Dr. Raman Srinivasan

Head, Ignite Initiative

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Dr. Raman Srinivasan currently heads the Ignite Initiative of Tata Consultancy Services, and is based in Chennai, India. Ignite is an initiative to identify new talent pools, promote innovative ways of learning and transformation leading to inclusive and sustainable growth.

Srinivasan is an elephant trainer by imagination, a historian by training, and a software engineer by default. He holds a B.Tech from IIT Madras, and completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also lectured at American universities and worked at The Rockefeller Foundation. Prior to joining TCS in 2004, Dr. Raman Srinivasan had successfully co-founded two tech startups and led the research and training efforts at an Indian software products firm. He has several patents and publications to his credit.    

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Rajan Srikanth

Human Capital Leader Asia Pacific, Mercer, India

Srikanth leads the Human Capital Advisory Services (HC) business in Asia. He has a strong background in organizational design and organizational effectiveness, coupled with experience in leading a change strategy practice.

Prior to joining Mercer, Srikanth was at Accenture where he was Executive Partner and global lead for the firm's organizational change strategy practice. In that capacity, he had direct oversight of 150 consultants located in the US, Europe and Asia and coordinated the firm's thought leadership, capability and business development in this area. Previously, from 1997 to 2004, he was based in San Francisco with Mercer Delta Consulting, as Partner and consulted with CEOs and other senior corporate leaders on strategic organizational change. He has also been a consultant with a unit of KPMG Peat Marwick and with Bain & Company. From 1990 to 1995 Srikanth was assistant professor at the Walter A. Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.

Srikanth holds a Ph.D. from the Stern School of Business, New York University, and a B.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India.

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Dr. Wayne Lotherington

CEO

Allsorts Habit Creation

Wayne Lotherington began his career in education in Australia, before moving into the world of marketing communications. Having spent 18 years with renowned advertising agencies including DDB Worldwide, Batey Ads and Leo Burnett in Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, in 1999 he set up his own consulting business, Allsorts Habit Creation. Today, Allsorts has offices in Singapore, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Chicago, Buenos Aries, Shanghai and Toulouse, serving clients in more than 55 cities across 38 countries.
 
Lotherington and his Allsorts partners conduct workshops and seminars that show clients how to apply the power of creativity and innovation to everything they do: from corporate culture to how to think, present, negotiate, develop strategies, sell, and deal with staff and clients.     
 
Lotherington holds a degree in Economics, a Graduate Diploma in Education, an MBA and a PhD in the field of Business Creativity. He has lectured in Marketing Communications and Strategic Marketing at Monash University in Melbourne, at both under-graduate and post-graduate levels. He also holds the position of Associate Professor of Creativity at Rushmore University. Executive Director of the CASBAA Media College in Singapore and Hong Kong, the Heinz Asia Pacific Leadership Academy, the GAC Worldwide Vision University.

Read Dr. Wayne Lotherington's interview on 'Developing innovative HR strategies'

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Elisa Hukins

Global Leader Cultural Integration, Mergers & Acquisitions

Mercer 

Elisa Hukins is the Global Leader Cultural Integration for Mercer's Mergers and Acquisitions business. She is based in New York and has over fifteen years of consulting and corporate experience in Asia, Australia and the US.

In her current role, Elisa works closely with clients to develop strategies and approaches to derive greater value from deals through the effective management of cultural integration. This includes advising clients and leading assignments in cultural due diligence, assessing organization culture, facilitating senior teams to articulate cultural aspirations and directions, culture integration planning, analyzing the levers required to bring about desired culture change, and developing culture change implementation plans and dashboards. In addition, Elisa has a key role in building and consolidating Mercer's intellectual capital and capability to deliver cultural integration projects globally.

Before moving to New York, Elisa was located in Asia for over seven years, where she specialized in the areas of talent management, cultural assessment and change, leadership development, competency framework development, performance management and assessment and development centers, as well as building the strategic capability of HR teams. In Mercer Singapore for four years, she worked across Asia, leading workforce strategy-related assignments, while also building Mercer College Asia and Mercer's Foundations of Leadership program. Prior to this, Elisa was based in Jakarta, Indonesia where she established and led a successful joint venture consulting business over three years.

Corporately, Elisa has held senior HR roles within Westpac Banking Corporation (Australia) in Corporate Management Development, and as the Organization Development Lead on a significant change program impacting all aspects of the retail bank's operations.

Elisa is a registered Organizational Psychologist with a Master of Applied Psychology from the University of NSW (Australia), and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Psychology from Macquarie University (Australia).

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Peter Smith

Global Leader Executive Talent Management

Mercer, Australia

Peter Smith has broad HR management experience derived over 25 years in senior corporate and business consulting roles including 10 years specialist consulting to major Australian and international clients in the field of talent and succession management and associated management information systems. Currently Global Leader for Executive Talent Management with Mercer Australia, he joined the firm in September 2006 when Mercer acquired his Talent Management Software Solution Consultancy, established in 1996.

Smith holds a Bachelor of Business and is a Certified Professional of the Australian Human Resource Institute.

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Prue Weitemeyer

People & Capability Leader

Mercer, Australia

Prue Weitemeyer joined Mercer in 1999 and has led, managed and delivered a wide range of projects in Asia Pacific. She has extensive experience in the design and development of talent management programs, performance reward links, performance management systems, career management systems and reward strategies and classification structures. Weitemeyer has a People and Capability leadership role in Mercer Australia and New Zealand, and contributes to several global initiatives with regard to Workforce Strategies to develop intellectual capital and advanced thought leadership in these areas of expertise.

Weitemeyer holds a Bachelor of Arts (Human Resources & Japanese) and a Master of Business – Human Resource Management.

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Paula Radloff

Vice President, Partner Resources

Starbucks Coffee Asia Pacific Limited

Vice President, Partner Resources with Starbucks based in Hong Kong since July 2005, Paula Radloff is responsible for nine countries in this region composed of joint venture, licensee and wholly owned markets.

A Starbucks veteran of over seven years, Radloff has served as Vice President, Global Staffing responsible for overall staffing strategies for Starbucks, as well as Director, Partner Resources, Retail North America, leading partner resources functions for Store Development, North America Finance, IT and Retail Operations & Implementation. As part of her role, she was the Partner Resources lead responsible for the successful integration efforts following Starbucks acquisition of Seattle Coffee Company.

Prior to joining Starbucks, Radloff was a Vice President, Human Resources at JPMorgan Chase for five years providing strategic human resources leadership to two business units responsible for revenue contribution of US$221 million and US$30 billion in managed assets. Previous experience also includes positions with Van Kampen, American Capital and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center performing generalist duties, merger and acquisition work and organization and development consulting.

Radloff has a Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University with a concentration in Education and History.

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Neo Siew Khim

Regional Leader, Information Product Solutions Asia Pacific

Mercer, Singapore

As the Asia Pacific Regional Leader for Mercer's Information Product Solutions business, Siew Khim Neo's role stretches beyond strategic planning, new markets and product development, and execution of business strategies to enable Mercer's continued leadership as the number one provider of human capital information and solutions in the region.

To ensure a constant thread of thought leadership which is innovative and relevant, Neo maintains close industry links with many chambers of commerce, industry bodies, and both regional and local businesses. She is a key sponsor of Mercer's regional compensation and benefit forum, which is a focal point for many premier players in the chemical, consumer goods, financial, IT and pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Neo has extensive experience in driving business excellence initiatives in the areas of leadership development, sales effectiveness, performance management and market intelligence and benchmarking for leading organizations in Singapore and the region. She has also actively participated in the formulation of public polices for employee development, and led professional training in leadership, creativity, communication and sales.

Neo holds an Honors Degree from the University of Singapore, and an MBA from the University of Strathclyde, majoring in strategic management.

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Bruce Rigby

Global Retirement Leader

Mercer, United Kingdom

Bruce Rigby leads Mercer’s Global Retirement business and is a member of the Global Operating Committee. He has been with Mercer, or one of its predecessor companies, since 1979. Based in the UK, he is also the actuary and consultant for a small number of major clients, focusing on corporate benefits advice. He has a long and varied experience in dealing with the diverse issues faced by plan sponsors and trustees in the effective management and development of their pension plans. In addition Rigby fulfils an executive sponsorship role for multinational clients around the world.

Prior to his current role, Rigby was head of the UK Retirement Practice, a member of the UK Executive Committee and also fulfilled various management roles in different parts of the UK business. He has a first-class honors degree in Mathematics and Economics from Edinburgh University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries.

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Rosaline Chow Koo

Asia Pacific Health & Benefits Business Leader

Mercer, Singapore

A Mercer Worldwide Partner, Rosaline Chow Koo is Asia Pacific Business Leader of Mercer Health & Benefits, Asia Business Leader of Mercer HR Services and also leads Mercer’s Avian Flu global initiative.

Before joining Mercer in late 2004, Koo was responsible for ASEAN business development with ACE Insurance’s Accident & Health operations, having P&L responsibilities for Singapore. An entrepreneurial spirit, she previously built, led and sold solutions for the Malaysian based pan-Asia shared services center of Vsource (formerly Netcel360).

Before moving to Asia, Koo spent ten years with Bankers Trust Company in New York, where she held a series of leadership positions in foreign exchange and retirement services product management, banking and mutual funds operations, process re-engineering, and strategic marketing planning.

Koo has an MBA from Columbia Business School where she was an Edwin Wolfson Fellow, and a BS in Cybernetics (human factors engineering) from UCLA.

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Michael Bekins

Managing Director

Korn/Ferry International, Hong Kong

While Michael Bekins is Managing Director of Korn/Ferry International Hong Kong, he also heads the firm’s technology practice for Asia Pacific. In this role, he leverages his expertise in identifying top talent for companies entering developing markets, specifically advising clients in technology, telecommunications, information and professional services organizations across the region.

Over the course of his impressive 20-year career with Korn/Ferry, Bekins has played a leading role in the firm’s growth and international expansion, most notably starting its operations in Korea. He has previously served as President of Asia Pacific, President of Europe, based in London, and Chief Operating Officer, based in Los Angeles.

An entrepreneurial spirit, Bekins left Korn/Ferry in December 2001 to pursue other interests. During this time he served on several non-profit boards, was involved in setting up a UK-based leadership development business, and also established a talent strategy and executive search firm in California focusing on Asia. He rejoined Korn/Ferry in July 2006.

Bekins was listed as one of the world’s top 200 executive recruiters in The Global 200 Recruiters: An Essential Guide to the Best Recruiters in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, by Nancy Garrison Jenn (Jossey Bass Management Series, 1998).

Bekins earned his BS from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. An American national, he has lived and worked in Australia, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Malaysia, Singapore and Tokyo.

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Fergal McGuiness

Japan Retirement Leader

Mercer, Japan

Head of Mercer’s Japanese Retirement Business, Fergal McGuiness has led a wide range of retirement projects covering international pension plan management, governance plan redesign, formulating harmonization strategies and M&A due diligence. He frequently publishes articles on the topic of Japanese pensions.

Prior to joining Mercer in Tokyo as senior actuary, McGuiness worked as a consultant in the international business of Mercer’s San Francisco office. He has a BA in Actuarial and Financial Studies from University College Dublin, and is also a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (London).

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Bill Cornwell

CEO

Cascade Consulting, Singapore

With more than 20 years’ experience working with high-profile multinational and government organizations – 11 of which were spent in Southeast Asia – Bill Cornwell brings expertise in the areas of executive coaching, business performance coaching, 360-degree feedback programs, consultation and workshops on strategic planning and change leadership, team improvement through workshops that develop “Active” Followers and Innovative Thinkers.

Cornwell’s coaching experience has seen him working with Asia-based executives in the multinational sector, assisting them in areas of leadership, relationship development, cultural integration, and teambuilding techniques. His clients include BASF, Estée Lauder, McGraw Hill, Novartis, Chevron Oronite, Bax Global Logistics, Motorola and Accenture Consulting. He has also worked with leaders from the Singapore National Library Board, the Housing Development Board, the Ministry of Health, Public Utilities Board and the Singapore Police Force.

A top-level leadership consultant, Cornwell brings to his discipline a fine record of strategic planning, and business development expertise. He also has frontline management and operational experience, having been responsible for leading a number of senior professional, technical and support teams.

Cornwell also created and was a general manager for the world’s largest conference center management company, Benchmark Hospitality, and helped grow businesses in the fields of executive search, communications, golf course construction, public non-profit and consulting. In addition to his own executive coaching practice he provides senior level coaching programs on an adjunct basis for The Center for Creative Leadership and Lee Hecht Harrison.

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Syed Ali Abbas

Human Resource Director

AT&T Asia Pacific

Human Resource Director with AT&T Asia Pacific, Syed Ali Abbas provides strategic, tactical and operational support on people and organization-related issues in 13 markets throughout the region. He is also currently the international leader for HR Business Continuity Planning at AT&T, and leads the international Avian Flu Response Strategy team in partnership with the Corporate Business Continuity function.

An AT&T veteran of six years, Abbas has also served as HR Service Delivery Manager for Asia Pacific and Japan, as well as Country HR Manager in India. In 2003, Abbas acted as a member of the AT&T International HR Transformation team, which was responsible for revamping the entire international HR function including organizational structure, governance, staffing, process re-engineering, systems, and vendor management, as well as establishing the company’s international HR shared services operation.

Prior to joining AT&T, Abbas held various operational HR and business positions at KPMG, Genpact and Catvision Products.

Abbas is a Life Member of the HRD Network (India) and a Global Member of the Society for Human Resource Management (USA). He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration with a major in Strategic Management from Lancaster University, UK, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) degree from Delhi University. He is fluent in English and Hindi.

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Vanessa Wang

Asia (ex-Japan) Retirement Business Leader

Mercer, China

Vanessa Wang is the Asia Ex-Japan Business Leader of Mercer's retirement consulting business. Based in Beijing, she works closely with Chinese regulators regarding the enterprise annuity and investment policies. Her clients include multinational companies, local private and public companies, state owned enterprises and public sector plans in Asia and the US. Wang’s expertise includes the design and financing of retirement benefits programs, and corporate reorganizing including mergers, acquisitions and spin-offs.

A fully qualified actuary by trade, Wang has more than 15 years of consulting experience in retirement issues around the world. She holds a MS in Mathematics from the University of Minnesota, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of Actuaries, and is an Enrolled Actuary under Employee Retirement Income Security Act of USA (ERISA).

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