Shaping HR for 2024 and beyond: CHRO Malaysia

As we approach 2024, it becomes imperative to engage in thoughtful reflection and strategic planning. The evolving landscape of organisational dynamics necessitates a transformation in HR practices. Forward-thinking leadership is paramount in preparing for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

On 22 and 23 November, HR leaders from Malaysia will convene at CHRO Malaysia, united by the overarching theme, HR 2024 and Beyond: How CHROs Can Shape Organisational and Workforce Transformation. During the event, they will engage in formative, interactive sessions to explore key trends, address pressing topics, and learn how to build an inclusive workplace culture and leverage innovative HR technologies for enhanced employee experiences.

Held at Hilton Petaling Jaya, CHRO Malaysia will provide HR leaders with an unparalleled opportunity to learn from renowned HR thought leaders and develop effective people and organisational strategies for 2024. The event will start with welcome remarks from the host of CHRO Malaysia, Mallory Loone, Co-Founder, Work Inspires; and then lead into the opening keynote address, which seeks to see how Malaysia’s dynamic and evolving talent landscape is doing in an increasingly globalised world demanding quality talent, as well as the key challenges faced by Malaysia and the opportunities that lie ahead. Titled Navigating Malaysia’s Talent Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities, this opening keynote will be led by Thomas Mathew, Group CEO, Talent Corporation Malaysia (TalentCorp).

Then, attendees looking to understand the pivot some organisations are making from human resources to human development (HD) will benefit from the session headed by the ASEAN Human Development Organisation (AHDO), called HR to HD Is Driving Transformational Change. The session, led by Nadiah Tan Abdullah, CHRO, S P Setia, and current Regional Chair of ASEAN of AHDO, will focus on the emergence of HD at work, how it continues to transform the workplace and elevate human capital development in South-East Asia, and how organisations can elevate human capital development in this region.

If attendees are worried about whether they are truly maximising the potential of their workforce because of the everchanging workforce dynamics, and the challenges left by the aftermath of the pandemic affecting the workforce, the session Harnessing The Full Potential of Today’s Modern Workforce will cover these complexities and how leaders can embrace the burgeoning new reality to conquer and build a stronger work culture amidst constant change. Led by Rob Squires, VP, Regional Head of Asia and Japan, Ceridian, as well as Joshua Ooi, Senior Manager, Solutions Advisory, Ceridian, the session will help CHROs and other C-suite leaders mobilise their workforce, and boost employee engagement and performance.

The first panel discussion of the day will delve into the ongoing discourse surrounding HD at work, where employees strive to define its purpose and grasp the relevant metrics. With organisations looking to invest in their people yet still lacking the tools and knowledge to succeed with HD strategies, the panel discussion will discuss examples from experts on how leading employers have implemented successful strategies to apply HD across organisations. Applying Human Development at Work: What’s The Secret Formula for Success? is moderated by S P Setia’s Nadiah, and will feature panellists Ahmad Bukhari Mohd Yunus, Shell Global Head of Talent Upstream (Development, Wells and Exploration); and Anjali Menon, HR Director APAC, Sibelco to share their expertise on human development and its application in the Malaysian workforce.

Leaders looking to learn how to manage and improve employee-manager relationships will do well in Leadership Redefined in A Hybrid World and Its Impact on Talent Management, a session held by ADP. As employees seek better work-life balance, and better support from their managers due to stress and mental health issues in the workplace, managers will need to be equipped with the skills to connect and engage with employees in a distributed workforce. John Antos, Vice-President Strategy, Global Payroll & Asia Pacific, ADP, will be leading the discussion on improving employee-manager relationships by equipping managers with tips to help them communicate with empathy and help them navigate this new people management territory.

Great workplace culture is often a key segment that organisations are always looking to get right, and the true value of getting the culture right is being able to create a transformative impact on the organisation. BTS Asia will be sharing Making Culture Matter and Stick, using real-world client case studies, where BTS supported organisations in making culture “real” with their advisory approach and cascade its adoption through a bespoke simulation-based methodology. Karnada Sharpe, Associate Director, BTS Asia Pacific, will share how attendees can raise the bar for learning and development, and discuss how the methodologies explored in this session will help attendees and their organisation to create alignment, shift mindsets, and enhance organisational capabilities.

Attendees looking to discuss how prioritising sustainability as a key business objective can do so in Onwards to a Sustainable Future: Leveraging L&D to Drive Sustainability Strategies. L&D practices will be shared by Junita Abd Aziz, Head of Global Learning and Development, Petronas, who will discuss the importance of rallying employees to drive sustainability strategies and performance for speed, materiality, and alignment focus.

In the second panel discussion of the day, experts will explore how HR and work would look like in 2024. In the session HR Trends Overview 2024: Building the Future Organisation Today, moderator Dr Vinika Rao, Executive Director, INSEAD Africa Initiative and Hoffmann Global Institute for Business & Society, Asia and Adjunct Professor, INSEAD, will, along with her panellists, identify the key trends that HR and business leaders need to know about in 2024. Attendees can gain key insights into what they can do to navigate the challenges and opportunities in 2024, and how they can build a future-ready organisation that can thrive in an evolving world of work. Panellists for the session include Mitzie Antonio, HR Director at Nestle Malaysia and Singapore; Then Sik Kwang, Head of HR, DHL IT Services; and Sugunah Verumandy, Country Head of HR, HSBC. 

Discussions about Human Development, when intersected with the advent of Gen AI technology, will be something to look forward to when you attend Reimagine Human Development to Realise Human Potential, a discussion powered by Workday. With Wong Pei Woan, Director, Asia, Office of CHRO and CIO, Workday, see how Workday evolves its own human development initiatives to adapt to ever-changing needs. We will also share insights from a global study that examines the impact of AI and machine learning on the HR function and its strategic role.

The closing keynote address of the day will see Datuk Nora Manaf, Group Chief Human Capital Officer Maybank, explore the future of Malaysia’s HR landscape. The Future is Now: How Human Development is Gaining Real and Tangible Traction will see the discussion of human development (HD), and how organisations can realise value by integrating HD into the workplace. Datuk Nora will address some of the challenges facing organisations in Malaysia amidst uncertain times and how they can navigate these challenges by leveraging HD.

A one-day Masterclass will be held the next day, providing CHROs and other C-suite leaders with an opportunity to learn and hone their skills in specialised areas under the guidance of Joanne Flinn, Chair of the ESG Institute; and Jonathan Cheung, CEO, ESG Institute.

READ MORE: CHRO Malaysia: Gateway to workforce transformation

Led by the ESG Institute, the inaugural masterclass, Sustainability in Action for CHROs, aims to equip HR leaders with a comprehensive understanding of current environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, pressures, and future sustainability directions so that they can effectively guide the business and its people to attain the organisational ESG goals.

CHRO Malaysia is supported by Ceridian, ADP, Workday, and BTS. To find out more, click here.