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From policies, to branding, and to workplace experience, she shares how leading three distinct portfolios gives her the unique opportunity to redefine what it takes to build culture — and why the future of HR lies in balancing AI with empathy.
What does it take to build a truly holistic organisational culture? For Quek Li Ling, Head of Human Resources, General Affairs & Marketing Communications, Cathay United Bank Singapore, the answer lies in seeing the organisation from every angle — and then connecting the dots.
In her role, Quek provides oversight across three distinct portfolios, and brings a perspective few HR leaders have. “It allows me to see culture from both the employer’s and employee’s perspectives,” she shares.
From designing policies to shaping brand narratives and creating a conducive workplace environment, each function plays a distinct role. Together, they form what she describes as a “well-rounded organisational culture” — one that is intentionally built, communicated, and experienced.
Sitting down with Sarah Gideon one breezy day in March, she shares her perspective on managing generational shifts, driving holistic wellbeing, and building a future-ready workforce — while redefining culture through her unique blend of HR, GA, and marcomms roles in an AI-driven world.
Q Having led HR functions across multiple financial institutions over the years, what fundamental aspects of HR remain constant with you — and what has changed most dramatically?
What remains constant will be the importance of trust, being fair, and continuously developing talent, especially among younger employees.
What has changed most is the shift in generational expectations. Younger employees prioritise work-life balance, flexibility, and cross-functional learning, while older employees tend to value stability.
Managing across generations has made HR more complex, as expectations continue to evolve.
Q With the portfolios you hold, how do you try to strike that balance with this multi-generational workforce?
It’s really about open communication. We run town halls and share updates through our internal newsletter, ‘Green Bites’.
Town halls provide that platform to show the direction of the bank and give employees a platform to engage. We also use tools like Kahoot! for anonymous questions and feedback.
We take employee feedback seriously and act on it, which helps build trust and balance across the workforce.
Q Cathay United Bank places strong emphasis on holistic employee wellbeing across physical, social, family, and community pillars. What sparked this framework, and how have employees responded to it?
We view this through four pillars: Healthy, Hearty, Happy, and we recently added on one more pillar: Horizon.
“Healthy” covers physical and mental wellness, “Happy” focuses on celebrations and positive moments, and “Hearty” includes CSR initiatives. One key programme is ‘CU Smile’, where we collaborate with Taiwanese corporates in Singapore to support the community.
The newest pillar, “Horizon”, focuses on employee development. Together, these pillars provide a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Q What has been a defining point in your HR career — a moment that profoundly shaped how you lead today?
I spent quite a fair bit of my early days in this career handling many sensitive situations, so that experience reinforced how important HR policies are in shaping organisational culture.
"At the same time, I learned that HR must go beyond policies. Empathy and the human touch are essential – even with AI, we cannot operate like robots. The human element remains critical."
Q I want to shift our focus to the forward-looking aspects. What is one major shift you expect the workforce to undergo in the next 3–5 years — and how is your HR team preparing employees for it?
I would say, AI.
Everyone is talking about AI now, but for us, the focus is on readiness. We see AI as a fundamental shift in how work is done, and not just a tool. That means equipping our people with the confidence to use AI through targeted training, and dedicated AI programmes, as AI is progressively being embedded into everyday workflows.
Some employees are still unfamiliar with tools like Copilot, while others want to explore more advanced applications. Our goal is to encourage everyone to embrace AI without fear.
We see a multi-generational workforce, where different groups have different starting points and learning preferences. Some employees are more experienced and may take a more structured approach to upskilling, while younger colleagues may be more eager to explore emerging AI tools in more self-directed ways.
Our focus is on ensuring everyone is supported to embrace AI confidently, regardless of where they are in their careers. Within the bank, we offer a range of talent development programmes (through our “Horizon” pillar) and set aside dedicated learning hours and training budgets, so employees can tap on resources that best suit their needs and continuously build their capabilities to be prepared for future changes in demand for skillsets.
Q Do you face any challenges in terms of adoption of these upskilling programmes? Or do you see any resistance?
The main challenge is time — everyone feels like they don’t have enough of it.
We are all given 24 hours. We address this by working closely with HODs and setting mandatory training hours. Employees are required to complete six hours annually, while HODs complete about 15 hours.
I don't see much resistance; in fact, staff are pretty happy about the training and opportunity to learn.
If some employees are less proactive, we continue to encourage them. Staying relevant requires continuous learning. It’s also free, and I believe people should make good use of the available opportunities that we are giving to the staff.
Q Do you face any challenges or resistance in terms of adopting these upskilling programmes?
The main challenge is time — everyone feels like they don’t have enough of it.
We are all given 24 hours. We address this by working closely with HODs and setting mandatory training hours. Employees are required to complete six hours annually, while HODs complete about 15 hours.
On top of that, I think it's really for your own good, and it really will help you in terms of the demands for new skillsets.
I don't see much resistance; in fact, staff are pretty happy about the training and opportunity to learn.
If some employees are less proactive, we continue to encourage them. Staying relevant requires continuous learning. It’s also free, and I believe people should make good use of the available opportunities that we are giving to the staff.
Q How do you balance the pace of digital transformation in banking with the need to maintain human empathy and connection in HR?
It comes down to building the right skillsets. In HR, for example, tools like DocuSign have helped streamline onboarding processes – but that does not replace the role of HR.
There is still a critical need for human touch and empathy. Candidates often raise questions that cannot be answered by machines in the moment, which makes the human element important.
At the same time, we recognise the importance of reassuring employees and helping them feel comfortable with AI. HR plays a key role here — guiding, supporting, and pacing people through change.
"To retain our candidates is also an art. Attracting them is one thing, but make sure that they are happy, and you create environment where they can learn and do their best. That is key."
Q Looking ahead, what skills do you believe HR professionals in the banking sector must build to stay relevant and drive people‑centric transformation?
You need to be adaptable. We teach that leadership is paramount, so we must be comfortable with change, embrace it, and think of how we can help to bring the workforce forward.
We also need to understand the company's direction, align with it, communicate it to the staff, and provide the necessary training so that the whole workforce will be able to achieve the goals of the company.
Ultimately, it's about balancing people priorities with business goals, including profitability, while ensuring the workforce is equipped to move forward together.
Photo / Journalist's own
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