HRD Awards Asia 2020 Commemorative Guide by Key Media

ASIA

COMMEMORATIVE GUIDE

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Despite the challenging climate of 2020, HRD is proud to have been the voice of a community that has continued to thrive, innovate and showcase its dedication to keeping the workplace running smoothly. We’re more determined than ever to keep the HR sector connected and informed into 2021 and beyond – which is why we’ve lined up an unmissable series of virtual HRD events covering the topics that matter to you. Be sure to join us at:

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A WORD FROM KEY MEDIA THANK YOU to everyone who took part in the inaugural HRD Awards Asia. After a difficult year that tested the resilience of many industries, these awards offer a true snapshot of the best and brightest in HR and those who have stepped up and put their people first at a time when it mattered most. This year, 18 prestigious categories celebrated and recognised excellence in

TABLE OF CONTENTS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS HR Director of the Year

HR Manager of the Year

HR Rising Star of the Year

COMPANY AND TEAM AWARDS HR Team of the Year (≤ 1000 Employees)

HR Team of the Year (> 1000 Employees)

Employer of Choice (1 - 99 Employees)

Employer of Choice (100 - 999 Employees)

Employer of Choice (> 1000 Employees)

Best Graduate Development Program

Best Health & Wellbeing Program

Best Leadership Development Program

Best Learning & Development Program

Best Recruitment Campaign

Managing Director, APAC

Best Reward & Recognition Program

Key Media

Best Use of Technology

Best Workplace Diversity & Inclusion Program

Best Workplace Flexibility Program

the HR profession, focusing on the achievements of the best HR professionals, teams and employers. It was wonderful to see such strong industry support for these inaugural awards and we would like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination and acknowledge our esteemed panel of judges for lending their time and expertise to the endeavour. The HRD Awards Asia is brought to you by Key Media, the organisers of the 17 th annual Australian HR Awards and the 7th annual Canadian HR Awards and publishers of the leading global HR news source HRD. We are proud to continue our tradition of celebrating HR excellence in Asia and would like to congratulate all of this year’s winners. We look forward to bringing the HR profession another successful Awards in 2021.

Justin Kennedy

ASIA

CHAMPIONING

ASIA’S BEST EMPLOYERS

ASIA

The first-ever HRD Awards Asia celebrated the region’s best employers, HR teams and individuals after an unforgettable 12 months. THE HRD AWARDS ASIA began in August, when nominations opened and HR professionals were called to send in submissions. Over the following few weeks, the HRD team was inundated with stories of courage, leadership and compassion from HR teams across Singapore, Hong Kong and the rest of Asia. It was heartening to see how so many members of the HR profession rose to the challenges presented by COVID.

The winners were carefully selected by a panel of 16 expert judges, including the global and regional heads of HR from organisations like Unilever, Mastercard, Intel, Shell, Unilever, HSBC and Microsoft. Winners and excellence awardees were announced on 21 October 2020 on the HRD Asia website. Why are the awards so special? The HRD Awards Asia are the leading independent awards event

“This year highlighted the importance of the HR profession to organisations – and a powerful reminder to recognise the role of HR as custodians of culture and carers of our organisations” SHARIF KHAN General Manager HR, Asia, Microsoft

for the HR profession in Asia, recognising the best employers, HR programs and HR professionals around the region. After such an unbelievable year, the awards were especially wellearned, particularly for HR professionals, many of whom spent the majority the year caring for their workforces during COVID. “As HR professionals we spent 99.9% of our time supporting others, it is incredibly important we take time out to recognise and celebrate our own personal and functional achievements and contributions,” said awards judge Helen Snowball, Chief HR Officer, Asia Pacific, JLL. Recognising the HR heroes of 2020 2020 was a particularly poignant time to recognise HR professionals. Let’s take a look back on the year that changed the world. Singapore and Hong Kong’s early detection and quick responses to COVID-19 saw the world looking to

employers in Asia for guidance on how to handle the crisis. Fast and decisive action from HR teams around the region helped to contain the virus in its early stages, serving as an example to HR teams and employers globally. Drawing on lessons learned from SARS, HR teams in Hong Kong reverted to mask-wearing, temperature-taking and social distancing protocols at work to keep their workforces safe. While physical safety was paramount, HR teams also invested time in looking after their employees’ mental health and wellbeing, driving HR programs to keep employees motivated and engaged. In a story that will be familiar to many HR professionals, the HR team at tech giant Intel were faced with the challenge of ensuring the health and wellbeing of more than 36,000 employees and contingent workers while maintaining smooth operations across Intel’s more than 30 locations. Like HR teams across Asia, the

“As HR professionals we spent 99.9% of our time supporting others, it is incredibly important we take time out to recognise and celebrate our own personal and functional achievements”

METHODOLOGY PROCESS HRD Asia issued an open call for nominations to the title’s regionwide readership of 20,000+ HR professionals Prospective nominees sent in submissions online – we received hundreds of nominations After a lengthy vetting process, the shortlisted candidates were invited to send additional information so that our judges had all the information they needed Winners and Excellence Award recipients for the 18 categories were announced on 21 October 2020 Each award had its own judges. Our 16 judges cast their vote to decide on the winners

CATEGORIES The HRD Awards Asia featured 18 individual and company categories, recognising employers, teams and leaders from small to large businesses

HELEN SNOWBALL Chief HR Officer, Asia Pacific, JLL

ASIA

Intel team were on the frontline, ensuring employees and their families were safe, tracking ever-evolving Government policies and working closely with the business on continuity measures. In recognition of their efforts, Intel’s Greater Asia Region team won the HR Team of the Year (> 1000 Employees) award. “This was an exceptional and special year to be a winner,” said awards judge Matthew Kimball, vice president of human resources, Shell. “HR has never been more important in creating value in the business and importantly supporting employees, leaders and the whole organisation during unprecedented times,” he said. Looking into the future Beyond the crisis, the pandemic is looking likely to have long-lasting implications on HR and the world of work. Sharif Khan, general manager HR, Asia, Microsoft, who judged the awards, said that HR in 2020 has changed the way we think about work. He described the pandemic as “shifting the definition of ‘work’ as a

thing to do rather than a place to go to”. Many of the nominations reflected the admirable way that HR teams around the region have quickly adapted to work from home and remote work, with online onboarding, online recruitment and virtual technology solutions featuring heavily in the nominations. Shining the light on excellence in HR The calibre of nominees in the first year of the HRD Awards Asia was very high, with judges noting the exceptional quality of submissions. Awards judge Philippa “Pip” Penfold, CEO & co-founder of People Collider, said that the winners really pushed the boundaries of HR excellence. “The quality of all finalists, seen through the projects, strategies and initiatives they outlined in their submissions, was very high,” she said. Judge Helen Snowball, chief HR officer of JLL also commented on the calibre of finalists. “We are lucky to have such talented HR professionals across Asia,” she said.

Winning an HRD Award Asia is the pinnacle of achievement for HR professionals around the region. Major themes: diversity, flexibility and employee experience Some big themes of the winning nominations revolved around approaches to flexible workplace, diversity & inclusion, employee experience and technology. Unsurprisingly, in a year where most workforces dramatically transitioned to working from home, flexibility was a key theme. Winning multiple categories including Best Workplace Flexibility P r o g r a m , H e w l e t t Pa c k a r d Enterprise (HPE) lead the way in terms of flexibility. HPE won the award for their “Work that Fits Your Life Program” that is tailored to meet the needs of diverse employees. Their program featured parental transition support, retirement transition support, wellness Fridays and generous paid parental leave schemes. Diversity and inclusion also featured heavily in the successful nominations. Winner of the Employer of Choice (> 1000 employees) category, the HR team at Lenovo Asia Pacific was recognised for its efforts in cultivating a culture that advances diversity across its workforce. Their inclusion activities included WILL (Women in Lenovo Leadership) events, networking and even a Wonder Woman Series, showcasing female leaders at Lenovo. Another big theme of 2020 was technology. The COVID pandemic presented an opportunity for companies to leverage technology to rethink the employee experience. With employees working virtually from home, the Standard Chartered

HR team designed a personalised and instinctive experience whereby employees could quickly find answers to queries and access HR products and services online, as well as seek help from expert advisors via an online chatbot. Standard Chartered won the Best Use of Technology award for their HR technology program. Inspiration to strive for greatness The stories of courage and leadership from the HRD Awards Asia winners provide inspiration for aspiring HR leaders across Asia. “These HR awards will certainly encourage and motivate every HR practitioner to strive towards ‘Center of Excellence’ and continue to share the wisdom nuggets with business and HR leaders locally and internationally,” said awards judge Sharon Seet, regional HR director, APAC, World Courier. Fellow judge Dr Jaclyn Lee, chief

HR officer, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) echoed Seet’s sentiments. “Awards such as these helps to uphold the standards of the HR profession. Most of the organisations we have reviewed have excellent people practices and sets the bar for others to follow,” said Lee. Sharif Khan from Microsoft said that he “loved” judging the awards. “I found all of [the nominations] very inspiring not only for the impact they have led in their respective organisations, but for the intention to drive positive change to their employees,” he said. Key Media and HRD are honoured to present the inaugural HRD Awards Asia, highlighting the best in class in such an inspiring profession. You can discover more on our finalists and winners in the next few pages. Congratulations to this year’s nominees and winners – you are an inspiration to the HR profession. 7

ASIA

HR DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR • Recognises the HR leader who has demonstrated excellence at the executive level over the past 12 months • Eligible finalists will be senior level leaders who report to the CEO and manage an HR team that looks after 1,000+ employees • Judged on leadership, communication, strategy, drive and results

GOLD WINNER

GOLD WINNER DUNDY DENG Wharf Hotels Management

DUNDY DENG Wharf Hotels Management

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Brian Fischer, Intel Rajesh Hurkat, Mattel Inc Neha Pareek, IBM James Sun, Quincus

THE AREA director of human resources for Greater China at Niccolo Chengdu, operated by Hong Kong-based heritage hotel management company, Wharf Hotels, Deng oversees HR in all 10 Niccolo Hotels and Marco Polo Hotels, working strategically with senior executives and general managers and their teams to hire and develop the best talent. Deng epitomises what the HR Director of the Year should be – passionate, brilliant, and driven to achieve excellence in everything he pursues. This problem solver and people developer doesn’t just hire the best, but the best fit. Focused on nurturing a culture of learning and se l f- i m p rove m e n t , h e p rov i d es t h e organization’s relatively young workforce with effective coaching, guidance, and

development, conducting regular feedback sessions and performance reviews so they can reach their full potential and take on greater responsibility. As Niccolo culture leader, Deng fosters a people-oriented and high-performing culture. He sets the stage to instil the company culture into all new HR leaders, elevates the executive committee team’s understanding of the brand and company directives, and shares his expertise to the company’s HR practitioners. During the COVID-19 crisis, Deng has helped the company maintain a business mindset and unite the team, and has played an instrumental role in the success of Niccolo Chengdu and supporting employee and maintaining employee morale.

“Winners pushed the boundaries and have moved the HR profession forward with their advanced ideas and practices.”

PHILIPPA “PIP” PENFOLD CEO & Co-Founder, People Collider

HR MANAGER OF THE YEAR • Recognises the individual who has demonstrated excellence at the management level over the past 12 months • Eligible finalists will be mid-level leaders who look after up to 1,000 employees

HR RISING STAR OF THE YEAR • Recognises the individual who has demonstrated excellence in their first 5 years of work in an HR role • Judged on leadership, communication, strategy, drive and results

• Judged on leadership, communication, strategy, drive and results

GOLD WINNER

TINA MAHTANI

VANESSA CHU

Quincus

Wharf Hotels Management

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Ratnanjali Arora, PwC

Atish Bhattacharya, Greenlam Industries

Soumya Roy Choudhury, PwC

Bishnu Bista, Bottlers Nepal

Swee Lin Kee, Intel

Tracy Tan, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Kanchana Thakur, Pepsico International

ASIA

HR TEAM OF THE YEAR (<1000 EMPLOYEES)

• Recognises the HR team in an organisation with up to 1000 employees in Asia that has demonstrated excellence over the past 12 months • Judged on overall team performance including leadership, communication, strategy, drive and results

GOLD WINNER

GOLD WINNER BEAM SUNTORY

BEAM SUNTORY

EXCELLENCE AWARDS Bottlers Nepal - Human Resources Team Moet Hennessy - South East Asia HR Team Pure International TBWA Singapore HR Team

INSPIRED BY a “Yatte Minahare” spirit of dreaming big, Beam Suntory’s HR APAC GTR (global travel retail) team works as a strategic partner focused on the critical areas of HR capability, data analytics, and talent management, to help the company achieve its goal of becoming the fastest growing and most admired premium spirits company within the industry. The 12-person HR team’s role as a strategic partner in the business is evident across their processes, particularly when it comes to strategic workforce planning. They have in place clear HR plans, based on market growth, brand priorities, and financial risks and opportunities, for all the company’s markets. These plans include clear descriptions of the talent moves,

structure, culture, D&I, and capability required to sustain the company’s vision. Over the past 12 months, the team has made interim adjustments to their strategic planning in order to respond to the challenges of COVID-19. This has enabled the business to adapt rapidly to keep expanding in areas of growth and redeploy staff. The HR team also led the engagement plan as part of the company’s people strategy/ business continuity planning during the health crisis, with a focus on communication, performance enablement, mental health and wellbeing, and functional/personal/career growth. Another major initiative of the team has been to lead the overhaul and rollout of flexible work arrangements across Asia.

“This was an exceptional and special year to be a winner. A year where HR has never been more important in creating value in the business and importantly supporting employees, leaders and the whole organisation during unprecedented times.”

MATTHEW KIMBALL Vice President, Human Resources, Shell

HR TEAM OF THE YEAR

(>1000 EMPLOYEES) • Recognises the HR team in an organisation with over 1000 employees in Asia that has demonstrated excellence over the past 12 months • Judged on overall team performance including leadership, communication, strategy, drive and results

GOLD WINNER

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

(1-99 EMPLOYEES)

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

(100-999 EMPLOYEES)

• Recognises the best organisation to work for in Asia with fewer than 100 employees

• Recognises the best organisation work for in Asia with 100-999 employees

• Judged on leadership, engagement, communication and employee benefits

GOLD WINNER

INTEL - GREATER ASIA REGION HR

GOLD WINNER

PSB TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, INC

VODAFONE

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

EXCELLENCE AWARD

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Aviva

Quincus

ARA Asset Management

Marina Bay Sands HR Team

Beam Suntory Asia

Marsh Asia Human Resources Team

Clairvoyant India

Vodafone

Randstad

ASIA

EMPLOYER OF CHOICE (> 1000 EMPLOYEES)

• Recognises the best organisation work for in Asia with 1000 or more employees • Judged on leadership, engagement, communication and employee benefits

GOLD WINNER

GOLD WINNER LENOVO ASIA PACIFIC

LENOVO ASIA PACIFIC

that is inherently inclusive – “Smarter Technology for All”. We are proud to be cultivating a corporate culture that is dedicated to its people, customers, and suppliers by building trust, teamwork and a sense of entrepreneurship. We take pride knowing we do what we say, we do what we do and most of all, we continue to wow and inspire our customers and employees through innovative technologies and services.

EXCELLENCE AWARDS Aviva Marina Bay Sands Societe Generale

“These HR awards will certainly encourage and motivate every HR practitioner to strive towards ‘Center of Excellence’ and continue to share wisdom nuggets with Business and HR Leaders locally and internationally”

SHARON SEET Regional HR Director, APAC World Courier – an AmerisourceBergen Company

BEST GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM • Recognises excellence and innovation in graduate development programs and initiatives in any organisation in Asia • Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

BEST HEALTH AND WELLBEING PROGRAM • Recognises excellence and innovation in workplace health and wellbeing programs and initiatives • Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

MARSH ASIA HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM

BEST LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM • Recognises excellence and innovation in leadership development programs and initiatives • Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

ARA ASSET MANAGEMENT

PT BADAK NGL (BADAK LNG)

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Bloomberg LP

ECOS India Mobility & Hospitality - Saksham Program - Our Road to Success!

Lenovo Central Asia Pacific Metro Pacific Investments Corp. Vodafone

Volvo Group - Exploration for Emerging Leaders Wharf Hotels Management

ASIA

BEST LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM • Recognises excellence and innovation in training and development programs and initiatives

• Recognises excellence and innovation in recruitment and employer branding campaigns and initiatives

• Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

AVIVA

GOLD WINNER

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

EXCELLENCE AWARD

ECOS India Mobility & Hospitality - Chauffeur Training & Engagement Program

Beam Suntory

Lenovo Asia Pacific Societe Generale Wharf Hotels Management

BEST RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN

BEST REWARD & RECOGNITION PROGRAM • Recognises excellence and innovation in employee reward and recognition programs and initiatives • Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

GOLD WINNER LENOVO ASIA PACIFIC

LENOVO - AP REWARDS PROGRAM

EXCELLENCE AWARD ECOS India Mobility & Hospitality Rewards & Recognition Program

LENOVO, the world’s leading PC company, is focused on delivering smarter technology for all by developing innovative technology solutions that create and promote a more inclusive, trustworthy and sustainable digital society. By designing, engineering and building a portfolio of smart devices and infrastructure, Lenovo leads in Intelligent Transformation and aims to enable better experiences and opportunities for customers. Lenovo is driven by a vision that is inherently inclusive – “Smarter Technology for All”. We are proud to be cultivating a corporate culture that is dedicated to its people, customers, and suppliers by building trust, teamwork and a sense of entrepreneurship. We take pride knowing we do what we say, we do what we do and most of all, we continue to wow and inspire our customers and employees through innovative technologies and services.

ASIA

BEST USE OF TECHNOLOGY • Recognises excellence and innovation in the use of human capital technology by an in-house HR team (please note HR technology providers are not eligible to enter their own products) • Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

GOLD WINNER STANDARD CHARTERED BANK

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK

EXCELLENCE AWARDS Metro Pacific Investment Corp. - S.A.G.I.P. Self Assessment on General Health Information Program

STANDARD CHARTERED PLC is a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London, England with more than 150 years of history in some of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. We’re listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges. We make the most of our deep root in rapidly developing Asian, African and Middle Eastern local markets to seek out opportunities at every run. Placing a

particular focus on supporting customers who trade, operate or invest across our footprint. As the economies in our core markets grow, so does the need for sophisticated financial service. Wherever we operate, we aim to support sustainable economic and social development. We’re committed to promoting equality in the workplace and creating an inclusive and flexible culture – one where everyone can realised their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. This in turn helps us to provide better support to our broad client base.

PT Badak NGL (Badak LNG) Kemira Chemicals Indonesia Randstad

“Most of the organisations we have reviewed have excellent people practices and set the bar for others to follow!”

DR JACLYN LEE Chief HR Officer, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

BEST WORKPLACE DIVERSITY & INCLUSION PROGRAM

BEST WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY PROGRAM

• Recognises excellence and innovation in diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives

• Recognises excellence and innovation in workplace flexibility programs and initiatives

• Judged on consultation, strategy, implementation and results

GOLD WINNER

BEAM SUNTORY ASIA

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE

EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Aviva

Avon Cosmetics, Inc.

Intel Greater Asia Region HR

Marsh Asia Human Resources Team

Lenovo - AP WILL Program

Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

Vodafone

ASIA

2020 JUDGES

Thank you to our esteemed judges for lending their time and expertise to help recognise and celebrate excellence in the HR profession

AMANDA GERVAY

DREW FERNANDEZ

SHARON SEET

Mastercard Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Asia Pacific

Coca-Cola Global Chief People Officer, Bottling Investments Group

World Courier – an AmerisourceBergen Company Regional HR Director, APAC

BRANDON LEW

HELEN SNOWBALL

STEVEN YONG

T-Systems Singapore Vice President Human Resources -IHRP SP

JLL Chief HR Officer, Asia Pacific

HSBC Chief Administration Officer, Human Resources, Asia-Pacific

BRIAN FISCHER

MATTHEW KIMBALL

SUBHANKAR ROY CHOWDHURY

Intel Vice President HR - Greater Asia Region (GAR)

Shell Vice President, Human Resources

Lenovo Asia Pacific Executive Director – HR

CHARLOTTE STEWART

PHILIPPA “PIP” PENFOLD

SUSAN CHEN

Expedia Group HR Director, Asia Pacific

People Collider CEO & Co-Founder

Go-Jek Group Senior Vice President – Head of Organizational Development & Transformation

DR JACLYN LEE

SHARIF KHAN

TAMARA HASSAN

Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) Chief HR Officer

Microsoft Asia General Manager HR, Asia

Mars Incorporated Regional HR Director, Mars Wrigley Asia

TRANG TAM NGUYEN Unilever Asia Global Head of Human Resources

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HRD Awards Asia 2020 Commemorative Guide

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HR Team of the Year (≤ 1000 Employees

Best Use of Technology