Up the ranks: Hilti Malaysia welcomes Reena Talla as Head of Human Resources

"I’m joining a team that has accomplished a great deal, and I look forward to learning from them, building on their successes, and creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute, collaborate, challenge respectfully, and continue growing together," she tells HRO.

Seasoned HR leader Reena Talla has taken on the role of Head of Human Resources at Hilti Malaysia, a provider of power tools and construction solutions, effective 1 July 2026 (Wednesday). 

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she was most recently Employee Experience Services Lead - APMEA & Europe at Kerry.

Catching up with HRO on her new role, she tells us what she is most looking forward to undertaking, her plans to shape the company's people strategy, and more. 

Read the interview below:

Q What excites you most about this new role?

What excites me most is the opportunity to join an organisation that has built such a strong reputation for putting its people first. Hilti’s culture of trust, care, continuous development and high performance is well recognised, and it’s one of the reasons I was so drawn to the organisation.

I’m also fortunate to be joining a team where a strong foundation has already been established. I have great respect for the work of my predecessor and the leadership team in shaping a positive culture and strong people practices. My goal is to build on that legacy while partnering closely with the business to continue developing our people and supporting Hilti Malaysia’s next phase of growth.

Q What would your #1 priority be in your first year taking on this role?

My first priority is to listen, learn and build trusted relationships across the organisation. Hilti already has a strong culture and highly engaged people, so my focus will be on understanding what makes the organisation successful and identifying opportunities to build on those strengths.

From there, I’ll work closely with the leadership team to ensure our people strategy continues to support the business strategy, while further strengthening leadership capability, employee experience and talent development.

Q How do you plan to influence or shape the company’s people strategy in this new role?

My approach is never to arrive with all the answers. It’s about understanding the business, listening to employees and leaders, and building on what’s already working.

Hilti has a well-established people-first culture and a strong reputation for developing talent. I see my role as helping to sustain and evolve that culture as the business continues to grow.

By combining commercial thinking with genuine care for people, I hope to contribute to developing leaders, strengthening organisational capability, and ensuring our people strategy continues to create value for both our employees and the business.

Q What challenges do you anticipate in this role, and how are you preparing to tackle them? At the same time, what opportunities do you see?

Like many organisations, Hilti is operating in an environment where technology is evolving rapidly, workforce expectations continue to change, and organisations need to develop new capabilities while maintaining a strong culture.

The opportunity lies in ensuring that a people-first culture remains a competitive advantage. Hilti already has an exceptional reputation for investing in its people. Building on that foundation, I see exciting opportunities to continue strengthening leadership capability, employee development, and organisational agility so that the business remains well positioned for the future.

Q What kind of culture do you aim to foster within your HR team going forward?

I want our HR team to be trusted advisors who are both commercially minded and deeply people-focused. I believe the best HR teams combine strategic thinking with empathy, enabling the business while never losing sight of the employee experience.

Equally important is preserving and strengthening the culture that already exists. I’m joining a team that has accomplished a great deal, and I look forward to learning from them, building on their successes, and creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute, collaborate, challenge respectfully, and continue growing together.

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