Suite Talk: Meet the business heads of Toshiba, Novartis, Chatime Malaysia, and more

As we wave a final goodbye to 2019 and are all prepared to say hello to 2020, we're rounding off the year with a special feature on our top 10 Suite Talk interviews we've conducted in the last 12 months.

In the articles below, where we featured Fuji Xerox's Singapore CEO, Konica Minolta Malaysia's MD, and more, we learnt about how servant leadership can make a difference, why HR is the HR being the co-pilot for the business, and more.

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1. Chatime Malaysia's Group MD on how HR can determine the success of an organisation

Aliza Ali, Group Managing Director, Chatime Malaysia, shares the secret to the beverage company's aggressive growth in the past two years, as well as how will HR play a part in the firm’s next stage of expansion.

[Read the full interview here]

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2. Minor Food Singapore's CEO on building an entrepreneurial mindset

Act fast, take calculated risks, and believe in your people – these are the three qualities that are key to forming an entrepreneurial mindset. Dellen Soh, Chairman & CEO, Minor Food Singapore, shares the best thing companies can do to encourage this mindset.

[Read the full interview here]

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3. How Asian and Western work cultures differ, as told by Sara Cheng, Fuji Xerox SG CEO

While the Asian culture is more command and control, top-down driven; in the US and Europe, people are vocal and usually have a point of view. Sara Cheng, CEO, Fuji Xerox Singapore, explains how she has navigated her various geographic experiences as a leader.

[Read the full interview here]

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4. Royal Canin's APAC President on HR being the co-pilot for the business

Strong HR leaders are critical to helping the business attract, develop, deploy and retain the best talent effectively, says Sylvia Burbery, Regional President – Asia Pacific, Royal Canin.

[Read the full interview here]

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5. Konica Minolta Malaysia's MD on his ‘terrifying’ sales meeting as a young recruit

Koji Yoshida, Managing Director, Konica Minolta Business Solutions (M), on how his manager’s trust and encouragement 28 years ago has made a deep impact on his career with the company.

[Read the full interview here]

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6. Toshiba APAC's MD on the qualities of an ideal CHRO

Ryuji Maruyama, Corporate Representative – Asia, Toshiba Corporation; (also the Managing Director, Toshiba Asia Pacific), sheds light on how he works with HR, and describes his ideal CHRO.

[Read the full interview here]

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7. Supernova's twin co-founders on clarifying family vs business roles

Having led the global search, Erik Ramp, Director of Strategy and Operations at Edwards Lifesciences and site leader for the new Kuala Lumpur Business Services Center, credits the talented workforce, diverse culture, multilingual talent pool, business-friendly policies, and strong infrastructure.

[Read the full interview here]

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Interviewees' photos / providedLead image / 123RF