In this episode of HR & Beyond, we sit down with Ryan Lim, Founding Partner of QED Changemakers, to explore leadership, relationships, and authentic networking in today’s business world.

Ryan works closely with senior leaders, C-suite executives, and board directors across Asia. As a trusted convenor of a community of over 3,500 leaders, he shares practical insights on how meaningful connections — not transactions — drive long-term success.

In this conversation, we discuss:
- What authentic leadership looks like
- Why relationships matter more than visibility
- How networking creates real value for people and organizations

This episode is especially relevant for those interested in HR Business Partnering, leadership, and people strategy.

In this conversation, we unpack:

 • What great HR partnership really looks like
 • How HR can influence and partner effectively
 • The shift from HR operations to HR business partnering

About our guest — Alexandra Ennis Ozkececi:
Alexandra is a seasoned HR Business Partner who blends empathy, strategy, and real-world experience to help organizations and people thrive.
Her background spans across Latin America and APAC, primarily in the tech sector. She has a unique gift for translating business needs into meaningful people-focused solutions .
In this episode, she opens up about the realities of HR, the biggest misconceptions , and what truly makes HR partnerships effective and impactful.

Early 1 in 3 young Singaporeans struggle with severe depression, anxiety, or stress. A sign that mental health challenges are emerging younger than ever.

🎙️ This week on HR & Beyond
We sit down with Joan Low, Founder & CEO of ThoughtFull, to explore how mental health in Asia is shifting — from cultural stigma to a strategic business priority 💭🌏💼

We dive into:
🧠 Why mental wellbeing is now a boardroom conversation
💡 How companies can build a true culture of care
🌈 What the future of workplace mental health looks like across APAC

It’s an inspiring and insightful discussion you won’t want to miss 🎧✨

✨ In this conversation, we unpack:
✅ How leadership has evolved 🔄
✅ How inspiring leaders stand out 🌟
✅ What you can do to kick off your leadership journey 🚀

👤 About our guest, Diana Khaitova:
Diana is a seasoned leadership & human capital consultant and thought leader, dedicated to empowering leaders to build thriving organizations and communities 🌍💡.

As the APAC Head of Client Development at the Center for Creative Leadership, she drives leadership development solutions across Asia Pacific and champions CCL’s mission in the region. 🌏📈

With over 25 years of experience living and working across multiple Asian countries, Diana brings a profound appreciation for the richness and complexity of the APAC region. She’s deeply passionate about developing the next generation of Global Asian Leaders 🌐✨

In this conversation, we unpack:

🔹 Why traditional rewards are failing 💸
🔹 How to balance flexibility with performance ⚖️
🔹 What HR leaders — especially in SMEs — can do today to stay competitive 🚀
🔹 The role of managerial courage in building high-performing teams 🏆

👤 About our guest, Tom Farmer:
Tom Farmer is founder, owner and Managing Director of Freelance Total Rewards.

💼 Tom previously held senior consulting roles with Mercer and Aon and has taught seminars for KornFerry Hay.
📊 With 40 years of experience in the determination of compensation and benefits, Tom's work has influenced billions of dollars in salaries, bonuses and other rewards provided by his employers and clients.

🌏 Tom created the ASEAN Total Rewards Institute in 2017, which has conferred over 800 certifications in the practice of total rewards to practitioners in 30+ countries.

🎙️ In this episode we dive into:
🔮 The future of pay
💸 Pay & benefits reinvention
⚡ How HR can drive change

👤 About our guest, Fermin Diez, PhD, CCP, SPHR, FSID
Dr. Fermin Diez has ample experience in HR, including consulting, academic and board roles in over 40 countries.
He has advised multinationals, large local companies ad public sector organizations at the Board and C-suite level.
As an HR leader, he has held Regional HR head roles and is former Deputy CEO for Singapore’s National Council for Social Services.
As an academic, he is an award winning Adjunct Professor at the NUS, SMU and NTU.
📚 He has written three books: ‘Human Capital and Global Business Strategy’, ‘The Remuneration Handbook’, and ‘Fundamentals of HR Analytics’.
He currently blogs about AI for HR and on the Future of Pay.

⏱️ Episode length: 45 minutes for insights that will spark the conversation

In this episode, we dive into:

 1️⃣ Market Pulse – What’s really happening in Singapore’s job market right now?
 2️⃣ Smart Hiring – How AI is changing the way we recruit, assess, and hire talent
 3️⃣ AI vs Human Touch: Navigating Workplace Challenges

👤 About our guest, Calvin Ong:
Calvin is a strategic HR leader with over 10 years of regional experience across Asia-Pacific. His career spans human resources, talent management, and organizational transformation — with a proven track record of building resilient, high-performing teams in fast-paced environments.
He’s passionate about the future of work, and in this episode, he shares fresh insights on the job market, government policy, trends, and how AI is reshaping recruitment.
⏰ Episode Length: ~20 mins – perfect for your next coffee break.

In this episode, we dive into:

1️⃣ Gen Z in the Workforce – Values, expectations, behavior
2️⃣ Multigenerational Dynamics – Interactions, friction, collaboration
3️⃣ Strategies and What Works – What can we do to proactively build successful multigenerational workplaces

👤 About our guest, Allan Ang:

Allan is a Senior HR executive with over 15 years of HR leadership experience working for global brands such as Visa, Estée Lauder Companies, and KFC/Yum Brands.
He has held various HR leadership roles including Head of HR, Head of Talent, and Head of Talent Acquisition.

A proven builder of high-performing diverse teams, Allan has led large-scale people organizations across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East.
His expertise spans several people topics including talent management, leadership acceleration, and building high-performing teams and organizations.

He sits on the advisory board of the University of Sussex Business School.
He also recently launched a social media channel on TikTok and Instagram where he shares anecdotal career advice – @TheCareersUncle

We knew our first full episode had to mean something — and we couldn’t have asked for a more powerful voice than Georgette Tan to kick things off!

From senior roles at Mastercard and CNBC Asia to bold work in the non-profit world, Georgette’s career is purpose in motion. As former President of United Women Singapore, and now a member of several boards and committees focused on advancing women and girls, she’s spent decades turning values into action.

In this episode, we explore:

- What it truly means to lead with intention

- What’s holding women back in Asia today

- What organisations can do to drive gender equality

- And her signature “5S + 1” formula for staying grounded and lifting others along the way

This is how we begin — with purpose!

From the vast steppes of Kazakhstan to the fast-paced skyline of Singapore, two Kazakhs set out on a mission: Decode the future of work.

HR & Beyond is about real people, real stories and the evolving purpose behind what we do. 

With decades of experience in HR, Benefits and Workplace Culture, we're diving deep into how work is changing and what's coming next.

Welcome to the Season 1 of HR & Beyond!