CIMB'S Hamidah Naziadin: Plenty of Agile, Nimble Women Ready for Corporate Duty

“Managing talent is not easy," says Datuk Hamidah Naziadin, CIMB Group Chief People Officer and Head of Group Corporate Resources. "What really matters is doing something about the talent once you have spotted him or her," she adds.

Hamidah's name is well known in the human resource world. With over 30 years of experience under her belt, of which 27 years with CIMB, the mother of three had played an instrumental role in contributing to bank's growth.

According to Hamidah, one of the most pivotal moment in her career is when CIMB won its first 'The Employer Choice Award' in 2002.

“It made the job appear sexier," says Hamidah. "And that also made people see that there is life in HR,” adding that the award served as an endorsement that she was on the right track.

Passion to Learn and Unlearn

Hamidah started her career in CIMB when the bank was still known as Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Berhad. In 2004, she was made Head of Group Corporate Resources. She is also Independent Non-Executive Director on Maxis Berhad.

Hamidah also mentors university students and lecturers through the Ministry of Higher Education’s CEO@Faculty programme, and a council member of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s Excellence Awards 2017-2018.

"Looking at the women talent pool from the economy standpoint, it clearly shows the shift of power has moved from the west to east," says Namidah during the Women of the Future Awards (WOF) in Singapore. "So, the challenge for companies in Southeast Asia is to attract and retain the right talent."

Working with Millennials and IR 4.0

Hamidah was one of the judges of the inaugural WOF award held to honour some of the region’s most outstanding female leaders. It also seeks to motivate and provide role models to strengthen the female talent pipeline. WOF believes women as a demographic group is still a large untapped resource.

"You see a lot of capable young women out there who are aged 35 and below," says Hamidah. "We have our own homegrown talents here. I think they possess very strong qualities that will go a long way.”

Speaking of her own experience juggling a successful career and family, Hamidah says work-life balance is possible with the right support system, such as flexible work options at work.

Flexibility for Working Parents