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"This connection drives not just their success, but our collective success as an organisation. It’s exciting to think about what we can achieve together when everyone is fully engaged with the business," he highlights.
One important lesson that Shaun Ee (pictured above), Cluster Head of People, Singapore & Myanmar, The HEINEKEN Company, carries with him to this day is the importance of taking care of people.
Citing McDonald's founder Ray Kroc's quote. 'Take care of your people, and the business will take care of itself.', he believes that striking a balance between employee wellbeing and business success is key to achieving organisational goals.
Ee comes with more than two decades of experience in HR leadership roles across the consumer, manufacturing, and logistics sectors at organisations such as McDonald’s, Kimberly-Clark, and Commonwealth Capital.
In his current role, he leads the People organisations of Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (Part of The HEINEKEN Company). Here, he drives local and regional people transformation programmes that support business objectives, shaping and delivering the strategic people priorities of such as culture, talent, and capabilities, while developing the strategic people drivers of social sustainability, rewards, and health & safety.
Ahead of his upcoming session at the #TalentTechAsiaSummit, Ee talks to Mary Ann Bundukin about how nurturing talent and achieving business success are not mutually exclusive — that they go hand in hand.
Q Thinking back to your first day in HR, what is the most important learning that sticks with you until today?
One lesson that has stayed with me is the importance of taking care of our people. As Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s, famously said, 'Take care of your people, and the business will take care of itself.' However, it’s not about caring for employees in isolation, but striking a balance of their wellbeing with business success and organisational goals. Both must coexist.
I’ve witnessed first-hand how supporting our people through their challenges not only boosts morale but also drives productivity. When our people feel valued and understood, they are far more likely to contribute wholeheartedly and drive the organisation forward.
To me, this serves as a constant reminder that nurturing talent and achieving business success are not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand.
Q What steps do you believe are necessary to transform today's talent into the talent that the business needs?
To unlock the full potential of our people, it’s important to help them develop their business acumen. When we help our talent see how their roles connect to the broader goals of the organisation, it gives them a sense of purpose for coming to work each day and empowers them to recognise the real impact they can make to the business.
This connection drives not just their success, but our collective success as an organisation. It’s exciting to think about what we can achieve together when everyone is fully engaged with the business.
Q Could you share emerging trends that you believe will have the most significant impact on HR in the next few years?
One trend that stands out to me is the increasing focus on mental and emotional health and wellbeing. This has become a crucial aspect of HR, especially as we navigate a workforce that spans different generations, each bringing its own values and experiences.
It’s important for us to recognise this and create safe spaces where mental health is openly discussed and prioritised. We need to bridge the gap between traditional views and modern thinking to foster a culture of support and understanding. By doing so, we can encourage everyone to feel included and comfortable to seek help when they need it and remind them that self-care is an integral part of our overall health.
And, of course, there’s technology, including AI, which will play a significant role in shaping the future of HR. We should embrace it as a tool to drive productivity and streamline processes. The goal is to harness the power of technology to empower our teams while maintaining the human touch that’s so vital to our work.
Q What are you most looking forward to in your session at #TalentTechAsiaSummit?
I’m excited to connect with fellow leaders to learn, share, and reapply best practices that we can implement in our organisation. I also look forward to bringing back fresh perspectives that will help us futureproof our talent and organisation, as well as drive productivity and growth of our business.
I want to attend the conference: If you're keen to attend this closed-door conference, kindly register your interest here. For speaking opportunities, please write in to Mary Ann Bundukin. We look forward to welcoming you!
I want to sponsor: Engage in meaningful dialogue through dedicated speaking slots, roundtable discussions, and at your booths! If your organisation provides any talent, leadership, or HR technology solutions and products that you'd like to showcase, you’ll fit right into this event. To learn how you can sponsor, please reach out to a member of our team now, or fill in your interest here and our team will be in touch.
Lead image / Provided
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