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A last-minute deal kept 48,000 Samsung workers on the floor on 21 May. Four days later, the union is fracturing over who got what, and HR leaders across the region are watching a new lesson unfold in real time. | Written by Riya Malhotra There's a particular kind of silence that descends on a workplace when trust has finally run out. Last week, Samsung was hours away from that silence breaking, loudly, across 48,000 workers and 18 days of stopped production. It didn't break. Not in the way we expected. In an 11th-hour move on Wednesday, 20 May, Samsung Electronics management and its labour union reached a tentative wage agreement just before the planned walkout, suspending the general strike planned for May 21 to June 7 and putting the deal to an internal vote. JPMorgan had estimated potential losses between $14 and $20 billion in operating profits if the strike went ahead. On paper, this looks like a win. It isn't. Because what the deal averted in production losses, it has revealed in something far harder to repair: a fault line running straight through Samsung's workforce. The Win That Created a New Fracture Workers began voting on the agreement on Friday, 22 May. The structure of the deal tells you everything about why a victory celebration didn't follow. Workers in the memory chip division stand to receive bonuses of around $416,000 this year. Those in the foundry and logic chip units will receive smaller but still substantial payouts, while staff in smartphones and home appliances will get considerably less. The AI boom has made some divisions of Samsung extraordinarily profitable. The deal rewards those workers handsomely. But Samsung is one company, one brand, one employer, and a smartphone assembly worker and a memory chip engineer share more than a payslip header. They share a daily belief about whether their employer sees them. That belief is now in question. At a press conference on Friday, the National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) publicly criticised the agreement, calling it a rushed outcome that had reduced bargaining to a single division's bonus. A second union, the Samsung Electronics Co Union (SECU), had walked out of the negotiating team before the deal was finalised. This is what happens when a negotiation closes the immediate crisis without resolving the underlying question. The strike has been averted. The grievance has not. The Myth of the "Clean Resolution" There's a comfortable corporate instinct after a near-miss like this: log it as a save, move on, brief the board on the avoided downside. That instinct is exactly where the next crisis quietly germinates. The Samsung deal teaches a harder truth that HR leaders should sit with this week: a settlement is not the same as alignment. When the cost of "yes" is unequal treatment among employees who consider themselves peers, you haven't closed a chapter, you've written the opening line of the next one. Employees who feel left out of the spoils rarely make noise immediately. They go quiet. They stop volunteering. They start interviewing. And six months later, retention dashboards turn red and nobody can quite trace why. What This Means for HR Leaders in the UAE, KSA, Singapore, Malaysia, and Beyond For HR teams across our region, where AI is similarly reshaping which roles are critical, which are commoditised, and which are being quietly rewritten, Samsung's updated story carries three questions worth holding up to your own organisation today: 1. When AI lifts some roles and threatens others, how is your reward philosophy keeping pace? Samsung's memory chip workers are being rewarded for sitting at an AI chokepoint. That is rational economics. But every appliance and smartphone worker in the same company sees the same headlines. The question for HR isn't whether to reward critical talent, it's whether your communication explains the why in a way the rest of the workforce can live with. 2. Are your "wins" structured to unite or to divide? Settlement-by-segment is tempting because it's faster. It's also corrosive. A deal that solves Tuesday's negotiation by creating Thursday's resentment isn't a deal. It's a deferral. 3. After a near-miss, are you debriefing, or just exhaling? The most dangerous moment in any HR crisis isn't the crisis itself. It's the week after. The week where everyone wants to feel relieved and nobody wants to reopen the conversation about how it got that close in the first place. The Real Lesson, Updated Last week, we wrote that Samsung's looming strike was a leadership story, not a labour story. This week, it's still a leadership story, just a different one. Samsung didn't fail to avert a strike. It succeeded at that. What it has yet to demonstrate is whether it can avert the slower, quieter erosion that follows when one part of a workforce is told, in effect: you matter more right now. Trust isn't measured in the moment a strike is called off. It's measured in what employees believe about their employer six months later, when the cameras are gone and the bonuses have landed and only the workforce remembers who got what. The conversation Samsung avoided last week became the crisis it managed this week. The conversation it's avoiding now will be the story we're writing about in November. The question for every HR leader watching from Dubai, Riyadh, Singapore, or Kuala Lumpur is the same as it was last week, but sharper: Your employees aren't asking whether you can close a deal. They're asking whether the deal you close treats them like they belong to the same company. Sources: The HR Digest — "Samsung Faces a Massive Union Strike as Last-Minute Negotiations Proceed" (17 May 2026) Reuters and Korean labour ministry briefings (May 2026) Global workforce sentiment and employee relations trends, 2026

A new nursery mandate, expanded parental leave, and some of the Gulf's most optimistic workers signal that Saudi Arabia is serious about employee experience as a competitive priority. | Written by Tripti Mehta Saudi Arabia's Cabinet has directed both public and private sector employers to establish workplace nurseries, in a move designed to support working mothers and advance early childhood development goals under Vision 2030. Authorities have also been tasked with addressing operational challenges, including differences in working hours between nurseries and institutions such as ministries, schools, and companies, to encourage employees to enrol their children in workplace childcare centres. The nursery policy builds on a broader legislative shift already underway. Saudi Arabia's 2025 labour law amendments extended maternity leave from 10 weeks to 12 weeks with full pay, with a minimum of six weeks mandatory after delivery and the remaining weeks available at the employee's discretion. Paternity leave now carries a mandatory timeframe, requiring fathers to take their leave within seven days of the child's birth. The reforms are landing in a workforce already showing strong positive sentiment. According to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report, 51% of employees in Saudi Arabia report thriving, while 77% say it is a good time to find a job, more than double the MENA regional average of 36%. For HR leaders in the Kingdom, family-supportive infrastructure is moving from a differentiator to a baseline expectation. Organisations that move ahead of the mandate rather than in response to it will be best placed to attract and retain the talent Vision 2030 is producing. Source: Gulf Business, Gulf News, Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2026, Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, Clyde & Co

As organisations race to integrate agentic AI into the workplace, experts are warning that the real challenge is no longer technological, it is organisational. | Written by Riya Malhotra On International HR Day, workforce and AI transformation leaders are urging businesses to move beyond viewing AI solely as a productivity tool and instead focus on the strategic workforce decisions that will define whether the technology creates long-term value or long-term disruption. With AI agents becoming increasingly capable of handling complex workflows autonomously, many organisations are prioritising speed, efficiency, and automation. However, industry leaders argue that the companies seeing the strongest outcomes are those redesigning work proactively, rather than reacting to disruption after it arrives. According to Mohammed Alkhotani, Middle East General Manager and Senior Vice President at Salesforce, the true opportunity of AI lies not in replacing people, but in redefining the value of human work. “The conversation around AI often begins with productivity, but the bigger opportunity is really about how work, and the workforce, evolves,” Alkhotani said. AI has the ability to create significant capacity within organisations, helping teams move faster, operate at greater scale, and rethink how work gets done. But the real value is not simply in efficiency, it is in what organisations choose to do with that capacity. He noted that the most forward-thinking organisations are using AI to create more space for employees to focus on higher-value responsibilities, work requiring judgment, creativity, innovation, and relationship-building. “That is where AI moves from being a technology conversation to becoming a leadership conversation. And this is where HR has a critical role to play,” he added. Alkhotani highlighted that digital transformation has historically been accompanied by uncertainty, particularly when employees are unclear about how change will affect their roles or career prospects. Yet, if managed effectively, the rise of AI could unlock one of the biggest workforce opportunities in decades. “It opens the door to rethinking how work is designed, building new skills, redeploying talent into more meaningful, higher-value roles, and preparing the next generation of employees for a very different world of work,” he said. The urgency around workforce readiness is increasing globally. According to the World Economic Forum, nearly 39% of existing skill sets are expected to become transformed or outdated by 2030, making reskilling and AI fluency immediate business priorities. Alkhotani also pointed to the growing emphasis on workforce capability across the Middle East, particularly in markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where national economic agendas increasingly place digital capability and human potential at the centre of long-term growth strategies. For leaders, that means looking beyond technology deployment and asking a bigger question of how do we bring our people with us? Industry experts say that as agentic AI adoption accelerates, HR leaders will play a defining role in shaping how organisations transition into this next phase of work. Businesses investing in reskilling, talent redeployment, and employee support are expected to emerge more agile and future-ready than those focusing solely on automation. “The future of work will not be defined by AI alone, but by leaders who use it to unlock human potential,” Alkhotani concluded.

As the workplace evolves, HR is no longer confined to policies and processes. In this column, Sultana Al Amri explores how modern people leaders are becoming culture architects, balancing empathy with accountability while designing environments where employees can thrive sustainably. | Written by Sultana Al Amri The role of HR has transformed dramatically over the past decade. What was once primarily an operational function focused on policies, compliance, and administration has evolved into something far more strategic. Today, people leaders are not just guardians of process. They are architects of culture. This shift reflects a deeper realization that organizational performance and human experience are inseparable. From Policy Managers to Culture Shapers Traditionally, HR success was measured by efficiency. Were positions filled on time? Were policies compliant? Were processes documented and controlled? While these fundamentals remain important, they are no longer sufficient. Modern organizations operate in fast-moving, high-pressure environments. Talent expectations have shifted. Employees are no longer satisfied with stability alone. They seek meaning, growth, flexibility, and alignment with values. As a result, people leaders must move beyond procedures and actively shape environments where individuals can perform sustainably and grow intentionally. Culture is no longer a side topic. It is a performance driver. Understanding the Business to Influence It To evolve from HR to true people leadership, commercial awareness is essential. People strategies cannot exist in isolation from business realities. Leaders in this space must understand revenue drivers, operational constraints, market pressures, and long-term strategy. When HR speaks the language of business, it gains influence. When engagement is linked to productivity, retention to cost optimization, and leadership capability to innovation, the function becomes indispensable. Balancing Empathy and Accountability One of the most delicate challenges for modern people leaders is balancing compassion with performance. Too much focus on comfort risks lowering standards. Too much pressure erodes trust and wellbeing. High-performing cultures are built on clarity, fairness, and psychological safety. Employees need to understand what excellence looks like while feeling safe enough to ask questions, admit mistakes, and offer ideas. Empathy does not replace accountability. It strengthens it. Culture is no longer a side topic. It is a performance driver. Designing the Employee Journey The shift from HR to happiness also means thinking in terms of experience design. Every stage of the employee lifecycle shapes perception: recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, development conversations, recognition moments, and career transitions. These are not administrative checkpoints. They are emotional touchpoints. If onboarding feels rushed, the first impression weakens. If feedback is inconsistent, trust erodes. If promotions appear opaque, engagement declines. People leaders must intentionally design these experiences and address friction points structurally. Developing Leaders at Every Level Culture does not cascade automatically from the top. It is translated daily by middle managers and team leads. This makes leadership development a strategic priority. Modern people leaders must equip managers with coaching capability, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution skills, clear communication habits, and strong decision-making discipline. When managers are confident and aligned, culture becomes consistent. When they are unsupported or overwhelmed, culture fragments. Using Data Without Losing Humanity Technology and analytics have elevated HR’s strategic potential. Engagement data, retention patterns, and performance metrics offer powerful insight. However, data should inform decisions, not replace judgment. People leaders must interpret numbers within context and combine analytics with meaningful dialogue. Embedding Wellbeing into Performance A significant shift in modern organizations is the recognition that wellbeing and performance are interconnected. Burnout reduces creativity. Chronic stress affects decision-making. Lack of recognition diminishes motivation. Performance systems must avoid rewarding unhealthy behaviour. Sustainable success requires aligning expectations with human capacity. From Function to Strategic Influence The evolution from HR to happiness represents a shift in identity. It is the movement from being a support function to being a strategic influence. People leaders today shape how organizations think about talent, leadership, culture, and long-term sustainability. The question is no longer how to manage HR efficiently. It is how to design an environment where people can thrive and deliver sustainable performance. When that balance is achieved, happiness is no longer an initiative. It becomes a natural outcome of intentional leadership and strong culture.

| April 2026 Edition It rarely starts in a boardroom. More often, it begins in conversations, a leader choosing to listen a little more closely, a team being given the space to speak up, a decision being made with people, not just performance, in mind. Across APAC, these moments are quietly shaping the workplaces we admire today. Behind them are HR leaders who are doing far more than managing functions. They are building cultures from the inside out, guiding organisations through uncertainty, and rethinking what it truly means to support people at work. In a region as diverse and fast-moving as APAC, their role has never been more important, or more human. This list brings together a group of leaders who are influencing that change in meaningful ways. Some are driving transformation at scale, others are strengthening culture in ways that may not always be visible, but are deeply felt. All of them share a common thread, a commitment to creating workplaces where people can grow, contribute, and feel a sense of belonging. What makes this list special is not just who is on it, but what it represents. Different industries, different markets, different journeys, yet a shared belief that people remain at the centre of every organisation’s success. As you explore the names ahead, think of this not just as a list, but as a collection of stories in progress. Stories of leadership, resilience, and quiet impact, shaping the future of work across APAC, one decision at a time. Peck Kem Low Chief HR Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development), CHRO Office and Workforce Development | Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office Peck Kem Low brings a unique combination of private and public sector experience to her role as Chief Human Resources Officer and Advisor (Workforce Development) for the Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore. She began her career in quality engineering before moving into HR leadership roles across global technology companies, including Hewlett Packard, Agilent Technologies, Western Digital, and Avago Technologies. These roles gave her exposure to working across Asian, European, and American markets, shaping her global perspective on people and culture. In the public sector, she previously served as Divisional Director at the Ministry of Manpower, where she contributed to building HR and leadership capabilities at a national level. In her current role, she focuses on strengthening HR capabilities and developing HR talent across Singapore’s public service. Beyond her organisational role, Peck Kem Low has played a significant part in advancing the HR profession globally. She is currently President of the World Federation of People Management Associations (WFPMA), where she is the first Singaporean and only the second woman to hold the position. She also serves as President of the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI) and is the Immediate Past President of the Asia Pacific Federation of HR Management (APFHRM). Her contributions have been recognised through multiple accolades, including being named among Southeast Asia’s 100 Most HR Influencers and Asia’s Top 50 HR Leaders in 2024, as well as Global 100 HR Leaders Hall of Fame 2025. Ku Sim Ling (AuntyHR) HR Influencer | Former Corporate Services Director Ku Sim Ling, widely known as “AuntyHR,” brings over 20 years of experience in the workforce solutions industry. She previously served as Corporate Services Director at a multinational organisation in Malaysia, where she led corporate and HR-related functions. In 2023, she made a career shift to become a full-time HR influencer, focusing on making workplace topics more accessible and relatable. Through her content, she addresses workforce challenges, promotes education, and encourages more open conversations around workplace practices. She has built a strong digital presence, with over 184K followers on Instagram and 194K on TikTok, where her content combines practical HR insights with a simplified and engaging approach to reach a wider audience. She was nominated for the TikTok Awards Malaysia 2024 under the category of Education Creator of the Year, reflecting her growing influence in the digital learning space. Her work combines practical HR insights with a simplified and engaging approach to reach a wider audience. In addition to her corporate and content experience, she has served as a panel member of the Malaysian Industrial Court, representing employers. She holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Electronics, majoring in Computer, from Multimedia University, and is an HRDC TTT-certified trainer. She is also the founder of the #DilarangBodoh (“Don’t be stupid”) campaign under Bimbo Society, focused on promoting self-awareness and continuous learning in the workplace. Monir Azzouzi Founder & Managing Director, Futuresparx I Group CHRO, Cyberjaya Education Group Monir Azzouzi brings over 20 years of experience across HR and business leadership roles spanning Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He is currently the Founder and Managing Director of Futuresparx, where he focuses on digital transformation, organisational development, and the future of work. Prior to this, he held leadership roles including Chief of HR, IT, and Corporate Services at Gotoko, and was part of the HR leadership teams at organisations such as Gojek and Maxis. His experience also includes board-level roles across the technology and media sectors. His areas of expertise include digital transformation, employee experience, organisational strategy, and the application of AI in HR. He is also the author of “ChatGPT-Powered HR,” reflecting his work in integrating technology into people practices. Monir has received multiple recognitions, including the Asian Human Capital Award by Temasek, LinkedIn Rising Star Award, and being named among Asia’s Top 10 Voices and the World’s Top 25 CHROs. He has also been recognised as the #1 Most Influential HR Leader in Southeast Asia (Indonesia). He holds an MSc in Management of Innovation & Business Development from Copenhagen Business School and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School in Business Analytics and Big Data. He is also an ICF-certified coach and HRDC-certified professional. Roshan Thiran Founder and Kuli, Leaderonomics Group Roshan Thiran is the Founder and “Kuli” (labourer) of Leaderonomics, a group of social enterprises focused on growing leaders, transforming organisations, and building stronger communities across Asia. With a career spanning global giants and diverse industries, he brings deep, hands-on experience in leadership and organisational development. He began his professional journey at ExxonMobil before spending 16 years at General Electric (GE), where he worked across the United States, Europe, and Asia in roles spanning finance, aviation, media, and leadership development. During his time at GE, Roshan played a key role in transforming a struggling aviation business in Malaysia into a global benchmark and was later part of GE’s renowned Crotonville leadership institute. He subsequently joined Johnson & Johnson as Director of Global Talent Management, contributing to global leadership pipelines, succession planning, and talent strategies. Today, Roshan partners with CEOs, CHROs, and leadership teams to drive culture transformation, leadership development, and organisational renewal. Through Leaderonomics, he has helped organisations build accountable cultures, strengthen leadership benches, and navigate change in an AI-driven world. Known for his engaging style, he blends corporate insight with storytelling, practical frameworks, and a strong focus on purpose-driven leadership. Dr. Susan Peisan Chen Founder & CEO, co:grow Dr. Susan P. Chen is a senior HR leader and Founder & CEO of co:grow and TalentSkope, boutique consultancies that bring a fractional and tech-forward approach to startups and scaling companies. With over 18 years of HR leadership and consulting experience, she has supported organisations across industries, from oil and gas in Norway to financial services and gaming in Asia, including AIG, Visa, and Riot Games. Her transition into Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystem saw her lead talent development and organisational transformation at Viva Health, Accenture, and Gojek. Today, she partners with founders and leadership teams across APAC to design people strategies that connect headcount to revenue, unlock growth, and build resilient organisations. Susan is known for challenging traditional HR thinking, a perspective she explores in her book, The Death of Best Practices. Her work blends a growth mindset and strengths-based coaching with commercial pragmatism, positioning HR as a driver of survival, acceleration, and scale. Alongside her consulting work, Susan is a keynote speaker, angel investor, and certified leadership coach, with over a thousand coaching hours across executives, teams, and founders. She is passionate about co-creating solutions, building trust, and shaping HR into a true strategic partner for the next generation of businesses. Handi Kurniawan Group SVP Human Capital, Bank Mandiri, Indonesia Handi Kurniawan is Group SVP Human Capital at Bank Mandiri, Indonesia’s largest bank by assets, where he leads human capital strategy and talent management initiatives. With over 25 years of experience, he has worked across banking, multinational corporations, and diverse industries in Asia. His career includes leadership roles at organisations such as Standard Chartered, Sinar Mas, Jardine Matheson, General Electric, and Shangri-La Group. He has led large-scale initiatives in talent management, leadership development, and workforce capability building, supporting organisational growth and transformation. His experience spans multiple geographies, having lived and worked in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Beijing, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States. Handi has been recognised as one of the 100 Most Influential HR Leaders in Southeast Asia. He holds an MBA from the University of Western Australia and a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan. Angelina Chua Human Resources Director, APAC, COFCO International Angelina Chua is a global HR leader with over 25 years of experience across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, the United States, and Europe. As Human Resources Director, APAC at COFCO International, she leads people and culture strategies across a large, geographically diverse workforce. She has partnered closely with CEOs and boards to drive transformation initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, operating model redesign, and workforce integration. Her work has contributed to cost optimisation, improved organisational agility, and stronger alignment between business and people strategies. Angelina has led HR for organisations with up to 24,000 employees and has extensive experience building regional and global teams across China and Southeast Asia, including eight years based in China. Her scope of work has extended beyond HR into areas such as corporate governance, general and employee insurance, corporate social responsibility, and data protection, reflecting her broader business involvement. She is focused on talent development, employee engagement, and leadership advisory, with a strong emphasis on building inclusive and high-performing cultures. Hanif Sulaiman Senior Director Human Resources, Benchmark Electronics (M) Sdn. Bhd. Hanif Sulaiman is a senior HR practitioner with close to three decades of experience across multiple industries, particularly within manufacturing environments. As Senior Director Human Resources at Benchmark Electronics (M) Sdn. Bhd., he plays a key role in aligning HR strategy with business objectives. Over the past decade, he has been actively involved in business strategic planning, particularly in areas related to strategic human resources and operational execution. His experience includes managing both unionised and non-unionised environments, overseeing large workforces comprising direct and indirect labour. He has led initiatives across talent acquisition, retention, succession planning, and industrial relations, while also implementing cost-saving strategies that have resulted in measurable business impact. His work has contributed to strengthening productivity, improving people management practices, and supporting organisational growth. Known for his hands-on leadership style, he has worked closely with senior management teams to drive HR transformation from an administrative function to a strategic business partner. He is also recognised for maintaining strong ethical standards and exercising sound judgement across a wide range of HR responsibilities. Thiagarajan Veeran (Raj) Director Human Resources, Dexcom Thiagarajan Veeran (Raj) is Director Human Resources at Dexcom Malaysia, where he leads the country HR function and partners with global operations leadership to build organisational capability and support business growth. He brings extensive experience across multinational manufacturing organisations, including Micron, Western Digital, and Sanmina-SCI, combining operational understanding with strategic HR leadership. At Dexcom, he has played a key role in scaling the organisation, focusing on leadership development, workforce capability, and employee experience. His work has contributed to building a high-performing organisation while maintaining a balance between performance and employee support. Beyond his corporate role, he has contributed to national and industry initiatives. He led the PIKAS programme in Batu Kawan, Penang, a public-private partnership developed in collaboration with the government to support industries during a critical period. He is also actively involved in the HR community, contributing as a judge for national HR and employee experience awards. He holds an MBA and continues to focus on evolving trends in leadership and the future of work. Phoebe Pun Pei Yuen Head of HR, Radium Development Berhad Phoebe Pun Pei Yuen is Head of HR at Radium Development Berhad, with over 30 years of experience in human resources. She has played a key role in transforming HR into a strategic function within the organisation, supporting business decision-making and long-term growth. At Radium, she has led the digitisation of HR processes, reducing manual processing time by over 40% and improving efficiency and accessibility for employees. She has also strengthened learning and development frameworks, while promoting a culture of autonomy and continuous feedback. Her work has focused on talent development, internal mobility, and leadership pipeline building, contributing to improved employee engagement and retention. She has also implemented initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion across different stages of employees’ careers. Phoebe is a strong advocate of holistic wellbeing, covering physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects. Beyond the organisation, she contributes to talent development and leadership building, supporting the growth of future HR leaders. Helen Snowball Chief Human Resources Officer, Thai Union Group Helen Snowball is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Thai Union Group, bringing over two decades of global leadership experience across Asia Pacific, Europe, and Australia. Known for driving large-scale business and cultural transformation, she has built a strong track record across both high-growth organisations and established global enterprises. Prior to joining Thai Union in 2026, Helen served as Chief People Officer at PropertyGuru, where she played a key role in scaling the organisation and embedding future-ready people strategies. She also spent over five years at JLL, including as Chief Human Resources Officer for Asia Pacific, where she led a team of 400+ HR professionals and supported a workforce of over 45,000 employees across 18 countries. Her work focused on aligning business strategy with innovative people solutions, enhancing employee experience, and building leadership capability at scale. Helen began her career in commercial and sales roles with Kraft Foods in the UK and Coca-Cola Amatil in Australia, before transitioning into HR leadership. This diverse background gives her a unique blend of commercial acumen, strategic vision, and digital fluency. Today, she partners closely with business leaders to shape people-first strategies that drive sustainable performance, organisational transformation, and long-term impact. Ozge Yurtsever Director, Global HR Business Partner, Corporate Functions & Global OD and Special Projects Lead | DKSH Ozge Yurtsever is the Director, Global HR Business Partner for Corporate Functions and Global OD & Special Projects Lead at DKSH. A strategic HR leader, she is known for driving large-scale transformation initiatives, enabling organisational effectiveness, and aligning people strategies with evolving business priorities. With a global career spanning EMEA, Asia, and Latin America, Ozge brings deep cross-cultural expertise across industries including pharma, FMCG, banking, and electronics. Prior to her current role, she held key leadership positions at Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma, where she led regional HR strategies, talent development, and change management across complex, multi-market environments. Her work is grounded in strong business partnering, with a focus on building high-impact talent programs, strengthening leadership pipelines, and fostering employee engagement at scale. Passionate about people analytics, Ozge leverages data-driven insights to shape meaningful workforce strategies and decision-making. A certified change practitioner and organisational coach, she brings a thoughtful, analytical, and people-centric approach to shaping resilient, future-ready organisations. Hetal Doshi CEO, O-Psych Sdn Bhd | Founder of People@Work Movement Hetal Doshi is an accomplished Organizational Psychologist, Certified Professional Coach, and the CEO of O-Psych. She is also the Founder of the People@Work Movement, a national initiative focused on advancing workplace well-being through measurable and scalable solutions. With over 20 years of experience, Hetal is a highly sought-after psychological strategist and facilitator, known for applying data-driven and evidence-based approaches to large-scale organisational transformation. Her proprietary “Butterfly Effect” methodology enables rapid yet sustainable change, balancing performance with individual well-being while minimizing disruption to team dynamics. A recognised thought leader, Hetal is regularly featured across television, radio, print media, and leading leadership, HSSE, and HR conferences. Her work bridges the gap between science and practice, making well-being both actionable and impactful. At the core of her work is the People@Work Index, a first-of-its-kind, validated tool that measures psychosocial risk, employee well-being, and psychological safety within organisations. Having worked with leading organisations, including Fortune 500 companies and government-linked entities, Hetal continues to reshape how leaders understand and approach workplace well-being, making it measurable, practical, and central to business and cultural growth. Khim Tan CEO, Pinnacle Connexion Khim Tan is a recognised voice in HR, culture, and talent across Southeast Asia, with over 30 years of executive experience spanning banking, insurance, FMCG, professional services, technology, stockbroking, and retail credit. She has held senior leadership and Group HR roles at organisations such as Alliance Bank, AIA, British American Tobacco, PwC, Maybank, Courts, and TA Enterprise. Her expertise spans mergers and acquisitions, divestments, organisational and cultural transformation, succession planning, talent management, as well as HR digital and AI transformation. She is an ICF Certified Coach, a Gallup CliftonStrengths Coach, and a certified Hogan and DiSC practitioner, as well as an HRD Corp accredited trainer. She is currently pursuing a PhD focused on AI adoption, mindset, and workforce innovation performance. A frequent speaker at business and HR conferences, Khim also leads training on AI, the future of work, and culture and leadership transformation. Her recognitions include Top 10 Voices in HR, Leadership and People Strategy in Malaysia 2026, Asia’s Top 50 HR Leader 2024, Top 25 Mentor 2023, Top 10 CHROs in APAC 2022, along with multiple honours across Southeast Asia for HR leadership. Shameem Farouk Adjunct Professor, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) Dr. Shameem Farouk has over 20 years of experience in Human Capital management across major Southeast Asian corporations in industries including financial services and telecommunications. She previously served as Executive Vice President and Human Capital Director at a leading regional financial institution, where she led large-scale workforce transformation and the democratization of artificial intelligence (AI) and technology capabilities. She has pioneered several AI-driven initiatives, including the development of a generative AI decision-support model for sales teams, enabling broader access to strategic insights traditionally limited to senior leaders and consultants. She has also led enterprise-wide AI upskilling efforts, where over 50% of certified participants were women, many from non-STEM backgrounds, reflecting her strong commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in technology. Beyond her corporate leadership, Dr. Farouk has contributed to shaping Malaysia’s Financial Sector Future Skills Framework and has introduced innovative learning methodologies to build future-ready capabilities. She is an active global speaker on digital transformation and AI in the workforce, including at Harvard Business School and other international platforms. Dr. Farouk is a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Research Fellow and conducted research on workforce transformation at INSEAD in San Francisco. She holds a Doctorate in Education specializing in Human Performance Technology, as well as an MBA and a Master of Science in Education, all from Indiana University.

Naaman Lee, Chief Operating Officer, explores how JurisTech built a high-performance AI lending tech culture where innovation, compliance, and people-first values come together to drive meaningful impact across the financial ecosystem. | April 2026 Edition The Happiness Perspective Innovation thrives within clear guardrails Real-world impact drives deeper motivation Diverse thinking fuels stronger solutions Culture must scale without losing care Speed works best when balanced with support Leadership connection builds trust at all levels Growth is strongest when opportunity is internal Naaman Lee, Chief Operating Officer, JurisTech The AI lending tech industry operates at a relentless pace, where evolving technologies and regulatory frameworks demand both agility and precision. At JurisTech, this balance is intentionally designed, creating an environment where innovation thrives within clearly defined boundaries, allowing employees to experiment while staying aligned with the discipline required in financial services. Creating Space for Innovation with Structure JurisTech believes innovation needs the right environment to grow. As Naaman explains, the company is continuously working towards building a holistic workspace, including a large-scale office refresh designed to foster creativity and inspiration. This creative freedom is balanced with strict operational guardrails. With adherence to regulatory standards such as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) requirements for data handling and privacy, the organisation ensures innovation does not come at the cost of compliance. Rigorous project execution and strong quality control systems reinforce this balance. Equally important is the emphasis on trust and wellbeing. Teams are encouraged to recharge through quarterly budgets allocated for relaxation and team bonding. Anchored in the company’s GECO values: Growing Heroes, Excellence as a Habit, Customer First, and Opening Up, JurisTech has built a culture where employees feel empowered to innovate responsibly. We want every employee to feel the real-world impact of their work, not just as output, but as contribution to economies and people’s lives. Connecting Work to Real-World Impact While millions interact with digital banking platforms daily, the teams behind these systems often remain unseen. JurisTech addresses this by consistently connecting employees to the tangible impact of their work. Town hall gatherings and Annual Dinners tie recognition directly to measurable business outcomes, often sharing real client appreciation so employees hear gratitude firsthand. These moments reinforce the value of their contributions. Beyond internal recognition, the company highlights its broader role in powering financial ecosystems across the region. JurisTech supports governmental organisations in improving credit default rates, enabling more people to access loans and financial opportunities. By sharing such stories, employees see their work not just as technical output, but as meaningful contributions to society. Turning Diversity into Collaboration The AI lending tech environment brings together engineers, financial specialists, data scientists, and product teams. At JurisTech, this diversity is embraced through what Naaman describes as “radical cultural acceptance,” creating a strong mix of perspectives. This diversity leads to what is often seen as a productive “collision of ideas,” where different viewpoints drive innovation. To ensure these perspectives translate into effective collaboration, the organisation invests in strong team-bonding. Initiatives such as the Juris Olympics, game nights, after-work fitness sessions, and hackathons help employees connect beyond work. These shared experiences build trust and camaraderie, making it easier for teams to challenge each other constructively and solve complex problems together. Scaling Without Losing the Human Touch Rapid growth often puts pressure on culture. For JurisTech, scaling from 200 to 400 employees tested its ability to maintain a deeply personalised approach. Historically, the organisation focused on understanding employees at an individual level, supporting both professional and personal needs. As the company grew, maintaining this level of care required deliberate effort from leadership. Management reinforced expectations for leaders to continue this approach, ensuring employees still felt seen and supported. Leaders invested significant time in understanding team members, even during demanding processes such as performance reviews. This phase confirmed that personalised care is not a temporary initiative, but a core part of the organisation’s culture. Balancing Speed with Support In a fast-moving industry, sustaining performance without overwhelming employees is essential. JurisTech addresses this through structured leadership practices and intentional connection. Weekly leadership meetings ensure alignment and enable quick decision-making, allowing the organisation to respond effectively to changing demands. At the same time, initiatives such as the “Top Box Table” create space for meaningful engagement. These informal sessions, hosted by the C-suite, bring together high-potential employees and those needing encouragement, offering a platform for open conversations. Even as the company moves at speed, leaders take time to listen and connect. This balance reinforces that while the organisation continues to push fintech boundaries, it remains grounded in supporting its people. A Culture That Feels Personal For anyone experiencing JurisTech firsthand, the most striking aspect is its sense of warmth. Despite its scale, the organisation maintains a culture with minimal hierarchy and strong interpersonal connection. Employees are supported through well-being initiatives and structured onboarding that encourages immediate teambonding. This creates a sense of belonging from the outset. Internal mobility is another defining feature. Many leaders, including members of the C-suite, began as interns or trainees. The organisation actively promotes from within, recognising potential early and providing opportunities for growth. This combination of care, opportunity, and trust creates a workplace that feels both dynamic and deeply personal, a rare balance in a fast-paced AI lending tech environment.

We often think of workplace happiness as something that can be built through policies, programmes, or perks. But the truth is, most people don’t remember those. They remember moments. | Written by Riya Malhotra A manager who helped them find clarity when things felt overwhelming. A team that stepped in without hesitation when something personal came up. A conversation that turned a setback into a chance to improve. These moments are easy to overlook because they don’t feel extraordinary at the time. They’re quiet. They’re everyday. And yet, they are often the clearest signals of what a workplace truly feels like. Because culture is not experienced in statements. It is experienced in interactions. What people say. How they respond. Over time, these choices shape something much larger. It is built, moment by moment, in the way people show up for each other. And more often than not, those are the things that stay. We don’t always remember the work. We remember how work made us feel. That is what we define as ‘happiness.’

LinkedIn and Walmart both made cuts in May 2026 despite strong business performance, exposing a corporate workforce pattern that HR leaders can no longer treat as isolated news. | Written by Tripti Mehta The platform built for professional networking is now asking its own people to network their way to new jobs. LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, announced on May 13, 2026 that it is cutting approximately 5% of its global workforce, around 900 positions, as part of an organisational restructuring aimed at redirecting resources toward faster-growing business areas. Revenue grew 12% year over year in the most recent quarter, making this a rare case of performance-era job cuts. Teams across the Global Business Organisation, marketing, engineering, and product divisions are among those affected. Sources told Reuters the layoffs are not about AI replacing jobs, a notable departure from the dominant 2026 narrative in which most large tech employers have cited AI investment as their explicit rationale. More than 103,000 tech workers have lost their jobs globally in 2026 so far, even as Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Meta collectively commit roughly $725 billion to AI infrastructure. Walmart cut or relocated roughly 1,000 corporate workers in May 2026 as it consolidated global technology and product teams, while continuing to hire aggressively on the sales floor and in fulfillment centres. The contrast is pointed: back-office efficiency is being pursued at the same time that frontline bodies remain in demand, creating two very different workforce experiences within the same organisation. For HR leaders, the throughline is clear: whether the stated reason is efficiency, growth reallocation, or AI transition, restructuring lands the same way for affected employees. Source: Reuters, The HR Digest, Layoffs.fyi, Wall Street Journal

Managers shape more than performance; they shape emotional climate. In her second column for Employee Happiness Daily, Dr. Louise Lambert explores how emotional contagion influences team behaviour, decision-making, and psychological safety, and why the way leaders show up matters more than they realise. | Written by Dr. Louise Lambert Most managers believe they are paid to manage performance. Targets, delivery, quality, timelines. And they are. But there is something else they manage, whether they like it or not: emotional tone, the background feelings people carry into meetings. It’s how it feels to ask a question, raise a concern, or admit a mistake. It’s the emotional “weather” of the team, and it’s shaped less by processes and more by the person people watch the most: you, the manager. Your emotional state becomes part of the working conditions for others. Emotions are contagious, especially from leaders Emotional contagion is well established. Humans automatically and unconsciously pick up on the emotions of others through facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, pace of speech, and even silence. We mirror one another without trying to. In teams, emotional contagion flows most strongly from those with more power. That means leaders. That means you. If you come into a meeting tense, impatient, irritated, or distracted, people feel it before you say a word. If you are calm, focused, curious, or composed under pressure, that spreads too. Your emotional state becomes part of the working conditions for others. Why emotional tone matters more than you think We regularly underestimate the impact of our emotional tone because it is hard to see, yet it influences performance directly. When teams feel tense or on edge, members narrow their thinking, become more cautious, speak less freely, and focus on self-protection. When teams feel calm and psychologically safe, people share ideas, ask questions earlier, admit uncertainty, and recover faster from mistakes. Emotional climates change how people think, decide, and act. Still, many managers are surprised to hear it. They often say, “But I didn’t raise my voice,” or “I didn’t criticize anyone,” or “I didn’t say anything negative.” And they are telling the truth. However, it’s the smaller clues that give them away. The sharper tone, despite saying something nice, the sigh, the irritated push of the chair, the multitasking while someone is speaking all say something else. And we could all pick up on it, even you, if only it wasn’t you. It’s not terrible, and it’s not a sign of poor leadership either. It’s that while you are having your own internal experience, i.e. deadlines, hunger, lack of sleep, one more meeting to be preoccupied with since you haven’t prepared for it yet, your team is having another experience: you. Awareness and regulation are all it takes To bring those two experiences in line, you can bring greater awareness to what you are feeling, understand how it might be affecting others, and choose how to show up rather than reacting automatically or assuming it doesn’t show. Stress and other emotions like it can spread quickly. Under pressure, leaders often move faster, speak more sharply, interrupt more, and focus narrowly on outcomes. And when they do, teams become vigilant. People watch for mistakes, avoid risk, and spend more energy managing impressions than doing the work itself. Over time, this leads to fatigue, errors, and disengagement, even when people care deeply about their work. Ironically, unmanaged stress in leaders often reduces the very performance they are trying to protect. What managing emotional tone looks like in practice Managing emotional tone is not about shutting down your emotions or pretending you feel nothing. It’s about slowing down enough to notice what you are feeling and how you want your team to feel so they can work at their best. They need stability and calm, which means you need to get to the same place to be able to give it to them. Here are three practical examples. 1. Slow yourself down before you try to speed others up. When pressure rises, many managers try to go even faster. They speak more quickly, cut conversations short, and push for answers. Before you do that, pause. Literally. Take one breath before responding in a meeting and let silence hang in the air before replying to a difficult comment. This small pause lowers your emotional intensity and, by default, the intensity in the room. Even if it’s not tense, others might be, and as people follow your pace, this can help them slow down as well. 2. Name the pressure without dramatizing it. You do not need to hide stress, but you could benefit from reframing it. For example, notice the difference between, “This is a huge mess and we are so behind,” and “This is a demanding week, I know, and we need to stay focused.” Both acknowledge reality, but one triggers threat, anxiety, and defensiveness, while the other invites effort, compassion, and empathy. Your language shapes how pressure is interpreted and how people ultimately act as a result. 3. Separate urgency from emotion. Urgency is sometimes real, but being emotionally reactive is a habit or, for some, a choice. You can be clear, firm, and decisive without sounding agitated or frustrated. In fact, teams respond better to calm clarity than to emotional intensity, even when timelines are tight. In this way, they learn to pace their own emotions. A few common misunderstandings 1. Stress mistaken for commitment. Some managers believe visible stress shows dedication. In reality, it more often communicates emotional instability and escalation. This is a holdover from outdated work cultures where strain equated to value, despite evidence linking chronic stress to poorer judgment, lower performance, and burnout. 2. Calm mistaken for lack of drive. Some managers worry that regulating their emotional tone makes them seem less ambitious or demanding. In practice, it makes them more predictable and easier to work with, which improves coordination and outcomes. While a small minority may need pressure, keep that for private, targeted conversations. 3. Positive emotions are underestimated as performance tools. Emotional contagion applies just as strongly to positive states. Humour, genuine appreciation, and moments of lightness spread quickly and raise cognitive flexibility, motivation, and cooperation. When energy is low, a well-timed meme, GIF, or joke can shift momentum faster than any pep talk. This month, make emotional tone part of what you manage by pausing a second or two before responding, softening your tone, and naming challenges calmly. You might just find that your own stress drops first, and everyone else’s can soon follow suit. See you next month for more actions you can implement for a better work life. Like what you read? Contact us to learn how you might bring Dr. Louise to your organisation to share these behaviours on a larger scale.

| Written by Riya Malhotra Singapore’s workforce is rapidly adapting to change, but hiring systems are struggling to keep pace, according to new research from Indeed. The findings highlight a growing disconnect between employee priorities and employer assumptions. While 59% of employees cite salary, stability, and work-life balance as critical when evaluating roles, employers significantly underestimate these factors, placing them below 30%. Entry-level roles are emerging as the most vulnerable to disruption, with nearly half of both employees and employers anticipating significant change in the coming decade. At the same time, hiring challenges persist: 30% of employers report difficulty finding skilled talent, while more than half say attracting and retaining Gen Z remains a key concern. Despite this, employees are proactively adapting. Many are building hybrid skillsets that combine digital capabilities with human strengths, while redefining stability to include continuous learning and future readiness. The findings also point to a shift towards skills-first hiring and a growing emphasis on wellbeing-led workplace cultures. However, hiring frameworks still anchored in rigid job structures risk falling behind, even as workforce expectations continue to evolve. Source: HRM Asia

| Written by Riya Malhotra Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming embedded in HR functions across Southeast Asia, but organisations are struggling to scale its impact, according to a new study by ETHRWorld Southeast Asia & SAP SuccessFactors. The report finds that 75% of organisations are already using AI in HR, signalling a clear shift from experimentation to mainstream adoption. At the same time, 65% expect AI budgets to increase in 2026, reflecting its growing role as core workforce infrastructure. However, readiness remains a significant challenge. Only 11% of organisations report being fully prepared to scale AI enterprise-wide, exposing a gap between investment and execution. Many are still in early or moderate stages of preparedness, with key capability gaps in data analytics, implementation skills, and change leadership. AI adoption is currently strongest in learning and development and recruitment, areas closely tied to talent competitiveness. Markets such as Singapore and Malaysia are leading in integration maturity, while others remain in earlier stages of adoption. Importantly, the study highlights a shift in how AI is creating value within HR. Rather than focusing purely on automation, organisations are increasingly leveraging AI to enhance decision-making, positioning HR as a more strategic, data-driven function. As AI becomes central to workforce systems, the findings point to a clear next step: building organisational capability alongside technology investment. Without this, scaling impact across the employee lifecycle may remain out of reach. Source: ETHRWorld

| Written by Riya Malhotra The latest World Happiness Report places Singapore at 36th and Malaysia at 71st globally, offering a closer look at how wellbeing is shaping workforce expectations across both markets. While Nordic countries continue to lead the rankings, the positions of Singapore and Malaysia highlight a more nuanced reality in Southeast Asia. Both markets continue to perform economically, yet the rankings suggest that broader factors influencing life satisfaction, such as social connection, trust, and personal wellbeing, are becoming increasingly important. For workplaces, this signals a shift. In Singapore, where high performance cultures are the norm, employees are placing greater emphasis on balance, meaning, and everyday work experience. In Malaysia, the ranking points to a growing opportunity for organisations to strengthen employee wellbeing as part of their overall people strategy. The report also draws attention to the role of digital behaviour, noting that excessive social media use is linked to lower life satisfaction, particularly among younger populations. In always-connected work environments, this adds another layer to how wellbeing is experienced at work. While the findings are based on national life evaluations, the implications are clear for employers. As expectations evolve, organisations in Singapore and Malaysia will need to look beyond traditional metrics and build cultures that prioritise trust, connection, and sustained employee wellbeing. Source: World Happiness Report 2026