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From skills, learning, mobility, engagement, to leadership, this one-day conference aims to equip the HR community with practical tools and insightful ideas for preparing for the future of HR. Event report by Tracy Chan.
Employee expectations and industry dynamics are evolving at an unprecedented pace. The rapid digitalisation, urgent need for upskilling and reskilling, and the diversity of generations in the workplace – all compelling organisations and HR leaders to rethink and reshape their talent strategies to embrace changes, drive meaningful impact, and future-proof their workforce as well as their companies.
To equip the HR community with practical tools and insightful ideas for preparing for the future of HR, Human Resources Online debuted our flagship conference – Transform Talent – on 11 June 2025 at Hotel ICON, Hong Kong.
Packed with powerful keynotes, dynamic panel discussions, and interactive workshops, this one-day conference gathered more than 200 HR professionals to explore how to transform challenges into opportunities and unlock the full potential of talent across multiple dimensions: skills, learning, mobility, engagement, and leadership.
Here are some key takeaways from the event.
From job-based to skills-based development
In the opening fireside chat, Emmy Kan, former President of Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific, highlighted a transformative shift in workforce strategy: moving from a job-based to a skills-based approach.
“The evolution to a skill-based organisation is imperative to enable organisations to have the agility to deploy talent with right skillsets in the right place and in the right role to adapt to a dynamic and rapidly changing marketplace, meet evolving customer needs, and drive positive business outcomes,” she stated.
Kan also highlighted that a skills-based model can create more equal opportunities in hiring, development, and promotion, fostering a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
She stressed that this transition requires a growth mindset, strong leadership support, effective change management, and recognition of growth-oriented behaviours to drive long-term success.
ALSO READ: A fireside chat with leader Emmy Kan: How to adopt a skills-based development approach
Embedding L&D into business strategy
To adapt to a rapidly changing environment, embedding learning and development (L&D) into business strategy is key to equipping and future-proofing employees.
Moderator Jovan Trajceski, Global Analytics Partner at H&M Group, opened the panel discussion with compelling statistics: “74% of employees are eager to learn new skills, while 87% of companies face skill gaps.”
Paul van Rotterdam, Assistant Director of HR at Pirata Group, highlighted the importance of shifting L&D from a reactive fix to a strategic enabler.
“Let's open the toolbox and connect the dots to KPIs and business goals.”
Sarah Kwong, Talent and Leadership Development Head from HSBC Life, shared experiences on how agile, co-created training has helped overcome challenges.
“Learning is not just a support function; it is part of the business. We are helping employees to do the business, so we design training together with them and subject matter experts.”
Both speakers emphasised the crucial role of leadership in modelling learning, with van Rotterdam noting: “A leader sets the example – it is not just a cliché, it is how it works.”
Personalising learning to support multi-stage careers
In the next session, Cissy Ho, Director of Talent Management at AECOM, shared how the company empowers employees to shape their own ‘career DNA’ through personalised learning and multi-stage career paths.
“Personalised, modular learning can support employees through the traditional transitions, especially when they change roles, aligning career growth with organisational success and lifelong learning,” she emphasised.
Ho then shared case studies about engaging managers and early-career professionals in coaching training and the Asian women mentoring circle.
Through hands-on coaching, cross-level connections, peer-led facilitation, and inclusive engagement, employees at AECOM are empowered with autonomy, confidence, and sense of purpose to sustain learning, social ties, as well as a welcoming workplace where, as Ho shared, “Together, we thrive.”
Reimagining global talent strategies
After a break, Gautam Duggal, SVP of Learning & Culture, Citi, who flew in from India, presented a compelling case study on the evolving landscape of global talent and the urgent need for adaptive strategies.
“There is a fundamental shift in how people work – and in how businesses must respond,” he notes. With 77% of the workforce in Asia lacking future-ready skills and a potential economic loss of $8.5 trillion by 2030, the stakes are high.
Duggal emphasised that with the rise of agentic AI, freelance platforms, and internal talent intelligence tools, HR leaders need to build a “humane, AI-integrated talent marketplace”.
He advocated for short-term talent rotations, strategic use of freelancers, and a renewed focus on human skills like resilience. The call to action is: invest in both people and technology, and ensure that learning strategies align clearly with business goals.
Data-led workplace wellbeing strategy
Helen Lam, Corporate Wellness Solution Consultant and Sales Manager, Technogym, discussed how AI and digital solutions are transforming corporate wellness.
“Wellness is about getting more energy, increasing efficiency at work, living longer and healthier, and achieving mental, physical, and social wellbeing,” she explained.
In Hong Kong, 76% of adults do not have enough daily physical activities and 59% of employees face health risks due to insufficient exercise. As a result, an average of 77.3 workdays are lost per employee every year due to health-related absenteeism.
By offering corporate wellness solutions that utilise AI and big data, organisations can tailor and customise the wellness journey for their employees – from onboarding and exercise engagement to ongoing support to "move for a better world, and importantly, for a better work".
Crafting a meaningful employee value proposition (EVP)
The next conversation, moderated by Edward Hung, Human Resources Director, DKSH Hong Kong and Macau, focused on the evolution of EVP to remain relevant in today's talent landscape.
Robert Amos, Head of Reward, HKEX, emphasised that EVP must be authentic and data-driven.
“If you say you embrace wellness but only offer a stress management seminar, are you really living what you say?”
He therefore highlighted the need for individualisation and adapting EVP to new sectors like crypto and tech.
Meanwhile, Susana Ng, Global Director, Talent Management and Organisation Development, Plaza Premium Group (PPG), stressed that EVP is “not a gimmick” and must be tailored to organisational needs.
She shared how PPG balances global consistency with local flexibility, especially for its largely operational workforce.
“Aspiration drives innovation, while authenticity builds trust,” she remarked.
Both speakers agreed that leadership buy-in is essential. Leaders must “walk the talk” to effectively embed EVP into the company culture.
Enforcing restrictive covenants to protect business interests
Hong Tran, Partner, JSM, then shared practical insights on drafting and enforcing post-termination restrictive covenants (PTRs).
“PTRs are void unless they protect a legitimate business interest and are reasonable in all the circumstances,” he emphasised.
Key types of PTRs include non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-dealing, each requiring careful tailoring to the specific role and the business context.
Tran noted that drafting effective PTRs involves balancing various factors. Ultimately, it comes down to the question: “Do you want maximum enforceability or maximum coverage?”
He also discussed strategies such as garden leave, long-term incentive plans, and re-executing PTRs on promotion, highlighting the importance of robust confidentiality protections, and further addressed the topic of springboard injunctions and the risks of hiring employees under PTRs.
He concluded by urging businesses to clearly define their legitimate interests, draft with precision, review clauses regularly, act quickly on breach, and educate managers on contractual obligations.
Understanding individual leadership strengths
After lunch, Renee Conklin, Career & Executive Coach and Corporate Trainer, RC HR Consulting, led an engaging workshop focused on reflecting on individual strengths and how these can be leveraged to overcome personal HR leadership dilemma, with an aim to help delegates to reignite their passion for their roles, and advance their career development.
She categorised the HR leadership dilemma into four main patterns:
- the tactical-strategic divide;
- the service-leadership tension;
- the capability-confidence gap; and
- the influence-authority balance.
Through interactive exercises and real-life coaching stories, attendees gained practical tools and insights to lead with confidence and thrive in their HR careers.
Learning won't matter. Capability will
After the break, Saurav Atri, Group Head of Leadership Development at DFI Retail Group, challenged the value of traditional learning, stating that capability – the ability to achieve outcomes – is more critical in today’s fast-changing world.
Through a live demonstration, he showcased how delegates could build websites without any prior knowledge or skills, highlighting that knowledge and experience are not always prerequisites for success.
Atri defined capability as the consistent application of skills, including the effective use of AI tools. He emphasised the importance of focusing on timeless skills and necessary behavioural shifts.
He concluded by stating: “The purpose of learning is to make a shift in human behaviour. That is what we are trying to achieve in learning. For this shift to happen, three things are necessary: mindset needs to be shifted, emotion needs to be shifted, and then behaviour needs to shift.”
ALSO READ: DFI Retail Group's Saurav Atri debunks L&D myths: Will learning still matter?
Engaging Gen Z employees to work
Rounding off the conference, Kristy Lam, Head of HR APAC, The Cookware Company, explored why Gen Z in Hong Kong seems to be “giving up" on traditional work norms, and what is driving their evolving expectations.
“Gen Z is reshaping the workplace culture – they value purpose, flexibility, and wellbeing,” said Lam.
“If a company doesn’t walk the talk and provide growth opportunities, they will be dissatisfied and leave the organisation.”
Through various case studies, Lam identified several preferences of Gen Z:
- They seek clear boundaries for better work-life balance.
- They are cautious about career planning but open to market opportunities.
- They expect guidance and mentorship but prefer to avoid micromanagement.
Beyond salary, factors like travel, development, and authenticity are also important to them.
Lam emphasised that the future workplace must be tech-enabled, human-centered, and purpose-driven, prioritising technological advancement as well as meaningful engagement.
Human Resources Online would like to thank all speakers, moderators, panellists, and delegates for being valuable contributors to this event.
We would also like to extend our gratitude to our sponsors & partners for making this conference possible:
SILVER SPONSOR
- Technogym
EXHIBITORS
- Citibank
- ESIGN
- HKU Business School
- Lyreco
- Steam Building
KNOWLEDGE SPONSOR
- RC HR Consulting
EVENT PARTNER
- Pigeonhole Live
Interested in being part of these game-changing conversations? Join us for our flagship conference, Inspire HR 2025, on 16 September 2025, to explore the future of work with industry leaders and subject matter experts. Click here to learn more details.
Lead image / HRO
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