CHRO Series MALAYSIA Powered by ELSA

Navigating the Future of HR:

Leading with Purpose, Powering the Skills Economy

23 – 25 June 2026

Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara

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#CHROSeriesMalaysia

The 2026 Event covers:
Leading with Purpose, Powering the Skills Economy and the Rise of the Value Architect

The CHRO Malaysia 2026 conference is the nation's premier forum for senior HR and C-suite leaders, designed to navigate the transformative shifts impacting the workforce.

This year's theme, "Leading with Purpose, Powering the Skills Economy," focuses on equipping Chief Human Resources Officers to be Value Architects who drive organizational growth by mastering data, embracing ethical AI, and strategically deploying a skills-based talent model. The event addresses the critical intersection of business strategy, regulatory compliance (like PDPA and new social schemes), and cutting-edge HR technology.


Key themes for 2026 include:

✔ Skills Economy Transformation
✔ Strategic & Technical Foresight
✔ Culture, Compliance, and Value
✔ Next-Gen Leadership

This year, the event structure has been updated to:

✔ Workshop 1: June 23 2026
✔ Main Conference: June 24, 2026
✔ Workshop 2: June 25, 2026

Join 150+ CHROs for high-level networking, best practice sharing, and insights from top HR thought leaders to drive business success.



CHRO Series Malaysia

23 JUNE: WORKSHOP 1
Pre-Workshop: VALUE ARCHITECT: The CHRO as Strategic Partner



Date: 23rd June 2026
Time: 9:00am-5:00pm
Facilitator: Joanne Flinn
Thinkers50 Radar 2026 | Former PwC Country Head | Author, Greensight | Chairperson, ESG Institute (B Corp)

WORKSHOP DELIVERABLES

93% of your Malaysian workforce is open to leaving. Depression rates have doubled since 2019. Bursa's ESG social pillar reporting is now mandatory. And your board just approved an AI strategy across the organisation that nobody asked HR about. These aren't separate problems. They're now the same problem. And it sits on your desk. In this pre-conference workshop, she'll work with you to turn these converging pressures into a Value Architecture your CEO, CFO and CRO will back.
24 JUNE: MAIN CONFERENCE
AGENDA SUBJECTED TO CHANGES

Malaysia

Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Conference Agenda

Date: 24th June 2026
8.00am
Registration & Networking
8.50am
Organiser’s Welcome Address
8.55am
Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
9.00am
OPENING KEYNOTE
The Real Cost of Communication Friction at Work: Closing the gap between knowing English and performing effectively in high-stakes moments.
  • Communication friction exists even in English-proficient workforces, and its impact on revenue, efficiency and talent is consistently underestimated.
  • The gap is not basic proficiency. It is communication performance under pressure; in the meetings, pitches and client calls where business outcomes are decided.
  • In an AI-accelerated workplace, clear spoken English has become more critical, not less. The organisations closing this gap are building it as a measurable workforce capability, not treating it as a soft skill.
  • Communication excellence is now scalable. AI coaching delivers role-specific practice at workforce scale, with visible progress and trackable ROI.
Will Polese, Vice President of Revenue - ELSA Corp
9.30am
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP DIALOGUE
Navigating Global Complexity - Geopolitics, ESG, and the CHRO’s Mandate
  • Integrate geopolitical risk into talent attraction and retention.
  • Align people strategy with ESG and sustainability goals.
  • Elevate the CHRO's role in enterprise-wide risk management.
Moderator:

Lily Sabrina Kuang Abdullah, Chief People Officer – Takaful Malaysia

Panelists:

Datuk Dr Nora A Manaf, Former Chief Human Capital, Maybank and Chairman and Board Member MGA, MBSB Group

Norhamijah Mohd Hanafiah, Chief Human Resources Officer - KPJ Healthcare Bhd

Satpal Singh, Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer - PLUS Malaysia

10.15am
The New Era of Malaysia's Workforce: Empower your Talent to Power your Business
  • Fast-moving technology requires businesses to quickly retrain their employees to maintain organizational growth and prevent teams from falling behind.
  • Recent data shows a worrying trend where employees rush to adopt individual AI tools while neglecting vital, big-picture thinking skills.
  • Long-term business success requires balancing new technical capabilities with essential human qualities like strategic leadership, management, and effective communication.
Doreen Tan, Head of Enterprise, Asia - Coursera
10.45am
Morning Tea Break
11.15am
Closing the Gap Between AI Ambition and Reality
  • Most organisations investing in AI lack clear visibility into their workforce’s readiness and actual adoption, making it difficult to measure true impact.
  • Leaders and shareholders are increasingly demanding tangible ROI, productivity gains, and commercial outcomes from AI investments.
  • Despite continued investment in AI technologies, organisations are under-investing in developing the workforce capabilities needed to fully realise AI’s value.
David Chia, AI Learning & Content Strategy Lead - Cornerstone OnDemand
11.45am
Co-Presentation: From Acumen to Advantage: The CHRO Playbook for Future-Proofing Talent
  • Uncertainty is higher than ever, driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain shifts, digital disruption, and talent shortages.
  • HR must lead with foresight, building an agile, resilient workforce to maintain competitive advantage.
  • Assume disruption is inevitable—take proactive action to safeguard and enable your mobile workforce.
Ben Neumann, Partner and Southeast Asia Leader - Vialto
Hilda Liow, Partner and Malaysia Leader - Vialto
12.15pm
Fireside Chat
The Total Well-being Strategy—From Mental Health to Financial Resilience
  • Implement a holistic strategy covering physical and mental health.
  • Address technostress and psychological safety in the digital age.
  • Introduce programs for employee financial wellness (e.g., Budget 2026 implications).
Moderator:

Reena Talla, Employee Experience Services Head- APMEA & Europe – Kerry

Panelists:

Nicholas Thooi, Chief People Officer – BonusLink

Christina Chan, Head of People – GXBank

Rodzal Had, VP Human Resources & Admin – Honda

12.45pm
Lunch & Networking
02.00pm
INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION GROUPS [60 MINS]

Ask the experts and have your say! Structured to maximise interaction and in-depth focus on a topical subject matter, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a roundtable of their choice, which has close relevance to their area of expertise and/or scope of responsibility. We will conclude with a 15mins sharing session, where each Roundtable Leader will present key highlights and takeaways from the group discussion.


ROUNDTABLE A

Gen Z and the Future of Work: Adapting Culture and Communication
ROUNDTABLE B

Scaling AI Fluency: Practical L&D Strategies for the Digital Workforce
ROUNDTABLE C

Hiring Without Borders: Building trusted talent ecosystems in a skills driven economy


Roundtable Leader:
Archan Bahulekar
Director Sales – Asia
First Advantage
ROUNDTABLE D

The Skills Architecture: Translating Job Roles into Dynamic Capability Maps
ROUNDTABLE E

Navigating talent strategy in a changing world—Gamified!


Roundtable Leaders:
Phing Phing Lim
Partner – Vialto

Lay Har Wee
Director - Vialto

ROUNDTABLE F

Managing the Multigenerational Workforce: Bridging the Digital and Experience Divide
03.00pm
Co-Presentation: The Future of Workplace Wellbeing: Where AI, Data and Employee-Centric Benefits Converge
  • Reframe Workplace Wellbeing as a Strategic Business Priority.
  • Explore How AI and Technology Enable Personalised Wellbeing at Scale.
  • Show How Data Can Drive Smarter, More Impactful Wellbeing Strategies.
  • Redefine Employee Benefits Through Flexibility and Human-Centric Design.
Cedric Deschamps, CEO - Pacific Prime Malaysia
Eddie Lin, Head of Corporate Sales, Regional Accounts - Pacific Prime Singapore
03.30pm
Afternoon Tea Break
04.00pm
Panel Discussion: Building a Culture of High Accountability and Radical Candor
  • Design a performance system that drives genuine ownership.
  • Equip managers with tools for providing candid, constructive feedback.
  • Establish mutual accountability between leaders and employees.
Moderator:

Seow Choon Hui, Head of Group Strategic Human Capital Management – MBMR

Panelists:

Tsu San Tham, Former Chief People Officer – IJM Corporation

Cyril Tan, Head of Organization Effectiveness - U Mobile

Shahrizan Aini Shamsul Khalil, Group Chief People Officer - SD Guthrie Berhad

04.30pm
Fireside Chat: Upskilling Malaysia's Workforce for AI and Digital Fluency
  • Make strategic investment in AI-related training and literacy.
  • Build internal learning ecosystems for rapid capability scaling.
  • Leverage government incentives for digital skills development.
Panelists:

Anuradha Katyal, Group Chief People Officer – Axiata Group Berhad

Louisa Brady, Group Chief Human Resources Officer – Yinson Holdings Berhad

Nazrul Aziz, Group Chief Strategy Officer – Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)

05.15pm
Closing Remarks & End of Conference

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

08.30am
Registration & Coffee
09.00am
Session 1: Transformational Multi Generational Leadership: Today's Leadership Engagement Blueprint
  • Deepdive into the state of our workplaces and world and the wider context we are working within.
  • Introduction to the Empathy Deficit and its impact on the bottom line
  • Examine the scale and impact of global loneliness on workplaces and the world.
  • Highlight the cost of disengaged employees ($8.2 billion annually) and the role of organizational empathy and leadership in countering this trend.
  • Connecting sustained multi-generational engagement to improved performance.
  • Dialogue and Audience Engagement
10.30am
Morning Tea Break
11.00am
Session 2: Listening Led Leadership and Its Impact
  • Introduction to Listening Led Leadership and its power
  • Why Listening will change your workplace.
  • Highlight the benefits of highly engaged teams (21% more profitable, 17% more productive).
  • A review of whether leaders have the tools they need to communicate effectively with four generations of employees, addressing their diverse needs and drivers for performance
  • Exploration of the reasons behind the need to belong and the consequences of lacking a sense of belonging.
  • Participation Exercises and Audience Engagement
12.30pm
Networking Luncheon
1.30pm
Session 3: The Open Room Listening Methodology
  • Participatory Session introducing critical Listening Tools and Expandable Gateway practises for HR leaders
  • Dialogue and Discussion surrounding Listening Led Leadership - troubleshooting, opportunity assessment
3.00pm
Afternoon Tea Break
3.30pm
Session 4: The Role of Neuroscience in Inclusion & Belonging
  • Explore the innate power of the brain, emphasizing empathy as a hardwired capability.
  • Learning how neuroscience can nurture trust, elevate belonging, and lead to health improvements.
  • Investigate the Parasympathetic Cogs and their activation to foster authentic connection and inclusive well-being.
  • Introduction to neurolinguistics in leadership.
  • Empathy Mapping Exercise for the HR Leader to leverage back in the workplace
5.00pm
Summary, Q&A and End of Workshop
25 JUNE: WORKSHOP 2
Post-Workshop: The Agentic Organization: AI Masterclass for CHRO’s

Date: 25th June 2026
Time: 9:00am-5:00pm
Facilitator: Amit Kurhekar - Fractional CDO, TransformTechX

WORKSHOP DELIVERABLES

Participants attending the masterclass are designed to walk away with practical, actionable tools rather than just theory. These tools include their organization's tailored 90-day AI transformation roadmap. The resource kit provides essential frameworks for upskilling 1,000+ employees for successful human-AI collaboration, real-world ROI data from multiple global implementations, and a platform comparison guide to help evaluate vendors quickly. Finally, attendees receive a complete resource kit, including templates, checklists, and ethical AI guidelines, in addition to networking with over 50 CHROs facing similar challenges.
Workshop Deliverables:
  • Master AI Strategic Fundamentals: Decode the jargon of AI, GenAI, and Agentic AI to understand the strategic impact of autonomous agents on the HR system and position the CHRO as a transformation leader.
  • Define ROI for Leadership: Learn to perform a rigorous ROI analysis to determine the financial case for AI—focusing on the metrics (like predicting attrition 6 months out and cutting time-to-hire by 60%) that CFOs and CEOs actually care about.
  • Build an AI-Ready Workforce: Understand the critical skills gap and implement frameworks for technical, cognitive, and EQ upskilling necessary to redesign jobs for human-agent collaboration.
  • Develop an Actionable Roadmap: Immediately transition from strategy to execution by developing a tangible 90-day implementation roadmap to pilot a chosen AI agent in Q3 2026.
  • Establish Ethical Governance: Define the 5 strategic pillars every CHRO must get right, ensuring clear guidance on where automation helps versus where humans must lead to maintain ethical and trustworthy AI deployment.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

08.30am
Registration & Coffee
09.00am
Opening & Context
  • Kick off by unpacking why artificial intelligence now tops the HR agenda and set the day’s goals
9.30am
Session 1: Understanding AI & Large Language Models
  • Discover what AI and LLMs are, explore practical tools you can already access, and pinpoint the HR domains where they add the greatest value
10.15am
Session 2: Maximising AI for Productivity
  • Explore useful AI helpers and learn when to rely on text assistants, image generators, and audio- or video-creation, simple automation to boost individual and team efficiency
10.30am
Morning Tea Break
10.45am
Session 3: AI-Powered HR Practices
  • See how AI addresses real HR pain-points—recruitment, engagement, coaching and performance management—and discuss how to tailor each use case to your own organisation
12.30pm
Networking Luncheon
02.00pm
Session 4: Ethics & Governance
  • Examine common pitfalls around bias, privacy and employee trust through a focused case study, then agree on practical guard-rails to keep deployments ethical
02.45pm
Session 5: Designing an AI-Ready HR Strategy
  • Explore the key decision factors, leadership buy-in steps and change-management principles that turn ideas into an actionable roadmap
3.30pm
Afternoon Tea Break
03.45pm
Session 6: Future-Proofing the HR Function
  • Explore the trends that matter—agentic AI, multimodal tools, internal skills marketplaces—and outline realistic up-skilling priorities and tool selections to keep your HR function ahead of the curve
04.30pm
Session 7: Closing & Commitments
  • Capture one practical takeaway to apply in the coming week
5.00pm
Summary, Q&A and End of Workshop

2026 CHRO SPEAKERS & MODERATORS

Anuradha Katyal

Group Chief People Officer
Axiata

Shahrizan Aini Shamsul Khalil

Group Chief People Officer
SD Guthrie Berhad

Nazrul Aziz

Group Chief Strategy Officer
Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)

Norhamijah Mohd Hanafiah

Chief Human Resources Officer
KPJ Healthcare Bhd

Satpal Singh

Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer
PLUS Malaysia

Lily Sabrina Kuang Abdullah

Chief People Officer
Takaful Malaysia

Nicholas Thooi

Chief People Officer
BonusLink

Datuk Dr Nora A Manaf

Former Chief Human Capital, Maybank and Chairman and Board Member MGA,
MBSB Group

Joanne Flinn

Chairperson
The ESG Institute

Christina Chan

Head of People
GXBank

Amit Kurhekar

Fractional CDO
TransformTechX

Toshiharu Sakata

HR Director, ASEAN
SC Johnson

Will Polese

Vice President of Revenue
ELSA Corp

Doreen Tan

Head of Enterprise, Asia
Coursera

Archan Bahulekar

Director Sales, Asia
First Advantage

Cedric Deschamps

CEO
Pacific Prime Malaysia

Eddie Lin

Head of Corporate Sales, Regional Accounts
Pacific Prime Singapore

Ben Neumann

Partner and Southeast Asia Leader
Vialto

Hilda Liow

Partner and Malaysia Leader
Vialto

Phing Phing Lim

Partner
Vialto

Lay Har Wee

Director
Vialto

David Chia

AI Learning & Content Strategy Lead
Cornerstone OnDemand

Tsu San Tham

Former Chief People Officer
IJM Corporation Berhad

Cyril Tan

Head of Organization Effectiveness
U Mobile

Seow Choon Hui

Head of Group Strategic Human Capital Management
MBMR

Reena Talla

Employee Experience Services Head- APMEA & Europe
Kerry

Adrita Datta

Head of Talent, Culture & Inclusion
BAT

Rodzal Had

VP Human Resources & Admin
Honda

Louisa Brady

Group Chief Human Resources Officer
Yinson Holdings Berhad

ESG MASTERCLASS SPEAKERS

Joanne Flinn

Kris Wadia

Jonathan Cheung

CHRO MALAYSIA PARTNERS

TITLE SPONSOR

PREMIUM SPONSORS

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS

EXHIBITOR

COUNTRY PARTNER

EXHIBITOR

SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS

SUPPORTING ORGANISATION

ticket prices and information for CHRO Malaysia

CHRO Malaysia 10th July 20241-4 ticket(s) (SGD)5 tickets and above (per ticket) (SGD)
Early Bird (valid till 31st May 2024)S$299S$279
Advanced Saver (valid till 30th June 2024)S$399S$379
Regular Price (1st July to 10th July 2024)S$499S$439

  

 
1 to 4 delegates (RM)
[Bundle A] 2-Day Event (CHRO Conference and Workshop 1) RM 3,198 per delegate
[Bundle B] 2-Day Event (CHRO Conference and Workshop 2) RM 3,198 per delegate
[Bundle C] 3-Day Event (CHRO Conference and Two Workshops) RM 4,819 per delegate

Malaysian delegates are eligible for HRDC claims with a minimum attendance of the full 2-day conference. All invoices and payments related to HRDC claims will be processed by our Partner, Alpha Mind Training Academy.  All fees are subject to SST.

International delegates are not eligible for HRDC claims and will be billed in SGD.

CHRO Philippines 21 Feb 20241 ticket4-10 tickets (per ticket) (SGD)
Early Bird (1 Nov to 31 Dec 2023)S$299S$279
Advanced Saver (1 Jan to 31 Jan 2024)S$399S$379
Regular Price (1 Feb to 21 Feb 2024)S$499S$439

Register now

Reserve your
tickets now.

The CHRO series promises to be exciting this year.
But it'll be even better with you with us.

Anuradha Katyal

Group Chief People Officer – Axiata
Bio

Anuradha Katyal is a seasoned C-suite executive and transformation leader with over 20 years of senior leadership experience and more than a decade of board-level engagement in multinational companies. She brings deep expertise in digital transformation, human capital strategy, sustainability, and financial governance. Her career spans diverse industries—transportation, oil and gas, IT, infrastructure, and financial services—across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.

Anuradha has successfully led enterprise-wide initiatives, including digitalizing HR operations for 55,000 employees across 60 countries, driving efficiency, cost optimization, and enhanced employee experience. She is recognized for integrating business strategy with people-centric digital innovation, enabling organizations to thrive in dynamic environments. A strong advocate for ESG and sustainable leadership, Anuradha has represented industry perspectives at global platforms such as COP26 and spearheaded diversity and inclusion programs that significantly increased female representation in senior roles.
Her deep commitment to culture and people development is reflected in her role as a mentor and coach to professionals across levels and her participation in global HR thought leadership forums. With a proven track record of strategic foresight and change leadership, Anuradha continues to shape organizational growth through ethical, innovative, and inclusive practices.

Shahrizan Aini Shamsul Khalil

Chief Human Resources Officer – SD Guthrie Berhad
Bio

Shahrizan Aini Shamsul Khalil was appointed Group Chief People Officer of SD Guthrie Berhad on 16 May 2026, after serving as Chief Human Resources Officer since August 2024 and previously assuming the role of Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer earlier that year. In her current role, she focuses on shaping a people-first environment that supports business growth while strengthening employee engagement, trust, and long-term capability building.

She began her career with Maybank in 1995 before joining the Sime Darby Group in 1996 and later became part of SD Guthrie in 2004. In 2007, she assumed a senior management role as Vice President, Market Research and Analysis within the Group’s commodities trading arm. In 2018, she was appointed Head of Corporate Services at SD Guthrie International, overseeing Strategy & Price Risk Management, Options Trading & Market
Intelligence, Downstream Value Management (Strategy, Planning and Performance Management), Corporate Branding and Talent Management.

In 2023, she became Head of Human Resources and Corporate Services at SD Guthrie International, expanding her remit to include Talent Acquisition and Human Capital Management. During her early tenure in the Strategy and Business Development Unit, she developed a strong grounding in research, analytics, and strategic planning that continues to underpin her leadership career for more than 30 years.

Shahrizan holds a BA (Hons) in Accounting and Finance from London South Bank University, UK, and is ACCA-qualified, having completed her professional qualification at Emile Woolf School of Accountancy in London.

A strong advocate for creating safe and supportive spaces where individuals feel valued, heard, and empowered to thrive. She champions SD Guthrie’s purpose of “Care to Nourish, Dare to Flourish,” embedding it into the organization’s culture and ways of working, fostering a workplace where people and purpose grow together. Beyond her professional life, Shahrizan enjoys maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle. She also
appreciates creativity and expression through various forms of art and culture.

Nazrul Aziz

Group Chief Strategy Officer – Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp)
Bio

Nazrul Aziz is the Group Chief Strategy Officer at TalentCorp, where he leads the organisation’s strategic planning and alignment efforts. In this role, he works closely with stakeholders across government, industry, and academia to design and deliver demand-driven talent solutions that address Malaysia’s current and future workforce needs. Prior to joining TalentCorp, Nazrul spent 18 years in the public sector.

He holds a Master of Business Administration (Sustainable Development) from Universiti Sains Malaysia and a Bachelor of Science (Business Computing) from Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Norhamijah Mohd Hanafiah

Chief Human Resources Officer – KPJ Healthcare Bhd
Bio

Norhamijah is a distinguished HR expert with over 25 years of experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) respectively, as well as a certificate in Communication and Psychology from Stanford University California.

Norhamijah is an agile professional and a robust leader who has demonstrated her ability to drive complete organisational and people strategies, change management interventions, and tackle day-to-day HR operations. She began her illustrious career in 1997 as a scholar of TM, and with the wealth of experience gathered, held various roles and spearheaded several initiatives, including the successful implementation of Agile at Unifi, resulting in increased revenue. She was also instrumental in driving organisation transformation at Webe to achieve manpower cost reduction and an optimal workforce.

Satpal Singh

Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer – PLUS Malaysia
Bio

Satpal brings over 20 years of experience in Risk
Management, Strategy, Transformation, Sustainability, and
Governance.

Satpal is a Chartered Accountant by qualification. He was previously a management consultant with PwC and a financial auditor with EY, during which he provided consultancy services across 10 countries around the world, covering key industries including Oil and Gas, Energy, Telecommunications, Education, and Infrastructure.

Notably, Satpal worked with a multinational team to develop Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, Vietnam’s Economic Liberalization Roadmap, and spearheaded the annual review of Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Program (ETP). At PLUS’ he drives the strategic transformation.

In 2022, Satpal was named ASEAN’s first Risk Professional of the Year. He is a regular speaker at BFM, Bernama TV, and regional conferences and notably represented Malaysia at the 77th United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations COP 28, advocating for strengthened climate risk and resilience measures.

Lily Sabrina Kuang Abdullah

Chief People Officer – Takaful Malaysia
Bio

Lily is a seasoned Human Capital practitioner with over two decades of experience across Malaysia and the region, having served in leadership roles with financial service, healthcare, property investment and development, and diversified corporate sectors.

Her career has been shaped by a passion for people, organizational development and building sustainable talent pipelines. Through her cross-cultural and regional experiences, she has actively actively contributed to the HR community through professional networks and forums, while supporting young talent development through collaborations with universities and industry partners.

Throughout her career, she has worked alongside business leaders to support organizational growth, leadership development, workforce planning and people transformation. She has been involved in helping organizations navigate change, develop future leaders and strengthen people capabilities in support of business objectives.

She brings with her a regional perspective shaped by diverse industry experiences and a genuine interest in developing future HR professionals, strengthening people capabilities, and contributing to the advancement of the HR profession.

Nicholas Thooi

Chief People Officer – BonusLink
Bio

Nicholas leads the People & Culture pillar for BonusLink; Malaysia’s No 1 Loyalty Program. He’s a global HR leader with over two decades of experience in various industries. A SHRM certified professional, Nicholas has led numerous HR transition projects and enterprise-level talent initiatives across diverse markets. Prior to BonusLink, Nicholas has been in organizations such as Korn/Ferry, Pfizer, and GE. He is passionate about on topics such as future-ready HR, building resilient talent pipelines, driving organizational agility, and reimagining performance management in the digital age.

Datuk Dr Nora A Manaf

Former Chief Human Capital, Maybank and Chairman and Board Member MGA, MBSB Group
Bio

Nora Manaf chairs national level committees and sits in varied Boards. Nora is also an Adjunct Professor appointed by the College of Business, University Utara Malaysia (UUM) and by UKM in 2020, as well as UiTM. Nora is actively engaged in the country’s FI, Employers’ and Education circles via the leadership roles she holds. She is immediate Past President of the Malayan Commercial Banks’ Association, immediate Past Chairman of the Banking Sector HR Networking Group (HRNG), past Council Member of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), the National Labour Advisory Committee (NLAC), Advisory
Committee for UUM Master of Science (Finance) and an Advisory Council Member of Yayasan Peneraju Pendidikan Bumiputera as well as for the University-Industry Advisory Council Universiti Utara Malaysia and was recognized as a Global Top50
Human Resource Professional.

Nora’s past Board memberships included the Board of Etiqa General Insurace Berhad, Etiqa Life Insurance Berhad and MBB Labs Private Limited, Bangalore. Nora is Board member of MBSB Group, and Board of Trustees, Yayasan Khazanah. Nora is also on the Investment Board of UiTM.

Nora is a Chartered Accountant registered with MIA, Member of the Board of Examiners for the Asia Institute of Chartered Bankers (AICB), Member of the Asia Pacific Industry Advisory Panel for the Chartered Institute of Management
Accountants (CIMA) and a Qualified Person for Training (QPRT) for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Nora is also SEA Board member for i4cp. Nora was Co-Chair of the ASEAN Research Centre (ARC), Asia
School of Business. Nora actively mentors and was Executive Sponsor for the Women Council of Maybank and Mentor in the ICAEW-TalentCorp’s WIL (Women in Leadership) programme.

Nora is a qualified chartered accountant and is registered with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). Nora also holds a post-grad certification in Human Resource Development from Cornell University and is a certified Gallup Strengths
finder Coach Level II. Nora is also a Harvard AMP Alumni. Nora holds an MSPC Sustainability Practitioner L4 Black Belt. Amongst Awards conferred to Nora include ASEAN Manager of the Year, Beacon of Light in conjunction with national-level
Women platform, Icon for Women in Industry, HR Leader at a national-level TalentCorp platform, Recognition at last year’s (2023) HRDCorp’s National Learning Week.

Joanne Flinn

Chairperson – The ESG Institute
Bio

Thinkers50 Radar 2026. Affiliate Faculty, SMU Academy. Chairperson, ESG Institute (B Corp).

Most AI-and-workforce conversations are led by people who’ve never sat at an executive committee table nor on the board of directors. Joanne has. As Country Head of Financial Services Consulting at PwC Thailand, as Head of Change on the IT ExCo at DBS and now as a Senior Accredited Director, she’s spent 35 years in the room where transformation budgets get approved, talent strategies get challenged, and boards ask “what’s this actually going to cost us?” and “what will we get for this investment?”

Her ClearSight research across 20 Asian exchanges tracks the gap between what organisations report and what they’re actually ready to deliver. And the human dimension — discretionary effort, adaptability, institutional judgment — is the piece no dashboard captures and no AI replaces.

Her sense of humor spices up her masterclasses… A day with Joanne connects what your board, your CFO, and your people strategy need — together, not in silos.

Author of Greensight. Currently writing ClearSight: The Director’s Guide to Long-Term Value.

Christina Chan

Head of People – GXBank
Bio

Christina Chan is a strategic People Leader and the Head of People at GXBank, where she is a key architect of the bank’s organizational culture and talent strategy. With over 20 years of diverse HR experience spanning financial services, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and IT, Chris specializes in navigating complex digital transformations and building future-ready workforces. As a certified coach and forward-thinking strategist, she frequently shares insights on agile performance management, strengths-based leadership, and the evolution of the “People” function in the digital banking era.

Amit Kurhekar

Fractional CDO – TransformTechX
Bio

With 22+ years leading digital and AI initiatives that delivered $100M+ in business impact, Amit knows what it takes to move from experimentation to enterprise deployment. At MoneyLion, he built the data and AI infrastructure that reduced customer acquisition cost by by 5X, doubled conversions, and drove revenue 10X- proving that AI investments deliver bottom-line results when properly executed.

Today, as Fractional CDO at TransformTechX, Amit advises multinational enterprises on activating agentic AI, building governance frameworks that balance innovation with compliance, and redesigning operating models for human-AI collaboration—the exact challenges CDO’, CHROs face as workforce transformation accelerates.

His track record includes $15M in operational savings at P&G through predictive AI deployment, $8M incremental revenue at Yodlee, and strategic advisory to CEOs and Executive Committees on aligning AI strategy with business outcomes. Certified as Chief Digital Officer from Northwestern Kellogg and a recognized thought leader (25+ global keynotes, 3,000+ newsletter subscribers). Amit translates complex AI concepts into actionable CHRO strategies—ensuring your AI roadmap drives competitive advantage, not just technology adoption

Toshiharu Sakata

HR Director, ASEAN – SC Johnson
Bio

Toshiharu Sakata (Toshi) is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 22 years of comprehensive experience across HR Business Partner (HRBP) and Center of Excellence (COE) functions. His experience includes both commercial organizations and manufacturing environments, serving in business unit-based and geographically based roles, and supporting diverse business models in B2C and B2B sectors. He has a proven track record in leading complex organizational transformations, including business divestitures, start-ups, and brand integrations at global companies such as Procter & Gamble, COTY, and SC Johnson. Recognized for his principled leadership, disciplined approach, and decisive mindset, he consistently drives HR strategies that align with organizational goals and enable sustainable growth. His extensive regional experience spans Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, and Bangladesh. He is now located in Malaysia, bringing a deep understanding of multicultural environments and regional business dynamics to his leadership roles.

Will Polese

Vice President of Revenue – Elsa Corp
Bio

Will Polese is currently the Vice President of Revenue at ELSA Corp, a leading AI-powered English communication solution that helps enterprises enhance workforce communication. At ELSA, he leads the company’s global B2B business, overseeing sales, customer success, marketing, and revenue operations.

Before ELSA, Will held leadership roles at Udemy, where he shaped the strategic direction for New Ventures across Asia, and at MarketsandMarkets, where he delivered critical market intelligence to guide business decisions. Earlier, at Lux Research, he advised corporations on leveraging emerging technologies for strategic growth and innovation.

With extensive experience across corporate leadership and entrepreneurial ventures, Will has built a proven track record in driving digital transformation, strategic expansion, and business innovation in the technology sector.

Doreen Tan

Head of Enterprise, Asia – Coursera
Bio

Doreen Tan is the Head of Enterprise for Asia at Coursera, where she leads the company’s enterprise growth strategy and customer engagement across the region. With over 20 years of experience in enterprise sales, go-to-market leadership, and channel management across the technology and SaaS sectors, Doreen has a proven track record of driving business expansion and building high-performing teams. Prior to joining Coursera, she held senior leadership roles at Autodesk, Dassault Systèmes, OpenSpace, and Dropbox, where she successfully led regional teams in delivering digital transformation initiatives for enterprise customers.

Archan Bahulekar

Director Sales, Asia – First Advantage
Bio

Archan has 15 years of experience in driving B2B enterprise sales – including the past six years in the screening industry across APAC. He has a deep understanding of the background screening industry, having worked closely with strategic clients across industry verticals, collaborating and partnering with cross-functional leaders to ensure rolling out the best solutions and technology.

Archan holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce, majoring in Finance and Accounting, from the University of Mumbai. He is also the co-author of the Kindle e-book “Full Stack Salesperson: A Guide to Selling in Today’s Hi-Tech World” — a testament to his passion for sharing sales excellence and delivering exceptional client buying experiences in the tech sector. Based in Singapore for most of his career, Archan enjoys meeting people, live concerts and spending time with family.

Cedric Deschamps

CEO – Pacific Prime Malaysia
Bio

Cedric is a professional general manager with over 19 years of experience in the banking and insurance fields. Having graduated with a Degree in International Trade Relations from France, Cedric has worked in different countries around the world where he covered various operations projects and products within the financial industry. Cedric has been with Pacific Prime for almost a decade and has supported different functions through roles such as Regional Key Account Manager, and managing flex and broking in the Employee Benefits sector. Having relocated from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in 2021, Cedric now heads the Pacific Prime Malaysia office and is responsible for providing strategic, financial and operational leadership to the company.

Eddie Lin

Head of Corporate Sales, Regional Accounts – Pacific Prime Singapore
Bio

Eddie Lin is the Head of Corporate Sales, Regional Accounts at Pacific Prime, with over 13 years of experience in the employee benefits and insurance industry. Throughout his career, he has worked across account management, business development, and regional leadership roles, advising multinational organisations on employee benefits strategy, healthcare financing, and workforce wellbeing programmes across Asia Pacific.
Prior to joining Pacific Prime, Eddie held positions with Mercer, CXA Group, Prudential, and Lockton, where he partnered with employers ranging from high growth companies to large multinational corporations. In his current role, he leads regional business development initiatives and works closely with organisations to design and manage employee benefits programmes that support both workforce wellbeing and business objectives across multiple markets.

Ben Neumann

Partner and Southeast Asia Leader – Vialto
Bio

Ben Neumann is a Partner and Southeast Asia Leader at Vialto, where he also serves as the APAC lead for remote work. In this role, Ben works closely with organizations across the region to help enable global workforces and strategically align talent and mobility programs. His areas of focus include cross-border workforce solutions, remote work strategy and implementation, and helping businesses navigate the evolving complexities of international mobility and talent deployment.

With more than 25 years of experience advising multinational organizations, Ben specializes in cross-border tax optimization and workforce mobility strategies, with particular expertise in Australian, US, and Singaporean tax matters. He supports organizations in developing effective policies and governance frameworks that enable access to global talent while ensuring compliance with international tax and employment obligations. Ben also advises mobile employees and corporate stakeholders on the tax implications and practical considerations associated with global work arrangements and remote work models.

Ben began his career with PwC Australia in Sydney in 2000 as part of the firm’s trainee program. Since then, he has built extensive experience managing expatriate tax programs for multinational corporations and advising on a broad range of related matters, including international tax, expatriate policy design, employee equity awards, US personal taxation, and individual tax planning. His international career has included a three-year secondment in London before relocating to Singapore, where he now leads Vialto’s Southeast Asia practice. Ben holds a bachelor of commerce degree.

He is a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Hilda Liow

Partner and Malaysia Leader – Vialto
Bio

Hilda Liow is an international tax and global mobility advisor and Malaysia Leader at Vialto. In this role, she leads a diverse team of professionals supporting multinational organizations with cross-border compliance, governance, and talent mobility strategies across the Malaysian market. Her responsibilities include advising clients on international workforce deployment, regulatory compliance, and the design of effective global mobility frameworks that support business growth and operational efficiency.

Hilda brings over 25 years of experience across the UK, Singapore, and Malaysia, with deep expertise in managing complex global mobility programs for multinational organizations. Her specialties include cross-border compliance advisory, governance framework design, and strategic workforce mobility planning. She also has significant experience supporting organizations through mergers and acquisitions, particularly in human capital due diligence, helping ensure workforce structures, risks, and obligations are fully understood during transaction planning and integration.

Throughout her career, Hilda has advised clients on large-scale global mobility transformations, including the establishment of sustainable compliance frameworks that support long-term international workforce strategies. She has developed strong expertise in rewards, benefits, and equity incentive programs, helping organizations align talent structures with business and tax considerations across jurisdictions. Her work has consistently focused on enabling organizations to manage globally mobile employees effectively while maintaining compliance and operational consistency across regions.

Phing Phing Lim

Partner – Vialto
Bio

Phing Phing Lim is a Partner in global mobility services at Vialto in Malaysia, where she advises multinational and Malaysian organizations on global mobility and employment tax matters. With over 26 years of experience in tax and business advisory, she works closely with clients to manage the complexities of cross-border workforce movement, ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory requirements while supporting effective talent deployment strategies.

Her areas of specialization include cross-border tax and regulatory issues affecting both inbound and outbound employees. Phing Phing has extensive experience supporting organizations with employment tax compliance, including employer tax audits, compliance health checks, and due diligence exercises. She plays a key role in helping businesses strengthen governance frameworks and manage risk in relation to internationally mobile employees.

Phing Phing began specialising in global mobility with PwC Malaysia in 2000 and has since built a strong track record advising a broad range of Malaysian and multinational organizations. She holds a bachelor of economics in accounting from the University of Sydney.

Phing Phing is a member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) and the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA), as well as a Fellow of CPA Australia.

Lay Har Wee

Director – Vialto
Bio

Lay Har Wee is a Director at Vialto in Malaysia, specializing in talent mobility, employment tax, and rewards. She advises multinational organizations on compliant, tax-efficient global mobility strategies.

She focuses on cross-border taxation, compensation design, and global workforce mobility frameworks, helping organizations navigate complex regulatory and payroll environments while enhancing the employee experience.

With more than 24 years of experience in professional services, she has supported multinational clients with international assignments, expatriate tax compliance, and global mobility programs, bringing clarity and structure to cross-border workforce strategies.

David Chia

AI Learning & Content Strategy Lead – Cornerstone OnDemand
Bio

David is the AI Learning & Content Strategy Lead in APJ for Cornerstone. Having over a decade of experience in HR consultation, talent management, organisational development and training and development, David helps clients in the region accelerate mindset and behavioural change in their workforce through learning and practice.

Tsu San Tham

Former Chief People Officer – IJM Corporation Berhad
Bio

Tsu San is a Chief People Officer and transformation leader with over 30 years of experience advising Boards, Chief Executive Officers, and executive leadership teams on people strategy, organisational effectiveness, and governance in complex, high-pressure environments. Her experience spans banking, consulting, construction, and large listed organisations.

She is recognised for bringing clarity and structure to complex organisational challenges, consistently translating strategic intent into disciplined, executable outcomes. Notably, as the first Chief People Officer at IJM Corporation Berhad to hold both C-suite and Board-level responsibilities, she shaped enterprise-wide people and governance agendas.

At IJM Corporation Berhad, she led group-wide human resources, organisation development, and talent across multiple business divisions. Her work focused on strengthening leadership alignment, building succession depth, and embedding more rigorous, performance-oriented people practices and improving the total compensation for employees. She also drove significant improvements in employee engagement across the Group and advanced employer branding and talent pathways to support long-term capability building.

Tsu San’s work centres on building resilient leadership, fostering genuine alignment, and establishing people systems that deliver sustainable business performance. She brings a strong emphasis on execution discipline, ensuring that people strategies are not only well-designed, but effectively implemented with measurable impact.

Cyril Tan

Head of Organization Effectiveness – U Mobile
Bio

Cyril Tan is a seasoned HR leader with over 16 years of experience driving organizational transformation, employee development, and performance excellence. As the Head of Organisation Effectiveness at U Mobile, he leads strategic initiatives across talent management, employee experience, and future capability building. A recognized industry expert, Cyril was honoured as the HR Manager of the Year 2024 and holds several prestigious credentials, including SHRM-SCP and Certified ROI Professional (CRP). He is a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to humanize the workplace, recently spearheading the integration of AI-driven analytics to enhance employee well-being and operational agility at U Mobile.

Seow Choon Hui

Head of Group Strategic Human Capital Management – MBMR
Bio

Seow Choon Hui is the Head of Group Strategic Human Capital Management at MBMR, a public-listed automotive group in Malaysia. With over a decade of experience in HR strategy, talent development, and organisational effectiveness, he has led key initiatives in total rewards, performance-linked pay, and the Group’s first structured successor identification framework. Known for his strength in communications, stakeholder engagement, and driving clarity between leaders and employees, Choon Hui brings a people-first approach to shaping performance culture and workplace accountability. He previously held HR leadership roles at AirAsia and Shopee, and drove key initiatives at Beiersdorf, AmBank, and RHB. He holds a Master’s in Communication & Media Studies.

Reena Talla

Employee Experience Services Head- APMEA & Europe – Kerry
Bio

Reena Talla is a senior human resources executive with more than 20 years of international leadership experience spanning human resources, employee experience, governance, risk management, and business transformation across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia.

Throughout her career, she has held regional and global leadership roles across the mining, manufacturing, and FMCG sectors, leading large-scale teams and transformation initiatives across diverse markets. Her expertise spans workforce strategy, employee experience, HR operations, talent management, rewards, global mobility, employee relations, organizational transformation, and shared services leadership.

Reena is widely recognized for her ability to connect people strategy with business outcomes, helping organizations navigate growth, change, and digital transformation while fostering inclusive and high-performing workplace cultures. She has successfully led complex HR technology implementations, operating model redesigns, and enterprise-wide transformation programmes across multiple regions.

A sought-after speaker and industry contributor, Reena regularly participates in regional conferences, leadership forums, and industry panels on topics including the future of work, employee experience, workforce transformation, AI in HR, leadership, well-being, and organizational resilience.

Adrita Datta

Head of Talent, Culture & Inclusion – BAT
Bio

Adrita Datta is a commercially astute, strategically focused HR leader with over 18 years of experience across Asia Pacific markets, including Malaysia, Bangladesh, Japan, and Sri Lanka. She brings extensive expertise operating within complex matrix environments, with regional accountability spanning ANZ, the South Pacific, Indonesia, and Vietnam—designing and delivering leadership, organizational capability, and inclusion strategies at scale. She has a strong grounding in PLC governance and has served as a trusted advisor to executive leadership teams.

Her career reflects a proven ability to lead and inspire change, drive innovation, and elevate excellence across the full HR spectrum—from HR operations to commercial business partnering to Centre of Excellence roles. She has successfully delivered critical organizational restructures, HR operating model transformations, talent and succession strategies, diversity and inclusion programs, employee relations matters, and leadership development initiatives. She leverages a broad range of experience, commercial acumen, and an MBA in HR to integrate people strategies with business priorities.

Rodzal Had

VP Human Resources & Admin – Honda
Bio

Rodzal Bin Had is an experienced Human Resources practitioner with a strong background in leading people strategies within a multinational environment. As Vice President, Human Resources at Honda Malaysia, he plays a key role in shaping talent management, organisational development, and employee engagement initiatives.

He brings a balanced and practical approach to HR, with a focus on aligning business priorities with people development. Throughout his career, Rodzal has been actively involved in building leadership capabilities, strengthening workforce readiness, and driving continuous improvement in HR practices.

Rodzal is passionate about developing talent and fostering a positive, high-performing workplace culture. He looks forward to sharing his perspectives and learning from fellow industry practitioners at this forum.

Louisa Brady

Group Chief Human Resources Officer – Yinson Holdings Berhad
Bio

Mrs Louisa Brady is the Group Chief Human Resources Officer of Yinson Holdings Berhad and Chief Executive Officer of Yinson GreenTech.

She brings over 30 years of global leadership experience across FTSE 100 FMCG and Defence sectors, with a strong track record of translating strategy into execution and delivering enterprise performance. Operating at the intersection of business leadership and human capital strategy, she aligns organisational capability, culture, and innovation to drive sustainable growth. She holds executive education credentials from INSEAD in finance and strategic leadership and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

Joanne Flinn

Chairwoman of the ESG Institute
Bio

Thought leader, award-winning author and respected international keynote speaker, Joanne Flinn has brought inspiration, insight, and action to audiences across countries and industries. Her deep experience enables her to share true insights about digital disruption, change and leadership. Her empathy and realism help people succeed in business and life. As the Chair of the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Institute, Joanne works with Chairman and CEOs of global entities to develop, scale and deploy sustainability strategies.

Kris Wadia

CEO of Humanized Leadership
Bio

Kris Wadia is the CEO of Humanized Leadership. He focuses on putting human beings, not processes or technology, at the core of any business that wishes to be successful. A former Partner at Accenture, with global experience across multiple industry verticals, his career journey has spanned over 70 countries. Most recently, Kris was a keynote speaker on ‘Habitual Hybrid Leadership’ for the UK’s Centre for Army Leadership, with a world-wide audience of over 6,000 attendees.

Jonathan Cheung

CEO of the ESG Institute and ASEAN Development Advisor Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS)
Bio

Jonathan Cheung comes to the helm of the ESG Institute with over 37 years of leadership experience in 20 countries across the Asia Pacific region, North America, and Europe. His deep expertise in business, procurement and supply chain are uniquely situated to help organisations successfully tackle scope 3 emissions and improve value chains.

Jonathan brings invaluable expertise, collaborative muscle and big-picture vision to the ESG Institute through his external role as the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) ASEAN Development Advisor and his commercial acumen developed while the Executive Director/Regional Head of Citibank Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Services as well as his years at EDS, American Express, PwC Consulting, CAPCO, HP, and KPMG.

He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS); a licensed CIPS Procurement Excellence Programme assessor for Asia, and a Chartered IT Professional (CITP). He is also an Exco member of The Supply Chain Asia (SCA) Procurement Council.