One of Southeast Asia’s most highly regarded HR leaders, Peck Kem Low, marks her return as president of the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI).

Low – who is the CHRO of Singapore’s Public Service Division (PSD) – was elected president of SHRI during the institute’s 59th annual general meeting last week.

Her win comes after a two-year break during which fellow HR industry veteran DN Prasad took the helm.

The seasoned HR leader ran against Imran Chng, the former general manager of environmental services company Sun City Maintenance.

“I am passionate about the HR profession. I believe that we, as HR professionals, can make a huge impact on our organisations and community,” Low said.

“I believe that SHRI, as Singapore’s national HR body, who is turning 60 this year, has a role to play in helping Singapore’s HR punch above our weight – we have the leadership team to do it.”

Advancing a future-ready HR profession

Low expressed support for SHRI’s chief executive officer Alvin Goh, as well as the secretariat and new executive council. She also thanked Prasad for his “strong leadership” in the past two years and vowed to keep advancing SHRI’s goals.

“Leveraging on what we have built upon in the past few years moving forward, SHRI will focus on building a future-ready HR profession that we can all be proud of,” Low said.

The leader promised to “uplift the capabilities of HR professionals to bring real value to our businesses, customers, employees, key stakeholders, and partners.”

She also stressed the importance of going “beyond geographical boundaries” to build networks and work with regional and global partners; giving back to the community; and being the “voice of the HR profession”.

The right leader for a 'pivotal moment'

Goh shared Low’s vision of the future, writing on LinkedIn: “Legacy is not just what we leave behind – it’s also what we build forward.”

The CEO said Low is the “right leader for this pivotal time” for both Singapore and SHRI, and lauded her “wisdom and deep understanding” of talent leadership.

“With renewed focus and collective purpose, we look forward to making a meaningful difference for the people profession in Singapore, and for the workforce as a whole,” Goh said.

Prasad, for his part, recalled his experience working with Low both at PSD and SHRI. “I could not be happier to see her at the helm of the premier HR Institute,” he said.

Leadership lessons from Prasad

In his departure as president, Prasad shared his own leadership lessons.

“As I look back at the two years, the tenure of my council and I were primarily distinguished by two key themes. One, life is not a solo sport – we need to strengthen the ecosystem play to strengthen the function, build pride and identity and stay relevant, even as we forge ahead to be strategically significant thought partners in organisations at large,” he said.

“Two, lend [our] voice and expertise to further strengthen HR and leadership practices, and elevate human capital excellence.”

At the AGM, SHRI unveiled its “refreshed vision and mission” and plans for the year ahead.

“As we step into our 60th year, we look forward to expanding our impact beyond HR, working closely with business and industry leaders to strengthen progressive practices in Singapore and beyond!” the institute shared on LinkedIn.