’s not perfect, I could see people from all walks of life having the opportunity to progress and succeed. Having worked in Financial Services, I’ve seen clients who were particularly behind in terms of diversity, so it was nice to be a part of something that was more progressive.

You have served in multiple capacities throughout your career; do you feel that diversity and inclusion is a feature of only certain industry sectors or job functions?

It is quite unique working in Finance at a Tech company as I can see it from both angles. From my personal experience, there have been many talented females on the Finance side. However, I think there is still a long way to go on the Tech side when it comes to diversity, which has been a hot topic for many tech companies. It is mostly driven by a skill gap, but schools are actively addressing this now so I’m hopeful it won’t be the case for my daughter’s generation.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

Personally for me, I would say no, but I do see this being an issue the higher you progress within an organisation. I was reading an Annual Report from a FTSE 100 media company recently and was really disheartened by the lack of diversity in the leadership, both in gender and race. These are the people who make decisions to take the company in a certain direction and if they’re not representative of their employees or customers then I believe there is an issue.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I am lucky to have found a great company and boss that gives me flexibility, so I don’t have to stay in the office late and can log in at home if needed. My team has the same flexibility and it works well for us. I believe that when you focus on delivering high-quality work rather than clocking certain hours you’ll get much more out of it.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Our CEO talks about being passionate about our work and this really resonates with me. I can’t imagine being a working mum and not enjoying going to work or feeling enthusiastic about making an impact. Enjoying your work as well as the company of the people you work with is a must for me. I also think it is important to build trust with the people around you, once you have that then you will often see new opportunities arise.

Have you had a particular role model or someone who has inspired you along the way ?

Looking back at my school days, I realise I actually had some great female teachers who inspired me without me knowing it at the time. They really encouraged me to work hard and be the best I can and that helped set up my career path. Apart from that, my mum went to university after having five children which showed me that it’s never too late to achieve your goals.

Do you feel that you gravitate towards either female or male leaders, and how do you think having diverse leadership in an organisation is beneficial?

For me, the behaviours and values of an individual are far more important than their gender or any other identity. When all your leaders have similar profiles though, issues can arise as you risk certain ways of thinking not being valued and this can suppress innovation.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Have more diversity at the highest level of the organisation. We should be thinking about diversity in all aspects, not just in terms of gender, as it leads to better decision making, fresher ideas and a more inspired workforce.

INSPIRING BUSINESS WOMEN IN APAC: LUCY LIU

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 06:31:00 GMT

Lucy Liu is the Co-founder and President at Airwallex. In this role, she oversees the ongoing business operations with an emphasis on global marketing efforts.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

After university, I worked at an investment bank in China for about 2 years as an investment consultant. I later moved to Melbourne and came up with the idea for Airwallex alongside other Co-founders, which we’ve been running for about three and a half years now.

Currently, we have approximately 320 employees globally, with around 50 in Australia, 180 in China, and the rest spread between Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and San Francisco.

Having worked in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Melbourne, and lived in New Zealand, how did the cultural differences affect you?

Growing up Asian in Australia/New Zealand, I somewhat embody both cultures, to a point that while the Australians see me as Chinese, the Chinese view me as something different.

I think the benefit in that is my understanding of both cultures, which became a strength when I started my own start-up, allowing me to better balance the working cultures between the 2 offices.

We are currently encouraging our employees to travel to other office locations, for them to see what the differences are like in terms of culture and practices. For example, the Chinese are used to working long hours and don’t tend to separate their personal life as much when compared to Australians. I think people are starting to be more understanding of each other and finding a way to work collaboratively without getting into arguments.

Are there any cultural differences you’ve noticed in the various offices?

The team building aspect is quite different. In China, we have these annual parties. Everyone would come together to have dinner, in which both the management and employees would perform on stage. As for Australia, we would do weekend trips to the beach instead. Another thing we realised is that it’s quite common in China for colleagues to share hotel rooms when they travel together, however the same cannot be said about Australia. These are just small things that we picked up along the way which we try to adapt our own styles to.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I try to power through as many tasks as I can, it is not about the number of hours you put in but much rather the amount of work that you’ve done. And when I have spare time, I would spend it with my family.

On top of that, I also go to the gym during lunch breaks. It’s always good to take your mind off things for some time. And whenever I travel long distances for business trips, I would take the weekend off to allow myself the time to clear my mind and do a bit of meditation.

Do you have any advice for working mothers on how to progress and succeed?

I’d say it’s not for everyone. It really depends on the work and personal situations, for example whether there is support from the company and family, and if domestic help is an available option. Having support from the people around you and those who you work with is very critical.

And while we have suggested working hours, we also allow flexible working and leave it to the teams and individuals; as long as you are reachable, it shouldn’t be a big problem. We actually have a lot of working moms at Airwallex, which is quite surprising given that we’re a tech start-up.

And do you find the situation differing depending on the job functions?

It’s definitely more difficult when it comes to operational or compliance roles which require you to be on standby; for roles like business development, they would be slightly more flexible. But overall, roles that require a lot of travelling would be quite hard on working mothers.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered your career progression?

Since all my other Co-founders are male, having that female touch really helps, so I’d say no.

I have actually encountered more problems because of my age instead of my gender. When I co-founded Airwallex, I was only 26. Sometimes while dealing with regulators or more traditional clients, I can tell that I am being perceived differently. It’s one of those scenarios where you just have to demonstrate what you know and show that you are serious about what you are doing.

Does Airwallex have any diversity policies in place when it comes to recruitment?

We’ve been lucky so far to have not required specific quotas or diversity policies. Our teams are already pretty diverse in terms of race, gender and background, and we can definitely see the advantages of this diversity.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at Airwallex?

Not really. At Airwallex, we emphasise more on the individual’s capabilities. We have had someone who started off in a junior position being promoted to a senior role managing a team of 20-30 people 6 months later because they know what they are doing. That is the magical thing about start-ups, people can grow with the company. We definitely promote our female leaders, but we’ve never had that gender or diversity thinking because we are quite adaptive and flexible despite our size.

Have you ever had a mentor or someone that you go to for advice?

I would say our investors, they are always there for us when we go to them for advice. They’ve seen many start-ups and high growth companies, they know what works and can often at times provide us with insightful advice.

Do you have any advice for young women who are graduating and about to enter the workplace?

There are going to be people who are prejudiced, you just have to not let it get in your way. It’s really just a process of proving to others while improving yourself at the same time. Once you have built up your knowledge base and proved to others that you’re serious, people would be more accepting, both personally and professionally. Of course, there would always be people who are opinionated regardless of what you do, but that’s just how it is.

Airwallex is a financial technology company that offers integrated solutions to businesses for cross-border transactions and is the latest tech startup to enter the billion-dollar “unicorn” club.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I try to power through as many tasks as I can, it is not about the number of hours you put in but much rather the amount of work that you’ve done. And when I have spare time, I would spend it with my family.

On top of that, I also go to the gym during lunch breaks. It’s always good to take your mind off things for some time. And whenever I travel long distances for business trips, I would take the weekend off to allow myself the time to clear my mind and do a bit of meditation.

Do you have any advice for working mothers on how to progress and succeed?

I’d say it’s not for everyone. It really depends on the work and personal situations, for example whether there is support from the company and family, and if domestic help is an available option. Having support from the people around you and those who you work with is very critical.

And while we have suggested working hours, we also allow flexible working and leave it to the teams and individuals; as long as you are reachable, it shouldn’t be a big problem. We actually have a lot of working moms at Airwallex, which is quite surprising given that we’re a tech start-up.

And do you find the situation differing depending on the job functions?

It’s definitely more difficult when it comes to operational or compliance roles which require you to be on standby; for roles like business development, they would be slightly more flexible. But overall, roles that require a lot of travelling would be quite hard on working mothers.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered your career progression?

Since all my other Co-founders are male, having that female touch really helps, so I’d say no.

I have actually encountered more problems because of my age instead of my gender. When I co-founded Airwallex, I was only 26. Sometimes while dealing with regulators or more traditional clients, I can tell that I am being perceived differently. It’s one of those scenarios where you just have to demonstrate what you know and show that you are serious about what you are doing.

Does Airwallex have any diversity policies in place when it comes to recruitment?

We’ve been lucky so far to have not required specific quotas or diversity policies. Our teams are already pretty diverse in terms of race, gender and background, and we can definitely see the advantages of this diversity.

Is there a Women in Leadership program at Airwallex?

Not really. At Airwallex, we emphasise more on the individual’s capabilities. We have had someone who started off in a junior position being promoted to a senior role managing a team of 20-30 people 6 months later because they know what they are doing. That is the magical thing about start-ups, people can grow with the company. We definitely promote our female leaders, but we’ve never had that gender or diversity thinking because we are quite adaptive and flexible despite our size.

Have you ever had a mentor or someone that you go to for advice?

I would say our investors, they are always there for us when we go to them for advice. They’ve seen many start-ups and high growth companies, they know what works and can often at times provide us with insightful advice.

Do you have any advice for young women who are graduating and about to enter the workplace?

There are going to be people who are prejudiced, you just have to not let it get in your way. It’s really just a process of proving to others while improving yourself at the same time. Once you have built up your knowledge base and proved to others that you’re serious, people would be more accepting, both personally and professionally. Of course, there would always be people who are opinionated regardless of what you do, but that’s just how it is.

Airwallex is a financial technology company that offers integrated solutions to businesses for cross-border transactions and is the latest tech startup to enter the billion-dollar “unicorn” club.

Inspiring Female Leaders: Monchan Pruekvimolphan

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 06:29:00 GMT

Monchan Pruekvimolphan is the Marketing Director at RB Health Thailand. As an accomplished brand building professional with 20 years of FMCG experience across Asia, she has a proven track record in business acceleration and digital transformation.

Can you share about your career progression into your current role?

As a pharmacist and finance person, I entered the marketing field by chance when I joined a Management Trainee programme at a global FMCG. This gave me international exposure early on in my career, and it broadened my perspectives, both with regards to my personal life and my intended profession. The inherent dynamism of the international workplace inspired me to pursue a career in FMCG multinationals. After that, I did a brief stint in Thailand with a local telecom during which I found myself constantly looking outward and preparing myself for the next move. Soon after, I joined Mead Johnson in Vietnam. I took the opportunity to continue with MJN Malaysia through the acquisition by RB, and subsequently landed my current position at RB Thailand.

Having worked in many different countries, have you noticed any differences in terms of culture, and did it affect your management style?

Of course, there are profound cultural differences between all countries, and it is an integral part of any successful management scheme to be culturally sensitive and knowledgeable of how to navigate these differences. Having international exposure has helped my cultural sensitivity, allowing me to become more aware and mindful of the nuances between cultures. Regarding my management style, I always had the tendency to be very direct and perhaps blunt due to my task-oriented nature, but that evolved over time to one that I believe is more engaging, inclusive, and enabling. As it is obviously difficult to be intimately familiar with all countries, languages, and cultures, my focus has been more on the people rather than on the tasks themselves. Having said that, I don’t think these differences have at all affected my overall directive: the expeditious delivery of positive results. What is significantly different from one country to the next is HOW BEST to get that done. There isn’t any cookie-cutter answer that works universally across the board.

Can you pinpoint a time when you noticed an emphasis on diversity?

Frankly speaking, I can’t. While “diversity and inclusion” has been quite the catchphrase for a while now, particularly in the context of gender in the workplace, it has been slow to catch on in the male-dominant corporate world in Asia. So, while there have been very positive changes in that regard, there was no definite turning point, as it’s more of an evolution than a revolution to me. We still have a long way to go.

What are some factors that have helped you progress in your career?

Resilience and adaptability.

Have you ever had a mentor or role model in your career? And what do you think is the value in having one?

I have had several mentors, and each one has helped me immeasurably. I think it’s important for individuals pursuing their passions to be mentored by someone, who in one way or another, enables them to achieve the goals that are most important to them. Entering a new working environment can be both challenging and intimidating, and finding a mentor within the system to “show you the ropes” can help you better navigate the subtle inner workings of the organisation and manage the stakeholders.

What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse organisation or team?

I would say that the single most significant benefit of diversity is the multiplicity of perspectives it offers. Having access to a wealth of fresh ideas is what keeps organisations dynamic.

What would be your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace?

Check your ego and prejudices at the door. Accept that no one person knows it all, but all individuals have something of value to offer. With regards to building your team, look for people who are willing to learn and re-learn when they enter a new environment. It is equally important that recruits are willing to take responsibility for their mistakes and see them as opportunities to grow.

Digital Disruption Series: Chakib Abi Saab

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 04:14:00 GMT

Chakib Abi Saab is the Group CTO at OSM Maritime Group. In this role, he is responsible for managing all aspects of technology as well as contributing to the overall direction and strategy of the Group.

Can you share with us on your journey at OSM thus far?

I joined OSM in 2017 as a Programme Director of NEXT Generation Technologies with the aim at helping the Technical Management operations on building efficiencies with both new technologies and ways of thinking. During the interview process, I met our then Managing Director, now President and COO, Mr. Bjoern Sprotte, whom I found to be a very inspiring character and with a very clear direction. To make a long story short, I chose to join OSM because I knew from the start that under Bjoern’s leadership, OSM was serious about taking advantage of technology, building competitive advantages, and creating new revenue streams. I knew right away from my previous role as Chief Digital Officer at Bumi Armada that I could add value to OSM.

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OSM is among the world’s largest maritime management companies. How does a company of such a large-scale approach the transformation of their business model?

The most challenging part of digital transformation is the people element, especially within larger organizations. Therefore, an effective change management plan is key, one that includes pre and post-implementation plans and focuses on communication and training. We have learned many good lessons in the past year, including the need to explain to the organization not only what we are doing, but also why and “what's in it for me.” At the same time, we have developed a strong post-implementation process as part of our change management to address any possible gaps between the intended results and the actual results. This approach also helps us understand the impact of changes to improve ourselves constantly. As a result, we created a highly collaborative environment with lots of quick wins.

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Looking at the broader maritime industry, what are some of the opportunities and threats to successful transformation?

I believe there are major technology opportunities within the maritime industry. In Singapore, we also work closely with the MPA (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore) in helping create a sustainable technology ecosystem that continuously evaluates the industry challenges, and identifies solutions through the utilization of new technologies and a collaborative approach. I believe the MPA effort is a world catalyst for maritime technology. When we talk about opportunities in the maritime industry, we must keep in mind that 70% of the shipping companies worldwide have 20 vessels or less. These companies need the efficiencies that technology can bring to operate safer and more efficiently, but that also means that the industry needs to come up with new and innovative commercial offerings to enable that segment of the market to massively adopt these technologies without major upfront investments. OSM is currently identifying partners, including startups, to create an ecosystem that allows us to create technology solutions that are cost-effective, simple to use, and sustainable, allowing businesses to make quicker and more accurate decisions based on facts.

In my opinion, the biggest risk to adopt technology solutions in the maritime industry would be having the key business decision makers seeing digital transformation solely as an IT initiative. For a digital transformation to be successful, it is critical for the industry to approach it from a business perspective and consider the impact and ROI of initiatives like the use of IoT, for example. It is an exciting time for this traditional industry, but we must ensure that technology is implemented to resolve real problems rather than using technology as a marketing gimmick.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Dr. Bijna K. Dasani

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 06:40:00 GMT

Dr. Bijna K. Dasaniis the Head of Architecture & Innovation at Lloyds Banking Group. With 19+ years of professional experience, she has worked across EMEA, the Americas and Asia, and has a robust track record of delivering successes for global Banking and Financial Services across the verticals of Strategy, Innovation and Technology. Bijna serves the Boards of FinTech Connect, CIONet, IPQC CDO Exchange, and the Inclusive Companies Network. She is a FinTech Mentor and has co-hosted the Women in Business TV series and films videos on Mentorship, Leadership & Technology.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

After work-experience with the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (during secondary education), my first tangible role in Financial Services was with Credit Suisse; I was instantly inspired and intellectually stimulated by my colleagues and the working environment alike. I later moved to Goldman Sachs in New York, transitioning from Operations into Change Management and later Strategy roles. As my career has since taken me to different roles and locations, Strategy has become my core skill set and Innovation my secondary; which encompasses verticals of data, core innovation, fintech, and applied sciences – all of which have been the pillars underpinning career over the past decade.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

This is very circumstantial at times; there have been moment of gaps and moments of emphasis; personally, it’s always been a priority throughout my career. As a graduate entry into Financial Services, I was an equal in terms of gender parity and an evident minority in terms of culture and religion. I’ve observed labelling and globally, the statistical evidence on the lack of parity for women in Financial Services, as well as other sectors; women are typically 10%-20% of the C Suite in most sectors across geographies. A few years ago, I chose to write a paper exploring the reasons behind the lack of parity, particularly within the Financial Services C Suite. While historical, environmental and economic factors play a role, my research showed distinct attrition at the middle management level, when women’s priorities often change at home and at work simultaneously; which has a fundamental impact on women reaching the boardroom. For the past decade, I’ve been sharing views about the importance of shared responsibility at home and at work, particularly through those increased responsibility phases. While things are improving with regards to awareness; the fact remains that we are still 200+ years away from gender parity when it comes to salary.

You have worked across EMEA, APAC and the Americas – what are the cultural differences, and have they affected your management style?

There are cultural differences not just between these regions, but also within them. One of my roles covered both North America and Latin America – both provided completely different experiences during the same tenure. In fact, no two states in America are the same. It’s critical to understand the value-system of colleagues in any region, and thereafter understand how it drives their decision-making, thought-process and communication - and then it’s really important to adapt your own style as necessary. My own leadership style is therefore adaptive; it supports this strategy and has served me well.

What is your approach to innovation?

Start small but think big. I see innovation as a series of small, incremental steps that lead to impactful change. My approach is to focus on a problem, develop a solution (often through technology) and create a business model around that solution.

How can we encourage people to be more innovative?

Encourage an innovative spirit and provide colleagues with safe environments to test-and-learn and experiment; if they can fail-fast, learn-fast and incrementally conquer challenges over time - these learnings underpin the makings of a solid foundation.

How has your field evolved through technology and innovation?

I often quote “Banking is necessary, banks are not.” Banks are not simply competing with other banks today, they’re competing with technology, apps and start-ups that often don’t even play directly in the Financial Services spectrum – take WeChat for example! As non-financial services players are absorbing slices of the Financial Services pie, the banking industry is responding with rapid change. For example, we are seeing lots of transitions to cashless society’s in the developed World and in comparison, 25% of the World’s population in the developing World remains in the ‘unbanked’ or ‘underbanked’ segment. Innovation and technology are simply disrupting how we have traditionally done business.

Do you have a role model or mentor in your career?

Many; there are a lot of people who have influenced my leadership style over the years. I’m a people-watcher and I like to observe and understand why people make certain decisions or act in a certain way - so I’m always influenced by people who I observe doing things well and who have a sound value-system; these could be members of my personal or professional networks. Integrity is at the heart of everything I do. I have had some excellent managers over the years, who are now (informal) mentors from whom I can seek guidance as needed and at times they are my best sponsors.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

Discipline. When I was 16, I started working 9am to 5pm whilst simultaneously studying at night school between 6pm-9pm. I learnt the value of time-management, multi-tasking and living a disciplined life early on! It was challenging to begin with, but it was also one of the best experiences as the routine really prepared me for the Investment Banking industry which I later joined. It is very important to have a healthy work-life balance, where one keeps you engaged with the other. Emotional, physical and mental wellbeing are all extremely important personally and for the teams I manage; they are always factors’ I talk openly about and encourage colleagues to focus on. Building the foundation of my career was absolutely key in the early years, and my time was weighted towards that, I have become more aware of the balance over time and encourage it in the workplace – the industry has also evolved to more proactivity in this domain over time.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

The key measurable is impact. The more diverse the thinking and representation around the room, the more diverse and creative the outcome is likely to be. If you hire people who look and sound like you, your results are limited (as the studies show). If you hire people who do things differently, there’s learning for everyone. I’ve been hired because I do think differently, and to positively disrupt the status quo! There is power in inclusion. We’re in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a time of disruption and new technology; the emerging economies (E7) are catching up with, or in some cases surpassing the developed economies (G7) because they are agile, less regulated and can often adapt much quicker and harness their diverse thinking.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Think broadly and adopt a lens beyond the day-to-day to understand the world from different perspectives like political, economic, technological, and sociological alike. Times have never been so interesting! Leaders today are in a position to shape the future of Banking and Financial Services and beyond, thereforeit’s important to consider (beyond the status quo) future consumers and workforce trends and start to be inclusive of their needs, thinking and culture in order to survive and thrive.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Sara Roberts

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 06:35:00 GMT

Sara Roberts is a Managing Director, Head of Talent & Learning at Citi Asia Pacific. She is a senior, strategic Human Resources Executive, specialising in future-focused organisational transformation; leadership and talent development; diverse succession planning; and driving an innovative and agile learning culture and environment. She has extensive experience across many aspects of Human Resource Advisory, operating at a C-Suite level in complex multi-country and cultural environments including Asia Pacific, North America and Europe.

Can you give us a broad overview of your career before you joined Citi?

I’ve spent my entire career of 30+ years in Human Resources in three different industry sectors. I joined International Computers Limited (ICL, now Fujitsu) after graduation, which gave me a great foundation as well as the experience to operate offshore and work in different countries and cultures. From ICL, I joined Allied Domecq as HR Director, initially for Europe then Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong which gave me the chance to live and work overseas for the first time.

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What attracted you to join Citi?

It was at a time when Citi was transforming their HR organisation and wanted people from non-FS organisations and I wanted to be a part of that. The role took me to the US, based in New York. I remember being at a meeting in my first week and it was like being at the United Nations, with very broad cultural diversity, which was a real insight into a very appealing aspect of Citi.

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And how was the transition from developing markets to somewhere as established as New York?

It was very interesting. Normally the advice is to change one thing at a time, but I didn’t just move geographically, I also transitioned into Financial Services. I had been in my role for about a month when I was asked to also be the interim HR Head for North America Consumer Bank whilst they completed the hiring process. I did this for about 6 months which was quite a stretch but classic Citi, there are always challenging opportunities if you are prepared to step up!

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How did you make your way back to this part of the world?

In my head, I had wanted to work for Citi in the US Headquarters for a couple of years, learn the business and build my network before moving back to Asia, which did happen two years later. When I came back to Hong Kong, I took on the role of Leadership Staffing and Development Manager for our Institutional business followed by various Regional HR Advisor roles before moving back into a franchise wide Talent role. I moved from Hong Kong to Singapore in 2003 just after my third child was born and have been here ever since.

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Having worked in many different locations, any advice on how to navigate through the cultural differences?

It’s important to listen, be open and understand the nuances of cultures and be prepared to adjust accordingly. It’s all about being effective in different cultural contexts. You have to be open to learning and different ways of thinking and continue to evolve to become an agile leader.

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Can you tell us a bit more about your current role with Citi?

As Head of Talent and L&D for Asia, a core element of the role is making sure that, in alignment with our business strategy, we have the right leaders to take the business into the future. From an L&D perspective it’s about enabling all our employees to reach their full performance capabilities and potential. Most recently, we have been focusing on building digital capabilities, our workforce of the future, through innovative platforms and partnerships. I have a team of about 70 people across the region supporting approximately 60,000 Citi employees.

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Have you had a mentor in your career and what value do they bring to you?

I’ve had a number of mentors, role models and influential leaders in my career and one of the great benefits I have gained is perspective, they have made me challenge myself to be the best that I can professionally and personally. My development as a leader has been based on role modelling the best of the leaders I’ve worked with and observed. It’s difficult to draw a line between being a good: boss, mentor, or coach, the best bosses are all those things. Personally, I think it’s a privilege to be a leader and have the responsibility to help bring out the best in the team. At Citi, we have structured mentoring programmes, but ad hoc mentoring also works well when the mentee takes responsibility to drive the agenda, this helps the mentor to focus on what’s most important and impactful.

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What factors have helped you the most throughout your career?

Having the right frame of mind, being optimistic, resilient and open to challenges, and having professional and personal goals, that of course adjust over time! Risk-taking has also been an important element and again this can evolve at different career and life stages. I am always prepared to stretch myself and take on different challenges. I have also benefited greatly throughout my career from working with some of the most amazing leaders and colleagues, they have been my inspiration.

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How do you balance work and personal life successfully?

There is no magic answer, it’s such a personal decision that you’ve got to find your own equilibrium. For me, it is making sure there is quality time with my family and balancing that with work. It’s not about the number of hours, but the quality and the relationships you want to cultivate with your family and friends. With three kids who have grown up very quickly, my personal experience has been that whilst you are the experienced adult it is still very important to listen and be prepared to adjust. I am very much the subject of reverse mentoring at home!

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Does Citi have Women in Leadership or diversity programmes?

Yes. Like many organisations, we initially focused on gender diversity, but are now taking a much broader view of inclusion. We have a number of key affinity groups globally that we believe enable us to create an inclusive culture and environment. Our diversity and inclusion agenda is leader-driven with Citi global Operating Committee members leading the work of each affinity group, which includes Women at Citi. When it comes from the top this demonstrates authentic commitment and ownership. In terms of women in leadership programmes, we have global programmes for senior women leaders that our global colleagues facilitate. In Asia Pacific, we complement this with regional and country programmes designed to provide our women talent at critical career stages with the resources and experiences to unlock their full potential.

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Have you noticed any differences in terms of how diversity issues are being dealt with in the past and in more current times?

I would say a couple of differences are the evolution from a focus purely on gender to broader inclusion and moving from HR to leader driven accountability.

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Have you seen the benefits of this increased diversity and is there anything else you are doing to further drive this change?

The trend is positive in terms of progression and retention rates but there is still more to do. At Citi, we use data to help us determine where we need to focus our efforts on and support this with our most senior leaders driving a clear agenda. Whilst our programmes make a positive contribution to progression and retention, there is no one thing you can do to crack the code, it has to be a multi-faceted approach with a clear aim.

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Do you have any advice for leaders trying to improve the diversity of their organisation?

There has got to be authentic leadership from the top alongside clear and focused actions. If you can use data to analyse your current landscape and work out where you want to make changes and where you want to be, do that. Also, focusing consistently on the few things that will make the biggest difference rather than diluting efforts can often have great positive impact.

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Is there one factor that really helps organisations make a transition to being more inclusive?

I would say true commitment from the top. Of course, it also requires efforts from the whole organisation in order to drive such a change, but having that commitment would be a great place to start and a strong foundation to build on.

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Are there any last points you want to add for aspiring female leaders?

One common theme I’ve noticed is that many of our talented female employees don’t recognise their own potential and end up holding themselves back. One piece of advice is to be confident, take that risk and go for it. The other thing I have learnt is that people are generous with their time, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. Every leader has received help from others at some point, so it’s likely that they’d be willing to do the same for you.

Inspiring Female Leaders: Aleli Arcilla

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 09:31:00 GMT

Aleli Arcilla is the President and General Manager at Reckitt Benckiser Health Philippines, in this role she acts as the head steward for RB Health Philippines’ business, overlooking brands like Enfa, Lactum, Strepsils, Gaviscon and Durex.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I started off in the banking industry but soon realised it wasn’t for me, so I joined Mead Johnson and transitioned to market operations. In that role, I was responsible for sales and trade marketing, which nobody really knew how to do, therefore my pledge to be the best I can be really helped propel my career as I later handled retail channels in a national capacity. Afterwards, I moved to another company and learnt a lot about marketing before exploring the commercial side to further broaden and stretch my perspective. With the added experience, my previous boss from Mead Johnson, who had become the CEO, knew I was the right person he was looking for, which was why I re-joined as the Senior Director for Trade and Medical Sales. And when Mead Johnson was acquired by Reckitt Benckiser, I was appointed the General Manager when the opening came up.

Do you notice any differences between the Financial Services and Healthcare sectors in terms of diversity?

I started off in the banking industry but soon realised it wasn’t for me, so I joined Mead Johnson and transitioned to market operations. In that role, I was responsible for sales and trade marketing, which nobody really knew how to do, therefore my pledge to be the best I can be really helped propel my career as I later handled retail channels in a national capacity. Afterwards, I moved to another company and learnt a lot about marketing before exploring the commercial side to further broaden and stretch my perspective. With the added experience, my previous boss from Mead Johnson, who had become the CEO, knew I was the right person he was looking for, which was why I re-joined as the Senior Director for Trade and Medical Sales. And when Mead Johnson was acquired by Reckitt Benckiser, I was appointed the General Manager when the opening came up.

Do you notice any differences between the Financial Services and Healthcare sectors in terms of diversity?

I don’t think so, I think the same needs apply. I have seen women leaders emerge in both sectors, so I’d say it’s more like having the same challenges being spoken in different languages. The Finance industry has more structure by design because of the rigour that they’re supposed to be into; comparatively in Consumer Goods, which is where I am at right now, we have more power to shape it.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

I don’t think so, I think the same needs apply. I have seen women leaders emerge in both sectors, so I’d say it’s more like having the same challenges being spoken in different languages. The Finance industry has more structure by design because of the rigour that they’re supposed to be into; comparatively in Consumer Goods, which is where I am at right now, we have more power to shape it.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

I first noticed when I was at Mead Johnson, but it didn’t strike as much until I left and joined another company, where the CEO was one of the pioneers. She talked about unlocking the future and women being a part of that unlock. When you consider the ways of thinking, most of them are led by men and they will not change if there is no diversity within the organisation. That was when it became very real to me, to really have targets for diversity because there’s already group-think happening and that’s the harsh reality we had to deal with at the time.

Now, there is a sense of urgency as soft skills have become the hard skills and the profile of our workforce is changing, which is why there is a need for diversity, to harness the strength of everyone and building it into a greater strength as an organisation. Of course, we’ll also have to look at different dimensions, so as to have more diverse approaches and not get stuck with what we had before – no re-inventions, no engagement with the rest of the organisation, and the isolation of management to a few.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I first noticed when I was at Mead Johnson, but it didn’t strike as much until I left and joined another company, where the CEO was one of the pioneers. She talked about unlocking the future and women being a part of that unlock. When you consider the ways of thinking, most of them are led by men and they will not change if there is no diversity within the organisation. That was when it became very real to me, to really have targets for diversity because there’s already group-think happening and that’s the harsh reality we had to deal with at the time.

Now, there is a sense of urgency as soft skills have become the hard skills and the profile of our workforce is changing, which is why there is a need for diversity, to harness the strength of everyone and building it into a greater strength as an organisation. Of course, we’ll also have to look at different dimensions, so as to have more diverse approaches and not get stuck with what we had before – no re-inventions, no engagement with the rest of the organisation, and the isolation of management to a few.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

It is important to know what your priorities are, know how much time you need to give, and make arrangements for it. Also, be very clear about what you want and value, for you to make the right choices. For me, I work through lunch and don’t take any breaks because I really want to go home and perform my other duties. Having a supportive husband also helps as I can share my responsibilities with him. Just understand that you will have to lean on people, so don’t be afraid to do that and ask for help.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

It is important to know what your priorities are, know how much time you need to give, and make arrangements for it. Also, be very clear about what you want and value, for you to make the right choices. For me, I work through lunch and don’t take any breaks because I really want to go home and perform my other duties. Having a supportive husband also helps as I can share my responsibilities with him. Just understand that you will have to lean on people, so don’t be afraid to do that and ask for help.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Just last year, I had 2 high potential female employees who wanted to resign. One mentioned the challenges she encountered managing both family and work and the difficulties in not having any household help to support her, the other had just given birth and was struggling to manage her time.

My advice would be to know what your non-negotiables are and directly communicate them with your managers or mentors who can help you out within the organisation. Don’t be apologetic about it because all of us have needs. After knowing your non-negotiables, reset within the environment that you’re working with. For me, I always tell my staff not to have meetings from 4pm as much as possible, so I can do my emails and admin and be home by 7pm to tutor my kids and have dinner with my family. And even if there is something urgent, I am not going to talk to you between 7-9pm because that’s my family time. If you need me after 9pm, I’m just a call away. So, reset the ways of working and reset the expectations within your working environment.

My other advice would be to get a mentor. It doesn’t have to be someone that you work with, but someone you look up to and can give you proper advice depending on what your challenges are. As females, we need to talk things out, it’s very important to have that outlet and someone who can give you a balanced perspective.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

Just last year, I had 2 high potential female employees who wanted to resign. One mentioned the challenges she encountered managing both family and work and the difficulties in not having any household help to support her, the other had just given birth and was struggling to manage her time.

My advice would be to know what your non-negotiables are and directly communicate them with your managers or mentors who can help you out within the organisation. Don’t be apologetic about it because all of us have needs. After knowing your non-negotiables, reset within the environment that you’re working with. For me, I always tell my staff not to have meetings from 4pm as much as possible, so I can do my emails and admin and be home by 7pm to tutor my kids and have dinner with my family. And even if there is something urgent, I am not going to talk to you between 7-9pm because that’s my family time. If you need me after 9pm, I’m just a call away. So, reset the ways of working and reset the expectations within your working environment.

My other advice would be to get a mentor. It doesn’t have to be someone that you work with, but someone you look up to and can give you proper advice depending on what your challenges are. As females, we need to talk things out, it’s very important to have that outlet and someone who can give you a balanced perspective.

Do you think your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I wouldn’t say being female blocks my personal progression, but I think it can derail. When I was about to have a baby, a life situation that only females would experience, I was up for a promotion. That made me very hesitant as I’d be out for 3 months and would not be able to perform my job. It’s important to know what your objectives are, what you can and cannot do, and be realistic about it. When I came back from my maternity leave, I had to double time because I had another offer for career development and felt I had to prove to the organization that motherhood did not change my capabilities. Therefore, I’d say being female may derail, just don’t let it block any personal progression. If you’ve set out to do something, you also owe it to yourself, not because you’re female, but because you’re you.

Is there a “Women in Leadership programme” in the organisation?

I wouldn’t say being female blocks my personal progression, but I think it can derail. When I was about to have a baby, a life situation that only females would experience, I was up for a promotion. That made me very hesitant as I’d be out for 3 months and would not be able to perform my job. It’s important to know what your objectives are, what you can and cannot do, and be realistic about it. When I came back from my maternity leave, I had to double time because I had another offer for career development and felt I had to prove to the organization that motherhood did not change my capabilities. Therefore, I’d say being female may derail, just don’t let it block any personal progression. If you’ve set out to do something, you also owe it to yourself, not because you’re female, but because you’re you.

Is there a “Women in Leadership programme” in the organisation?

Not necessarily a women in leadership programme, but we do have a programme called DARE, that is about developing, attracting, retaining, and engaging women. That helps provide a flexible work environment, for example an extended maternity leave beyond what’s mandated by law and we have clear targets on the number of women we want in leadership roles. In terms of developing potential leaders, there’s a training programme that is done at the middle manager level with a mentoring programme attached to it. I wouldn’t say it’s revolutionary just yet, but we’re definitely paving the way. Women have caught on and they’re finding their voice and their fit in it.

What are some things that you’ve seen work in organisations from a diversity point of view?

Not necessarily a women in leadership programme, but we do have a programme called DARE, that is about developing, attracting, retaining, and engaging women. That helps provide a flexible work environment, for example an extended maternity leave beyond what’s mandated by law and we have clear targets on the number of women we want in leadership roles. In terms of developing potential leaders, there’s a training programme that is done at the middle manager level with a mentoring programme attached to it. I wouldn’t say it’s revolutionary just yet, but we’re definitely paving the way. Women have caught on and they’re finding their voice and their fit in it.

What are some things that you’ve seen work in organisations from a diversity point of view?

Firstly, having a structured diversity and inclusion programme. By creating a platform for women in leadership, it helps get people of similar situations together and allows them to find their support network.

Secondly, including diversity metrics within KPIs and tracking them. If you don’t track it, nothing is at stake. Tracking makes you conscious about it and drive for it.

Lastly, walking the talk. We have the structure and arrangements in place, so it’s up to the senior management to demonstrate and display their support. For example, in terms of flexible working arrangements, the younger staff might feel uncomfortable doing it as they’re afraid of being passed judgement. Therefore, when the senior managers do it, it signals that it is okay and everyone can do it as well.

Is there anything that you are currently doing to help emerging female leaders?

Firstly, having a structured diversity and inclusion programme. By creating a platform for women in leadership, it helps get people of similar situations together and allows them to find their support network.

Secondly, including diversity metrics within KPIs and tracking them. If you don’t track it, nothing is at stake. Tracking makes you conscious about it and drive for it.

Lastly, walking the talk. We have the structure and arrangements in place, so it’s up to the senior management to demonstrate and display their support. For example, in terms of flexible working arrangements, the younger staff might feel uncomfortable doing it as they’re afraid of being passed judgement. Therefore, when the senior managers do it, it signals that it is okay and everyone can do it as well.

Is there anything that you are currently doing to help emerging female leaders?

I don’t really want to see more females resign because of their gender, so I handpicked 2 mentees from the list of high potentials within the organisation. I have personally taken them into my care, just to start the dialogue about what their current challenges are and how they can unlock their future.

Personally, I am very camera shy so I don’t like talking about myself in the spotlight, but I’ve been convinced by other people to really stand up and be more public about me being the first female General Manager of Reckitt Benckiser Philippines. If you look around the FMCG world, you don’t really see many women within the MNCs in the Philippines. In fact, there has only been one female General Manager, and I’m the second one in the industry. I think this is a great cause that’s worth supporting, and while I’m not a feminist, I believe that while we’re different, we can do anything a man can do.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

I don’t really want to see more females resign because of their gender, so I handpicked 2 mentees from the list of high potentials within the organisation. I have personally taken them into my care, just to start the dialogue about what their current challenges are and how they can unlock their future.

Personally, I am very camera shy so I don’t like talking about myself in the spotlight, but I’ve been convinced by other people to really stand up and be more public about me being the first female General Manager of Reckitt Benckiser Philippines. If you look around the FMCG world, you don’t really see many women within the MNCs in the Philippines. In fact, there has only been one female General Manager, and I’m the second one in the industry. I think this is a great cause that’s worth supporting, and while I’m not a feminist, I believe that while we’re different, we can do anything a man can do.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Leaders must be able to own the diversity objectives and policy changes, because they are not going to come from middle managers, and nothing is going to happen if they don’t own it. Tone from the top and sponsorship is critical.

Listen to the pulse of the organisation, have informal talks and discussions on diversity issues and concerns, so that it can build as an input to policy changes. While people generally don’t have the power to approve or generate policies, they do have the power to say something about it, and it’s up to the leaders to take that and drive the policy changes and implementation.

Leaders must be able to own the diversity objectives and policy changes, because they are not going to come from middle managers, and nothing is going to happen if they don’t own it. Tone from the top and sponsorship is critical.

Listen to the pulse of the organisation, have informal talks and discussions on diversity issues and concerns, so that it can build as an input to policy changes. While people generally don’t have the power to approve or generate policies, they do have the power to say something about it, and it’s up to the leaders to take that and drive the policy changes and implementation.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Mukta Arya

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 06:41:00 GMT

Mukta Arya is the Head of Human Resources, SEA and the Head of People & Talent Development, Asia Pacific at Societe Generale. In these roles, she is responsible for planning and managing all human resource programs and strategies for the entire SEA region, as well as implementing innovative and effective learning and talent development solutions.

Having covered a number of different disciplines during your 21+ years in Human Resources, can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I actually come from a family of doctors, which is why I opted for an MSc in Biotechnology, but I soon realised that dealing with people is where my passion lies, which is why I made a transition to the HR field and pursued an MBA in HR. Fast forward to 2006, I became the Head of HR for Societe Generale India before jumping at the opportunity to relocate to Hong Kong in 2010 as my first role abroad. I am now in a dual-hatted role in Singapore, overseeing HR for Southeast Asia and People & Talent Development for APAC, where I get to see a huge amount of diversity across 12 markets.

What advice would you give for employers who want to promote diversity and inclusion?

First and foremost, it is important to remember that diversity & inclusion goes beyond just gender diversity, it encompasses a lot of other things as well.

Sometimes being different can make people uncomfortable and it is important for employers to understand and be supportive of that. When I first moved to Hong Kong to set up the talent management function for Societe Generale, I was definitely out of my comfort zone. As I had only worked in my home country (India), my cultural background was quite different from Hong Kong’s. Luckily the company was very supportive; such support is critical but it generally takes time as cultural diversity is often an underrecognized topic.

Does Societe Generale have any diversity & inclusion initiatives?

Setting up the D&I Council in 2015 was a significant step for us. While we focus heavily on gender diversity, we also cover other areas of D&I such as LGBT+, differently-abled and cultural. We also have very supportive leaders; even in the more traditionally male-dominated spaces like Front Office you can find both male and female leaders who help drive D&I within the company.

Apart from that, there are high levels of internal mobility designed to ensure that we are accommodating those who need it and we have had some great success stories. For example, we announced specific measures recently in Singapore to facilitate a more balanced workplace for our female employees, namely an increase in maternity leave from 16 to 20 weeks, enhanced adoption leave, flexible work arrangements and development opportunities for female talent.

What advice would you give to other females who want to be successful in their field?

Continuous learning and improvement are critical. Success doesn’t happen overnight so it’s important to build a good foundation. Figure out what works for you and find a network that can help you with that. Networking may be difficult but it is important to build a personal network that is diverse, not just with other females.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Maggie Yung

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 06:43:00 GMT

Maggie Yung is the Head of Digital, Innovation & Payments, Managing Director at DBS. In this role, she will oversee the bank’s digital rollouts in Hong Kong and build on their agenda for innovative and customer-friendly solutions.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I am someone who likes to explore new technology and ways of doing things. Therefore, when I was first exposed to the internet, I was fascinated, specifically by its power of connectivity and the borderless nature of the network. I was delighted when I was given the chance to explore a new frontier in developing the first generation of internet banking for an international leading bank, followed by my involvement in other projects like the launching of the first generation of mobile banking app, Apple Watch app, NFC mobile wallet, as well as AI enabled chatbot, among many others. Such experiences in leading innovative initiatives across regions have opened up many opportunities for me, one of which is the role of Head of Digital, Innovation and Payments at DBS HK.

As you moved from New York to China, did the cultural differences affect your management style?

I don’t think so. While there are differences between the two cultures, my management style hasn’t really been affected as I remain an open-minded and supportive leader.

In the US, I would spend more time explaining to the team about the strategic imperatives of the tasks assigned; in China, I would spend more time encouraging my team to express their thoughts and think critically about the tasks instead. The interaction models are definitely different, but the essence remains the same as I always expect my teams to thoroughly understand and be passionate about the work we do.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

That would be my desire to learn. I see myself as someone who cannot settle with comfort which is why I am always ready to learn new things and equip myself with new skills, something that has undoubtedly helped with my career progression.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

I am very health conscious, so I always make sure to spare time for activities like hiking and yoga; sometimes in the morning or during lunch hour, I would try and do some exercise to refresh my body and mind.

I’ve always believed that we can make time for ourselves and our family as long as we try, and with the latest technology, it has been made much easier. With access to work email and messaging apps on our mobile, we can better utilise our downtime to take care of simple tasks, making work-life balance a lot easier to achieve.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards male or female leaders?

I naturally gravitate towards leaders who have great values and visions, regardless of their gender. I admire leaders who value individuals, who are willing to take that risk and invest in its people while also making the effort to respect differences by creating a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career?

I have had many role models throughout my career, some of which have been my superiors, others my peers and sometimes even my staff. I have the ability to discover the strengths of the people around, and like a sponge, I would absorb and learn, regardless of their ranks. I am very fortunate that most of my bosses have doubled up as mentors to help me grow and become who I am today.

As a working mom, do you think your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

No, I don’t see my gender ever hindering me or blocking my personal progression. Being a working mom helps me realise my full potential and enables me to get the most out of my life. I am proud to be a woman leader.

Have you ever participated in any women in leadership programs? If so, how did that experience impact you?

I once attended a Women Leadership Program in the US. Through the program and my interactions with other women leaders, I realised that we as women had to put in extra effort in order to reach the top management level because we had been giving our power away. That made me reflect on myself as I had simply taken what was given but never really questioned the gender disparity around opportunities. Since then, I have been more vocal about my career aspirations and have become more assertive when fighting for what I deserve. I am also more involved in diversity programs, not just in terms of gender, but also around aspects like culture as well.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

Believe in yourself.

We naturally excel at multi-tasking and decision making, and are more than capable to handle both our professional and personal lives. I have seen a lot of very successful working moms, so don’t listen to people who say working moms are less efficient or productive, because we’re not. Instead, be fearless and don’t be afraid to go the extra mile.

In your experience, what are the benefits of having diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Having worked in diverse teams at various locations, I have come to appreciate the different perspectives that diversity brings. People’s backgrounds affect their thinking process and lead to a variety of views, which helps widen our horizons and expand our ways of thinking.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

First of all, walk the talk and demonstrate your support through actions. When this effort comes from the top, it will be extremely helpful and would enable a more structured action plan to be executed. You can also promote success stories to further increase awareness and show the benefits of having a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Zina Edwards

Thu, 30 May 2019 06:42:00 GMT

Zina Edwards is a partner at Hamilton Locke. In this role, she is responsible for advising numerous funds, asset managers and other non-bank lenders in relation to investments in complex structured finance transactions, restructuring and special situations.

What are your thoughts on diversity within the Legal profession?

I think we are still a little behind where we should be. When I started in this profession twelve years ago, there were more women than men in the graduate recruitment level. That doesn’t quite reflect on the Partner numbers right now, so there must be a problem somewhere, a reason why these female lawyers are not progressing through the ranks. I do think more firms are starting to focus on diversity now, but it’s still far from where the number should be.

In your opinion, why do you think it is important to have diverse teams?

If you have a homogenised team, you can’t really get a good product at the end. You need to have people from different backgrounds and create a culture that allows them to freely express their opinions. If we want to build a dynamic workplace that innovates the legal market, we need to have diversity.

Do you think there is a generational difference in terms of how people view diversity?

I think so. I believe that we are moving away from the more traditional views on gender and that people are seeing the possibility of having a career and taking up a different role. Whether it is progressing through a corporate career, having a family, or not having one, people shouldn’t feel pressured into making choices based on traditional gender roles or notions of what you should do.

As someone who has reached the senior executive level within the profession, were there any role models that have helped you along the way?

I’ve had a number of role models and a lot of them actually came from my peer group. When I was a senior associate, I was very fortunate to find myself among many successful career women, who all made different choices based on their personal circumstances. Seeing the tenacity and talent of those women really inspired me to work hard and showed me that it is possible to be successful in my career while having a family.

And are there times when female leaders who experienced gender inequality do not offer help to others in overcoming obstacles along the way?

I had before. In my previous roles, I have seen senior women that are less supportive, throwing out roadblocks where they could’ve supported me as I became more senior, but I do believe that these situations are changing. A lot of the senior women that I network with or am friends with are understanding the challenges and looking at bringing other women through. I am trying to do that within my organisation as well.

What are some of the things that you’re focusing on in terms of diversity and inclusion?

As a growing business, we’re trying to build a scalable model with things like parental leave so once we get to a particular size, we can have a market leading policy on those grounds.

We are very conscious when it comes to talking about flexible working or parental leave that we do it in the context of all our employees and not just the women’s. We’re trying to address the way we do work. Lawyers don’t have to be in the office to do most of the things we do, so we are trying to create a really flexible working environment, where people can work from home, remotely or part-time. And in terms of parental leave, we want something that applies to parents, not just mothers, because fathers can step up to do those things too.

We also do soft skill training like leadership training for all our lawyers, so people have those skills and can develop them.

Do you have a quota in mind in terms of the gender balance in senior roles?

Not really at the moment. While the current Partner number is imbalanced, there are plans for that to change. When we foster lawyers to senior positions, I don’t see the reason why we can’t get close to the numbers that would represent the legal profession, which is at least half female if not more.

What do you think the Legal profession as a whole can do to improve diversity and inclusion?

There should be a reframing of the way which we talk about things like parental leave and flexible working because it is something that all employees need and want at different times in their career, not just women, so there’s no reason to single them out in these discussions. Organisations would also need to do more to help women who want to grow into leadership roles, like providing extra resources to help them overcome structural difficulties such as the existing status quo.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

I would tell myself to be more confident. I think there was this confidence issue where I felt the need to be 100% prepared all the time, sometimes over prepared even. I did have the skillsets to do more than what I was doing, so maybe I could’ve put my hand up for more opportunities, not in an aggressive way but a more confident manner. I would also tell myself to be patient. Good opportunities always come to people who work hard, so there’s no need to be in any massive rush. They did for me, just not from where I think they would come.

What advice would you give to organisations that have diversity on the top of their agenda but haven’t executed any strategies yet?

Personally, I don’t really see much value in having those tokenistic women’s days. That’s all great, but you don’t get to bake cupcakes once a year and think that you’ve done great in terms of diversity. I think you need to look at what’s actually happening in the organisation and look at providing leadership training. If you are recruiting over 50% talented female lawyers, what can you do to help them overcome structural difficulties and progress to more senior roles? I think it's about leadership programmes, breaking down those perception barriers, making sure that senior leaders are treating them as equal, the language that you use, and the way you network with clients. So, look at what you are doing, what is happening, and how you can fix those problems.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Dai Shi

Tue, 21 May 2019 06:39:00 GMT

Dai Shi is the CFO – Group Retirement – Equitable Holdings at AXA US. In this role, Dai is responsible for managing the P&L of Group Retirement; she also acts as a strategic partner and collaborates closely with business heads, advising on the long-term growth strategy of the company.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I started my career in Financial Services in New York, where I took on different positions in various companies and equipped myself with technical competence and managerial skills. When the US market was going through a crisis, I wanted to expand my horizon and looked into opportunities in emergent markets. Three years after my relocation to Hong Kong, Argyll Scott helped me land my job at AXA Asia’s regional office as a Finance Business Partner to support the Southeast Asia business, and the rest is history.

Can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

That would be around 2010 when I moved to Asia. It was the time when you started to see titles like Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer which didn’t use to exist. I think this truly showed that corporations were putting an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

Having worked in both Hong Kong and the US, how have the different cultures affected your management style?

Cultural and social conditions play a powerful role in one’s management style which often at times supersede the personalities and preferences of individual managers.

The culture in Hong Kong is more on the traditional side, where leaders are put on pedestals and the staff needs a lot of hand-holding and direction. This calls for a more autocratic management style, which isn’t necessarily a negative thing as it is at times deemed very effective. Americans on the other hand value individuality and space, so my management style evolved into one that empowers. I offer them the tools and knowledge that enable them to become self-directing, then I would check in from time to time to give direction, and coach them only when necessary.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

Be original and don’t be apologetic about who you are.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life?

Exercise is quite important to me, it helps keep my mind sharp and energy level high, which often leads to higher efficiency and increased productivity. No matter how busy the day is, I always go to the gym. Even if it is just for 10 minutes, I feel a hundred times better.

Having an established team also helps. I find myself working less and delegating more. By empowering my team to make decisions, it takes some weight off my shoulders and allows us to achieve more as a team.

Do you think gender ever hindered your career progression?

I don’t think gender necessarily hinders one’s career progression, but personality does. Speaking from personal experience, when I first began my career in the US, I wasn’t very vocal about my career aspirations nor was I bold enough to challenge the status quo. Then I remembered to be my authentic self and have since progressed through my career to where I am. When you have a voice, you have a chance, and that applies to both men and women.

Does AXA have a female in leadership program or any diversity and inclusion initiatives?

AXA US has a Women’s Tandem sponsorship program which is designed to cultivate and promote female leadership. Under this program, every candidate is matched with an Executive committee member who will act as their sponsor and be personally invested in their career development. Everyone from my class (Class of 2017) is still here and has received some form of career progression or promotion within the company. That is a great testimony to the success of the program.

Any advice to leaders who want to build a more diverse and inclusive environment?

It’s no longer about recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion, but how we can achieve that. There is a lot of talk about dashboards and the mechanics of diversity and inclusion, but I think we should focus on how we can fundamentally change the culture and mindset instead. It’s an ongoing process that is driven by daily activities, how we think and act; therefore, I would suggest putting more emphasis on the human side of things rather than on the mechanics of it.

What advice would you give your younger self in today’s world?

Do your due diligence, know the industry and what you are getting into. Talk to as many people as possible, be it friends, parents or college professors, get as much information as you can and form your own opinion. Once you have found your path, go for it. Be bold and take some risks when you’re young, there is nothing to lose but only to gain. And of course, be original and unapologetic about who you are.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Tessi Chan

Fri, 17 May 2019 06:45:00 GMT

Tessi Chan is the Regional Head of HR, Asia Pacific at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS). In this role, she is responsible for developing organisational strategies and overseeing human resources operations within the Asia Pacific region.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I began my career working as an HR assistant at a global British bank and subsequently progressed through the ranks in other multinational banks in the region. In 2014, I joined AGCS in Hong Kong as the Head of HR overseeing Hong Kong and China. Subsequently, I took on the additional responsibility of looking after Rewards and Performance Management for Asia. I relocated to the regional office in Singapore in 2018 to assume the role of Regional Head of HR with responsibility for more than 10 countries including Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, India, New Zealand and Australia.

Having to transition from banking to insurance, are there any differences that you’ve noticed?

AGCS is the first insurance company that I’ve worked for. Working in the insurance industry really surprised me on many levels. At work, the amount of autonomy and flexibility is much higher than in banking which allows the agility to implement change and influence minds. Besides work, the after-work happy hour culture also pleasantly surprised me, as it is quite common to see familiar faces in the pubs near the offices after work. This is a casual opportunity for bonding between colleagues from different departments and foster friendships.

You relocated from Hong Kong to Singapore for your current role, can you tell us a bit more on that decision from a career perspective?

There were two key drivers for the move.

Firstly, as a competitive individual, I love challenging myself to step outside my comfort zone. The role in Singapore is much bigger than my previous role in terms of geographic coverage, team size and responsibilities. A challenging environment keeps me motivated and passionate at work.

Secondly, AGCS is a performance-based company and gives priority to internal candidates whenever a leadership role opens. With this culture, I see opportunities for career progression within the organisation. Also as AGCS is present in over 34 countries, there are opportunities for global mobility.

And with such a regional role, does it require a lot of travelling?

What I like about AGCS is that there is a high level of autonomy; I am not forced to travel but instead am being given the flexibility to plan my work travels myself. I do make sure that I travel to each location at least once every two years to keep the interaction with the teams and demonstrate to the employees that HR pays attention to their needs and cares about their welfare. Strategy can’t be implemented and relationships can’t be forged through emails and webinars, you need the face-to-face interaction. This approach has been working really well.

How do you balance long hours and travelling with your personal life?

The flexible working solutions in AGCS definitely help. It’s all based on trust, there is no need to clock in and out, employees and managers are being given the flexibility to arrange their working hours and location. I am a big supporter of flexible working solutions. Sometimes I work from home and sometimes I work when I travel, which I have found to be quite productive, so having the option of flexible working hours does contribute to a better balance.

Do you think it is easier to balance because you are in a more senior role, or because you’re more experienced to handle the pressure of work?

I would say it is all about prioritisation. Whether you are in a senior role or junior role, time management is the key to maintaining balance and handling the pressure of work. Nevertheless, when you are first starting out, the autonomy is relatively limited. You’ll have to follow the instructions and deadlines that are given to you.

Has your gender ever hindered your career progression?

In bigger organisations, yes. When I was working in banking, the majority of the senior leadership there were male, and that’s not just in the front office, but in supporting functions like HR as well. There was a glass ceiling for females.

There was a particular discussion I had with a manager about my career development. I requested for additional responsibilities. In return, he acknowledged my ambition and desire to learn but commented that I should spend more time with my family instead of work because I am a married woman. I was quite taken aback by that. Obviously, this is not a response that I would expect. So yes, I have had instances where I experienced gender discrimination that got in the way of my career progression.

On the contrary, gender diversity is a priority in AGCS. In AGCS across the Asia Pacific, female leadership in AGCS constitutes 25%. This is very progressive and I am glad to be able to influence this journey, allowing for more female empowerment and opportunities in the workforce.

What do you think are the benefits of having diversity in the workplace?

Having diversity in the workplace allows us to have a wider range of perspectives. We have an international leadership team in the regional office, with team members from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, etc. Having diversity in terms of nationality and education background allows us to understand different cultures and better accommodate to them, this is particularly beneficial when we are planning to roll out something new but aren’t quite sure how it will be perceived. It’s important to remember that diversity is not just about gender, it’s also about skillsets, mindsets, backgrounds, nationalities and age. I feel privileged to work for an organisation like AGCS that not only recognises this but also embraces this philosophy.

Are there any gender diversity programmes in place in AGCS?

There are. For example, we have a women mentorship circle where we invite females from different locations to come together to have regular conversations and to share their experiences.

In our region, we have a very diverse team in terms of age, nationality, education background and working experience. Within our teams we have 21 nationalities, employees in their twenties as well as their sixties, as well as talent coming from various industries (e.g. banks, construction, aviation, government sector, national sports team). With that being said, we make sure that we have on-going discussions at the senior level to promote an even better diversity in the company, especially within leadership team.

What advice would you give to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace?

Change your mindset and pay more attention to the capabilities of individuals. A common concern that leaders have is that when women reach a certain stage in life, they would switch their focus from work to family. But that is not necessarily true; just because I have a baby, it doesn’t mean that I will give up on my career, I can value both my professional and personal life. Therefore, it’s important for leaders and organisations to consider what kind of flexibility you can provide female employees to help them better balance between family and work.

Have you had a mentor or role model?

When I was in university, I had a mentor who was the deputy CEO at an MNC. I would discuss my career development with him, get advice on things like whether I should move to a new company or position, which was really helpful. When you are young, you don’t usually know what you want, and mentors can definitely help with that.

It is now my turn to be a mentor and contribute to the community. Today, I am a mentor to the younger generation both at work and in my personal life. I am happy to share my experiences and knowledge with them in order to provide a comprehensive and objective view on various matters.

Does AGCS have any mentorship programmes?

We do, but this year we are doing it differently with what we call the “reverse mentorship”. When it comes to mentoring, what usually comes to mind is having the more experienced senior people giving advice to the less experienced people; but when you think about it, there is always something you can share or teach others regardless of which position you are in.

We have sent out a survey for this scheme asking our employees what they can offer and what they want to learn. Once we have gotten the responses back, we can do the pairing. The mentorship selection range is quite broad, it ranges from career development, social media and soft skills to strategic planning or even more lifestyle options like sports and travelling. It can be outside of work too, as mentoring doesn’t have to be just about work.

Lastly, do you have any advice for females on how to progress and succeed in traditionally male-dominated environments?

Create value that contributes to the company with your expertise with confidence!

For example, HR has always been viewed as an administrative and support function that handles payrolls and benefits administration, but over the years we have evolved to be more strategic through providing professional advice and managing human capital effectively. I am glad to be part of the evolution journey and gain the trust, friendship and respect along the way.

In AGCS, HR is highly regarded as a strategic business partner. We are involved in business discussions and planning.

Digital Disruption Series: Low Chin Chau

Wed, 15 May 2019 04:11:00 GMT

Low Chin Chau started his career 30 years ago as a software developer in NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) and has taken responsibilities on technical and management roles in research institutes, public service, private companies, and start-ups. He co-founded, and served as President, and CTO of Integro Technologies, a local banking software start-up. He was a Program Director in IDMPO (Integrated Digital Media Programme Office) in 2008, and helped jumpstart public funding for Singapore start-ups. As Ufinity’s CTO, he helped the company adopt Agile development practices, and grew its technical staff headcount to over 100. More recently, he provided consultancy services to various companies, including setting up, growing, and managing IT organisations in China, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and currently serves as CTO of mobilityX, a mobility-as-a-service start-up.

Tell me about your team set-up at mobilityX.

The mobilityX technical group consists of about 15 people currently. Within this, the Head of Software Development manages the biggest team that includes cloud and mobile application development specialists. Apart from that, there are the quality assurance team, the infrastructure engineering group, and the data engineering team. Assisting me, we have a Chief Architect coming from the banking sector, because it’s important for our software to be reliable, highly available, and secured.

Can you tell me about the Zipster platform you’re working on?

Zipster is a platform for MaaS (Mobilility-as-a-Service) apps, implemented to help commuters navigate the increasingly complex options for getting from point A to B. In recent years we’ve seen the rise of private hire vehicles as well as personal mobility services like e-scooters and bicycle sharing. We’ve also seen the Singapore government trying to change our mobility habits with ‘car-lite’ initiatives. Combined with new technologies and infrastructure, these changes provide more choices, which is great, but it also increases complexity for the average user.

We aim to disrupt and transform the traditional transportation industry, simplifying this complexity by integrating all these options with public transport. Through Zipster’s Plan-Book-Pay-Go functionality, the user can plan a trip; make their choice on modes of mobility based on factors like comfort, cost and time; locate and access the transportation and mobility devices; and pay for the trip all through the same app.

What kind of talent are you looking for to join your team and why?

In terms of programming languages and frameworks, we have standardised mainly on Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, and Java for the server platform. This enables a Microservices architecture, and while theoretically microservices can be developed with a mix of languages and frameworks, we feel that Spring Cloud provides the necessary service orchestration functionality, and standardising on fewer technologies and languages simplifies our development and maintenance efforts. For data engineering, Python tends to be the language of choice. In addition, we look for QA and DevOps with automation skills. Most importantly, we look for people who are curious, willing and able to learn new concepts and skills.

Being a small team, we tend to employ by looking at both ends of the spectrum. At one end, we look for fresh or recent graduates, and tend to focus more on their attitude, conceptual and technical skills. At the other, we look for senior staff with the right experiences. By that I don’t mean specific language or tool skills, but much rather having the right thinking on process, architecture and engineering design, especially for distributed and transactional systems.

In terms of getting your applications into the field faster, how can automation help?

One of the challenges we face is the short timeframe for deploying new features into production while ensuring good quality. Normally, testing and deployment cycles would go on for months, but within start-ups, that could be weeks or even days. And this is where automation could help greatly.

The first area of automation is in testing. In addition to enabling more testing of new functionality, this allows us to do regression testing and to ensure that older functionality still works as we make changes. As the system becomes more complex over its lifetime, it will be increasingly difficult to test without automation. Of course, automation still has its limitations and items like user interactions could be hard to automate, so we do keep manual testing to some degree.

The next area of automation is in DevOps and its associated hosting and database services. By using scripts and configurations, we can make infrastructure set-ups and operations much more consistent, much less error-prone, and as a result can handle more complex cloud-based infrastructure. This is especially critical for microservices architecture.

Lastly, automation in CI/CD – continuous integration and continuous deployment – ties together the automated testing and deployment into staging and production.

What are some innovations you hope to implement with the help of automated development going forward?

Outside of technical implementation and infrastructure management, we see new areas of applying automation in customer services and operations. In terms of DevOps, there are various new technologies for containerisation and service orchestration such as Kubernetes that we’re exploring.

What are some of the top reasons why automation can be challenging?

The main challenge is that automation technologies can be quite complex themselves. We have to ask ourselves, are we trying to solve a complex enough issue to warrant some equally complex new tech? And if so, are we applying it in the correct way to reduce the complexity of our own problem? Just because something is the new buzzword doesn’t mean we should be going straight into it. That said, for what we are doing right now, building a large platform with a lot of different interfaces and partners, and a wide range of functionality, we need integration into information sources on traffic, weather, mapping services, live transit timetables, payment systems, our mobility partners, etc. So, for us to manage such a diverse and ever-changing functionality, it does warrant the introduction of some of these tools.

How will adopting new technologies affect compliance and security?

I believe that automation actually helps us enforce security much better. If we contrast the old way of doing deployment, with manual work by system engineers, even with the best of intentions, there could be human error and certain security measures missed. With DevOps or CI/CD practices, they are a lot more explicit in their actions, with scripted or coded steps that can be easily audited.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Anne Lochoff

Tue, 07 May 2019 07:03:00 GMT

Anne Lochoff is the Strategic Advisor at World Vision, in this role she acts as an advisor to Asia P3 Hub, a cross-sector platform that works with corporates, start-ups, government and non-profit organisations to build strategic, mutually-beneficial partnerships to address humanitarian challenges.

As an accomplished female leader who has worked at global advertising agencies, what traits do you think are necessary for success?

In the creative sector, skills such as intuition (trends), empathy (insights), emotional intelligence (consumer understanding) and planning (strategy) are established as traits of an accomplished leader who manages the creation of ideas.

With that in mind, how do these traits influence your management style or hiring decisions?

The traits mentioned are key to any innovation process I have realised how valuable they are when applied to other industries requiring a fresh perspective on their approach to business. We often focus on the hard skills (knowledge of process) when hiring innovative leaders. In my experience the soft skills or emotional intelligence of a leader is just as important to consider in the recruitment process.

What advice would you give business leaders who want to promote diversity through talent attraction and development?

It is important to create a corporate culture that sees diverse ways of thinking as a valuable tool for innovation. Innovation comes from looking at an old problem in a completely new way, which creates growth, solutions and sustainability. At Asia P3 Hub, we use the term “combinatorial innovation”, meaning the idea of combining existing elements together in new and innovative ways.

Another thing would be identifying where we lose female talents within the leadership pipeline and work with them to decrease the risk. We often hear about women holding board positions, but rarely about how one can get there. Therefore, how do we know that business leaders are detailing the steps required and that equal opportunities are given to all genders in progressing through the board leadership pipeline?

According to your observations, what can the society do to better empower females to thrive?

Value the contribution of women. Sometimes it helps to put it into numbers so valuing their contributions to the world economy would be a start. According to IMF publications, “our new estimates show that, for the bottom half of countries in our sample in terms of gender inequality, closing the gender gap in employment could increase GDP by an average of 35 percent—of which 7–8 percentage points are productivity gains due to gender diversity. Adding one more woman in a firm’s senior management or corporate board—while keeping the size of the board unchanged—is associated with an 8–13 basis point higher return on assets.”

How has your experience as a mentor in supporting women entrepreneurs been?

I believe mentoring should be a learning experience for both the mentor and the mentee. As a mentor, I have learnt a lot from my mentees and have found inspiration in their resilience, empathy, ingenuity and courage. Mentoring has also given me valuable insights into start-ups, cross-cultural considerations, business models and innovation processes that I can constantly apply to my way of working.

What are your thoughts on the use of technology in terms of gender diversity/balance?

People programme technology and are teaching it how to think. For technology to be beneficial, we will have to ensure that the unconscious bias people might have isn’t programmed into it. Equally for it to value and respect the contribution of women and men equally, that way it can be leveraged to build a corporate culture that better embraces diversity.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Michelle Kam

Wed, 01 May 2019 06:47:00 GMT

Michelle Kam is the Director, Risk Customer Proposition for the Emerging & Frontier Markets at Refinitiv. She is responsible for developing the Risk product proposition and solutions (focused on Financial Crime, Digital Identity and Enterprise Risk Management) for our clients and communities.

Refinitiv is one of the world’s largest providers of financial markets data and infrastructure, serving over 40,000 institutions in over 190 countries. It provides leading data and insights, trading platforms, and open data and technology platforms that connect the global financial markets community - driving performance in trading, investment, wealth management, regulatory compliance, market data management, enterprise risk and fighting financial crime.

Can you tell us about your career progression into your current role?

I have over 15 years of banking and technology vendor experience. My first management position entailed the responsibility of running a global operation function for a large investment bank. Since then, I have held multiple management roles, each with increasing leadership and management responsibilities.

After spending a substantial number of years in Financial Markets Operations, I made a switch into Operational Risk Management.

Subsequently, internal opportunities opened for me to move into Sales Support in Client Onboarding and Account Management for Corporate and Institutional Bank.

As the industry shifted to explore KYC utilities, I joined Refinitiv’s Risk Proposition Team covering Asia (which has now expanded to Emerging and Frontier Markets). With my industry experience, my current role focuses on growing the Risk business.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

I have this underlying passion that drives my motivation to deliver; it pushes me to learn new things and gain new experiences, which is what my career has been pivoted around as I explored new businesses and built new teams. The excitement in adventuring through unfamiliar territories really fuels my curiosity to succeed.

As someone working in a role that requires a lot of travelling, how do you balance work with your personal life?

My role at times requires me to travel two to three weeks a month, and as a mother to two young kids that can be quite challenging. Balancing between work and family is never easy, which is why I have come to appreciate the few things that help make it much more manageable.

First and foremost, it would be having a supportive spouse. We are at a time when traditional gender roles are less binding – child rearing is no longer just the women’s responsibility, men can take a bigger role in running the household too. And with modern day technology like WhatsApp and Skype, parents can still connect with their kids even when they’re away on business trips.

Apart from that, having a supportive boss that understands what it is like to balance work and family helps.

I have found work-life integration of my schedule very effective. For example, leaving work early and taking night calls from home.

Do you have any advice for working mums or those who are aspiring to be a mum?

One of the most common concerns I’ve heard from women is whether to put their careers on hold or maybe take on a smaller role and prioritise their kids first. If a good opportunity comes along, take it, keeping in mind family in your plans too. Also, if the relationship permits, be transparent to your boss, ask about possible forms of flexibility. I don’t think it’s a case of stepping back, but how you can make both work, so you can thrive at work and at home.

Have you ever felt the need to work harder because of your gender?

No, I’ve never felt that way. While I’ve had instances where I needed to prove my worth, it was never because of my gender, but more so on the increasing responsibility with each new role that I have taken.

Refinitiv was awarded WatersTechnology’s WITAD 2019 Best Company for Diversity (Vendor) , what is Refinitiv doing differently to achieving its diversity goals?

At Refinitiv, there is a shift in culture for diversity and inclusion, we’re challenging the traditional approach of quotas, data and salary figures, and switching our mindset from “should we” to “how do we”. The company is moving away from a model where we “fix” women, to one that addresses questions like how bias impacts decision-making and how we can support leaders to be more inclusive in the way that they naturally lead. We’re taking a proactive top-down approach by placing ownership in the hands of the leaders to drive these changes.

Following up on that, what is the notion of “fixing” women and what do you think companies should do instead?

While we’ve seen efforts to advance women in the workplace for years, we have yet to see any paradigm shift and gender equality has only marginally improved. Therefore, simply creating and putting women into programs or mentorship schemes won’t be enough; companies would need to make a conscious effort to include women in the pathway of the company and pay attention to the skill sets that they can bring to the table.

Gender balance is a business issue, not a women’s issue. The consulting firm Accenture recently released the report When She Rises, We All Rise, for which Michelle King summarised, “Equal workplaces do not just improve the career prospects for women. Men are twice as likely to rise to senior management positions in cultures that support equality. It is not just about creating things that help women. It is about leveling the playing field for men and women so they are both included in the dialogue around equality.”

Could you tell me more about Refinitiv’s Diversity & Inclusion Ratings and what the data tell us?

Refinitiv’s Diversity and Inclusion Index ranks over 7,000 companies globally and identifies the top 100 publicly traded companies with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces, as measured by 24 separate metrics across 4 key pillars: Diversity, Inclusion, News & Controversies and People Development.

It is designed on the hypothesis that companies tracking, reporting, and achieving on measures of diversity, inclusion and people development will offer better performance over time than those achieving lower scores, or not tracking these measures.

In 2018, we ranked the top 100 most diverse and inclusive organisations globally via our Index. What the data tells us is that the global evidence is overwhelmingly clear, diversity is a growth engine driving better performance outcomes and companies can no longer afford not to realize its societal benefits. Additionally, companies with more diverse workplace outperform their competitors and achieve greater profits.

Through the various trend analysis performed, the top quartile rankings in 2018 are dominated by companies in pharmaceutical, retail, telecoms, cosmetics, professional services, outperforming the financial group sectors.

Currently, only 15% of the top 100 most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world are based in Asia, which shows us that there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of diversity in the workplace within Asia.

Is there a Women In Leadership program at Refinitiv and how successful do you feel the program is?

Refinitiv has pledged their aspirations to reach the goal of 40% or more women in senior leadership roles by 2020.

Our organisation is focused on making clear and visible investments in women leaders, which include two key women’s leadership programs – the Leadership Program for Women (LPW) and the Emerging Women in Leadership Program (EWLP). The programs are aimed at increasing engagement and sustaining high performance and aspirations of future female leaders.

LPW was awarded one of the Best International/Global Leadership Program for HR.com’s Leadership Excellence Awards.

Lastly, can you share with us some leaders who have inspired you to be who you are today?

Sir Richard Branson, Jack Ma and Jacinda Ardern are a few on my list. I admire Sir Richard for his adventurous explorations, Jack for his visionary spirit and Jacinda for breaking new grounds for women. These leaders are original and motivating and act as a constant reminder to myself to live an adventurous life, one that is on my own terms.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Vanessa Chan

Tue, 30 Apr 2019 06:43:00 GMT

Vanessa Chan is the Vice President for Asia Pacific Business Development, IGT. In this role, she is responsible for building new businesses for IGT within the Asia Pacific region.

How do you balance between work and your personal life?

First, I try to understand and make room for my priorities, then I focus on finding balance and space. Remember, your career is only part of your life. You can achieve balance by building a life that’s much larger than your career. And it’s important to recognize that you might not find it overnight — it takes a lot of trial and error.

Yoga, running, and meditation are an important part of my life. Being in touch with nature and the world outside of my business network is the way I find my balance.

Why is gender diversity important to you?

We can’t maximize our potential as humans until we can truly see everyone as equal, and treat them as such. Discrimination puts an artificial cap on what we can achieve as individuals and as a whole. In my view, having diverse representation across all sphere – including life and career – will ensure that we are truly optimizing human achievement.

What do you think are the challenges for females working in a male dominant industry?

One of the more prominent challenges that I have witnessed is the expectation for women to work harder to fill the gender gap in compensation and promotions. We are often expected to do things better than our male peers just to get the same opportunities, which sometimes don’t materialize. Nowadays, with the help of data, we know that things like gender pay gap exist, so companies can work to address these issues.

Stereotypes can also be an issue in industries that are less diverse. Assumptions are made based on external factors, which oftentimes put people in boxes that unfairly define them and limit their career opportunities. When you’re in the minority, whether it is in terms of gender, race, or other traits, it’s human nature to feel like you have to bend over backward to try to fit in whenever you are outnumbered. This can range from communication styles to team activities and conversational topics, which can at times be quite lonely and uncomfortable. That said, I do believe it is improving and the good experiences far outweigh the bad.

Can you share with us some of the initiatives that your current company/previous companies had done to address gender diversity?

At IGT, we are working together to build an even more diverse and inclusive company that anticipates and meets the needs of the ever-changing demographics of the communities that we serve. Embracing and anticipating change provides us with an opportunity to build and support a workforce that reflects those global shifts.

In early 2017, IGT took the important step of launching the Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council, which works on our global strategic plan for diversity and inclusion. We also hired Kim Lee as our first ever Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, with the responsibility to ensure the successful implementation of the strategic plan. In year one, we focused on developing awareness and language, and have grown from there to address prioritized gaps, implement policy and procedure recommendations, launch employee business resource networks, and increase measurements against benchmarks.

What is your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse culture?

As a leader, you need to be the first one to demonstrate and encourage empathy and kindness, so we can all feel comfortable showing our true selves. You need to welcome displays of vulnerability, including your own.

At the corporate level, you need to walk the talk by creating programs and education to help employees take the leap. Behaviours such as labelling and showing bias can be extinguished more effectively with support and professional development.

If you could go back to the beginning of your career, what advice would you give yourself?

I’d tell myself to be authentic — don’t let others tell you who you should be. Stay true to the values and styles that resonate with you.

I’d also tell myself to make room for life to surprise me. There was a time when my younger, overachiever self would overstuff my calendar so I would feel that I was making progress on my career every single day. In hindsight, I didn’t give myself enough breathing room to reflect and learn from my experiences. And I’ve come to realise that some of the best ideas and insights come when you’re not solely focused on work.

The same theory applies to career planning. You don’t have to micromanage everything. Sometimes you don’t know what will be around the corner. Trust your gut. Even if you need to take a little detour, it’s okay — enjoy it. Who knows what you can find in the rose garden?

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Joon Heem Kham

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 07:02:00 GMT

Joon Heem Kham is the Chief Operating Officer, Singapore at Barclays and is responsible for overseeing the company's business operations.

Tell us about your journey with Barclays so far.

I trained as an accountant and worked in operations management in Singapore for many years before joining Barclays in 2012. During my first six years at Barclays, I held various Operations roles and my previous role was Regional Head of Operations for Asia. I was appointed Chief Operating Officer for Barclays in Singapore in September 2018. My journey with Barclays is a great example of internal mobility and our focus on helping colleagues develop their careers.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

It would have to be never saying “no” to opportunities. If someone approaches you with a great opportunity to learn and do new things, as well as the ability to make a difference, be courageous and take it with a leap of faith. You never know what you can achieve until you try.

How do you balance your work and personal life successfully?

By picking and choosing the battles to fight each day. We take on many responsibilities wearing multiple hats – at home we might be mother, daughter, wife, and at work, employee, manager and leader, but we need our own personal time as well. It is essential to prioritise and be super organised so that the most important things are taken care of first. Having a good support system around me helps tremendously – good childcare, a supportive husband, an understanding manager, and a flexible work environment.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

My advice to leaders is to address unconscious bias. At Barclays, we provide unconscious bias training that helps colleagues to become aware of, and mitigate bias. Initiatives like this help us to create a diverse and inclusive culture where colleagues can achieve their career aspirations whilst creating value for the firm. It also helps us in our recruitment process and in attracting and retaining diverse talent.

Tell us about any initiatives Barclays is involved with to support female inclusion.

Barclays has a number of talent management and leadership development initiatives that are designed to build a pipeline of female leaders and to help women across different levels to advance in their careers.

Our Barclays Global Women in Leadership Conference for female Managing Director and Director colleagues, and Women’s MD Forum for female Managing Directors, have been particularly well-received.

In 2019, Barclays’ Group CEO, Jes Staley, reinforced his commitment to gender diversity at Barclays, calling on all senior decision-making committees to introduce rotating ex officio positions that reflect diversity and, in particular, support female representation. There has been an ex officio role on the Group Executive Committee since November 2016.

Barclays’ gender network, Win, is dedicated to increasing representation of women at all levels in the organisation, bringing both men and women together to make a change and promoting Barclays externally as an employer of choice.

Digital Disruption Series: Corey Manders

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 06:41:00 GMT

Corey Manders heads the R&D in Singapore. Prior to joining OneConnect, he was a Research Scientist and Programme Manager with The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) - a catalyst, enabler and convenor of significant research initiatives among the research community in Singapore and beyond. Dr. Manders obtained his PhD in Computer Engineering/Image Processing from the University of Toronto. OneConnect Financial Technology Singapore officially opened in November 2018 and has about 120 staff members.

Tell me about your R&D department and your hiring methods to build it so far.

I lead an R&D team of about 12 engineers, likely to reach 20 this year, and we have groups of experts currently working on products within Neuro-Linguistic Processing (NLP) and chatbots; Optical Character Recognition (OCR); intelligent social media; and speech and text. One of the first few tasks I took upon was on the hiring and building of the team as finding the right people takes time.

While I do hire experienced engineers, I am also open to hiring fresh PhD and Masters graduates, who have the potential to grow. I like to hire Singaporeans because I think the R&D lab in Singapore can be used to grow local talent. I also look for people who show passion or an experimental attitude – for example, when I want to hire an engineer in Machine Learning, I don’t want to endlessly hear about Big Data extraction experience, I want to see a bit of a ‘hacker’ mentality. Mindsets over skillsets, in a way. The people I have are inspiring and engaged and we give them the freedom to express themselves. One of the team members has a background in Data Analytics but is also interested in OCR and image processing. We gave him the freedom to work on his other interest areas when he has produced some amazing results and his schedule allows for it.

How does it work in terms of timelines on projects from your R&D department to delivery to the Product team?

Each product has its own roadmap to deployment by the Product team and the timelines vary. The timeline can be very short for what we do, as it depends on how urgently it is needed. This is especially so if it’s a mature product already underway in China that needs transitioning for another market. We are located in the same office as the Product team and work closely with them, but generally we develop the core tech or the engine of a product in prototype form and then turn over the code via our server to the Product team who would then develop it further and undertake testing. Some products are long-term visions and are more Research than Development, some are short term where the technology is being adopted now and as such are more Development than Research.

Which programming languages do you use most in R&D?

Most of what we do is in Python. Everyone in R&D is well versed in Python and it works well in a lot of things. I still read and write code, and sometimes go back to Swift on occasion for speed, which I did recently for an OCR prototype I was working on. I also have experience in C or Objective-C for apps. The Product Development team are really good at writing in Swift, Objective-C, JavaScript, React and React Native, but in R&D, Python is really strong. There’s no real requirement for us to know Hadoop or any others.

How have Machine Learning and NLP changed over the last couple of years?

What was not even possible 10 or 12 years ago in machine learning is now commonplace. When I first started at A*STAR, if someone had asked for a program that could recognise a cat in an image, it would be impossible because there were too many obstacles to achieve that. Now I can train a neural network to do not just that, but to also recognise every cat however hard they are to see. In the last five years, the breakthroughs in deep learning and neural nets have been amazing.

NLP now is incredible compared to 10 to 15 years ago and it is going to grow tremendously. There are amazing things you can do now with NLP. For example, a language model called GPT-2 by OpenAI has been trained to predict the next word in any text, producing coherent passages of writing, completely unsupervised. It wrote an entire piece about the discovery of unicorns in the Andes which was really well done. The language model is so sophisticated that they are only releasing a smaller version due to concerns about its potentially malicious usage. The impact of something like this on chatbots in customer service would be almost like talking to a human. Then, taking it to the next level, in areas like Southeast Asia where people use Singlish or multiple languages in one sentence, NLP will be able to process that.

What is your vision and what are some of the things you hope to achieve or implement this year?

Everyone that joins the R&D lab and the Product team knows that the end goal is to create technologies to bring to the market, so in R&D we have KPIs and goals to hit this year in terms of products. It’s fine having a long-term vision, but we also have to address the short-term timelines in place, while pushing things in the right direction to achieve that vision.

We are constantly exploring the real-world problems that people are concerned with and one of the areas we can make a difference is in Fintech. Technology makes Fintech easier. With technology a lot of Fintech systems can be automated and are easier to use, like call centres for example. Open banking APIs have also seen the birth of apps like Cleo. While the app can’t complete banking transactions, it can analyse your spending or implement savings goals like a personal automated financial advisor. Chatbots have been widely adopted, but these other Fintech apps are the way forward.

It is my goal by the end of the year to have significant projects we can demo in our user experience room. We have to invent the future ourselves!

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Tracy-Alero Doyle

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 04:15:00 GMT

Tracy-Alero Doyle is the Global Head of Process Development, Group Insurance at HSBC. In this role, she is responsible for leading the team in delivering streamlining benefits, managing business change and ensuring the delivery of regulatory & compliance requirements.

You grew up in Nigeria, and have worked in the US, UK, and now Hong Kong. What are the differences in terms of culture and how did they affect you?

Growing up in Nigeria, I embraced a culture that rewarded pro-active and assertive communications. This communication style served me well when I dove into the fast-paced technology startup world in Los Angeles during the mid-1990s. Fast forward ten years later, I moved to the UK and discovered a workplace culture that valued consensus and harmony over speed and directness. In Hong Kong, I have developed an even greater appreciation for polite subtleties that often go unnoticed but are necessary in creating and leveraging strong trusted interpersonal networks.

Do you have a mentor/role model in your career? What’s the value of having a mentor?

No one is a bigger proponent of mentoring than I am. I am actively mentored by inspiring leaders who saw a spark in me that they had an interest in growing. Likewise I also act as a mentor to a select group of young professionals with enthusiasm and discipline. My mentees inspire me regularly. Mentoring is not a one-way street, there has to be some mutual interest and affection for it to work. If the mentoring relationship is built on the basis of genuine care and reciprocity, it really can be invaluable to both parties.

Do you feel that you gravitate towards either female or male leaders?

No, I do not gravitate towards either gender when it comes to leaders. I gravitate towards passionate leaders who lead from the front and are actively passionate about their customers and staff wellbeing.

Do you have any advice for working moms on how to progress and succeed?

First of all, I don’t think there is much value in seeing ‘working moms’ as a duality. All mothers work, whether it be in a paid or unpaid capacity, which is why I find the label ‘working moms’ to be unhelpful. Having said that, I would say acceptance is the key to progress and success. Choosing to rear children and thrive in business means that you will not be 100% amazing all the time. Accept that. As a mother of two kids, one of whom is university bound, I’d like to think that I have been raising hardy and resilient kids who value the fact that while Mom loves them to eternity and back, she does sometimes have to make compromises that make her less present. Focus on doing the best you can, and you will succeed. Just don’t be totally surprised if your definition of success changes over time.

How do you balance long hours with your personal life successfully?

The reality is that the higher you move up at work, the more likely it is that you will be working long hours. Having a view of the hours you work, and how that might impact your productivity and personal goals is important. A closed mouth doesn’t get fed so be clear when it comes to articulating what you need to succeed. Can you work remotely, do you have the flexibility to work alternative hours, does management support the holistic you? In many cases, I see people simply doing, working all the hours possible without questioning why or if they are seriously adding value beyond a certain point of exhaustion. So be clear on what you need to succeed and treat management as your partner. There are very few instances where reasonable accommodations cannot be made to support working hours that enable work and personal commitments to coexist.

Looking back at your career to date, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity and inclusion around you?

The emphasis on diversity and inclusion has certainly picked up over the last 5 years. Living in Hong Kong, I see posters and active outreach highlighting the need for diverse workplaces. I have the privilege of working for an organization, HSBC, which has a very clear and articulated approach for improving D&I outcomes. It is heartwarming to see the lexicon of D&I making it into board room packs, elevator discussions, town halls, staff meetings and outreach days.

In your experience, what are the benefits of diverse teams and diverse organisations?

Diversity of thought is a key benefit of having diverse teams and organisations. The more homogenous a group is, especially a group with decision making authority, the more likely you are to get the same predictably privileged outcomes. By expanding the selection of people you automatically increase the scope of ideas and contributions available to your organisation. It just makes business sense to accurately reflect the diversity of the populations that we serve in our own organisations.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture or that enables women to progress?

Ask the hard questions, listen to the answers and act decisively. Understand that there is a continuum of maturity for diversity and inclusion. Avoid the tendency to assume that a few sound bites and posturing will improve outcomes. Maturity is a continuous process and not a destination. Cultural changes require an ongoing commitment to challenging working norms and a willingness to address privilege. It isn’t enough to just appear diverse, the real work is to make sure that all feel included.

What one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

I’ll give you two – flexibility and resilience. Without either of the two, it would have been impossible to maintain my career and personal trajectory.

Flexibility involves seeing yourself as a reed that is able and willing to adapt to changing circumstances around you. Whether this means moving countries, changing industries, retraining or repositioning your skill set, flexibility is the key to maintaining momentum.

Resilience is the counterpoint to flexibility. It’s the inner voice saying that you are more than your current circumstance. It is the push that motivates you to get out there, do outstanding work, then get up the next day and do it all over again. Resilience is the ability to see rejection as feedback and to treat it as such, knowing that you will continue to grow and learn in your career if you just refuse to give up.

Inspiring Business Women In APAC: Katie Wilding

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 06:44:00 GMT

Katie Wilding is an Executive Director - Program Director at DBS Bank, HK.

Can you tell us about your career progression to your current role?

I have worked in a lot of jobs across different sectors, industries and locations. I constantly strive for excitement, which is what drove me to move around in the past. I enjoy being in a high adrenaline environment with tangible results, so I am quite comfortable with change and roles like my current position, where I can do something completely different with each project.

Your career path has taken you to many countries across different continents, do you have any advice on how to navigate through the cultural differences?

Whenever I start off in a new location, I always make sure to first raise my own awareness of the similarities and differences between their culture and mine. I have found that asking questions is quite a lovely way to get that bond and understanding; it’s also a form of compliment and respect. I am personally quite curious about things like culture and art; therefore, it comes quite naturally for me when questions stem from that curiosity.

And how does company culture play a part in it?

A lot of companies have their own culture that extends globally. Therefore in my view, it really depends on how you do it. If it is enforced with a heavy hand, where you must follow the framework to the letter of the law then it’s probably not going to work. But if it is adaptive and carries a bit of the local flavour, that would resonate better and have the potential to become a more sustainable culture. It’s all about finding that compromise.

Have you had any mentors or role models in your career?

Yes, I have had mentors from time to time. To me, a mentor is someone I respect, have good communications with, and someone who has experience and wants to share with me.

Back when I was working on the trading floor, which had been a male-dominant space, I was working for the head of the desk, who happened to be a female. She was a terrific mentor. She was tough, which in turn made me mentally tough. Unfortunately, there was a lot of discrimination at that time, and particularly in that kind of environment, it was difficult to get on. She guided me and gave me tools to cope, tools that I have used a good number of times in my career since.

I think mentor relationships are all about the right chemistry. I myself mentor a handful of people that the bank has chosen as future talents. It is something that I enjoy investing my time in. Having a mentor to share the highs and lows and be a guiding hand could be quite valuable, especially when the mentoring is done right.

How do you balance work and your personal life?

I usually come in early at around 7am and not stay later than 7pm. I also make sure that I stick to my morning routine of clearing emails, making a to-do list, and getting myself prepared for the day, which would usually be by 9am. Lunch breaks are something that I try to preserve as much as I can – get out of the office to have a proper lunch. I think this is a way to keep ourselves sane and to stay focused for the rest of the day. If I ever need to do more work at home, I would only do it for an hour. This way, it allows me to have some quality time every day. It is incredibly difficult to cope, so being disciplined and organised is very important.

What advice would you give to someone progressing through their careers to better manage their time?

In my opinion, being structured and organised in your day would be key, and there are many ways to achieve that. For example, spending an hour in the morning to prepare for all your meetings for the day to make sure you stay on top of things, keeping a to-do list so you are always making progress on tasks, or have a side of critical items to roll forward from day to day to keep yourself on track.

It also doesn’t hurt to ask your boss about flexible working. As a manager and a leader, I try to be very supportive of that. I think it is built on trust and is a give and take, which will ultimately help with staff satisfaction and talent retention. I do believe we are starting to see a general recognition as well as increasing support for it in Hong Kong.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards male or female leaders?

I don’t really gravitate towards either gender. I gravitate towards people who I like to work for, those who are great leaders who inspire me. Some of those have been women and some of those have been men, so it’s been quite a mixed bag.

In general, I think women leaders are a lot more in tune with people management and their EQ tends to be higher, which is probably due to the way that they are wired, making them naturally predisposed to be good people managers. Male leaders on the other hand are incredibly tough and quite transactional, so while they might not be as good at people management, I can always learn from them.

Do you think gender hinders one’s career progression?

For sure. If we look at the senior management of banks, particularly in the technology space, we see mostly men.

How do we go about changing that then?

I am a big believer in positive discrimination. One way would be to enforce a 50/50 so that when a new role comes up, it must be filled by a woman. I also believe that banks should create a “Women in leadership” forum in their organisation to create a support network for females and make the change sustainable. It’s all about making investments in strengthening that female framework and being persistent in sustaining that change.

What do you see as the benefits in having a diverse team?

I think with a diverse team comes a better balance. It gives a diversity of ideas because people have different viewpoints based on their varied backgrounds. It is important for organisations to strive for that balance, not just in terms of gender but in other aspects as well. Being able to embrace those differences would give a much richer experience at work and lead to a stronger and more sustainable outcome.

And it’s especially important in the change management space. For one, I consciously make sure that I have diversity when I put a team together for a project. I like to have a mix of people from different walks of life. For me, finding someone who is thoughtful and bright would be more important, while education and experiences would come second to that.

What advice would you give to leaders in trying to create a more diverse and inclusive environment?

A lot of organisations talk a good game, both with the media and their staff, but they don’t always walk the talk. Therefore, it is important to be authentic and action what you say, so that it gets embedded in the culture and ultimately helps create a sustainable change.

Inspiring Business Women in APAC: Teresa Yu

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 07:01:00 GMT

Teresa Yu is the Head of Business Risk Management at an International Singapore Banking Group. In this role, Teresa works closely with the Business and is responsible in leading the team in overseeing the bank’s business risk function.

Is diversity important to you? Why is it important?

Yes, I’ve come to notice that diversity is quite important, not just within specific teams or departments, but the company as a whole. There is a wealth of research which says that diverse teams perform better because each team member brings a different perspective to the table, which creates dialogues and challenges the status quo.

Which one factor has helped you the most throughout your career?

I would say a can-do mentality, but the ability to listen to others is also important.

Do you have a mentor or role model in your career and what’s the value in having a mentor?

Definitely yes in my previous roles, I have many, but they are now more trusted advisors than mentors. We have built lifelong friendships outside of work, and they continue to provide guidance, not just on day-to-day working, but also from a personnel perspective as well.

Do you have any advice for working mums on how to progress and succeed?

In order to get the right balance, it’s important to listen to the kids about school activities, and strictly comply to family time – not doing any work at the weekends at all, put it aside and spend time with the kids! On a daily basis, I would rather sleep less and make sure I see them before school. I have three daughters, one is 21, one is 15 and the youngest is 11. They are all still very close to me, despite one studying abroad.

Do you think that your gender has ever hindered you or blocked any career progression?

I don’t think so at all. In terms of my previous roles in developing the platform for the bank, there has always been more of a focus on talent, competence, and attitude, rather than things like gender. I would say it’s more about my capability and delivery of work than anything.

What is the main thing you’ve seen in any organisation that works from a diversity point of view or that enables women to progress?

You have to start with team culture and leverage from that. I don’t think we should necessarily focus on female or male, but the culture should have a balanced view as a whole, so that all voices are heard, and that’s the way people progress and bring the company success. Once people are at the table, it’s important that there is an inclusive environment where they can share their thoughts and perspectives. It requires effort from the whole team to maintain open and respectful communication.

What’s your advice to leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Always stay modest, because no one is perfect. Success is down to the contributions of multiple team members, so make sure you listen and give them a chance to develop their own careers and this will ultimately benefit for the company itself.

Inspiring Business Women In Asia: Susanna Ng

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 06:35:00 GMT

Susanna Ng is the Chief Operating Officer at BPI International Finance Limited, she has considerable experience in the areas of controls, compliance, operations, risk, audit and change management in the Financial Services industry, having worked in both global groups and boutique set ups with regional and local coverage.

Can we talk a little bit about work-life balance and how you manage it?

Being able to balance between family and career is important to me, especially that I have two children. It isn’t an easy task but having a supportive partner and a few good bosses along the way definitely helps. In this current age, we should not be bound by the traditional gender roles, child rearing should be a role shared, which is where the supportive partner comes in. It is important for the two to work out an arrangement where they can both balance family and career. Just as Sheryl Sandberg wrote in Lean In, “I truly believe that the single most important career decision that a woman makes is whether she will have a life partner and who that partner is. I don’t know of a single woman in a leadership position whose life partner is not fully—and I mean fully—supportive of her career.” On the other hand, having an understanding boss that supports both genders also contributes to a better work-life balance.

I am able to be a working mum because I constantly prioritise, and I know my limits. Not feeling the need to do everything perfectly is also a factor. Now, I learnt to just do what is important and what works for me and my family. I love looking after my children, but I also enjoy working, and I am honest with my children about this. It is always a give and take, you try to make sure that no element is overlooked, that is the goal.

Female diversity is a hot topic right now – what do you see as the benefits of promoting gender equality in the workplace?

It is really important. Many studies show that companies which have a more gender balanced senior management level perform much better commercially. We are progressing, but it’s not enough, and I hope that in my children’s generation, greater strides will be made. That being said, I don’t believe in “gender equality quotas”. If a candidate is a good leader, whether they are of a certain gender should not matter.

What do you think are the challenges for females working in a male dominant industry?

While we see more female leaders across the different industries in Hong Kong, like the banking sector, it is still rather male dominant. This is even more apparent the more senior you look at. I have a female friend who is a Managing Director at a construction company, which might seem unusual; but according to her, 60% of their building surveyor intake last year was female, which increased to 64% this year. There is clearly no shortage of female talent, which brings us to the question of what is stopping them from reaching the top. It seems harder for women to reach senior positions in many sectors, especially the traditionally male-dominated ones, which I see as a societal problem. Many women nowadays have as good an education and skill set as men, so there is no reason why they shouldn’t reach the top.

What do you think when people say that female bosses are harder to work for?

I don’t agree with that. There are good female bosses and bad female bosses, in exactly the same way as there are good and bad male bosses. It’s a stereotypical phrase that stems from a long time ago, when there were hardly any women at the top and maybe those that made it had to be particularly tough in order to succeed. However today, with more opportunities and progression for women, I don’t buy this at all. People are less inclined to describe a male boss as “difficult to deal with” or “a dragon”. Women should be more supportive to other women at work in this regard.

What is your advice for creating a more inclusive environment for women? What can companies do better?

Companies should hire based on qualifications, skill set and whether they fit in culturally, instead of looking at traits like gender, race and ethnicity. Senior management needs to practice what they preach and embrace diversity fully. It’s not about a policy, it’s about a culture that needs to be created from the top down.

Inspiring Business Women in Asia: Xiaolan Wei

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 06:45:00 GMT

Xiaolan Wei is the Vice President of Coty Research & Development Asia. She joined Coty in June 2018 and oversees R&D activities across Asia, covering all divisions, categories, and products. She leads a team of highly competent formulators, packaging designers and engineers, as well as consumer, product and claims researchers to fuel innovation and growth in Asia.

Xiaolan has a solid track record in the beauty industry, especially in innovations and change management. A chemist by training, Xiaolan has served in multiple capacities throughout her career, as an award-winning product designer, pioneer in beauty trends and innovation, visionary business leader, and mergers and acquisitions specialist.

Prior to joining Coty, Xiaolan led the innovation and development advisory services for PricewaterhouseCoopers in North America, focusing on consumer markets. Prior to that, she held roles of increasing responsibility in the consumer goods industry (GE, Avon, SC Johnson).

Xiaolan holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA concentrating on Finance and Strategy from New York University. She has invented more than 50 patents and authored more than 20 peer reviewed publications.

Tell us about your career progression and the role you’re in now.

I’m currently the VP for R&D for Asia for Coty and I’ve been here for about 7 months. My career has been between China and the US across a couple of different industries. Personally, I grew up in China and studied Chemistry, then I got my PhD in the States which shaped the scientist side of me and developed my critical thinking.

Career-wise, I started at General Electric, where I was one of the first Chinese female engineers working on aircraft engines along with thousands of male engineers. Later, I made a career change to Avon and got into Beauty, to be closer to NYC where simultaneously pursing MBA. Completely different from hard-core engineering, the Beauty sector was fascinating, allowing me to design products from the ground up. It was a completely different environment too, primarily serving female customers, working with a lot of female scientists and engineers.

After Avon and my MBA, I switched and went to PwC as a Management Consultant in New York. In terms of diversity, I was still working in Consumer Products industry, which was mainly female driven, however within the historically male dominated consulting industry. Within this setting, I was able to carve out a niche for myself.

Are you noticing greater diversity in the consulting world?

Yes and no. Consulting is very demanding in terms of time commitment and pressure – the stakes are high, and decisions have consequences. Even junior consultants are making decisions that can impact thousands of people. To me, there is a “numbers” side to it and also a “soft” side, so having women in those positions is great because in addition to finance, we consider diversity, social responsibility, and the people side. When I was recruiting at PwC, I did see the balance shifting more towards women.

In terms of diversity what are the main differences you are seeing between working in the US and China?

When I came to China, I switched back entirely to the Beauty industry from Consulting, which is more female led anyway, but we have a different culture in China when it comes to opportunities or attaining success. In the West, you follow a certain path to get to a certain position especially in Consulting. Here in China, as long as there is passion and integrity and an innovative spirit to get things done, you can succeed in your own way, regardless of gender, age or background because there is more opportunity and starting social status.

Looking back at your career, can you pinpoint when you first noticed an emphasis on diversity?

Every company has emphasised diversity, but I think the difference I’ve noticed is that there is now more emphasis on the integration of diversity with the core strategy. Diversity isn’t an afterthought any more that is added onto strategy: it becomes the foundation of strategy. At Coty, our core values including diversity underpin the strategy and how we build our teams.

Were you actively looking to move back into Beauty from Strategy, or back to China?

Coty is unique – its acquisitional heritage means it is diverse by nature which intrigues me. Acquisitions bring a different set of consumers, employees, and culture, so at Coty diversity is a given. What interested me most is how to integrate culture into operations or strategy and how to manage such complexity into something unique yet powerful. When presented with the opportunity to lead innovation for Coty in Asia, I was thrilled to join.

You were away for a long time. Did you see the hiring culture for females change in that time?

I was away for 18 years and it absolutely changed. When I left, MNC’s were still new here. The more common approaches were working in government-owned enterprises: jobs were for life and the leadership was male dominated. Now, I see a lot of strong talents with impressive backgrounds among female executives. It took a long time to reach today’s point, where education, experience, and credentials for women improved a lot, while at the same time, more and more women are brave and take those senior executive positions in MNCs.

Have you had a mentor or role model you have worked with in your career?

I’ve had multiple. At the moment I have a Senior VP at Coty, Lise Jorgensen from whom I am learning so much. Lise is American, has worked across a couple of companies, and she used to run Unilever Innovation for Asia. We have been discussing the cultural differences to combine the best of both American and Chinese ways. In a nutshell, the straightforward American way of highlighting strengths and weaknesses doesn’t exactly work here: sometimes we have to be less assertive and more collaborative, taking more time and patience to deliver the message rather than being brutally honest.

Do you feel there is value in having a mentor?

Absolutely. It’s always good to know someone who knows the ropes and who you can bounce ideas off and get feedback before and after from. That is diversity at its core.

Throughout your career, would you say you have gravitated more towards female leaders or male leaders?

I think there is so much to learn from everyone. It’s not about gender, it’s more about individual styles and which person, regardless of gender, is more suitable at the moment in your career.

Is there anyone you have been inspired by, or you model your own style on?

Coty’s global Chief Scientific Officer, Daniel Ramos. He is young, energetic, fascinated about technology but absolutely a business person at heart. He wants to break all barriers and do things fast yet effectively. It’s the passion in everything he does that I find inspiring, which I always model my own style on.

Do you feel your gender has ever hindered your career growth?

No. It all depends on the person and what they’re capable of. I think this has been true for me everywhere, as an engineer in the male dominated world of GE Aviation, and definitely true in Beauty.

I think you’ve also worked for forward thinking businesses and sectors.

Yes, maybe I’m lucky that most of these business and sectors treat us as individuals rather than male or female. In the coaching I do, I stress that it’s easy sometimes to think that maybe I didn’t get something because of age discrimination or gender discrimination or education discrimination or whatever, but it’s not helpful. What we can do is try to align our values with the company values if they’re things we subscribe to and get a fair chance, especially in a forward-thinking environment.

What are the benefits of having diverse teams in diverse organisations?

Innovation. As ideas clash and thoughts cross, we get sparks and magic, especially in R&D. In my teams I have packaging people doing aesthetics, formula experts looking at texture, testing people looking at safety and benefits, and they all have different perspectives, but when they come together it works. If a formula works great, but isn’t in eye-catching packaging, no one will buy it, and vice versa. And when the diversity of this scientific community extends into other areas of the business and operations, it becomes exponentially more powerful. As leaders, it’s our job to put that setup together. No matter where the diversity comes from, it is always good, better than a single point of view or group thinking.

Have you ever seen any cases of where diversity didn’t work?

Rarely. If I had to name something, it might be in Consulting where there are huge decisions to be made, potentially life and death decisions, then experience is more important than diverse opinions. Even then, more perspectives and thoughts can also help.

Are there any initiatives that Coty are doing around diversity that you haven’t seen before?

We have a lot of diversity programmes, as you know. A unique thing I’m championing right now is we go into universities and recruit MBA students to get their perspective on some fundamental questions about R&D because of the diversity value. They don’t know R&D or Coty as deep as we do, but I value their perspectives because they bring outside views as consumers and business students. I have high hopes for this programme, bringing diverse people together on a topic.

Is there any advice you would give those graduates on how to realise their potential?

My advice is to take the opportunity of these programmes to see how busineses like Coty operate and how the corporate world operates, but secondly not to be tainted by it. Bring your fresh point of view without hesitation and let it play out.

What about advice to other leaders, who maybe haven’t had your background of cultures and companies, on how to create a diverse culture?

Try to be diverse yourself. It doesn’t have to involve changing jobs or industries or continents, but by talking to other people and keeping an open mind. As leaders it’s our job to create an environment for people to achieve their full potential even though we might not know what the immediate outcome might look like. Most Chemistry graduates wouldn’t end up in Beauty via Consulting like me, but I tried different things. And also remember that diversity is global – at Coty we have R&D collaborations with different international locations of different cultures and people, it’s at the heart of our culture, and allows us to consider different styles and sets of consumers, which is important.

I was away for 18 years and it absolutely changed. When I left, MNC’s were still new here. The more common approaches were working in government-owned enterprises: jobs were for life and the leadership was male dominated. Now, I see a lot of strong talents with impressive backgrounds among female executives. It took a long time to reach today’s point, where education, experience, and credentials for women improved a lot, while at the same time, more and more women are brave and take those senior executive positions in MNCs.

Have you had a mentor or role model you have worked with in your career?

I’ve had multiple. At the moment I have a Senior VP at Coty, Lise Jorgensen from whom I am learning so much. Lise is American, has worked across a couple of companies, and she used to run Unilever Innovation for Asia. We have been discussing the cultural differences to combine the best of both American and Chinese ways. In a nutshell, the straightforward American way of highlighting strengths and weaknesses doesn’t exactly work here: sometimes we have to be less assertive and more collaborative, taking more time and patience to deliver the message rather than being brutally honest.

Do you feel there is value in having a mentor?

Absolutely. It’s always good to know someone who knows the ropes and who you can bounce ideas off and get feedback before and after from. That is diversity at its core.

Throughout your career, would you say you have gravitated more towards female leaders or male leaders?

I think there is so much to learn from everyone. It’s not about gender, it’s more about individual styles and which person, regardless of gender, is more suitable at the moment in your career.

Is there anyone you have been inspired by, or you model your own style on?

Coty’s global Chief Scientific Officer, Daniel Ramos. He is young, energetic, fascinated about technology but absolutely a business person at heart. He wants to break all barriers and do things fast yet effectively. It’s the passion in everything he does that I find inspiring, which I always model my own style on.

Do you feel your gender has ever hindered your career growth?

No. It all depends on the person and what they’re capable of. I think this has been true for me everywhere, as an engineer in the male dominated world of GE Aviation, and definitely true in Beauty.

I think you’ve also worked for forward thinking businesses and sectors.

Yes, maybe I’m lucky that most of these business and sectors treat us as individuals rather than male or female. In the coaching I do, I stress that it’s easy sometimes to think that maybe I didn’t get something because of age discrimination or gender discrimination or education discrimination or whatever, but it’s not helpful. What we can do is try to align our values with the company values if they’re things we subscribe to and get a fair chance, especially in a forward-thinking environment.

What are the benefits of having diverse teams in diverse organisations?

Innovation. As ideas clash and thoughts cross, we get sparks and magic, especially in R&D. In my teams I have packaging people doing aesthetics, formula experts looking at texture, testing people looking at safety and benefits, and they all have different perspectives, but when they come together it works. If a formula works great, but isn’t in eye-catching packaging, no one will buy it, and vice versa. And when the diversity of this scientific community extends into other areas of the business and operations, it becomes exponentially more powerful. As leaders, it’s our job to put that setup together. No matter where the diversity comes from, it is always good, better than a single point of view or group thinking.

Have you ever seen any cases of where diversity didn’t work?

Rarely. If I had to name something, it might be in Consulting where there are huge decisions to be made, potentially life and death decisions, then experience is more important than diverse opinions. Even then, more perspectives and thoughts can also help.

Are there any initiatives that Coty are doing around diversity that you haven’t seen before?

We have a lot of diversity programmes, as you know. A unique thing I’m championing right now is we go into universities and recruit MBA students to get their perspective on some fundamental questions about R&D because of the diversity value. They don’t know R&D or Coty as deep as we do, but I value their perspectives because they bring outside views as consumers and business students. I have high hopes for this programme, bringing diverse people together on a topic.

Is there any advice you would give those graduates on how to realise their potential?

My advice is to take the opportunity of these programmes to see how busineses like Coty operate and how the corporate world operates, but secondly not to be tainted by it. Bring your fresh point of view without hesitation and let it play out.

What about advice to other leaders, who maybe haven’t had your background of cultures and companies, on how to create a diverse culture?

Try to be diverse yourself. It doesn’t have to involve changing jobs or industries or continents, but by talking to other people and keeping an open mind. As leaders it’s our job to create an environment for people to achieve their full potential even though we might not know what the immediate outcome might look like. Most Chemistry graduates wouldn’t end up in Beauty via Consulting like me, but I tried different things. And also remember that diversity is global – at Coty we have R&D collaborations with different international locations of different cultures and people, it’s at the heart of our culture, and allows us to consider different styles and sets of consumers, which is important.

Inspiring Business Women In Asia: Giuliana Auinger

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 07:05:00 GMT

Giuliana Auinger is a Partner at KPMG’s Global Strategy Group in China. In her role, Giuliana is responsible for developing and implementing better strategies for clients across the Retail, Consumer and Technology sectors.

What are your thoughts on diversity within the professional services industry?

I think in general it is improving, but there is always room for improvement, and varies depending on which part of the industry you are looking at. From a gender diversity perspective, it is highly correlated with the nature of work and lifestyle requirements, such as travelling and working hours.

What are your thoughts on diversity within the Strategy sector?

In my experience, we are definitely getting better. We can see gender conversations moving away from being a purely statistical problem in relation to career progression, to one that’s about behaviours and interpretations.

The conversation is shifting towards issues like “how one would interpret professional performance and behaviour”, openly asking questions as to whether we are being equal and considerate when a female behaves a certain way versus when a male behaves a certain way.

I don’t think people have had open and honest conversations with each other about what these interpretations mean, but this would be the next frontier, something that we can improve on.

What are some of the diversity and inclusion initiatives that KPMG is currently employing?

At KPMG we have many initiatives in place to promote an inclusive and open work environment, our teams are also working very hard to ensure we create awareness. We are very heavily involved in public women initiatives, and organisations like The Women’s Foundation, giving our colleagues a chance to get involved, to talk about gender issues, and to support and educate each other.

Internally, we have an inclusion and diversity awareness week, with a series of talks, fundraising events, dinners and lunches, among others. One of the reasons for having such a week is for people to be aware that inclusion & diversity is very important to our firm, and to allow the space and time for open conversations as to what kind of behaviour is acceptable and what is not. On top of that, we also organise CSR activities to further raise awareness among our employees.

Are those global initiatives or are they more regional?

Both, but as a localised business, a lot are specific to our business in China and in the region. We actually have an entire team dedicated to inclusion & diversity, which helps arrange and coordinate the different initiatives, but everyone in the firm gets involved.

Do you think diversity helps with retention?

I believe it does. Especially with our diversity & inclusion initiatives and CSR activities, it helps us build the culture we want and position ourselves as the clear choice for our people and the public. At the end of the day, it helps with retaining people who care about what we do and our society at large.

What do you think are the benefits of having a diverse team and organisation?

Having a diverse team means having people with different perspectives, which is important in professional services and people businesses, because our experience and advice is only as good as a collective. We wouldn’t want a single-minded team, giving “cookie cutter” advice to our clients. Therefore, with diversity, not just in terms of gender, but age, ethnicity, etc., we can bring something more to the table; we bring different perspectives to our clients as well as the market.

What are your thoughts on the glass ceiling, and how can people navigate that?

Within KPMG, I don’t see there being a glass ceiling. I have seen high performing females promoted based on merits and take on senior leadership roles. And as a female in KPMG, I don’t think my career has to stop at a certain place, the sky is the limit.

In a more general sense, it all depends on the industry and the culture of the company. In order to navigate around it, I think it is best done by changing the way you think about it. Glass ceiling to me is a mindset, if you think there is one, there will be, so start thinking without it.

Did you have any mentors in your career, and what do you think about the notion of mentoring?

To me, mentors aren’t always necessarily ones that have been officially assigned to coach me, but people who’ve gone out of their way to help me become who I am today. I have been very fortunate to have had a few of those throughout my career.

One of those people would be Stephen, the UK Managing Partner of Diamond Management & Technology Consultants (subsequently acquired by PwC), where I began my career. I didn’t get to work with him much in the beginning, but I’ve always found him admirable, he was able to create the kind of atmosphere where people would go above and beyond their day job to make the firm work, even during tough times like the global financial crisis. He later invited me to help build a new client sector with him, and over time, he became a life-long mentor to me.

I believe mentor relationships cannot be forced, a lot of it is faith, and the rest is mutual respect. Just like how Stephen saw something in me and invested the time to help me learn, I also appreciated the mentorship from him and constantly improved myself to get me to where I am now. I personally also try to take the “Stephen approach”, to go beyond what is assigned; if you are interested to learn, I would always be there to help.

Any advice you would give to companies to be more inclusive to their female employees?

One of the things companies can do would be to try and cater to the different life stages, things like job sharing, flexible working hours, and the option to work from home. In terms of how we think about the workplace, I believe Hong Kong is not quite advanced at times. Culturally we are less used to having these kinds of conversations, and even less when we consider some of the traditional industries. This is something that we can definitely work on, for companies to try and understand what they can do more for their female employees.

Any advice you would give for leaders who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture?

Stop thinking that your way is always the right way; and have an open mind to everything.

Lastly, any advice to females coming into the professional workforce, particularly professional services?

Don’t limit yourself, if you believe you can achieve something, you will. It really just comes down to your own mentality and attitude, remain positive and you’ll ultimately get a positive outcome.

Inspiring Business Women in Asia: Shamina Chandran

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 07:06:00 GMT

Shamina Chandran is the Chief Financial Officer for COTY Southeast Asia’s Luxury Division and Lead CFO for the cluster. She is responsible for the statutory, tax and overall compliance for all legal entities in the region, while being a strategic partner to the General Manager as COTY establishes itself as a challenger in the beauty industry.

Shamina has over 17 years' experience in FMCG where she has led and transformed finance teams to provide both strategic and operational support, in dynamic and fast paced environments. She is passionate about driving positive change for both the P&L and talent.

Tell us about how you got into accounting and your journey from Singapore to Australia and back again (via Thailand.)

I was born and grew up in Singapore and moved to Australia for my tertiary education. Post graduating, I started working in Australia and spent most of my career there. I didn’t have a specific path I wanted to go down, Accounting & Finance seemed quite broad, so I did that. I soon realised the impact that strong leadership and mentorship had, and certain people inspired me. Then an opportunity came up to lead a finance function in Thailand for Diageo, which was a priceless experience I couldn’t turn down. It was scary and unfamiliar to start a new role whilst at the same time living in a new country, but amazing going from a developed market like Australia to an emerging market.

There must have been so many differences working in Thailand compared to the Australian experience.

There’s a lot more volatility, a lot more political and regulatory changes, a lot more VUCA [volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity]. I had to anticipate more, plan for contingencies more, and be more linked in to the external environment to stay ahead of the curve. Having grown up in Singapore, I thought culturally it would be easy, but every country in Asia is very different! It taught me to be a lot more self-aware, to be able to flex my style, and to be more perceptive.

You managed quite a diverse team back in Australia but a local team in Thailand. How did it affect your management style?

It was diverse in the sense of nationalities, but everyone had very similar styles. It was more of a direct and open style, whereas in Thailand it was more considered, and you have to listen more. It taught me to be more aware of people and adapt accordingly in order to motivate people differently; a more collaborative approach rather than an empowering approach was needed. The sense of family also extends to the workplace there, so your colleagues become extended family, which is important to understand.

And how did you get to Singapore from there?

It was an opportunity I took again. I’d always worked in very vertical markets and the opportunity in Singapore was to manage multiple markets both emerging and developed within Southeast Asia, looking after established businesses and setting up new businesses, which was very exciting. The team was very mixed and diverse.

Do you think that diversity has ever hindered you or blocked any personal progression?

I believe no, because I don’t let myself think that way. I approach all opportunities from a perspective of merit. Sometimes, when we put self-limiting beliefs in our head, it can present itself as lack of confidence and you end up not going for opportunities. Because I don’t think that way, I don’t think of myself as a different gender or ethnicity, but more a person who is going to go for opportunities, and I’ve also always had the support of both male and female leaders in helping me pursue my progression.

It has been mentioned that sometimes women won’t go for a job if they don’t think they are quite ready, whereas men will whether they are right for it or not. Is that fair?

I think it can be true, but it comes back to limitations in your own head. If you have a self-limiting belief, then you’re naturally going to present yourself that way. It’s really helped me having strong, inspirational female leaders around, that I don’t even think about limitations. They’ve inspired me to think I can do amazing things too.

Both Coty and Diageo are known for being forward thinking and having female leaders and people of different ethnicity in senior roles. Do you think that permeates down?

What is great about Coty is that it goes beyond gender diversity to be broader - diversity and inclusion, regardless of gender, ethnicity, race, age, even style. Many organisations tend to hire people in their own likeness, a fixed style, and I think that’s an important factor in the strength of Coty that we are so diverse.

Why is it important for a consumer-focused business to be diverse?

Internally, employees will be a lot more engaged if their values and perspectives are appreciated and listened to, which in turn attracts talent externally. From an external perspective, the customer/client base is diverse, so if you live and breathe diversity and inclusion, that will put you in a better place to serve them. And thirdly, for the stakeholders and partners you work with, people are more aware now, and actively want to work with companies that are diverse and inclusive, so you’re going to have better business partners.

What is your advice to leaders who want to grow a more diverse and inclusive culture?

I think becoming diverse is slightly easier than becoming inclusive. You can plan for being diverse through external recruitment or internal promotions. Becoming inclusive is key and it’s where leaders should put their focus, by listening to people and being more open and perceptive, and encouraging people to be their full selves.

Have you experienced any bias at all in the type of job or leader you’ve joined? And if so, what sort of leader are they?

The leaders you work with always change over time and while you may be attracted to the leader you interview with or join to work with, I try to understand an organisation’s culture instead. I’ve been fortunate to work for organisations with brilliant cultures and that is the main thing you’re going to experience. Cultures that embrace diversity; that invest and commit in people; and how people collaborate there, all add up to an overall culture. That said, I have had very inspirational leaders in my career, most notable one early on who helped me see that I could achieve things and go for opportunities I did not even consider and the other helped me achieve a much bigger leadership impact by breaking through my own internal limitations. In more recent years a female manager now one of my mentors uses a phrase that has resonated and stuck about being “fearlessly expressed”.

What kind of leader are you? What’s your style of leadership?

I’d like to think that my leadership style is one of empowerment. My purpose centres on growth. Growth in myself, growth in my teams and growth in company performance. I really value my teams, my peers and what they bring to the table in terms of values, perspectives and styles. By empowering people, you are creating an environment for them to succeed or fail in a safe environment. I like to help people see what they sometimes don’t see in themselves, to help them unlock something to achieve their highest potential and reach their own personal goals whatever they might be.

As a CFO, you are under pressure to make key business decisions. Is your collaborative style sometimes at odds with the decision-making process for a CFO?

The collaborative style helps your business partner. No leader can achieve goals on their own, it’s a team thing, so I don’t think it’s a hindrance, but it helps understand all the different perspectives and ultimately helps the decision making.

As you’ve become more senior, is it easier or harder to balance your time?

I’ve come to realise that nothing is going to be perfectly balanced. The concept of work/life balance means different things to different people. For some it’s having a clear delineation between work and home. I, however, am very inspired by work and it makes me more fulfilled, which in turn makes me better outside of work. What I’ve learnt to do is work more flexibly, so that I can prioritise what I need to at any point. With seniority I have a lot more autonomy, which makes it easier to do, but it also comes with a lot more responsibility and accountability. I’m very conscious that it means something different to other people, so I’m always respectful of what my team need to achieve their own work/life balance and therefore be engaged and happy.

When you think about diversity; do you think Australia is ahead of the curve in terms of diversity of leadership?

It’s hard to make a direct comparison because I think diversity and inclusion are very different in different environments and organisations. It’s a very broad area, not just about gender or ethnicity and it presents itself very strongly in both Australia and Asia. Within that, every Asian country has its own culture, so diversity and inclusion are maybe on a bigger scale in Asia. In this era of globalisation, you’re bringing together many cultures and expat nationalities here, and it’s about bringing those together, which isn’t as prevalent in Australia.

What would be the next step for you in your career?

My whole career has been around sets of experiences. I haven’t identified any single path. I’m keen on either the traditional listed CFO route or moving into business down the GM path. I focus on breadth in experience, breadth in industry or working in different functional areas. I’m currently partnering with GM’s and driving business strategy, which I’m enjoying.

Do you have any advice for women on how to progress their career?

Remove all self-limiting beliefs you have - you are the master of your own destiny. Secondly, surround yourself with strong mentors and leaders, male or female, internally to your organisation and externally. A support structure like that is very important. Lastly, don’t hold back. You don’t need to conform or be anything other than your authentic self; there is nothing to fear and you should own your seat at the table and express yourself.

When you arrive at a new organisation, how do you go about building the senior networks you need?

Reach out to everyone and find out who they are and what they do and grow your immediate network around you to help you overcome obstacles or seek advice. Then build your network of mentors and leaders over time, through peers, managers, and regional team members. When you uncover a rapport with someone, then you need to drive that relationship and make time with him or her to get the most from it.

Finally, can you tell me about Coty’s Women In Leadership program?

56% of Coty’s workforce is female, 49% of managers are female and leadership positions are 40% women. The main driver behind Women In Leadership is Coty’s mission toCelebrate And Liberate Beauty,which is hugely impactful. We are working on developing diverse and inclusive leaders to strengthen equality of opportunity in the most senior levels of our business. The second element is our social action program We Stand For You, which has a mission to tackle prejudice and discrimination that stops people from being able to express their true selves.

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Hayley Still appointed CEO of Hydrogen Group

Hydrogen Group, the £100 million turnover specialist recruitment business with offices worldwide, announces today that Hayley Still has been appointed as CEO to lead its business globally.

For additional information, please contact:

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The modern workplace is transforming. It’s driving more innovation and resilience and is more committed to creating inspiring work environments than ever before.

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Delyth Hughes, Head of Comms
delythhughes@hydrogengroup.com
+44 (0)20 7002 0044

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