As 2026 begins, the companies that win won’t just out-innovate on product — they’ll out-execute on people. In Singapore, the talent market is tighter, AI is changing job design, and leadership expectations are rising fast across Asia’s tech, finance, and industrial ecosystems.
That’s why the Top 10 Voices in HR, Leadership & People Strategy in Singapore (2026) matter: they’re the builders behind future-ready organizations, from board-level transformation to talent acquisition at scale and coaching the next generation of leaders. Moreover, they don’t just talk about change — they architect it, measure it, and make it stick. Keep reading to meet the people powering the region’s next chapter of work.
Highlights
Lance Foo
Lance Foo combines deep talent acquisition expertise with creator-level influence, advising leaders and scaling hiring strategies across Asia’s fast-moving tech landscape. Today, as Group Talent Acquisition Lead at NCS, a subsidiary of Singtel, with over 13,000-strong workforce across Asia Pacific, she supports their AI transformation through each and every strategic hire.
Meanwhile, her standing as a trusted industry voice across major platforms signals how strongly she shapes the future-of-work conversation. With talent sustainability as a core passion, she has become a rare bridge between operational hiring excellence and modern HR thought leadership.
Samir Murgude
Samir Murgude brings a transformation-first lens to HR, backed by 20+ years across industrial and consumer sectors in APAC, the Middle East, and the US. Additionally, his strengths span organizational design, workforce transformation, leadership development, and complex change — from greenfield setups to restructuring and post-merger integration.
Currently based in India, Samir partnered with Singapore-based and Asia-Pacific organizations on leadership, business & HR transformation, and people strategy across manufacturing, FMCG, and advanced tech companies.
Notably, his experience across global giants and high-growth environments positions him to connect people strategy directly to business performance. As a result, he’s the kind of HR leader organizations trust when the stakes — and complexity — are high.
Rocky Esguerra
Rocky Esguerra brings rare “been there” credibility as an ex-APAC CHRO with 30+ years of international experience at P&G, Pfizer, and Heineken. As an Executive Coach, she caters to senior MNC leaders from across the world, helping them overcome career plateaus, navigate visibility & politics, and land bigger, meaningful roles–without neglecting their other roles in life. She believes there’s more to life than just the job.
Importantly, her approach blends practical business psychology, HR science, and lived leadership experience, not just generic advice. Consequently, she’s helping shape Singapore’s executive pipeline from the inside out, enabling inspirational & transformational leadership, one leader at a time.
Alex P.
Alex P. operates at the intersection of people, brand, and technology — exactly where modern HR leadership is heading. Furthermore, as Chief People Officer for an award-winning B2B tech communications consultancy across APAC, he’s building an integrated people strategy while supporting growth across multiple markets.
At the same time, his founder and coaching work reflect a strong belief in resilience, continuous learning, and values-led leadership. As a result, he stands out as a people leader who pairs operational execution with future-facing mindset shifts.
Jean Lua
Jean Lua is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Kredivo Group, where she leads the people and culture agenda for one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital financial services platforms. With deep experience across fintech, e-commerce, and the public sector, Jean brings a rare blend of strategic rigour and human-centred leadership to the HR function.
Before joining Kredivo, Jean held senior people leadership roles at Shopee and Singapore’s Public Service Division, with a strong foundation in learning, organisation development, and transformation. Her career reflects a consistent focus on building trust, psychological safety, and future-ready capabilities in high-growth, high-change environments.
On LinkedIn, Jean is a thoughtful voice on modern HR, leadership, and the role of empathy in an AI-accelerated world. She champions the idea that while technology may transform how organisations operate, it is human connection, clarity, and purpose that ultimately enable people — and businesses — to thrive.
Monica Divik Agarwal
Monica Divik Agarwal is a modern people leader built for high-stakes environments, from scaling teams to navigating IPO readiness across multiple markets. Moreover, her background across fintech, banking, and technology gives her the commercial fluency to partner deeply with CEOs, boards, and investors.
Notably, she has been recognized as a strategic HR leader and featured by industry platforms such as Accenture, IHRP, and the Singapore FinTech Association. Consequently, her work signals where HR is going next: data-informed, board-relevant, and growth-anchored.
Jean-Michel Wu
Jean-Michel Wu blends executive search precision with coaching depth, helping organizations across APAC hire smarter and build leadership capability for change. Furthermore, through Tripitakka Consulting, he supports startups, scale-ups, and global groups with executive placements, fractional CHRO support, and leadership development.
Meanwhile, his ICF PCC coaching and iEQ9 Enneagram expertise add a human-centered edge to talent decisions that are often purely transactional. As a result, he’s shaping leadership teams that perform — and cultures that last.
Anne Caron
Anne Caron has become a go-to advisor for organizations that need practical, founder-friendly people strategy — especially in the startup and innovation ecosystem. Moreover, her best-selling book From Zero to 1,000 translates organizational design into an actionable playbook for building scalable cultures and operating models.
Notably, her work spans culture, performance, hiring systems, and HR operations design, supported by global speaking and mentoring roles. Consequently, she’s influencing how the next generation of Southeast Asian companies builds teams from day one.
Dean Tong
Dean Tong brings a rare blend of strategy consulting depth and enterprise HR leadership, shaped by two decades at BCG and now scaled across UOB. Furthermore, his focus on initiatives like “The UOB Way” and “Better U” highlights a leadership philosophy rooted in empowerment, purpose, and enabling people to grow.
Meanwhile, his experience building business models and leading transformation across Southeast Asia gives him a strong regional lens on talent and organizational change. As a result, he’s a defining voice in how large institutions modernize culture while staying human.
Peck Kem Low
Peck Kem Low has been shaping workforce strategy at a national scale, driving capability building and future readiness across Singapore’s public service. Moreover, her leadership spans strategic direction and operational execution — making tough decisions while aligning HR agendas with long-term national priorities.
Notably, her roles as President of the World Federation of People Management Associations and President of SHRI signal strong trust from the profession. Consequently, she represents a powerful model of HR leadership that blends governance, community impact, and workforce transformation.
Why These HR Leaders Will Define Singapore’s Work Future in 2026
The Top 10 Voices in HR, Leadership & People Strategy in Singapore (2026) aren’t simply trending names — they’re the architects of how Asia will work next. As AI reshapes roles and new business models emerge, these leaders will keep pushing HR beyond policies and into strategy, capability, and culture at scale.
Moreover, expect them to influence everything from skills-based hiring and leadership development to workforce resilience, inclusion, and board-level transformation. If 2026 is the year organizations compete on people as much as product, then these are the voices to watch — and the thinkers many companies will quietly follow.
Highlights
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