FEATURES
SPECIAL REPORT TAMMY KOKKINOS General manager, HR Pentana Solutions
Tammy Kokkinos has been instrumental in the creation of automotive technology provider Pentana’s global HR department. During her time with the company, Pentana has expanded to 12 countries, from Australia and New Zealand to Southeast Asia and China, Europe and the US. Her ability to manage all matters HR has been the reason why the business has been able to get the cultural part of the expansion right. In line with the company’s expansion, Kokkinos launched a series of initiatives, beginning with a new vision and mission initiative, induction programs, internal communication platforms, cultural initiatives, clubs and health programs, and key event celebrations, which are all global. She has also been involved in all aspects of Pentana’s transformation, and continues to juggle all her responsibilities with professionalism. Kokkinos’ achievements and vision have made her a prime candidate for future executive leadership.
EVELYN LOW Associate manager, OD, SME Zimmer
MARCOS LAI Associate director, learning and development Wharf Hotels Management
Marcos Lai has been in the industry for just over five years, and now leads the L&D strategy for the company’s 16 hotels. Lai joined Wharf Hotels in August 2016 as group L&D manager, and since then has created an extensive range of programs and measures to build the skills and knowledge capabilities of associates across the hotels. One of Lai’s most noteworthy accomplishments was supporting the rollout of the leadership culture at Wharf Hotels through the Red Ring Leadership Philosophy. He single-handedly designed two programs using the values of the philosophy, ‘LIVE BOLD, STAY SHARP’. The BOLD recovery system is a three-step approach to coaching associates on handling guest complaints effectively; the program involved activities, case studies and role plays to help associates strengthen their boldness in achieving service recovery and guest satisfaction. Meanwhile, the SHARP improvement program involves a system following the lean, six-sigma approach, and coaches associates to improve productivity and reduce costs on their projects.
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Evelyn Low joined medical device manufacturer Zimmer Biomet in April 2017, and leads the organisation development (OD) initiatives for the Malaysia and Singapore markets – the latter of which is particularly critical as it serves as the regional headquarters with a group of key employees. Within a short period of time, she has made quite an impact on the company’s talent management and OD success through the various initiatives implemented, such as sales certification programs for the sales employees, leadership development programs for middle managers, and a reinvigorated orientation/induction program for new team members. Over the last seven months, she has delivered on approximately 600 man-hours of classroom training on a wide range of programs, ranging from sales effectiveness to leadership essentials. Low also supported her manager in developing the long-term strategy for the OD initiatives, to ensure that the company is able to sustain its talent acquisition agenda.
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