Karen Koh

Senior HR Business Partner | Regional HR Manager (APAC) in Singapore

thisiskarenkoh@gmail.com

About

Strategic Senior HR Business Partner with 10+ years of experience partnering senior leaders across APAC in fast-paced, matrixed environments within IT, SaaS, professional services, and corporate sectors. Proven track record in regional workforce planning, organisational design and change, employee relations, and post-merger (M&A) integration. Trusted advisor to business leaders, recognised for translating people strategy into pragmatic solutions that enable growth, manage risk, and stabilise organisations during transformation.

  • Expertise: HR business partnering, talent strategy, workforce planning, organisational design, change management, performance management, succession planning, employee engagement, and culture building.

  • Operations: policy development, HR governance and compliance, ER/IR case management, investigations, and risk mitigation across multiple APAC jurisdictions.

  • Strategic impact: partnering C-level and regional GMs to align people plans to P&L, transformation, and post-merger integration objectives.

  • Data and enablement: people analytics and KPI tracking, headcount and budget planning, stakeholder management, and vendor management.

Work Experience

Crayon (SoftwareOne)

Singapore

Regional HR Manager/ Business Partner

Aug. 2023 - Feb. 2026

  • Served as Regional HR Business Partner (HRBP) to senior leaders across APAC, advising on workforce planning, organisational design, change management, talent planning, succession, performance management, and complex employee relations.
  • Delivered end-to-end HR support across multiple countries, covering onboarding, performance and talent cycles, cross-border payroll, EOR employment models, HRIS data integrity, and statutory compliance across diverse jurisdictions.
  • Led regional onboarding standardisation and SOP documentation, improving process consistency, time-to-productivity, and employee experience.
  • Managed complex employee relations, disciplinary, and grievance cases across the region, including matters escalated to TADM, partnering with leadership and legal counsel to mitigate regulatory and reputational risk.
  • Supported post-merger integration activities, including job mapping, data validation, HR policy alignment, and change communications across regional markets.
  • Oversaw regional payroll operations and EOR arrangements using Deel and local vendors, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, audit readiness, and compliance.
  • Planned and executed a regional overseas kick-off in Taiwan, coordinating end-to-end logistics, vendor management, budget tracking, and programme flow for multi-country teams.
  • Oversaw office operations and IT device management in a lean regional set-up to maintain business continuity, operational readiness, and employee enablement.
  • Supported learning and development initiatives and tracked participation and outcomes to inform HR analytics and workforce capability planning.

Role ended due to company-initiated redundancy following organisational restructuring. Available from 23 February 2026.

NEON (formerly known as Cityneon Holdings)

Singapore

HR Partner

Jul. 2022 - Aug. 2023

  • Partnered senior leaders across multiple business units to align people strategies with rapid business growth and project-based headcount demands.
  • Managed the full employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, payroll coordination, and employee relations.
  • Supported urgent workforce scaling for large-scale project launches, ensuring timely onboarding, compliance, and stakeholder coordination.
  • Built early-career talent pipelines through internship partnerships with educational institutions and structured programmes.

MediaTek

Singapore

Senior HR Generalist

Nov. 2021 - Jun. 2022

  • Supported HR operations for the Singapore business, covering recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, and HR administration.
  • Streamlined recruitment processes, reducing administrative effort by 23 percent and improving time-to-hire efficiency.
  • Led employee wellness, employer branding, and university engagement initiatives by leveraging government grants and external partners, including virtual career fairs.

ARA Asset Management Pte Ltd

Singapore

Assistant Human Resources Manager

Jan. 2018 - Oct. 2021

  • Delivered end-to-end HR support, including recruitment, employee relations, performance management, and retention initiatives.
  • Partnered leadership on workforce planning, talent retention, and succession considerations.
  • Designed and implemented an employee referral programme, achieving approximately 15 percent recruitment cost savings.
  • Strengthened employer branding and internship programmes through university collaborations and targeted outreach.

Deloitte & Touche Management Pte Ltd.

Singapore

Senior Human Resources Executive

Jul. 2015 - Dec. 2017

  • Led end-to-end recruitment for experienced hires and campus programmes, including sourcing, interviewing, and offer management.
  • Supported annual performance reviews, compensation cycles, and HR reporting for leadership and audit needs.
  • Coordinated global mobility and relocation support for inbound secondees, ensuring compliance and employee experience.

Deloitte & Touche Management Pte Ltd.

Singapore

Human Resources Executive

Jun. 2013 - Jul. 2015

  • Managed recruitment coordination and execution for experienced hires and campus recruitment, including interview scheduling and candidate communications.
  • Assisted in annual performance review administration, data consolidation, and compensation exercise logistics.
  • Facilitated global mobility processes and relocation logistics for inbound secondees.

Education

RMIT University

Singapore

Business Management

Jan. 2008 - Dec. 2010

Bachelor of Business Management

Skills

HR Systems and Tools

  • Microsoft Office
  • BIPO
  • Talentsoft
  • Taleo
  • SAP
  • PeoplePay
  • Greenhouse ATS
  • Workday

Languages

  • English
  • Mandarin

Core HR Competencies

  • Strategic HR Business Partnering (HRBP) - APAC
  • Workforce Planning, Organisational Design and Change Management
  • Employee Relations and Risk Management
  • Compensation, Benefits and Rewards Support
  • Talent Planning, Succession and Performance Management
  • Post-Merger Integration and Job Architecture
  • HR Governance, Compliance and Employment Law
  • HR Systems, Analytics and Process Optimisation
  • Stakeholder Management in Matrix Environments

Certifications

IHRP Certified Associate (IHRP-CA)

Singapore

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP)

IHRP Certified Professional (IHRP-CP)

Singapore

Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP)

Contacts

Email

thisiskarenkoh@gmail.com

LinkedIn